Quote:
Originally Posted by hudkina
Is it really that difficult to imagine someone building a few multi-story buildings along Civic Center drive with retail on the first floor, and offices or residential above? They're not trying to create the next Birmingham. They're just trying to bring a struggling, but still viable area into modern times.
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I think it's extremely difficult to imagine new multifamily development in Southfield.
Southfield apartment buildings are generally so undesirable they're in danger of being abandoned and demolished. Many of the large Southfield apartment complexes are filled with Section 8 and other subsidized tenants, and this wasn't the case just a few years ago.
Southfield residential is generally undesirable, but Southfield multifamily is especially troubled. And anyone searching for urbanity and walkability has options all over the place. There would be no reason to move to Southfield which is basically the polar opposite, but not new and shiny like most sprawlburbs, but old and semi-declined.
And re. middle class black families, I don't think they're moving to Southfield in significant numbers any more. They're moving to newer, more desirable suburbs, with better schools. Places like West Bloomfield, Farmington Hills, and Novi have very fast-growing black populations.