DETROIT | Development & Construction: Motown Lowdown

[LMich]

I guess it really depends on how much of the site they use. If it's 100% ground coverage on 3 acres, what is that? Like 4-5 stories? If you take into account a surface lot or lawn or something taking up part of the footprint, this could have a bit of height. But I'd doubt that they are going the high-rise, route; I'd bet this is more of a low-slung, campus-like setting. Given that it's right across the street from a single-family home residential neighborhood, it'd probably be best they go that route for that particular part of the campus.

What I really hope from this particular piece of the development is that is spurs local retail on Rosa Parks, something that serves the residential population of Corktown, because they really need that.

[DetroitSky]

Looking at an aerial map, it appears 2051 Rosa Parks takes up the entire block bounded by Rosa Parks, Marantette Street, Vermont Street and Dalzelle Street. I'd imagine whatever ends up being built there would be in the 4-6 floor range with a skybridge or some kind of direct connect to The Factory on the next block north.

As for the blocks between 2051 Rosa Parks/The Factory and MCS/book depository building, I'm sure we are soon going to see an influx of residential development. There are still a lot of vacant lots in that part of Corktown. Hopefully we will also see the redevelopment of the CPA Building, Roosevelt Hotel and the large unused cold storage warehouse on Bagley and Vermont in the next few years.

Something interesting to note, Detroit's tallest vacant building without redevelopment plans is on the market using Ford's return to Detroit as a selling point. The sale also includes four adjacent surface lots. It would be great to get Executive Plaza back online, but imagine how amazing it would be to get a few low rise/mid rise mixed use buildings on those lots!

[animatedmartian]

Originally Posted by deja vu

^ I guess I agree that the Alchemy Building doesn't exhibit much architectural greatness. And holy wahh - if there's 6 feet of contaminated soil in the picture, leveling it doesn't really absolve Ford of having to spend a ton of money on environmental abatement. But I suppose it does reduces the cost somewhat. My two questions are (1) do they plan on building something with any height to it for the property, and (2) what does the future look like for the several residential blocks sandwiched in-between this property and MCS?

I suppose we should shift this discussion back towards the MCS thread.

Originally Posted by LMich

I guess it really depends on how much of the site they use. If it's 100% ground coverage on 3 acres, what is that? Like 4-5 stories? If you take into account a surface lot or lawn or something taking up part of the footprint, this could have a bit of height. But I'd doubt that they are going the high-rise, route; I'd bet this is more of a low-slung, campus-like setting. Given that it's right across the street from a single-family home residential neighborhood, it'd probably be best they go that route for that particular part of the campus.

What I really hope from this particular piece of the development is that is spurs local retail on Rosa Parks, something that serves the residential population of Corktown, because they really need that.

In relation to this:

Architect behind Corktown revival gives first glimpse of its future

Allie Gross, Detroit Free Press
June 22, 2018

...

Public swimming pools, wildlife, new restaurants and a commitment to historical integrity are just a few of the things on the mind of Dykers, a founding partner of Snøhetta — the architecture firm that has been tapped to spearhead Ford's colossal redevelopment of Corktown and its Dearborn campus.

"Our job is to ensure that what's new and what's put into the older buildings — including the station — is relevant and useful both for Ford and for Detroit and the communities of Corktown and, by the way, Mexicantown," Dykers said in a phone interview Thursday. The firm, which has offices in Oslo, Norway, and New York City, will be overseeing everything from landscaping, to deciding what new buildings should be built (expect more than one), and what should go within the buildings that are being refurbished.

Because it is still unclear what can and cannot be refurbished — the old Lincoln Brass Works factory, for example, is one building that is still up in the air — final tallies and a map of what is to come remain unknown. Dykers anticipates first rounds of designs being ready for the public in August. He says no designs have been created yet.

“Our goal is to create investment that doesn’t overwhelm the tiny little houses and the small families that live there currently,” he said, explaining that this logic means they are being mindful about scale as well as the fact that Corktown has a historical designation.

“We don’t want to build suddenly a tall thing in the middle of a small neighborhood; we don’t want to build everything new and flashy,” he said.

https://www.freep.com/story/news/loc...own/717906002/

So yea, most likely any new building will be probably no more than 5 or 6 stories. Anything with significant height, I imagine, would be built near I-75 or directly on Michigan Avenue.

With a European architecture firm no less, whose specialty is midrise and landscaping, the chances of a new highrise is low, but not impossible if it fits Ford's needs.

