DETROIT | Development & Construction: Motown Lowdown

[LMich]

That's an interesting redo for the areas in front of Cobo, though, I'm still kind of confused of the street configuration in that area to begin with, and I'm not sure what is street and what is a pedestrian plaza in that rendering. I can't tell from that rendering exactly how they cut it off from Atwater, because the rendering doesn't seem to go to Civic Center Drive (the connection to Atwater).

Glad to see they are going to redo facade - if even minimially - for the American Lightweight and Modern Metals Manufacturing Innovation Institute. I really thought they were just going to clean-up the outside and move in. This is kitty-corner (or maybe just acorss the street, even) from the Quicken Tech Center going up, right?

[animatedmartian]

Originally Posted by LMich

That's an interesting redo for the areas in front of Cobo, though, I'm still kind of confused of the street configuration in that area to begin with, and I'm not sure what is street and what is a pedestrian plaza in that rendering. I can't tell from that rendering exactly how they cut it off from Atwater, because the rendering doesn't seem to go to Civic Center Drive (the connection to Atwater).

It's not a pedestrian plaza, specifically. It's a decorative driveway that has bollards (traffic poles) instead of curbs. At least that's what it looks like. Random example:


http://streets.mn/2014/07/03/free-pa...field-station/

The grassy area on the left of the rendering is where Civic Center Drive would be. Coming from Atwater, Civic Center Drive will be cutoff to make a cul-de-sac in front of the UAW Ford building. At least, that's how it's described on the Cobo website.

Originally Posted by LMich

Glad to see they are going to redo facade - if even minimially - for the American Lightweight and Modern Metals Manufacturing Innovation Institute. I really thought they were just going to clean-up the outside and move in. This is kitty-corner (or maybe just acorss the street, even) from the Quicken Tech Center going up, right?

Yep, yep. Speaking of the cleaning up part, most of that was done by Mayor Duggan to entice ALMMII to move into Detroit after word got out that a Canton deal fell apart. So you can thank Duggan for stepping up to the plate and seizing an opportunity.

[LMich]

Kind off topic, but the knock against Duggan has always been that he's the consummate county insider, and I say fine to that. For a lot of folks, that's a turn-off, but so long as the experience isn't coupled with corruption and/or incompetence, I couldn't care less. And, really, it's often an asset. I like that he's using his decades-worth of contacts to move the city forward. In fact, it's one of the main reasons I was for the guy from the beginning.

[animatedmartian]

Two Modern, Mixed-Use Buildings Close to Landing in Midtown

4145 Cass





441 Willis




...

Both of the 6,000-square-foot buildings will contain a retail space on the ground floor, with just four residential units up above. In an email to Curbed Detroit, Lars Graebner of VolumeOne Studios said that the units will be "comfortable, spacious and modern," with "ample light and open, flexible floor plans." Each unit will contain about 1,000 square feet.

According to Lars, the design "consciously omitted exuberant or expensive details in order to maximize the building's efficiency, the quality of construction, and longevity." Basically, these are high-end structures built to last. The renderings make the facade look like its covered in wallpaper from Ikea, but plans call for a baked, grey-colored brick. The result will be a classy, natural-looking texture.

Construction on such a small scale is expensive, and its appearance in Midtown is encouraging. According to Lars, the goal is to keep the cost of each building around $750K.

http://detroit.curbed.com/archives/2...in-midtown.php

[detroit_alive]

I really like how this project fills in the Willis street wall. The Cass building is less successful and looks really awkward in the middle of all of that parking. That said, I really can't complain. Now let's fill in some more parking lots.

[animatedmartian]

Crain is speculating on probable development to occur on the parking lot that's behind the Detroit Club and Free Press building on Fort and Cass. What's interesting is that the Detroit Club and the parking lot (which also has underground spaces but don't seem to be used) are up for auction (both by Uralli) but the parking lot is currently at a higher bid than the Detroit Club.

As of this post, the parking lot and Detroit Club are at $2 million and $1.2 million respectively. That seems like a lot for a small parking lot and probably why Crain is speculating on it.

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

[LMich]

I like these clean, simple infill projects, particularly juxtaposed against the surrounding historic neighborhoods. It'd be really great to see this stuff outside the core. Since it's already stripped down, you could put this stuff up just about anywhere in the city, really, and maybe breath some life back into some sleepy, low-income areas.

The parking lot story is interesting. Like they said, someone could sit on this for a few years since it's produces quite a bit of revenue, but ultimately, you could really make quite a bit more off the site with an improvement.


Costar

[animatedmartian]

Update on Gameday Detroit. Nice little project that does a good job of recreating Olympia.


http://detroit.curbed.com/archives/2...ings-arena.php

[animatedmartian]

Originally Posted by LMich

The parking lot story is interesting. Like they said, someone could sit on this for a few years since it's produces quite a bit of revenue, but ultimately, you could really make quite a bit more off the site with an improvement.


Costar

After the auction was done today, the final price on the Detroit Club building and parking lot behind it were $2.9 million and $4.9 million dollars respectively.

In a previous Crain article, they stated that the parking lot usually generates $600,000 annually. The potential buyer of the parking lot wouldn't make their money back for at least several years. I suspect it most definitely will be developed by then.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...d-7-8m-in-bids

[LMich]

I think that the parking lot is pulling in bids so much higher than the actual building is very telling. The City Club building is not looking long for this world.

