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Flint development news
I thought I would start a thread for all of the development news from Flint, since many on this forum have at least a passing interest in what is happening there, but may not keep current on the news.
http://www.mlive.com/flintjournal/in...ale_of_fl.html Talks continuing on sale of Flint's Character Inn by Ron Fonger | The Flint Journal Monday March 31, 2008, 6:30 PM FLINT, MICHIGAN -- The Crim Fitness Foundation's offer to buy the Character Inn remains in limbo but there's a change in tone from the owner of the former Hyatt Regency Hotel. Bill Gothard, president and founder of the Illinois-based institute in Basic Life Principles, said today that there could be news -- good news -- about the hotel in a matter of days. Gothard initially said he was disappointed by an undisclosed offer to purchase the building from the Crim, but today he said he was "hopeful." The Institute has been attempting to sell the property since 2005. It has not revealed an asking price. Phil Shaltz, a Crim board member and partner with Uptown Developments, said the foundation and the institute have agreed to speak again by April 10. "They've thrown out numbers, (and) we've thrown out numbers," Shaltz said. "We are countering each other. We're in the dating stage." The Crim Foundation has been cautious in discussing its plans for the 16-story building while it negotiates the purchase. "I don't know anything that is a huge stumbling block at this point," Shaltz said." For those who don't know, it's this building: http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...g?t=1207078307 |
Demolition at Delphi Flint East to start this month
by Ron Fonger | The Flint Journal Monday March 31, 2008, 8:11 PM FLINT, Michigan -- Much of the Delphi Flint East complex is about to meet the wrecking ball, permanently knocking out what has been an industrial giant on Flint's East Side. A Delphi official confirmed the demolition plans Monday and said the sprawling complex of buildings would be dismantled starting later this month. Two plants still in use by Delphi within the complex -- one of which manufactures vehicle instrument clusters and one of which produces a gasoline tank part -- will remain for now, said Delphi spokesman Brad Jackson. Other buildings on the site, including power plant and water treatment facilities, are coming down. "It was like a bustling little city when I hired in ... (now) we're the last boneyard," said retiree Dale Mark of Genesee Township. Delphi's presence at Flint East has been on the decline for years, dropping from about 7,000 as recently as 1996 to 3,500 in 2003 to about 1,100 today. In 2005, the company announced it would drop its spark plug production at the complex, costing Flint East an important product with a rich history. Since then, UAW officials have scrambled to save some jobs for Local 651, succeeding last year in signing a memorandum of understanding that has led to a new General Motors Service and Parts Operations packaging center on Davison Road. Former workers and families of retirees will have to hurry to take a last look at the once-bustling complex next door to the new SPO plant. Jackson said he wasn't sure how long the demolition work will take but said arrangements have been made to save historical items. Jeff Taylor, curator of collections at Sloan Museum, said some items have already been saved, including a three-wheel bicycle used inside the plants, signs and a number of paintings. There are already plans to save a series of tiles manufactured by Flint Faience & Tile Co. at the site. The company manufactured decorative tiles with the same machinery and materials used in making spark plugs. The tile operations were a subsidiary of the Champion Ignition Co., predecessor of GM's AC Spark Plug Division. Taylor said he also wants to discuss what will happen to a large outdoor clock near Dort Highway although there is no agreement yet about what will happen to it. "Legally it belongs to the demolition company," he said. "The thing about the clock is -- it's like the old factory whistles. If you lived there, it became a part of your life." |
In a related story to the above-mentioned demo of the Delphi East plant:
New General Motors plant comes to Genesee County; SPO facility puts Delphi East employees back to work by Melissa Burden | The Flint Journal Monday March 31, 2008, 6:56 PM BURTON, Michigan -- At least a few hundred people -- mostly workers from the nearby Delphi Flint East --are expected to be employed at a new General Motors Service and Parts Operations facility on Davison Road. The SPO Davison Road Packaging Center, which will handle packaging work of SPO parts that previously was outsourced, began operations with some employees in March, said Pam Flores, a SPO spokeswoman. "We anticipate we'll be fully operational in the second half of this year," she said. UAW Vice President Cal Rapson said 250 laid-off Delphi Flint East workers have applied to work at the renovated SPO facility. He said about 33 employees are already there and others will filter in at a rate of about 45 per month. The exact number of workers expected to be employed there remains uncertain. New off-the-street hires aren't expected, at least not now. The work stems from an agreement between GM, Delphi and the UAW to maintain work for employees of the