DETROIT | Development & Construction: Motown Lowdown

[LMich]

Ann Arbor doesn't have anything to be worried about. lol The University of Michigan ain't going anywhere.

Some news on M-1. It seems that M-1 Rail is still mostly on schedule, maybe pushed back a few weeks, as it was originally proposed to break ground in July-August, and now it's sounding like August-September. But, the most notable tpiece of news is that they haven't yet decided on whether to have the line on-wire or off-wire. I was not even aware they were considering off-wire.

M-1 plans to break ground on Woodward streetcar project by fall

By David Shepardson | The Detroit News

July 16, 2013

The group building Detroit’s planned 3.3-mile $137 million M-1 streetcar project up Woodward Avenue said Tuesday they plan to start construction later this summer or in early fall.

Construction for the streetcar line will occur in two segments with the first segment — Larned to Adams — set to break ground in the coming months.

The M-1 Rail Corp. also said it is still deciding whether transit system will be on-wire or off-wire. On-wire cars get their power from overhead wires while off-wire cars are powered by batteries.

The group presented details of the plan at the Downtown Detroit Partnership’s Summer Stakeholder Meeting on Tuesday, saying the goal is to minimize disruptions to businesses and residents during construction.

“During construction there will be some short-term inconveniences that will bring long-term benefits,” M-1 chief operating officer Paul Childs.

M-1 said once construction starts Woodward will be closed to traffic and pedestrians but detours will be available. Construction is expected to be limited from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday through Saturday.

The group will disclose more details about the construction schedule after a construction manager is in place, which is expected soon, officials said.

...

Anyone have any preferences?

[animatedmartian]

I'd assume there's pros and cons to each method but I haven't really looked into it yet to find out.

I can't really seem to find any examples of cities that use off-wire cars, specifically cars powered by batteries.

If most cities are using overhead wires, I'd just go with overhead wires. Keep it simple with the tried and true.

[animatedmartian]

This... is a bit confusing.

Nostalgia for Tiger Stadium blamed for lack of development at site
July 16, 2013
By JC Reindl, Detroit Free Press Business Writer

The top Detroit economic development official accused U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, a Democrat from Detroit, and a nonprofit group Tuesday of blocking a redevelopment proposal for the Tiger Stadium site by insisting — for nostalgia’s sake — that plans include a baseball park with the same dimensions as those of the demolished field.

The original center field wall of Tiger Stadium was 440 feet from home plate — 20 feet more than at Comerica Park.

George Jackson, CEO of the Detroit Economic Growth Corp., told an audience of about 300 business and community leaders Tuesday that the now-scuttled redevelopment plan called for a row of retail stores, the Parade Company’s new headquarters and, to the chagrin of Levin and a nonprofit called the Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy, a Little League-style field with a shorter outfield and smaller basepaths than those in Tiger Stadium.

[...]

Jim Curran, a Lansing lobbyist who is helping the conservancy group, said the redevelopment plans were not called off by the senator or the stadium conservancy, but were put on hold this summer by the Parade Company, which has yet to raise the estimated $22 million to $25 million needed for a new headquarters.

http://www.freep.com/article/2013071.../1002/business



Not so confusing and actually somewhat optimistic though hard to believe it might become reality.

Developer seeks new life for crumbling Packard Plant



CHRISTINE MACDONALD THE DETROIT NEWS

An Illinois developer is in talks with the Wayne County treasurer to buy the notorious Packard Plant out of foreclosure for its $974,000 unpaid tax bill and convert the decayed landmark into a commercial, housing and entertainment complex.

Bill Hults, of Evanston, Ill., told The Detroit News he’s leading a group of investors who want to rehabilitate the crumbling 3.5-million-square-foot plant and build housing nearby. To complete the transformation, Hults has retained the legendary architectural firm that built the complex in 1903, Albert Kahn Associates.

Crews could begin adding concrete barriers, fences and armed security guards within a week to secure the 40-acre facility on East Grand and Mount Elliott, said Hults. He said investors want to save as many of the 47 buildings as possible despite their skeletal state and then build multi-family housing nearby.

The project could cost at least $350 million and take up to 15 years, but the renovation of the Packard itself could be complete in several years, according to Hults’ early estimates.

[...]

