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Posted May 2, 2017, 6:15 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: May 2012
Location: Metropolitan Detroit
Posts: 712
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I like to think that the public - private partnership that has come together over the past 10 years and has really taken off over the past few years and the huge changes they've brought to downtown Detroit is the main story of the Detroit revival story. The streetcar is just a manifestation of this the original plan for the streetcar fell apart because the city no longer was in a position to provide funding and this coalition stepped in and saved the project in its smaller form.
Whats changed recently to really make downtown - midtown renaissance take off and start expanding to the ~ 10sq mile area of the greater downtown area and many surrounding neighborhoods and has come especially since Duggan came into office is a real close and coordinated effort between the city and this group. For example there is the plan recently reveled to emulate what has happened along the Woodward corridor in the downtown - midtown - new center area and replicate it along the east Jefferson ave. corridor and the lower east side/riverfront area and many of the same players already have proposals for this area or are working on building the up concepts.
I will also say that the completion of the Qline does seem to add a sense of permanence to the revival along Woodward it seems that just during the building stage of the Qline the size and scale of projects became larger and more ambitious along with also being more numerous. But i think that the real story that should be told about the "Detroit comeback story" that should be heralded is the public - private partnership that seems to have found a winning formula for redevelopment along the Woodward corridor and looks to be in a position to replicate it along the East Jefferson corridor.
Also with all that's been happening in the greater downtown area with projects being built right now that 5-10 years ago would have been inconceivable its easy to over look the significance of whats been happening along the Livernois corridor in the University District and the Fitzgerald Neighborhoods of NW Detroit. Just like in midtown redevelopment efforts of the of the Livernois corridor and the Fitzgerald Neighborhood as a whole rest on the fact that they are anchored by two respected schools The University of Detroit Mercy and Marrygrove College whose impact on the surrounding area has been minimal barbecue they've been more of the commuter college type although U of D does have a small population of students who live "on campus". The Problem with this area is there are many strong neighborhoods in the area but they area some of the wealthiest in the city there is a lack of good quality affordable housing in safe and vibrant areas. If the plan For Fitzgerald moves forward with 115 home renovations and strategic demolitions not only used to create urban gardens but to create greenways in a few years we could have another mini midtown-esque area in NW Detroit and the first large scale revival in "the neighborhoods".
There's certainly a lot more going on in Detroit that's contributing to it's revival then the Qline but at the same time its a solid step forward even if is just an economic development tool i don't think anyone would deny that's something Detroit needs more of in any size, shape or form. I can also see why some Detroiters can be dismissive of articles with titles that don's show the larger picture of what is going on in the city and what has been accomplished after how so many people's perceptions of the city were ruined or negatively influenced by doomsday articles and ruin porn that had been focusing on Detroit. But because of this even it isn't covering all of the amazing things that are happening in Detroit right now i'm always glad to see positive articles about Detroit even if wished they would be more in-depth or expansive.
Anyways there's 2cents about the streetcar and the Toronto article but i originally wanted to say something different about the Qline and the effects its already seeming to have on the area immediately surrounding it. Boston-Edison Neighborhood has some of the finest Mansions in the city but it is on the border of New Center and the North End which is a struggling area however the street car is within walking distance of B.E. and one of the biggest home sales in the city this year has just taken place there with a 1 million dollar + price tag. In any other city the Fisher Mansion would go for a lot more but considering just a few years ago some areas of B&E were starting to show signs of wear and tare this is great to see.
Quote:
The Charles T. Fisher Mansion sells for $1.25M
Curbed Detroit
BY ROBIN RUNYAN
APR 28, 2017
What could be one of the biggest private home sales in Detroit this year just finalized in Boston-Edison. The Charles T. Fisher Mansion, which we profiled last year, has just sold to a new owner for $1,250,000.
The house never officially listed for sale, but came up as pending earlier this year.
The Charles T. Fisher Mansion is the largest home in Boston-Edison, at 18,000 square feet. It was designed by George D. Mason in 1922 and has 14 bedrooms, 14 bathrooms, a pub, a private chapel, gymnasium, and a prohibition liquor vault. There’s also a finished carriage house in the back. An extensive renovation has been ongoing in the home. Here are a few of the photos we took last year, and many more can be seen here. It’s one of the most elegant, extraordinary homes in the city.
