DETROIT | Development & Construction: Motown Lowdown

[The North One]

Originally Posted by mousquet

^ That's a complete waste of an obviously significant lot, though. Maybe they should wait for another couple of years before planning anything there, so they can afford to pick something more ambitious. Or perhaps they really have to waste some lots like this to build bigger things later on.

I'm so sick of hearing people bitch about this Statler site. It's a hole in the urban fabric that desperately needs to be patched, it's become a joke. The design looks great and all the "ambitious" plans in downtown are being focused on the Hudson's site. It's been 10 years since the hotel was demolished, there needs to be something built now.

What is it that you're expecting here? A shiny new skyscraper? there are skyscrapers yet to be renovated not even a block away. It's best to focus on the whole urban area rather than some trophy project.

[skyfan]

28 W. Grand River is making progress

Owners of Fisher, Kahn buildings look to develop underserved areas of Detroit


It was 4:30 a.m. one Friday, and Peter Cummings and Dietrich Knoer were feeling just the right kind of crazy.

That day last summer, touring Eastern Market's Wholesale Market well before dawn, the two real estate veterans began the process of forming their new Detroit-based development company, The Platform LLC, which has more than $250 million in primarily mixed-use apartment projects in the pipeline in Midtown, New Center and around TechTown.

First on the list is Third and Grand, a $52 million project at Third Avenue and West Grand Boulevard on a 1.41-acre parking lot purchased from the Henry Ford Health System that is expected to house hundreds of apartments and tens of thousands of square feet of retail space.

Groundbreaking is expected this fall, followed by a steady stream of other projects that would bring about 1,000 units and 100,000 to 150,000 square feet of retail space to the area along Woodward Avenue within a few blocks of QLine rail stations.

Also in the works is the planned redevelopment and new construction for Baltimore Station, the seeds of which were planted by a trio of University of Michigan graduates who came up with the first incarnation of the plan in a class with their professor, real estate developer Peter Allen.

The former students — Clarke Lewis, Dang Duong and Myles Hamby — are all now working on the expanded project as contract employees for The Platform.

As part of a class project, the students originally conceived the development as a $14 million project along the one-block stretch of retail buildings on Woodward Avenue between Baltimore and Milwaukee streets. It would have brought 48-56 new units to the market, along with retail space.

Today, after taking Cummings and Knoer on as development partners, Baltimore Station is expected to cost $40 million and bring between 160 and 170 units at 6402 Woodward Ave. and 6408 Woodward Ave., along with a nearby vacant lot under contract for purchase, Cummings and Knoer said.

There is also the planned redevelopment of an Albert Kahn-designed building at Cass Avenue and York Street that used to be a Cadillac sales and service building and house Wayne State University criminal justice classes. About 80 residential units and other uses are planned for the 147,500-square-foot building.

Cummings also said there is a planned project in Midtown but wouldn't discuss specifics.

Outside of the company's main targeted development area is a 2.3-acre chunk of west riverfront land next to the Riverfront Towers that Cummings owns. He said that while the land is not part of the company's official development lineup, he expects it to be in the equation.

Bond insurer Financial Guaranty Insurance Corp. received development rights for Joe Louis Arena, which is slated for demolition and to be replaced by a hotel with at least 300 rooms and standing no more than 30 stories; and a mix of office, retail, recreation and residential space, according to bankruptcy court documents. The property sits on about 9 acres.

The Cummings land is next to JLA, and he said he has had conversations with FGIC and the city about the development plans.

"It's going to be part of that story," he said

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...erved-areas-of

[mousquet]

Originally Posted by The North One

It's a hole in the urban fabric that desperately needs to be patched, it's become a joke.

Right, I'm sorry. Your point is the best on this one. The urban continuity at street level is the most important thing. My problem is just that the 7-story building looks like what they would build in a NIMBY European downtown, which is unexpected here, and not exactly a proper example to set to us. But every place undergoes their own peculiar constraints anyway.