[Docta_Love]

Executive Plaza is a bit isolated which is one of the reasons why it's the last major building downtown with no plans as of now but it'll make sense soon for someone to make a move on that property.

Ford's depot positions Michigan Avenue for transit corridor
CHAD LIVENGOOD
Crain's Detroit Business
June 24, 2018



Rebuilding Michigan Avenue from Detroit's Corktown neighborhood to Dearborn to accomodate Ford Motor Co.'s autonomous vehicles "will take longer than anyone sitting around the table will expect it to take," says Kirk Steudle, director of the Michigan Department of Transportation.

Bill Ford Jr.'s grand vision of developing a "transportation invention corridor" along Michigan Avenue and I-94 that stretches from the Michigan Central Station in Corktown to Dearborn, Willow Run and Ann Arbor is going to require some grand thinking and probably a pile of public and private money.

Mobility is about to go from being a buzzword to a real situational challenge that confronts Ford Motor Co.'s bid to deploy autonomous vehicle technology from a train depot built when some Detroiters were still getting around town by horse and buggy.

Ford has already deployed its Chariot rideshare vans along Michigan Avenue to shuttle employees between its Dearborn headquarters and its first Corktown building — The Factory — in what could be the precursor of having self-driving vehicles running along the avenue in the coming years.

Ford Motor Co. has brought its Chariot rideshare service to Detroit to shuttle Ford employees between its headquarters in Dearborn and its first building in Corktown, The Factory at the corner of Michigan Avenue and Rosa Parks Boulevard.

"They may not start off immediately as autonomous shuttles, but they eventually will be AV shuttles," Bill Ford Jr. said in an interview with Crain's Detroit Business and Automotive News. "Don't know if those will be Chariots or not. Haven't put too fine a point on it. We're talking four years out now."

But, barring a major economic calamity, four years will come faster than most might expect as the auto industry undergoes rapid change.

Rebuilding Michigan Avenue between Corktown and Dearborn and beyond to include two lanes dedicated to autonomous vehicles would be a tremendous undertaking involving local, state and federal government, as well as businesses along the corridor.

"The challenge is going to be that this will take longer than anyone sitting around the table will expect it to take," said Kirk Steudle, director of the Michigan Department of Transportation and one of the thought leaders on planning for the advent of self-driving vehicles.

If done right, Michigan Avenue from Detroit to Ann Arbor could become the country's first truly connected corridor for the start of an era — possibly a long one — where robotic vehicles driven by artificial intelligence will share the roads with humans behind the wheel. It's not unlike the early 20th century when Henry Ford's Model Ts were sharing the cobblestone with horse-drawn carriages.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...ansit-corridor

[Docta_Love]

Autonomous shuttles launch service for Bedrock in downtown Detroit
May Mobility will shuttle Bedrock employees in driverless vehicles

By Robin Runyan
Curbed Detroit
Jun 26, 2018



The future is now for Bedrock and Quicken Loan employees. Ann Arbor-based May Mobility announced “the first commercial deployment of independent autonomous vehicles on public streets in any urban core in America.” Five shuttles will transport employees of Dan Gilbert-owned companies starting on June 27.

Employees of Quicken and its affiliates will use the shuttles between offices, parking garages, and downtown destinations from 5 a.m. to midnight. The shuttles will start with a one-mile loop between the Bricktown Parking Garage and One Campus Martius. Initially, an attendant will be in the car to orient first-time riders. There’s no time frame right now for how long that will last.

The company gathers data from vehicles, riders, business, and community partners and also maps, tests, and adds environmental sensors to routes block-by-block, in hopes of helping solve transportation and parking issues facing urban commuters.

“Our partnership with Bedrock shows that our self-driving vehicles can help address today’s most difficult transportation problems,” said Edwin Olson, CEO and co-founder of May Mobility. “Our technology allows us to provide fully-managed transportation services that outperform traditional services on wait time, rider satisfaction, and other metrics. By improving the lives of Bedrock’s employees and tenants, we move closer to our vision that everyone uses May Mobility every day.”

May Mobility has also opened a new office at 601 Franklin, near the Ren Center. This location will provide full-time operational support for the route, store and charge the shuttles, and coordinate future route expansion.

https://detroit.curbed.com/2018/6/26...etroit-bedrock

Northwest Detroit residents, Sinai-Grace develop neighborhood framework
How can residents and institutions create equitable revitalization?