...and so on... there's more pics at the link below if your interested.
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http://detroit.curbed.com/2017/4/28/...r-mansion-sold
Quote:
Banyan breaks ground on $10 million St. Charles School renovation
Crain's Detroit Business
May 01, 2017
By KURT NAGL
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and Banyan Investments LLC broke ground Monday on a $10 million renovation of a historic school building in Detroit's Islandview neighborhood.
The Detroit-based real estate company is transforming the century-old St. Charles School building into 35 "modern and sleek" residential spaces, according to a news release.
Located on Townsend Street, the units are planned to range in size from 894 square feet to 1,640 square feet and in price from $275,000 to $470,000, and will be ready for move-in by May next year.
Banyan CEO Aamir Farooqi told Crain's recently that his company intends to preserve as much of the building as possible.
"It's easy for people to come in and replace because it's easier, it's quicker, it's cheaper," he said. "To refresh and renew and repurpose is not as easy and is not for the faint of heart, but I think the result is significantly more uplifting."
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http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...ool-renovation
Quote:
Metro Detroit among top 10 in U.S. for construction job growth
About 21,700 work in construction in the area
By ANNALISE FRANK
May 02, 2017
Metro Detroit added construction jobs at the seventh-fastest rate this past year out of more than 300 U.S. metro areas surveyed, the Associated General Contractors of America announced Tuesday at Little Caesars Arena in downtown Detroit.
The Southeast Michigan region described as Detroit-Dearborn-Livonia gained about 2,900 construction jobs from March 2016 to March 2017, a 15 percent increase over the previous year, according to data from the association. About 21,700 work in construction in the area, up from 18,800 the previous year.
Recent Detroit growth comes "largely thanks to projects like Little Caesars Arena," said Brian Turmail, spokesman for the Arlington, Va.-based association.
The construction site of the arena, scheduled to open in September, hosts an average of 1,400 workers per day, said Dannis Mitchell, director of workforce development for Barton Malow Co. based in Southfield.
Barton Malow, Detroit-based White Construction and Indianapolis-based Hunt Construction Group are leading the arena construction effort.
About 40 Detroit-based businesses are signed on to the project, Mitchell said.
-Worker shortage
Michigan's construction industry has strengthened in recent years, but the widespread shortage of qualified workers continues to pose a major challenge, said Darryl Massa, chairman of the Associated General Contractors of Michigan and vice president of Lansing-based Granger Construction.
Contractors on the Little Caesars Arena project signed an agreement with city officials requiring them to maintain an employment base of 51 percent Detroit residents. But they've failed to reach that number due to the lack of qualified workers available, and have paid fines to the city, Mitchell said.
Crain's reported in October that arena contractors had paid about $500,000 in fines to the city thus far.
"We are up against so much tremendous growth," Mitchell said. But the site does employ 233 apprentices who are Detroit residents, she said.
The city, state and companies like Barton Malow have turned to community engagement events in an effort to bring more job-seekers into the industry. Arena developer Olympia Development of Michigan is sponsoring Michigan Construction Career Days May 4-5 in Howell, according to the website, and Detroit has launched several training programs and initiatives.
Barton Malow has seen an "influx" in local workers through its community outreach events and apprenticeship programs, Mitchell said, but she did not disclose specific numbers.
"If we didn't have those outreach events, we wouldn't be close to where we are" on hiring Detroiters, she said. And, in this new wave of development, "somebody's gotta take the brunt of the work on their shoulders," she said.
This trend isn't unique to Michigan, though. Nationally, about 73 percent of companies have a difficult time finding enough qualified workers to fill positions, Turmail said.
-Measuring growth
These recent construction gains come after the Detroit area lost about one out of every four construction positions from 2008 to 2010, a decrease of 5,100 jobs, according to the association.
Of the 358 metro areas surveyed, 224 added jobs in the past year, including areas identified as Grand Rapids-Wyoming and Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills. Another 92 regions lost construction jobs and 42 remained the same.
Continuing construction employment growth depends on federal officials green-lighting measures that encourage new development, create more demand and improving tax and regulatory environments, Turmail said. The association is also pushing for more funding and flexibility in implementing vocational training in public education, he said.
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http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...ion-job-growth
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