Hults said he’s backed by local and out-of-state investors he can’t yet disclose. He said they’ll emerge once the project develops and include a humanitarian group that wants to spend at least $85 million on veteran and senior housing near the area.

He envisions converting the ruin into the Villages of Packard, a mix of startup businesses, shops and restaurants, a boutique hotel and affordable and market-rate homes. Proposed designs from Kahn’s group include a main entrance along Grand Boulevard featuring ground-level shops and angled parking.



Eventually, Hults said he’d like to expand into nearby neighborhoods in a 630-acre triangle bordered by Interstate 94, Gratiot and Mt. Elliott that are dotted with vacant lots and abandoned buildings. He said he’s talked to city and school officials and private buyers about buying land for new multi-family housing.

[...]

The housing and some of the restoration of the main complex will be done using precast concrete walls the developers plan on manufacturing at a facility they are negotiating to buy near Coleman A. Young Municipal Airport, Hults said.

“We are going to try to employ everything we have to do in Detroit,” said Hults, who pledged to give hiring preference to city residents.

[...]

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...#ixzz2ZJKIhMGj

[LMich]

Oh, how I wish I could believe this. He probably means well, but I think he'll find out just how in over his head he is when he has to deal with the city. I hate that I've become so cynical, but securing the site and stablizing the plant, itself, is going to be a major development, let alone actually turning it into something.

[animatedmartian]

Originally Posted by LMich

Oh, how I wish I could believe this. He probably means well, but I think he'll find out just how in over his head he is when he has to deal with the city. I hate that I've become so cynical, but securing the site and stablizing the plant, itself, is going to be a major development, let alone actually turning it into something.

Plus he still owes money back in Illinois. I don't know how much of a difference that'd make given the circumstances at the time, but I totally would have expected some well-known large-scale developers to tackle something like Packard Plant.

On the bright side, the worse that could happen is that nothing happens and Packard continues to sit there and crumble/get eaten away by scrappers. Basically one troubled landlord to the next.

[mousquet]

Originally Posted by LMich

Anyone have any preferences?

It's funny that they're already thinking about something with no wires above one's head, when I thought it just would seem an insignificant detail to them for now, far from their major concerns. To me, given today's costs, avoiding wires makes sense only if they plan some really dense and attractive developments along Woodward. Maybe that's what they want sooner than one would expect. No need to say that'd be fantastic.

Originally Posted by animatedmartian

I'd assume there's pros and cons to each method but I haven't really looked into it yet to find out.

I can't really seem to find any examples of cities that use off-wire cars, specifically cars powered by batteries.

If most cities are using overhead wires, I'd just go with overhead wires. Keep it simple with the tried and true.

Nice's streetcars are the only anomaly I heard of to use something alternative to the 'ground-level power supply' I once quickly told the forum about in the light rail boom thread, some batteries only when they cross a couple of historic squares of their downtown, that's a very short part of the ride and then the batteries reload from regular pantographs along the rest of the line. In fact, most new lines in the country use heterogeneous systems, because their 'ground-level power supply' (that works like some sort of third rail) is still too expensive to make an extensive use of it. I think batteries could eventually be an interesting solution, you'd just seemingly need some very powerful to run a streetcar all along the 3.3 miles on Woodward.

[animatedmartian]

Originally Posted by mousquet

I think batteries could eventually be an interesting solution, you'd just seemingly need some very powerful to run a streetcar all along the 3.3 miles on Woodward.

Then if they do eventually plan on extending the line to 8 Mile and beyond or in any other direction, then yea that seems like they'd need pretty hefty batteries or cars that make relatively short trips.

Doesn't seem like the smartest idea in the long-term.

[mousquet]

^ That was just a little bit of information. Of course I don't know what's the smartest for M-1. It depends on their overall plan and their priorities.

Off-wire systems are aesthetics gadgets. Their only purpose was originally to spare some historic neighborhoods from a mess of wires. And it is true that wires are a little messy, especially when nothing's buried. You see phone and power lines above your head, all along the streets... That's not reasonable in densely populated neighborhoods.

Also, and again, a same network might use 2 different kinds of supply. It only requires vehicles that support it, which is not the most expensive. I guess that's why Nice chose batteries in addition to regular overhead wires. They thought only 2 of their squares should be preserved from catenaries for now, which is, again, only a very short section of their line, while all the rest of it is supplied by overhead wires.

