Flint development news

[robk1982]

Originally Posted by deja vu

Thanks for all of the photo updates! Maybe that crane at the YWCA was removing rooftop mechanical equipment for salvage, prior to the main demolition effort? Just a guess.

Could be. There can't be too many reasons to have a crane that tall at the site.

[Rizzo]

I love that alley as is though. It’s so strange and after living in Chicago for 9 years which is king of alleys, this one in flint has always been my favorite the way it notches out the building.

[DetroitSky]

The Mott culinary arts building looks great. I’m excited to see how it looks when renovations wrap up. It’s amazing someone once thought covering that facade with concrete panels was a good idea.

The Metropolis and the former Walgreens building (corner building with he art moderne concrete facade) are the last two vacant buildings on Saginaw Street downtown, right? Besides those two, the two slated for demo behind the proposed Hilton and the former (Chase?) bank branch at Beach and First, I can’t think of any other unused buildings downtown. It’s so amazing seeing Flint and the majority of Michigan’s urban centers come back like this.

[subterranean]

Thanks for the photo update. What the heck was in the tall portion of the YWCA building that necessitated zero windows?

[robk1982]

Originally Posted by DetroitSky

The Mott culinary arts building looks great. I’m excited to see how it looks when renovations wrap up. It’s amazing someone once thought covering that facade with concrete panels was a good idea.

The Metropolis and the former Walgreens building (corner building with he art moderne concrete facade) are the last two vacant buildings on Saginaw Street downtown, right? Besides those two, the two slated for demo behind the proposed Hilton and the former (Chase?) bank branch at Beach and First, I can’t think of any other unused buildings downtown. It’s so amazing seeing Flint and the majority of Michigan’s urban centers come back like this.

There are some other vacant buildings on Saginaw. There are at least two (possibly 3) on the same block as the Ferris Wheel and Paul's Pipe Shop (east side of 600 S. Saginaw block).

[robk1982]

Originally Posted by subterranean

Thanks for the photo update. What the heck was in the tall portion of the YWCA building that necessitated zero windows?

Not entirely sure, but I think they provide housing for abuse victims and don't want the public to be able to see inside. At the new location, many of the windows are covered.

[LMich]

The Mott Community College Culinary Arts Building looks like a perfect candidate for a modern, vertical expansion set-back from the rest of the building.

As for the YWCA, I imagine that the design well pre-dates whatever it's last use was. I've always wondered about the purpose of the windowless design, myself, though. Even when these buildings didn't have many or huge windows, there were always some to let natural light in and for obvious ventilation.

[subterranean]

For whatever reason, I find it really creepy. I think the only thing that could have possibly made it creepier is if it had just one randomly placed window on the entire front facade.

Is it made of marble? Or concrete? If the former, they should probably save some of that. This could be one of those cases when the parts are worth more than the whole.

[robk1982]

Flint Fresh Food Hub on Court St, between Dort Hwy and Center Rd.

Flint July 9 2018 by Rob K, on Flickr

Flint July 9 2018 by Rob K, on Flickr

It used to look like this (from Google Street View):
2018-07-08 by Rob K, on Flickr



New Lear Plant at the Buick City site:
Flint July 9 2018 by Rob K, on Flickr


Coolidge Elementary School which is starting to be renovated by Communities First, Inc. This school is on the west side of the city near McLaren Hospital. Communities First also did the Oak School renovation and the Swayze Court Apartments (both have been documented in this thread).
Flint July 9 2018 by Rob K, on Flickr

[LMich]

Originally Posted by subterranean

For whatever reason, I find it really creepy. I think the only thing that could have possibly made it creepier is if it had just one randomly placed window on the entire front facade.

Is it made of marble? Or concrete? If the former, they should probably save some of that. This could be one of those cases when the parts are worth more than the whole.

It's definitely marble:

http://media.graytvinc.com/images/690*388/ywca30.jpg

The demolition contractors are definitely going to be happy with this one.

[Rizzo]

Originally Posted by subterranean

For whatever reason, I find it really creepy. I think the only thing that could have possibly made it creepier is if it had just one randomly placed window on the entire front facade.

Is it made of marble? Or concrete? If the former, they should probably save some of that. This could be one of those cases when the parts are worth more than the whole.

The marble is pretty much worthless after it’s removed. Marble cladding can fatigue which makes it hard to re-use in an exterior building application. Plus a new building has to design their structural systems around the weight of carrying the panels. The veining isn’t really desirable for finished interior applications, and slabs aren’t thick enough for exterior landscaping uses like benches and pathways. Probably could be reused as wall covering in a hotel or condo hallway though.

[robk1982]

https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/ind..._branch_p.html

New ELGA Credit Union branch planned in downtown Flint
Updated 7:16 PM; Posted 7:12 PM

By Roberto Acosta racosta1@mlive.com
FLINT, MI -- ELGA Credit Union has decided to locate its newest branch in downtown Flint.

Cheryl Sclater, public relations manager for ELGA Credit Union, confirmed the new branch is planned to go inside the former Perry drug store location at 600 S. Saginaw St.

"ELGA is excited to be coming to downtown Flint to serve the businesses, people, and non-profits," said Sclater.

The nonprofit Uptown Reinvestment Corporation owns the building. The location to be leased by ELGA Credit Union is slated to open by late 2018 or early 2019.
....

Woohoo!