[animatedmartian]

To be fair, this parking lot is also fetching a higher price than the next door Free Press building did. That building only sold for $4.2 million. Also, the Detroit Club building is in pretty good shape especially since Uralli renovated it a bit (Freep says he redid the flooring, bathrooms, and restained all the woodwork). The Detroit Club won't become dust anytime soon even if it's not sold.

[LMich]

If it's sold, it's more likely to be brought down, not less. My point was that I seriously doubt that they just develop the parking lot. I imagine the whole idea is to use that full half of the block for development; it seems pretty clear from the bids the two properties are getting that the "improved" site (i.e. the actual building) is less valuable than the parking lot.

[animatedmartian]

I'm not sure what you're saying. I mean, I can sort of see what you're saying (it certainly would be easier to develop the whole half block), but I don't see how changing the owner indicates possible demolition. There's still a few unknown variables that don't indicate what could happen to Detroit Club. If that weren't the case, then other recently auctioned buildings would be at just as much risk.

[animatedmartian]

Microapartments?

New prescription for Shapero Hall: Studio apartments slated for ex-WSU building
By Kirk Pinho. August 03, 2014.



Big building, tiny apartments.

That's what to expect if plans for the vacant 151,000-square-foot Shapero Hall, a former Wayne State University pharmacy school building near Detroit's Lafayette Park, come together as the developers intend.

A new plan for the site calls for 180 units to be ready for occupancy by the end of 2015.

Eric Novack, senior project manager for developer Dennis Kefallinos' Detroit-based Boydell Development Co., said construction crews will soon start installing windows and fixing the roof on the building located at 1010 Rivard St., south of Antietam Avenue.

The developers have a building permit to establish a multifamily dwelling and received electrical and plumbing permits in June and July, said John Roach, Mayor Mike Duggan's communications director.

The demand is there for the smaller units, which would be 400 to 500 square feet and rent for $560 to $700 per month, Novack said.

"We are going to have demand for it with (the employees) Quicken (Loans Inc.) is bringing downtown and what Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan is doing. We are seeing a market of younger professionals and minimalists," he said.

According to data from Washington, D.C.-based real estate information service CoStar Group Inc., the vacancy rate for the central business district's 10,551 apartment units stands at only about 1.9 percent.

Austin Black II, president of City Living Detroit, a Detroit-based real estate brokerage firm, said the new units "will definitely fill up" because of increased interest in living downtown.

But he also expressed reservations.

"With microapartments, you're targeting a smaller, more transient market, so people may be right out of college getting their first place," he said.

"My main concern with a microapartment trend in Detroit is if every developer ends up doing that you are leaving out a large market of people that want to be downtown but don't want a microapartment."

Jerome Huez, president of Detroit-based downtown residential brokerage The Loft Warehouse Inc., said small rental units "make a lot of sense" in high-density areas if the units have easy access to public transportation, shops and entertainment.

However, Huez said, "the location of Shapero Hall and the Boydell development strategy are not really supporting that model."

The site is within a few blocks of both Gratiot Avenue and Jefferson Avenue, and Novack said he is unaware of any other microapartment developments in the city.

....

"His goal was to utilize or repurpose the building, so he went at it to ensure that it got off the demolition list and we moved forward," Novack said of Kefallinos' efforts to save the building.

Boydell originally planned for Shapero Hall to become a hotel, but that was scrapped after residents of nearby Lafayette Park successfully blocked the rezoning that would have allowed that plan to move forward.

Novack said bridge financing and public subsidies will not be needed for the project. But he declined to disclose the redevelopment cost.

...

[hudkina]

I'm surprised that NIMBYs would have rather had an empty building than a hotel...

[animatedmartian]

I can only think that they opposed it because of possible traffic around the hotel, but hotels aren't really traffic generators of themselves... are they? I dunno. LP residents seem increasing against anything that might draw traffic through the area which seems opposite of what the area should be given that it's directly next to downtown. But then, that's kind of how LP was designed.

[BnaBreaker]

Man, I am so thrilled with all of the amazing things happening in Detroit right now. I was just over there last week to see Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds at the Masonic Temple. Before the show, we got a few drinks at the Temple Bar across the street, which was bad ass, and before that, we enjoyed some amazing pizza at Supino in Eastern Market. I gotta say, I was so impressed with that neighborhood. It wouldn't take much to really turn that into a first class neighborhood. Does anyone know what they're putting in between Winder/Market/Russell Streets? According to Google Maps, it was previously a parking lot. What an amazing place for a little park or something.

[animatedmartian]

Originally Posted by BnaBreaker

Does anyone know what they're putting in between Winder/Market/Russell Streets? According to Google Maps, it was previously a parking lot. What an amazing place for a little park or something.

I believe that is just streetscape improvements. That spot will remain a parking lot but with some improved sidewalks and traffic flow.



http://www.detroiteasternmarket.com/page.php?p=1&s=173

[BnaBreaker]

Huh, well that's disappointing. They must be redoing the parking lot then, because it was just a dirt lot, completely torn up.

[animatedmartian]

Yea, the southern part of Eastern Market isn't really expected to see any new development anyway. If there's going to be anything new to be built, it's going to be north towards Wilkins. There's plans for new sheds and a market center at Wilkins and Russell along with residential development north of there, but there's no definite timetable and it seem dependent on a better economy if we'll actually see them get built.