[hudkina]

I desperately want that for the Packard Plant. I think the best option might be to turn it into a Techtown/Gilbert-esque small business incubator. I really can't see retail or a hotel going in.

[LMich]

I've always imagined for at least part of the Packard site that it'd be renovated into something similar to the Russell Industrial Center. Either that, or I've always imagined these empty factories being sort of "town squares" for different parts of the city where you'd consolidate business and city service distribution, and then build out the neighborhood around them.

I have to say, I do like that at least the plan is not to renovate the plant in a vacuum, that they actually plan to lift up the neighborhood around it. All major developments in Detroit should be viewed in this kind of context.

Originally Posted by mousquet

It's funny that they're already thinking about something with no wires above one's head, when I thought it just would seem an insignificant detail to them for now, far from their major concerns.

The thing is literally about to start construction in a few weeks. They most certainly now can afford to niggle over the details. I can't imagine that this is the major design concern, at the moment. It sounds like they were just throwing it out there as an example of the things they are now focusing on since construction is now imminent. What else besides construction and design issues would they be concentrating on given where we are in the process?

[animatedmartian]

Came across this little video. I always like to hear about what's going on in Pontiac. Unlike other metro Detroit suburban downtowns, Pontiac is fairly old and large (and has a fair bit of decay). I think if done right, it's a city quite capable surpassing the likes of Royal Oak and the more affluent Birmingham. But anyway, thought this was a nice under the radar development.

Video Link

[JonathanGRR]

I'd love to see that development of the Packard Plant. I'll remain optimistic for now because, well, the situation can't get much worse than it is now!

I'm hoping that Pontiac can pull this off; it'd be great to see that city be a great urban center of Oakland County again.

In other news...I'm totally shocked that Gilbert is trying to buy all of the land. This is quite a substantial amount of area, and I figured Gilbert would considered himself entrenched enough in developments...guess not:

Gilbert team's bid for jail site focuses on entertainment
Dustin Walsh | July 18, 2013

an Gilbert and his team envision a sprawling, entertainment-heavy mixed-use development on Wayne County's justice department properties in downtown Detroit.

Rock Ventures LLC entered its bid today for the five properties, which includes the half-built jail site on Gratiot Avenue. The bid was in response to a request for information the county issued June 26 during a 60-day moratorium on construction of the jail site.

Matt Cullen, CEO of Rock Ventures, said the bid doesn't include a specific price, but lays out a plan, complete with financial analysis, to move the county's justice system and redevelop the properties.

Cullen said the properties would be mixed-use with retail and office spaces but focused on entertainment. He said the area could resemble L.A. Live, the $2.5 billion, 5.6 million-square-foot development in Los Angeles that includes the Nokia Theatre, the Grammy Museum, ESPN broadcasting studios, two hotels, condominiums and several restaurants. L.A. Live is next to the Staples Center, a multi-purpose sports arena.

Cullen said the type of redevelopment depends on whether the existing infrastructure can be used or must be knocked down.

"We have a keen interest in being a part of facilitating the discussion in moving everything to Mound Road," he said, referring to the shuttered Mound Correctional Facility in Detroit. "But a lot of work needs to be done yet to understand the buildings' assets and liabilities before we move forward."

The deadline to respond to the county's RFI is 4 p.m. today. The county declined to comment on whether other bids have been submitted ahead of the deadline.
...

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...-entertainment

Wow.

[LMich]

I think he's stretching himself too thin, and there is no way he can juggle all these balls at the same time, and get quality projects out of each. Apparently, though, he was just one or five bids that ultimately came in before the deadline, so it's not as if the county is just going to have to hand the site over to Rock, there are other options, including restarting the jail project, but scaled down. I guess the interest is a good problem to have in a downtown no one used to care about, but I'd like to see more parties involved in the downtown comeback.

In other news, One Kennedy Square is getting some more ground floor tenants.

CMU, Potbelly to locate in downtown Detroit

By Michael Martinez | The Detroit News

July 18, 2013

Central Michigan University and Chicago-based Potbelly Sandwich Shop will set up shop on the first floor of the One Kennedy Square building at Campus Martius park.

Potbelly will open its second downtown Detroit location and 300th store nationwide in about 2,200 square feet of space at 777 Woodward Avenue, according to broker Bradley Rosenberg of Mid-America Real Estate. The chain should open by November.