By Robin Runyan
Curbed Detroit
Jun 21, 2018


Northwest Detroit Neighborhood Revitalization Vision and Strategic Framework

Recently, we’ve seen the City of Detroit work with certain neighborhoods to develop frameworks and guidelines for development, health, and safety. Specifically, plans have been released Southwest Detroit and West Village to guide development and revitalization. But in some Detroit neighborhoods, this work is more community-led.

Sinai-Grace Hospital Northwest recently underwent an extensive $77 million expansion and construction project. With that, the hospital looked to see how they could protect and invest in their assets and the surrounding community. They partnered with Enterprise Community Partners to engage the neighborhood and develop the Northwest Neighborhood Revitalization Strategic Framework.

Sinai-Grace has started working with neighborhoods just north of Grandmont-Rosedale, specifically Crary St. Marys, College Park, Winship, Hubbell-Puritan, Belmont, Bethune, and Shulze. The group effort, along with businesses and institutions in the neighborhood, is under the Sinai Grace Guild Community Development Corporation (SGGCDC).

The group started holding community meetings last fall to develop the framework. Instead of telling the neighborhood what they wanted to do, the framework was developed based on what the neighborhood said they needed.

Melinda Clemons of Enterprise Community Partners talked to Curbed about the community engagement process. They started with the strong assets in the neighborhood: large anchor institutions like the Northwest Activities Center, Mumford High School, and Marygrove College, combined with the stable population across the neighborhoods. Clemons said they wanted to develop ways to create economic mobility for its residents.

The framework centers around seven main areas for equitable community revitalization: commercial and economic development, economic security and wealth-building, residential stabilization and growth, open space and parks, mobility and sustainability, community-building and enhanced quality of life, and leadership and neighborhood capacity development.

The first project in the group is to weatherize 30 homes for senior residents in the neighborhood, to cut down costs on heating and cooling and to make homes more efficient. At the same time, the group will connect residents with resources they might find helpful as they age in the neighborhood.

https://detroit.curbed.com/2018/6/21...revitalization

Developers buy 119 parcels for Fitzgerald neighborhood revitalization

By KURT NAGL
Crain's Detroit Business
June 27, 2018

-First homes expected to be on the market this summer
-Developers hope to acquire the rest of the 361 lots within a year
-Urban farming, green agriculture to be a priority of the project


Detroit-based developers Century Partners and The Platform LLC finalized the deal Friday as part of their Fitz Forward project that includes rehabbing 361 vacant or blighted lots in the north end neighborhood, including 102 renovated homes, said David Alade, co-founder and managing partner of Century Partners. It had previously purchased nine lots from the land bank.

Redevelopment of the properties — in the area bounded by McNichols Road, Puritan Avenue, Greenlawn Avenue and Livernois Avenue — is estimated to cost between $12 million and $14 million. It is expected to be complete in two to three years, Alade said.

"Detroit is writing a very different story, but primarily in the downtown area," said Michelle Bolofer, executive director of Century Forward, the development arm of the nonprofit company. "This is one of the first properties focusing on purely residential."

Announced last April, the project is the main driver of a sweeping initiative from the City of Detroit to restore the historic neighborhood, which has been plagued for years by disinvestment and abandonment. Work at the 2-acre Ella Fitzgerald Park is expected to wrap up this summer, and the city is also partnering with nearby University of Detroit Mercy to attempt a revitalization of the neighborhood's troubled commercial corridor.

Contractors were working Wednesday to fix up the initial nine lots of the project. Of the nine, seven have houses that are being rehabbed for affordable housing, Alade said.

Of the 361 parcels, there are 233 vacant lots to be revitalized, 92 homes to be sold at market value, 10 homes to be sold as affordable and 26 homes to be demolished.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...revitalization

[DetroitSky]

The Wildemere activates a vacant storefront in Martin Park

Williams and his partner bought the 8,000-square-foot building for $175,000, and started renovating the two upstairs apartments. The apartments each have three bedrooms and span 1,200 and 1,100 square feet, plus a patio space. They updated with granite counters, stainless steel appliances, and washer and dryers. The building got an entire gut renovation, with new plumbing, electrical, and HVAC.

They easily leased the units for $1,200 and $1,100. One tenant has lived in an apartment for 18 months, and the other has had a few tenants, but continuously leased. The basement also has storage/work spaces that are fully leased out.