downsized Delphi Flint East -- part of which is set to be demolished starting later this month. "We forecast the manpower needed for this new facility will come from Delphi Flint East employees as a result of the UAW-Delphi-GM labor agreement that was ratified in the summer of 2007," said Dan Flores, a GM spokesman. The new SPO work is in addition to the work on three new engines promised to the Flint area in GM-UAW contract. The majority of workers at the new SPO facility will be brought in under the second-tier wage and benefit schedule approved under the UAW-GM contract last fall, with most workers earning about $14 an hour. Packaging center workers will be represented by UAW Local 651. Local 651 President Art Reyes said the hiring at the new SPO facility is a significant development. "We're starting to see the fruits of that agreement," Reyes said. "Any new work is a positive. We're glad to see that staring now." New SPO employee Lisa Crannie, 37, of Burton said she was laid off from Delphi Flint East in October and began work at the new facility a few weeks ago. Crannie, who had worked for Delphi about a year and a half, said she's happy to be working again. "It's a new facility. I think it's a good opportunity for the area, hopefully a way to keep some of the work in Flint," she said. Delphi workers who were with the company before it spunoff from General Motors in 1999 will retain their GM seniority, Dan Flores said. Those who joined Delphi after the spinoff will be treated as new GM hires with seniority starting on their hire date at the new facility, he said. While the UAW and GM laud the work, it will have a ripple effect. At least one local auto supplier, Landaal Packaging Systems in Burton, expects to lay off up to 60 workers because of SPO's insourcing. Erich Merkle, vice president of forecasting for auto consulting firm IRN Inc. in Grand Rapids, said insourcing is tough on suppliers and their employees. He said suppliers within the past 10 years had been ramping up products and hiring workers for outsourced automaker work. "The worker has really become more of like a hot potato," he said. "Nobody can really afford to keep folks on the payroll." Merkle said he expects to see more auto supplier bankruptcies and closures due to automaker changes. "You just can't keep doing this to the supply base," he said. "You're taking work away from the supply base at a time when they can't afford to lose the work because the volumes are declining and the economy is really slowing down." The agreement between the UAW, Delphi and GM provided that a Flint-area presence would be maintained at Delphi Flint East, that new work -- via GM -- would be brought in as old work departs and after 2008, Delphi would have no responsibility for hourly employees at the Flint complex. There are about 1,100 workers at Delphi Flint East, said Brad Jackson, a Delphi Corp. spokesman. Rapson said there are almost 500 people doing instrument clusters in one building on Delphi Flint East. Those people are working for Delphi through the end of this year, then will work for either a third party that would supply GM or for GM itself, he said. Journal staff writer Ron Fonger contributed to this report. |
Awesome,
THanks for the update. As a kid who grew up in GB and went to high school on the north end of Flint, I am always excited to hear what is going on. It amazes me, although it shouldn't, how both Flint's and Detroit's life cycles mimick each other. Redevelopment of downtowns are supposed to be driving the rebirth, along with university developments. Please post as much info on downtown development as you can. Restaurants, theaters, retail, etc. THanks, J |
Hotel Sold to Crim
Crim and Character sign sale agreement
FLINT THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION Thursday, April 17, 2008 By Ron Fonger rfonger@flintjournal.com • 810.766.6317 FLINT - The purchase agreement for the Crim Fitness Foundation to buy the Character Inn has been signed, the organization's chief executive officer said Wednesday. "This building is one part of the vision we have for the work we hope to do," said Gerry Myers, Crim chief executive officer. The foundation was expected to issue a news release with additional details of the purchase today. The sale had been expected and had been agreed to in principle last week by the foundation and the property owner, the Institute in Basic Life Principles. Neither side has disclosed a purchase price for the 16-story former Hyatt Regency hotel. The institute has been trying to sell the hotel for the past few years after buying it and operating programs and hosting events there in 2000. Sale of the hotel is contingent on a review of the property to check its condition, Crim officials have said. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Great news, IMHO. For those who may not be aware, the Crim hosts the 3rd largest 10-mile run in the nation every August through downtown Flint. They have also begun to organize a half-marathon in Oakland County. I don't see the Crim buying this building if they don't have a feasible goal to make it successful. |
New tourism commercial
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That (sale of the hotel) really is great news. From what I heard the IBLP was a very strange religious organization who didn't do a great job of boosting the hotels viability, anyway.