[EuphoricOctopus]

Originally Posted by mousquet

Right, I'm sorry. Your point is the best on this one. The urban continuity at street level is the most important thing. My problem is just that the 7-story building looks like what they would build in a NIMBY European downtown, which is unexpected here, and not exactly a proper example to set to us. But every place undergoes their own peculiar constraints anyway.

I agree with your original point. They could build a 15-20 story residential building and fill it up since the demand is clearly there.

[hammersklavier]

Originally Posted by EuphoricOctopus

I agree with your original point. They could build a 15-20 story residential building and fill it up since the demand is clearly there.

But maybe not the profit margin.

[The North One]

Originally Posted by hammersklavier

But maybe not the profit margin.

Downtown prices are at a premium, the profit margin is there. The Hudson's site is already planning for a large project thats rumored to be taller than the Ren Cen.

It's just so much more units are coming into the market I don't think they want to oversaturate things and there are buildings just across the street like the united artists that are still vacant.

[The North One]

Originally Posted by mousquet

My problem is just that the 7-story building looks like what they would build in a NIMBY European downtown, which is unexpected here, and not exactly a proper example to set to us. But every place undergoes their own peculiar constraints anyway.

You say that like it's a bad thing.

Sorry for being a little rude, but I just feel like people are being overly cynical about this thing. If there's one thing Detroit has proven to the world it's that buildings aren't permanent. Maybe in the future the city could get a more impressive project but I think this is good for now.

Keep in mind large skyscrapers like Book Tower are in the process of being renovated. These buildings were totally vacant, in a sense it's like building a new skyscraper from the ground up.

[99spartan]

Originally Posted by The North One

Downtown prices are at a premium, the profit margin is there. The Hudson's site is already planning for a large project thats rumored to be taller than the Ren Cen.

Where'd you hear that the Hudson's site is planned to be taller than the Ren Cen? Because that would be so awesome if it actually is true. I'd love to see some more skyscrapers come to Detroit, and this is the perfect site for one.

[The North One]

Originally Posted by 99spartan

Where'd you hear that the Hudson's site is planned to be taller than the Ren Cen? Because that would be so awesome if it actually is true. I'd love to see some more skyscrapers come to Detroit, and this is the perfect site for one.

It's confirmed to be a skyscraper, that much we know. But as for being the city's next tallest it's kind of a rumor for now. But nobody was expecting this site to be a high-rise in the first place, there are people around on reddit who claim to have "inside information" that the plans for the project are going to be big; that's obviously not a solid source lol, but it's just speculation that gained some more credibility when it was confirmed to be a skyscraper, we just don't know how tall yet. Gilbert obviously isn't the kind of man to shy away from large projects, so who knows.

[animatedmartian]

If it's going to be taller than the Ren Cen then that means the tower won't have a very large footprint. Though that's not really unusual compared to Detroit's older high-rises.

Most of Detroit's residential high-rises are kind of longer than they are tall so it's kind of hard to envision a possible equivalent size to what Gilbert might build. At the very least though, it's gonna be a show stopper of a building.

I just wonder why it's taking so long for Gilbert to reveal anything about the final plans. That is, if it's actually finalized by this point.

[hammersklavier]

Originally Posted by The North One

Downtown prices are at a premium, the profit margin is there. The Hudson's site is already planning for a large project thats rumored to be taller than the Ren Cen.

It's just so much more units are coming into the market I don't think they want to oversaturate things and there are buildings just across the street like the united artists that are still vacant.

The point I was making was about construction costs. When you go from wood to steel framing, the costs get a lot higher and you need a much bigger building to compensate. I'll also point out there have been successful low-rise apartment projects in Detroit recently -- but there hasn't been a successful new-build high-rise residential project yet.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by The North One

It's confirmed to be a skyscraper, that much we know. But as for being the city's next tallest it's kind of a rumor for now.

seriously? this is the first i'm hearing of this.

very interesting if true.......

[The North One]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

seriously? this is the first i'm hearing of this.

very interesting if true.......