Freshly renovated West Village fourplex now ready for new tenants

New to the rental offerings in West Village is a freshly rehabbed fourplex along busy East Lafayette Street. The multifamily house was gutted down to the studs for this renovation. One of the units has already been leased, and three more are now open. Prices in this area are creeping up on Midtown, downtown, or Corktown rent prices. Two units, both at 1,050 square feet and two bedrooms, are renting for $1,750 per month while a three-bedroom, 1,150-square-foot unit is going for $1,900 per month.

[LMich]

Originally Posted by DetroitSky

The Wildemere activates a vacant storefront in Martin Park

I realize they are three bedrooms, but to be getting $1,200 rents on Six Mile is pretty amazing. Yes, the University District is right across the street, but it's just that: across the street and not in it.

Between this and the Fitzgerald infill, it looks like the neighborhoods that held for so long in the city around UofD and Marygrove are doing from playing defense to offense.

[Docta_Love]

I think this is the right move for the NIAS space has always been an issue but with warm weather exterior space can be utilized perhaps including Hart Plaza. Either way opening up the show to the waterfront and downtown is a good idea.

Auto show to move to warmer months in 2020

By ANNALISE FRANK
Crain's Detroit Business
June 28, 2018

The Detroit Auto Dealers Association will announce plans for the Cobo Center event's future, including new dates, on July 24, auto show spokesman Max Muncey confirmed to Crain's on Thursday.

Auto show leadership released a teaser Thursday for a longer, two-minute video trailer that will be part of the July announcement.

The teaser says "Welcome to Detroit ... completely reimagined" and includes animations of walkable areas and tracks outdoors. From the trailer, it appears the event would still be taking place on Cobo Center's campus in the city's downtown.

NAIAS and Cobo signed an $11.8 million contract last July to keep the auto show at the Detroit riverfront event space through 2025.

Southfield-based Denso International America Inc., which has been on the show floor for 14 years, had said it favored moving the Cobo Center show to October because it would "provide a lot of new and exciting opportunities."

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...months-in-2020

3 finalists selected to design connected cultural campus in Midtown

By TYLER CLIFFORD
Crain's Detroit Business
June 28, 2018

-Teams to offer proposals to create a walkable cultural campus in Midtown
-Public to get a look at the ideas in presentation, exhibit early next year
-Winning concept and team will be announced in March

The Detroit Institute of Arts and Midtown Detroit Inc. have whittled down their international design competition to three finalists that will conceive and offer landscape proposals for a connected cultural campus in Midtown.

The finalists are:

-Agence Ter of Paris, with team partners Detroit-based Akoaki LLC, University of Michigan Assistant Professor of Urban and Regional Planning Harley Etienne, Ann Arbor-based Rootoftwo LLC and German-based Transsolar KlimaEngineering

-Mikyoung Kim Design of Boston, with team partners New York City-based James Carpenter Design Associates Inc., Community Development Advocates of Detroit, Ann Arbor-based Quinn Evans Architects Inc., Detroit-based Giffels-Webster Engineers Inc., New York City-based Tillett Lighting Design Associates, Boston-based Cuseum Inc., Transsolar KlimaEngineering and Schlaich Bergermann & Partners of New York City

-Ten x Ten of Minneapolis, with team partners MASS Design Group, Detroit-based D MET Studio, London-based Atelier Ten Ltd., Boston-based Local Projects, New York City-based HR&A Advisors and UM architecture lecturer Craig Wilkins.

The public can get a first look at the proposals at a Jan. 23 presentation at the DIA. Each proposal will be on display at the museum through April 2.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...pus-in-midtown

Mixed-use developer sought for city-owned property near Michigan Central Station, Honey Bee Market

By KIRK PINHO
Crain's Detroit Business
June 28, 2018

-Property is 0.675 acres at Bagley Avenue and 16th Street
-Responses to request for proposals due by Aug. 14
-Construction could start next year with completion in 2021


Rendering courtesy of the City of Detroit

The site at Bagley Avenue and 16th Street in southwest Detroit is 0.675 acres. The city is looking for a developer to build at least 20 multifamily units with first-floor retail space on Bagley.

Mixed-use developers looking to capitalize on the news that Ford Motor Co. is redeveloping the Michigan Central Station and other parts of Corktown have a chance with some city-owned property put out for bids Thursday.

Mayor Mike Duggan's administration released a request for proposals to redevelop a site at Bagley Avenue and 16th Street with at least 20 residential units, 20 percent of which would have to be affordable to those making 80 percent or lower ($38,000) of the area median income. At least half of the 20-plus units would have to be made available for rent. There would also be retail space on Bagley.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...-near-michigan

[The North One]

They really need to plant more trees around cobo, it's unacceptable how barren it is.