I still can't figure out from short news piece, though, if the Crim is buying this with the intention own and/or operate this place, or if they are buying it to flip it. I'd assume they will own it, and hopefully they will find a name-brand operator to once again make this the premier hotel of the city. Hotel: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2005/...359e4234_b.jpg YrVelouria - http://www.flickr.com/photos/yrvelouria/ |
From what I've heard, the Crim is indeed looking for a "name-brand operator" to run the hotel while they make part of the building into some sort of a fitness center.
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Thanks for posting these, I need to get back to Flint sometime.
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New Flint Photos
Got a new camera the other day (Fujifilm Finepix S700) and thought I would go test it out downtown and show the (limited) progress that has been made on the various construction sites.
Looks like they've taken some time off http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3098/...b042ef67_b.jpg Wade Trim Building....looking good http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2172/...ec69c4ac_b.jpg http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2385/...f32078a9_b.jpg http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2164/...4828f620_b.jpg Community Foundation Building.....close to being done? http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2290/...b8dd2c28_b.jpg Rowe Inc. Building...finally showing some progress after the collapse http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3067/...9297340d_b.jpg One of the two new arches down by the county courthouse http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3036/...305570d7_b.jpg He's serious http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3231/...65375484_b.jpg |
http://www.mlive.com/flintjournal/in...overturns.html
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Good news for now, but I expect there will be some appeal. Hopefully logic will prevail and there will be a quick compromise. |
Ha! I was watching "Off The Record", a political PBS roundtable about Michigan that's been on for years, and state Democratic chairman slammed Williamson as a Republican in disguise for having donated to Bush. lol It's silly, they have this little running fued and it's amusing. Let's just say that I think Williamson has been great for Flint (at least better than the former mayor), but I'm not exactly sure I'd like to see him as governor. lol
You mean to tell me Biggby's is in Flint, too? They are setting up everywhere, it seems. BTW, better slow and steady progress than none at all. Saginaw Street looks to be filling up nicely. It reminds me of what happened to Washington Square here in Lansing that's filled in nicely after years of neglect. |
Yeah, I really don't know that Williamson could be categorized as either a Democrat or Republican. He's more of a "I'm going to do things my way (however crazy it is) so watch out" kind of guy.
I was actually just downtown Lansing for only the second time in my life last week (minus the trip to the Capitol when I was in elementary school), and I must say that I was impressed. Seems like they are doing things right. |
http://www.mlive.com/flintjournal/in...wner_have.html
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I swear, Genesee towers will sit there until it falls over one day. I can't imagine the state its in. I walked inside the parking garage almost 3 years ago before they put the fencing up and there was severe deterioration in the support columns. Holes were appearing everywhere in the floors slabs, and there was big chunks of concrete scattered everywhere. I can't imagine the building have any value, just the land.
And no offense, but nothing has happened to Rowe. It's looked like that since they cleaned up after the collapse. The corrugated steel set diagonally on the trusses hasn't even moved the last few visits I made in the past year. Nice pictures though. There is a lot of great stuff happening, and definitely a lot more stuff to come. I went to a city planning commission meeting once, and there's a whole bunch more redevelopment projects in line for downtown. It's only going to be a few more years till you see a busy and vibrant Saginaw St. |
Hayward,
The trusses weren't even up the last time I went down there, so yes, there has been at least some progress. I won't argue about the rest of the building. First picture was from last November, and the second was from last week. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2363/...900e6532_b.jpg http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3067/...9297340d_b.jpg |
You are correct. My pictures form last year do show the trusses up, but they were there after the building failed. They were removed and replaced in the photos I took on my last visit earlier this year. It appears I skipped the moment in which they had been removed.
Regardless, the building is ridiculously slow. |
Durant Hotel Renovation could begin soon
http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?se...cal&id=6126274
Pick-Durant Hotel redevelopment enters new phase Tuesday, May 06, 2008 | 7:22 PMStory Media Top Stories Work may begin next month By Dawn Jones FLINT (WJRT) -- (05/06/08)--Plans to redevelop the Pick-Durant Hotel in downtown Flint have entered a new phase. The developers say they hope to begin working on the building as early as next month. The developers presented their plans last week to the Genesee Historic District Commission. They were approved. And developer Richard Karp says they are just waiting now for the city of Flint to issue the building permits. The Pick-Durant Hotel was built right in the heart of Flint back in 1920. "The first floor was very elaborate with faux finish marble features in the foyer," said Dave White. "And then it had a wonderful dining room, which I believe was probably originally the ballroom with an orchestra pit kind of on the second level." It was a stunning attraction. "Its heyday was probably from the 1930s to the late '50s," White said. "Then, of course, it closed in 1973." And it has sat empty and boarded up for more than 35 years at the center of much public debate. White sits on the Genesee Historic District Commission Board. "As a preservationist, we are just thrilled that a developer has been found and is going to turn the lights back on in this historic building," he said. The building is owned by the Genesee County Land Bank. Plans are to turn the building into a stunning attraction again that includes 109 upscale apartments. The developer says if there are no snags or delays in the permitting process, the project will begin soon with a completion date of September 2009. |
I hade no idea that there was even a viable plan out for the thing. Better yet, I had no idea Richard Karp, the Lansing developer who redeveloped the Arbaugh, is going to be apart of this.