Here's the article confirming "at least 20 stories": http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...wntown-detroit
I don't know why it's forcing you to register in order to see the full article, if you look up "Hudon's high-rise Detroit" on google it comes up as the first news link.

It's being designed by New York City's coveted architectural firm SHoP. The plans are going to be released to the public within 60 days after the deal was finalized and that was back in April so expect it to be unveiled sooner.

[The North One]

I'm horrible at embedding articles but more good news:

Developer to build 1,000 apartments near QLine

Cummings, son-in-law of the late billionaire Max M. Fisher, will announce Monday the formation of a new development company, The Platform, that will invest $250 million to create 1,000 new apartments in Midtown, TechTown and New Center.

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/opi...roit/84727840/

Extended-stay hotel to open in Metropolitan building



The 100,000 square-foot building will have 2,000 square feet of meeting space on the second-floor mezzanine level, about 7,000 square feet of retail on the ground floor and lower level, and an outdoor patio on the 11th-floor rear rooftop.

“Element Detroit at the Metropolitan Building is a highly-anticipated addition to the brand’s rapidly growing portfolio and will present travelers with an appealing, new option for short and long stays,” said Allison Reid, senior vice president of North America Development, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

The Metropolitan Building was built in 1925 and for many years was home to jewelry businesses, a dress shop and other retailers.

Its highly decorative facade is composed of terra cotta, granite and brick. The building lost its last tenant and became empty around 1977 or 1978. The city foreclosed on the structure shortly afterward, shutting it down, according to the website historicdetroit.org.

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/new...ding/84776238/

[Docta_Love]

Sensitive to concerns that Detroit’s neighborhoods are being neglected by investors enamored with the central city, Cummings says a second focus of The Platform is to help revive targeted commercial strips in the community. He’s selected three to start.

The Platform will help rebuild the devastated Brightmoor neighborhood. It will join strong efforts already underway to transform the area around the University of Detroit-Mercy. And it will engage in West English Village and Island View neighborhoods across from Belle Isle.

“We envision a village approach,” Cummings says. “We hope to help create centers around which the neighborhood can grow.”

Here's an interesting bit of info from the first article i read the yesterday on crains that peter cummings has bought up several buildings already at Grand River and Lasher, im really happy to see serious interest and intent in neighborhoods outside the core. A major downtown developer making large investments in the neighborhoods would be yet another turning point in the city's recovery. Although now that the out migration from the city has slowed to a trickle it does seem like now is the logical time for this next step.

[animatedmartian]

New York-based Shake Shack plans to open in Downtown Detroit
By Ian Thibodeau. MLive. May 23, 2016



Downtown Detroit is getting a cheap, quick burger joint -- with alcohol.

Bedrock Detroit announced Monday that Shake Shack will open a restaurant in the First National Building at 600 Woodward Avenue in Campus Martius Park.

The restaurant plans to open in 2017.

Shake Shack, which started in 2001 as a food cart, offers burgers, hot dogs and frozen custard. Prices range on an online menu from $4.29 to $9.64 for burgers.

....

The Detroit location will have a patio, and will serve wine and local beer.

This is the second New York-based chain to announce a move to Detroit. Calexico will open this summer on the other side of Campus Martius Park.

....

http://www.mlive.com/business/detroi...shack_pla.html

[EuphoricOctopus]

Originally Posted by The North One

It's just so much more units are coming into the market I don't think they want to oversaturate things and there are buildings just across the street like the united artists that are still vacant.

Yeah, but the UA is owned by Ilitch and I highly doubt he'll do anything with it anytime soon.

[Docta_Love]

I forgot how hard it can be to do the copy and paste for a iPhone post hah, but here's an article about another new facility at the I-94 industrial park.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...oreUserAgent=1

[animatedmartian]

Found a fly through rendering of the proposed Staler Apartments. The render was created by the landscape architects for the project. This actually makes the project look more sizable than the renderings Village Green has been putting out.

Video Link

[The North One]

Love the courtyard.