[subterranean]

Originally Posted by The North One

They really need to plant more trees around cobo, it's unacceptable how barren it is.

True dat.

[Docta_Love]

No doubt, I'd also say that a "refreshment & integration" of Hart Plaza into a "cobo campus" along with whatever kind of development will replace the joe has the possibility to really create the ability for a new kind of experience.

[Docta_Love]

$1 million renovation of Viola Building in Eastern Market begins

By KURT NAGL
Crain's Detroit Business
June 28, 2018

-Candle shop likely to be replaced by new restaurant or retail tenant
-Renovations scheduled to be complete by Sept. 1
-Goal is to have entire building leased out in next three to four months

The 27,000-square-foot building, located on the busy southeast corner of Gratiot Avenue and Russell Street sold for $1.99 million last December to 1404 Gratiot LLC, a business entity tied to real estate investor Manoj Manwani.

The top four floors of the five-story building are being marketed as office space, and the 4,000-square-foot first level and 3,000-square-foot basement is targeted for new retail, said Steven Silverman of Friedman Real Estate, which is handling leasing of the space.

Longtime retailer Discount Candles operates on the ground floor of the building, but has been on a month-to-month lease since the end of March, Silverman said. It is likely that the candle shop will lose its place in the building to make way for a new restaurant or retail shop.

"If there's an A-class tenant interested, we're going to move them out of the building," Silverman said.

The new lease rate of $28 to $30 per square foot will likely price out the candle shop, said Mike Koenigbauer, of Friedman Real Estate.

"When you buy a building for $2 million and spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on renovations, the price goes up," Koenigbauer said.

Discount Candles has operated in the building for more than 20 years and has been a pillar of the community, said Star Lamar, co-owner of the store. It was set to close after its lease expired in March, but Lamar partnered with original owner Donna Adams and worked out a deal with the building's new owner to "carry on the legacy," Lamar said.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...-market-begins

[subterranean]

This is near Trinosophes? That's a stupid fast timeline. Can't imagine they'd be doing a very good job of rehab in 2 months' time.

[Docta_Love]

Yea, the Viola it's on the south end of the block.

I'd like to see this happen, tho I'm not feeling great about the chances.

Cass-Henry Historic District up for public comment

By Robin Runyan
Curbed Detroit
Jun 27, 2018



A protest outside the Atlanta Apartments and Hotel Ansonia last summer. Photo by Michelle & Chris Gerard

Last summer, preservationists rallied to save a section of buildings in Cass Corridor owned by Olympia Development (the Ilitches) and threatened with demo. Since then, citizens have voiced their support in creating a historic district in this area. Now, City Council will listen to public comment on the matter.

Public comment is expected to take place Thursday, June 28 starting at 10 a.m. on the 13th floor of the Coleman A. Young Municipal Building.

The Ilitches have owned these buildings since 2009 and have not kept them up. For some reason, the city rarely gives them blight tickets, but the Free Press questioned this and the city finally ticketed them. Olympia has recently been given an extension on the tickets.

The buildings do not have windows and are not secure. They now have until July 9 to fix this.

According to the Free Press, “The notice posted May 21 asked that the properties be registered as vacant buildings, that owners secure a required Certificate of Compliance and that they correct failures to maintain the vacant buildings.”

This block in question still has its buildings in tact, unlike most blocks in the surrounding area. Preservationists argue that since many buildings in the city have been brought back from the brink of demo, these could as well.

https://detroit.curbed.com/2018/6/27...omment-meeting

[LMich]

Looks like these started construction, already.

Eco Homes adds single-family homes in Detroit's Midtown

By John Gallagher, Detroit Free Press

June 29, 2018

These days, big projects like Ford’s Michigan Central Station and the Hudson's skyscraper hog most of the publicity. But sometimes the more modest projects in Detroit offer compelling stories, too.

Today let's look at what are informally known as Eco Homes, a development of single-family houses now under construction at 4th and Alexandrine on the western edge of Detroit's Midtown district.

The modest project — about 20 houses will be built — is notable for several reasons.

The site is the only one in Midtown zoned for single-family houses. Each house is designed for maximum energy efficiency, with solar panels on the roof, deep insulation on the walls and ceiling, and the most tech-savvy appliances.