Here's what the Arbaugh underwent: From this... http://farm1.static.flickr.com/190/5...96a10c5d_o.jpg To that... http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1334/...8f1b26b8_b.jpg To this... http://farm1.static.flickr.com/43/80...a28f00c4_o.jpg I can't wait to see what Karp's got in store for the Durant. |
I did some preliminary architectural work on the Durant a while back! Glad things are finally moving along again!
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Very nice! Hope you don't mind if I share a few pics I took on a visit last week.
Copa and the neighboring building are both being demolished due to "structural issues." Originally they were supposed to be renovated. They will be replaced by a grass lot that will immediately become "build to suit" space. Yeah I know, Flint has been on a roll in terms of downtown development, but I'd sure like to see a building go up there fast. I hate large empty lots on Main Streets. You're not Saginaw for crying out loud. http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3137/...cf585442_b.jpg http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3052/...24e161a7_b.jpg http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3202/...0ab74213_b.jpg http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3276/...9edc585a_b.jpg http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3127/...4336e03d_b.jpg |
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BTW, what does Wade Trim do, or is that the name of the building? |
Wade Trim is a large engineering firm. They have over 21 offices across the nation, but their headquarters is based in Detroit and they operate quite a few offices throughout Michigan.
The fortunate thing about the new WTB is that side wall is really nice, so it won't look so awkward with that grass lot there. I'm actually confident it will be built upon. I realize Genesee Towers is an ugly reminder of vacant office space, but no responsible tenant would ever move into that place until it receives some proper structural work. |
All Gone
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Ugh, now the Rowe disaster is within better sight. Build faster.
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Wade Trim Building almost ready to open
http://www.mlive.com/flintjournal/bu..._downtown.html
Wade Trim Building in downtown Flint almost ready for business by Melissa Burden | The Flint Journal Monday July 28, 2008, 4:48 PM FLINT, Michigan -- The moving truck for Wade Trim Inc. won't be traveling far Friday, but workers at the civil engineering firm are anxious to set up shop in a newly built downtown building. Office furniture and supplies should be moved Friday from the current office at 601 N. Saginaw St. down the street to it's new building in the 500 block of South Saginaw Street, said Jason Kenyon, a vice president and office manager for Wade Trim's Flint office. The office's staff of about 25 is expected to start work at the new building on Monday. "This is something we're looking forward to," he said. Wade Trim is leasing the $5 million building's entire second floor, which totals about 8,500 square feet. The new brick building is owned by real estate development group Uptown Developments and sits next to the recently razed Copa Building. Also, WNEM (Channel 5) is hoping to move into its first floor space by mid-September, said Al Blinke, WNEM's general manager. Three of the four loft apartments in that building have been leased and Uptown Developments is getting close to leasing at least one, if not all three remaining retail spots on the first floor, said Phil Shaltz, a managing partner in Uptown Developments. Next door to the Wade Trim Building at Saginaw and Second streets, a pile of bricks and rubble is all that remains of the former Copa Building, where women shopped for fashions for decades in the old Vogue store and more recently where people danced the night away at The Copa nightclub. Uptown Reinvestment Corp., a nonprofit spearheading downtown Flint revitalization and owned the Copa Building, had planned to market the building to a restaurant or nightclub, but found that part of the project not viable because of the building's age and deterioration, said Ridgway White, a project manager with Uptown Reinvestment. Crews will continue working at the site, which will be created into a grassy park area. Uptown Reinvestment will try to market the space to a developer to use as an office space, White said. Across the street at the Rowe Building, which suffered a partial collapse in August 2007, foundations are being put in to support steel structures, Shaltz said. Rowe will occupy two of the floors in the $13 million building, which is combining three historic structures into one. The first floor could be home to a restaurant and loft apartments are slated for the top floor. If all goes well, the building could be completed by the end of the year or shortly thereafter, Shaltz said. Other projects downtown include the recently completed Community Foundation of Greater Flint Building and First Street Lofts. Shaltz said Uptown Developments is meeting with people interested in locating restaurants in the new downtown buildings. "There's a lot of activity with a lot of potential restaurants and bars," he said. |