Central will lease 4,000 square feet on the first floor to serve as a location to conduct orientation sessions, student financial planning workshops and financial aid workshops, according to Steve Smith, Central’s director of public relations.

“The new location is perfectly situated to make CMU’s offerings and services available to the growing downtown population,” Smith said. “With the incentives some corporations are offering their employees to live and work downtown and the number of corporations that have expanded their office size and presence in the area, the timing was good for CMU to partner with the city to meet the needs of an increasing professional audience and the city’s economic recovery.”

Potbelly, which also has a location inside the Renaissance Center, had been looking at Campus Martius for a while, according to Rosenberg, because of the foot traffic.

“It’s at the hub of everything,” he said.

...

[LMich]

The Aerotropolis around Metro and Willow Run is getting a new leader and a new name:

CEO named to lead development of hub near Michigan airports

By Louis Aguilar | The Detroit News

July 19, 2013

Taylor— The Wayne County-led plan to turn 60,000 acres around Detroit Metropolitan and Willow Run airports into a multimillion-dollar logistical hub got a new name and its first CEO.

Tim Keyes, former economic director of Romulus, was unveiled as the person in charge of the effort now called VantagePort. The original name of the multi-county initiative launched in 2009 was Aerotropolis, which officials from the Detroit Region Aerotropolis Development Corp admit never took flight.

Keyes takes on the CEO role of VantagePort starting July 1. He will be in charge of the plan officials contend will attract more than 60,000 jobs and pump more than $100 billion in investment into the region. His salary will be $125,000 a year, paid by taxpayer money.

“I’m ready to hit the ground running,” Keyes said. He will oversee a new marketing push and help formalize a land development plan, among other things.

...

A nine-member board of directors and a seven-member executive committee oversees the public initiative. The board consists of representatives from Wayne and Washtenaw counties; the cities of Taylor, Romulus, Belleville and Ypsilanti; and Huron, Van Buren and Ypsilanti townships.

There’s already been major investment in the VantagePort area. It has lured about $300,000 million from a dozen companies and little over 2,000 jobs, officials said Thursday. That includes a $117 million investment from GE to move into a Van Buren Township facility.

...

[animatedmartian]

VantagePort? Sounds like a cell phone provider. At least Aerotropolis was something that made you think of mile high skyscrapers with lanes of flying cars going between them.

Also, I thought I was just having Gilbert-fatigue. But yea, I'd hate to see something where 90% of all new projects are done by Gilbert and all look the same or cheaply done.

[animatedmartian]

Crowne Plaza hotel, the former 'Pontch,' reopens in Detroit
By Crain's Detroit Business
July 19, 2013



A historic hotel has reopened in Detroit.

The Crowne Plaza Detroit Downtown Convention Center, formerly the Hotel Pontchartrain, opened Wednesday at 2 Washington Blvd. across the street from the Cobo Center, after a $5 million renovation to its rooms, lobby and restaurant.

...

Future plans call for a sky tunnel from the hotel to Cobo, Kralevic told Crain's in March.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...ens-in-detroit

[JonathanGRR]

Originally Posted by animatedmartian

VantagePort? Sounds like a cell phone provider. At least Aerotropolis was something that made you think of mile high skyscrapers with lanes of flying cars going between them.

Also, I thought I was just having Gilbert-fatigue. But yea, I'd hate to see something where 90% of all new projects are done by Gilbert and all look the same or cheaply done.

Agreed! VantagePort has no name recognition whatsoever.

What could even realistically be built on the sites that would be of a decent height and carry other substantial uses than purely 'entertainment?' Quicken Loans World Headquarters, perhaps? haha

[animatedmartian]

Originally Posted by jonathan.jam

What could even realistically be built on the sites that would be of a decent height and carry other substantial uses than purely 'entertainment?' Quicken Loans World Headquarters, perhaps? haha

It'd probably be just hotels on top of hotels. Or luxury residential. Lol, but yea outside of something seemingly Las Vegas-y, not much.

[animatedmartian]

Update on the Zsite. They're on the Library streetwall now.


http://www.bedrockmgt.com/properties/video.php?id=22

[JonathanGRR]

I can't say that I particularly like how the development is looking compared to its surroundings, but I'll reserve final judgement until I see the finished product.