Flint July 5 2018 by Rob K, on Flickr

[robk1982]

http://www.mycitymag.com/whats-happe...ess-continues/

What’s Happening in Downtown Flint PART II
Progress Continues

BY CHERYL DENNISON ON JULY 2, 2018

Downtown Flint’s revitalization continues! Here’s an update on two exciting projects.

The Marketplace

A $19 million Downtown housing project is in the works at the site of the old YWCA at 310 E. Third Street. According to Jacob Horner, Vice President of Development with PK Development Group in Okemos, construction will begin as soon as the old YWCA building is demolished........

Horner anticipates that demolition of the former YWCA will take place around the first of July and is not the responsibility of PK Development Group. “Demolition is being done by the YWCA,” he adds. Asbestos has been taken out of the building and cell phone towers have been removed. The demolition process will take about six weeks and construction on the housing project should start in September of this year.

........

Hilton Garden Inn
Uptown Reinvestment Corporation is facilitating construction of a 101-room Hilton Garden Inn hotel Downtown at 352 S. Saginaw Street. According to Tim Herman, CEO of the Flint and Genesee Chamber of Commerce, the project is estimated to cost $36 million and is still not fully funded at this point. “There is one more piece of funding we are working on,” he reports.

The plan is to renovate the former 11-story Genesee County Savings Bank building. The hotel will offer a full-service breakfast, lunch and dinner restaurant, a banquet facility, and roof-top deck and bar, Herman explains. There will also be community space available for meetings.....

....

[robk1982]

That new rendering of the Hilton includes a drop off where Buckham Alley currently is, which incorporates a rooftop patio. There is also a rooftop restaurant on the roof of the 6-story annex.

In relatively big news for Flint, a new Hamady grocery store is soon to be opened (next week?) at Clio and Pierson Roads. For those who don't know, Hamady was a local grocery chain that had 37 stores but closed completely in 1991.

This will be my last post until the end of August. I'm going on a 38-day "Voyage of the Vikings" cruise to the Maritime Provinces, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Rotterdam, Dublin, Scotland, and back to Iceland, Greenland, and Canada.

[LMich]

Have fun!

That Hilton Garden Inn is really a game-changer, particularly having a full-service restaurant. It's going to be very popular with its rooftop location; I see it becoming a destination. Kind of jealous, really.

What's going up at the YWCA site, again? Despite them being in my area, I'd never heard of PK Development Group, so I went and looked them up. They look like they mostly manage properties and there stuff looks very underwhelming with a focus on the suburbs. I don't see anything of significant scale, so I really hope they elevate themselves for a downtown site like this.

[deja vu]

That does sound like an amazing cruise trip.

Originally Posted by LMich

What's going up at the YWCA site, again?

This was the rendering for The Marketplace, from a while back.

Image Source: MLive / Courtesy | PK Housing and Management

[DetroitSky]

A few updates from July 18th:


Mott CC Culinary Arts Institute. I love this redevelopment. Its crazy to think just a few years ago this was a windowless abandoned building.


600 South Saginaw, former Perry Drugs/Walgreen's.


It looks like Flint Optical is getting a new storefront

The new parking lot on the former McCree parking garage site is complete and open, as well.

I stated a few weeks ago that I could only think of a few vacant buildings left downtown. After my walk today, I think these are the last remaining unused properties:

1. Metropolis building, 510 S. Saginaw
2. 649 S. Saginaw, between Paul's Pipe Shop and Paterson Building
3. Northern section of Paul's Pipe Shop building
4. vacant lot between Cork on Saginaw and Paul's
5. Former Chase branch at W. 1st and Beach

Not bad at all.

[LMich]

Originally Posted by deja vu

That does sound like an amazing cruise trip.

This was the rendering for The Marketplace, from a while back.

Image Source: MLive / Courtesy | PK Housing and Management

Thanks! I remember this one, now. I remember it because I remember talking about Studio Intrigue. Not a huge fan of them, but looking at the developers other properties, this could have been much, much worse. That's a better-than-passable urban design for that site, and pretty tame by this architect.

[DetroitSky]

Not really too much new information, but here's some more positive media coverage on downtown Flint's revival:

Downtown Flint flips the script

A block away from the Culinary Arts Institute on Second Street, the $37 million renovation of the historic Capitol Theater is scheduled to be completed in mid-September. The theater has had two soft-opening shows, including one by The Moth, a storytelling event broadcast on National Public Radio. An official grand opening is planned for mid-September after finishing touches to the lighting and sound.

Besides that, I believe these are the only other two pieces of new information:

The University of Michigan-Flint is in the design phase of a $39 million expansion of the William R. Murchie Science building, which will add 65,000 square feet and a third wing. The date for completion hasn't been set.

A 17,000-square-foot factory built in 1916 for the Dort Motor Car Co. was renovated and turned into a community makerspace called the Factory Two on N. Grand Traverse Street. It opened in June 2017 and is now home to more than 250 members. It houses a full range of machines, including laser cutters, 3-D printers, table saws, planers, wood lathes and drill presses, with classes offered in its wood shop and textile shop.

[DetroitSky]

Updates from August 26


YWCA demolition has finally begun


718 S. Harrison Street


Flint Optical's new storefront


600 S. Saginaw doesn't look much different on the outside. Hopefully that means they've been focusing on the interior.


Mott Culinary Arts Institute