Flint to get new downtown parking structure
http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?se...cal&id=6305496
Ground will be broken this week By Joel Feick FLINT (WJRT) -- (08/04/08)--Ground will be broken later this week on a new $10 million parking structure for downtown Flint. It will be built at the corner of Kearsley and Beach on land that had been owned by Citizens Bank. The Downtown Development Authority will own the new parking deck, and will sell bonds to pay for it. Some of the money will also be used to repair an existing parking deck adjacent to the Character Inn. No city money will be used for the project The head of the DDA says it's a good news, bad news story. The bad news? With all that's going on downtown, parking has become a problem at times. The good news? The structure will be four floors and will house 388 new parking spaces. It won't be for people who are stopping into the nearby Secretary of States offices, for instance. They'll be directed to the surface lot across the street. IThe new structure will largely be for people who work downtown. They'll pay $60 a month to park here. "You get Rowe Engineering down here with 100-plus employees. Wade Trim coming in. Your competitor, Channel 5, is in. We now have the Community Foundation here on the Main Street rather than in their own lot. All of those folks need extra parking," said DDA's Larry Ford. Larry Ford, from the DDA, expects the new facility will be open by June of next year. Then as we hopefully get some successes with regard to the hotel, I'm hoping that the Crim will be able to make those numbers work. But then we gotta accommodate that hotel. Right now we're not, and right now my ramp at the hotel is full," Ford said. Ford feels it will set the standard for future development downtown. "It's gonna set the standard for other things that are gonna happen in this community. We're pleased about some other potential development down here." The new parking center will be called the "James Rutherford Parking Structure," named for Flint's former mayor and longtime booster of downtown Flint. The plan is to have the structure open by next June. |
Intermodal hub under construction
http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?se...cal&id=6308346
Construction under way next to Bishop International Airport By Gabe Gutierrez FLINT (WJRT) -- (08/05/08)--One of Flint's two planned intermodal transportation hubs is taking off. Construction is under way next to Bishop International Airport. You may have seen it if you've driven down Bristol Road. You might have also seen the TV ads. It will be the site for FedEx's new sorting facility. The company plans to move in by February of next year. It's been in the works for years. "It takes time," said Bishop Airport Director Jim Rice. Rice says the biggest challenge is behind him. "Just the coordination of the contractors, getting one thing done before another part of the project could start," he said. But it's started. FedEx's new sorting facility is just one phase of a $33 million project. The planned freight center is expected to bring hundreds of jobs. "Most times people want to hear about the jobs but what we really need to put our attention on is the infrastructure," said Stan Blood with the Genesee Regional Chamber of Commerce. "If we put the right pieces in place, I believe the jobs will follow." An intermodal hub moves cargo from one form of transportation to another. "When we opened this airport, there was only about 60,000 pounds of freight a year being hauled," Rice said. "Last year, we were close to 60 million pounds of freight." Rice says he hopes more will follow FedEx and take advantage of Bishop's location either by land, rail or air. This isn't the only so-called intermodal project in the works. About a year ago, local officials announced plans for another hub on the former Buick City property in Flint. |
Rowe now costing $20million
http://www.mlive.com/flintjournal/in...skyrocket.html
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Ugghhh....:gaah: |
Pre-leasing begins at the Berridge
http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?se...cal&id=6332502
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http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?se...cal&id=6335338
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First I've heard of a possible medical school. Given the demand for on-campus housing at UM-Flint (evidenced by the new dorm being filled), I see there being a large market for student oriented, "off-campus" , apartments in downtown - a role that the hotel could easily fill. Heck, if it doesn't work out with the Crim Foundation, UM-Flint should just buy it and turn it into another dorm. |
HealthPlus could move from Flint Township to downtown Flint
http://www.mlive.com/flintjournal/in...ve_to_dow.html
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http://blog.mlive.com/newsnow_impact...LUSMOVEweb.jpg |
I said it at Urbanplanet, but 380 new office jobs in downtown Flint would be huge, and the site that they are looking at would make quite a statement if they do decide to move down and do it right.