The architecture is less cookie-cutter than one might expect, thanks to the pro-bono involvement of the SmithGroup, Detroit’s oldest architecture firm better known for large projects like the new Mike Ilitch School of Business near Little Caesars Arena.

Prices for the Eco Homes will range from a low of $436,000 to a bit over $500,000 — pricey, yes, but in line with the rapidly developing Midtown district.

[The North One]

Originally Posted by Docta_Love

Yea, the Viola it's on the south end of the block.

I'd like to see this happen, tho I'm not feeling great about the chances.

Council members and others seem poised to pass the historical designation:

Castaneda-Lopez is confident that the proposed historic district will ultimately pass.

“I don’t think there will be any opposition,” she said, noting that were there any concerns or objections they would have already come up. “I think the only viable option for us is to preserve it. I can’t think of anything that would discourage us from doing so.”

The optimism was reiterated by others.

“The Neighborhood Advisory Committee is very pleased that the committee moved the Cass Henry Block to full council for consideration. We look forward to this important part of Detroit history playing an important role in Detroit’s future,” said Francis Grunow chair of the NAC in the Arena District.

https://www.freep.com/story/news/loc...ngs/741781002/

[DetroitSky]

I’m glad to see that Discount Candles is trying to work with the current owner and if that doesn’t work out they’ll be finding a new nearby location. Just because an area gentrifies doesn’t mean long standing businesses need to disappear. And, of course, it’ll be a win-win if they do or don’t stay in the Viola. A fully leased building and another leased nearby storefront is more than okay with me.

Just something I want to point out that I’ve been noticing, there has been less and less graffiti showing up along highways and unused buildings lately. Many areas have stayed consistently graffiti-free for the past few months.

[DetroitSky]

Some updates from the past few weeks:

June 10


The house being moved for the Kercheval & Van Dyke project. I'm not sure where its being moved to, but it will be restored.


A duplex at 2413 Van Dyke


Detroit Pistons Performance Center


Baltimore Station


1306 Holden Street

June 11


Detroit Life Building


That storefront in the Metropole Building I mentioned awhile ago. Still no hints at what its going to be.


IHOPlebee's


Lawyers Building


Shinola Hotel's Farmer Street building


2818 16th Street, North Corktown


2317 Vermont Street



Foundation work at The Corner


Checker Building, Elton Park


Foundation work at 2120 Trumbull, one of the two 3 floor buildings in Elton Park along Trumbull


Checker Alley, Elton Park


1566 Bagley Street

June 19


In 2016 it was announced that an 11 floor residential building was going to rise at this site at 1201 Griswold, as well as a similar building adjacent to the Farwell. I spoke to the people seen here about this project, as 1201 Griswold is included in renderings around Capitol Park of the park's redesign. They told me construction of the new building is planned "down the road". The other one, next to the Farwell, sounds like its cancelled. They refused to give me any details, though, and didn't seemed too thrilled to be talking to a random pedestrian.


2737 W. Vernor. Formerly an abandoned tire store, it looks like its going to become a Mexican grocery.



3344 W. Vernor. Formerly an abandoned garage, it has been cleaned up and workers were inside when I shot this.

June 24


The Palmer Park Log Cabin has been undergoing a slow restoration project. It is no where near completed, but I got to check out some of the improvements made on Log Cabin Day on June 24.


The main draw this year was the restored stained glass windows. I had no idea there had been stained glass hidden behind those boards for decades.


This building on the SE corner of Warren and Cass has had its aluminum siding stripped off and you can see the original facade. Not sure what the plans are.

June 28


The Pochelon Building is being prepared for demolition. I spoke to a man outside who was meeting up with someone to discuss saving facade detail. He specifically mentioned he wanted the four gargoyles.


Shinola Hotel


Element Detroit at the Metropolitan Building


Grinnell Building


Fisher Arcade Building


316 Philip Street, Jefferson-Chalmers


I want to include more of the grassroots efforts that people are doing for their communities. There's a lot of community gardens around that are putting vacant lots to productive use and beautifying their neighborhoods. Feedom Freedom Growers is located in Jefferson-Chalmers.

[The North One]

1201 Griswold and its sibling have been in limbo for like five years now, I'm not holding my breath. The design they proposed was ugly anyway so I'm kinda glad it's not happening.

Grinnell and the Metropolitan are looking amazing, thanks for the pics.

[subterranean]

Metropolitan lookin’ sharp as hell. Thanks for the update!