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They should move into Genesee Towers!! :yuck: :D
J/k |
The news just keeps on coming
http://www.mlive.com/flintjournal/bu...t_eyesore.html
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The development going on in downtown is great, I just wish there was a way to preserve some of these buildings (Copa, Metropolis, even Genesee Towers). It's a shame that they're all in such a state of disrepair that the only feasible option is to tear them down.
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I agree. They better have a rock solid project if they are going to go ahead and tear down a building like that. Knowing the track record of dt development, they'll probably eff up the buildings on each side causing another block of buildings to be leveled similar to the Wade Trim project issues which led to the demolition of COPA. And then of course there's the Rowe project . . . .
The Metropolis Club is a great building, and I believe it's likely faux historical replacement won't compare. Why don't they build where Copa was. It's a better corner. Sorry community foundation, you don't have my support on this one. |
Pictures, people; pictures! Help a brutha' out.
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I would post it, but that would require searching effort.
.....i might be motivated tomorrow. If I would have known, I might have brought my camera on my visit up to Flint today.....er I mean Genesee Valley Mall. Architecturally, this is definitely a structure worth saving |
I don't picture of just the Metropolis, but here's what I could find from my own pictures
From last fall - (The Community Foundation building was in the early stages of renovation) http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3102/...6cb2be51ca.jpg View of the 500(?) block of Saginaw earlier this year- the Metropolis is right in the middle http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3042/...2147967eba.jpg And here's an older pic (1995) from flickr user bethzookie http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1219/...2848d6.jpg?v=0 |
I won't post the entire article here, but The Flint Journal is reporting that there will be a big announcement next week about the rest of the "Mott Block".
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Well, you could at least post part of the article and the link. :)
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Wade Trim Building open to public; more news on downtown expected next week
http://www.mlive.com/flintjournal/bu...en_to_pub.html
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New pics
So, I was in Flint today and thought I would take some new pictures since a lot has happened in the last few months.
New UM-Flint dorm. Definately changed the feel of walking onto campus and seeing students walking to and from the dorm. http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3157/...5eabc0.jpg?v=0 I didn't realize the Kearsley Street re-connection was already underway. They are reconnecting the road through the UM-Flint campus, right in front of the new dorm. http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3295/...b55ea1.jpg?v=0 New dorm from the distance. http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3074/...098d09.jpg?v=0 Metropolis Building - soon to be torn down and replaced? http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3188/...b86087.jpg?v=0 Rowe Building - progress on the northern half!! http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3237/...2b1ddd.jpg?v=0 Wade Trim Building and new grassy area http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3238/...5eb771.jpg?v=0 http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3099/...07a920.jpg?v=0 The Berridge is shaping up nicely http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3175/...651891.jpg?v=0 http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3231/...abd310.jpg?v=0 The Tinlin Building (next to the Berridge) is also being renovated http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3016/...86a8f3.jpg?v=0 The new 3-story parking garage site http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3080/...86f7a8.jpg?v=0 Interior demolition continues on the Durant (my batteries were dying at this point so I this is all you get). http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3124/...a0039e.jpg?v=0 http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3071/...a5f6ef.jpg?v=0 |
Thanks for the pics, really.
I'm glad UofM is putting up dorms in Flint, but, man, does it look like a suburban apartment complex in the middle of the city. Those renovations, though, are awesome. And, I'm so glad to see the Durant being renovated. In fact, it's being renovated by a Lansing-based developer who also redid the Arbaugh Department Store, here. If it's anything like the Arbaugh, it's going to be great. I was for sure that it was going to be a goner. Glad I was wrong. |
The major announcement has been announced
http://www.mlive.com/flintjournal/bu...urant_hea.html
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Great to see so much going on in Flint, especially considering the state of the economy and credit markets.
I wish we had as much development news coming out of St. Louis as you guys have had these days. It's nice to hear that firms are moving to downtown Flint. Looks like the city is putting all the ridiculous gimmicks depicted in "Roger & Me" behind it and is pulling itself up by its bootstraps. |
And now, Flint is caught in a good cycle because of the student housing downtown. The students want more restaurants and stores with longer hours, and the business community is more than happy to oblige (evidenced after only 2 months of having the dorm open). That, of course, will make it more attractive to live in the dorms, and I think UM-Flint will find itself building another one in the near future.
Maybe the CRIM will get something figured out with the hotel soon. Haven't heard any news on that front in a while. |
A rendering of the Blackstone project (taken from mlive.com/courtesy of Blackstone's LLC)
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