DETROIT | Development & Construction: Motown Lowdown

[deja vu]

Corktown's "The Godfrey", picture is from a few weeks ago -


Source: LinkedIn | Davenport Masonry & Restoration

[deja vu]

I spotted these photos of the United Artists Theatre, on the "Abandoned, Old and Interesting Places in Michigan" Facebook group, from a few days ago. It's finally coming down, after decades of abandonment and neglect -
















Source: Facebook | Ryan Jake Jakubowski

[DetroitMan]

Amazing photos Deja vu! I really hate to see the UA Theatre get torn down, but it seems there was no viable way to save it.

[DetroitMan]

Great article in the Free Press today about the booming apartment market in Downtown, Midtown and New Center/Milwaukee Junction. Also, mentioned was that the old Cadillac Plant at 450 Amsterdam in New Center will be turned into 92 apartments.
No end in sight to demand for new housing near downtown Detroit

The Platform CEO Peter Cummings said at the grand opening that even he was surprised by how quickly Woodward West filled up.

"I don’t know how to put in context how extraordinary that is, because I’ve developed in a lot of different markets, growth markets in Florida and North Carolina, and the performance of this project really outstrips them all," Cummings said.

Sue Mosey, executive director of Midtown Detroit Inc., said after the event that the building's location at the threshold of Midtown and downtown likely helped its popularity, plus the fact that it is new construction.

Another relatively new and closely watched development that has mostly leased up is The Eddystone, a 13-story former hotel at 110 Sproat St. near Little Caesars Arena, which the Ilitch organization redeveloped into an upscale 92-unit apartment building.

It opened last December. Today, just two units are available.

https://www.freep.com/story/money/bu...d/69543785007/

[deja vu]

Originally Posted by DetroitMan

Amazing photos Deja vu! I really hate to see the UA Theatre get torn down, but it seems there was no viable way to save it.

All credit goes to Ryan Jake Jakubowski for those awesome drone pics. Meanwhile, as the old theatre crumbles, a new one rises: drone footage of the Hilberry Gateway Project, courtesy of Hamilton Anderson Associates. Not nearly as stunning as United Artists, but a great new educational / performing arts asset nonetheless -










Source: LinkedIn | Hamilton Anderson Associates

[deja vu]

Completed photos of Woodward West, which had its ribbon-cutting last week. This is the new mixed-use flagship building for The Platform, located in Midtown and featuring 204 residential units (20% designated for affordable housing) -
















Source: LinkedIn | Sachse Construction

[DetroitMan]

While it's nice to have 500 jobs coming to the city, I wish they would save the AMC HQ Building...

Detroit poised to land 500-job parts plant at AMC site, Duggan says

"We are about to land another 500-employee parts plant, and what the federal government has done has given us a whole range of tools to bring jobs — good paying jobs — back to the city," Duggan said of the former AMC site. "We're knocking down the 40-year-old, abandoned building over there. We'll have another parts plant there, and we're in conversation with several other manufacturers."

Duggan spoke to The Detroit News after meeting with Biden administration officials at the White House about how the city has been spending pandemic relief funds from the American Rescue Plan and about the benefits of recent legislation to fund clean energy, infrastructure and domestic semiconductor chip manufacturing.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/ne...s/69559079007/

[DetroitMan]

Another hotel is planned for Downtown Detroit...

Developer plans $44 million hotel conversion of downtown Detroit building

A Detroit-based developer plans a 135-unit hotel in a largely vacant building it bought earlier this year.

Method Development LLC is proposing a redevelopment of the Merchants Building, located at 206 E. Grand River Ave. at Broadway Street, consisting of the hotel space — a flag is not yet known — plus food and beverage and event space and a rooftop bar.

Detroit-based Kraemer Design Group is the architect of record on the project.

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-e...hants-building

[colemonkee]

The neo-gothic architecture of the United Artists theater is very similar to that of the United Artists theater in downtown Los Angeles, which has been restored and is a great space for seeing shows. I hope this theater meets a similar fate, but it has a LOT more work to be done.

[hybrydy]

Originally Posted by colemonkee

The neo-gothic architecture of the United Artists theater is very similar to that of the United Artists theater in downtown Los Angeles, which has been restored and is a great space for seeing shows. I hope this theater meets a similar fate, but it has a LOT more work to be done.

its being demolished for surface parking

[TylerJ]

Originally Posted by hybrydy

its being demolished for surface parking

While technically true, it is also being demolished to make the restoration of the historic building next to it viable.

[DetroitMan]

Nonprofit plans homeless housing, retail space across from Little Caesars Arena

The nonprofit Mariners Inn is close to wrapping up financing for a $25.5 million development of permanent supportive housing for the chronically homeless and retail space across from Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.

If all goes according to plan, the nonprofit could break ground on The Anchor development as soon as March and move people into the new apartments 18 months later, CEO Dave Sampson said.

The project has attracted just more than $13 million in low-income housing tax credits through the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, $10 million in federal HOME funds and block grant funding from the city, Sampson said, and a $1 million grant from the McGregor Fund.

Mariners Inn, which provides substance use treatment, recovery housing and permanent supportive housing for the chronically homeless, will launch an appeal to raise the remaining $1.5 million for the project during its annual gala Saturday night, Sampson said.

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/nonpro...retail-project

[DetroitMan]

Kraemer Design group is suing Micheal Higgins over the unpaid balance for its design work. I wonder if this lawsuit will light a fire under the developer to get this project started or to drop it.
Design firm sues Detroit developer over pay in $125M Leland Hotel, City Club rehab

"We are moving ahead on the project, on the financing," Higgins said. "It’s not going as fast as we had hoped, but we still are in that process."
A spokesperson for the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, known as MSHDA, wouldn't discuss any specifics Monday about the Leland project, saying in a statement only that some developments "require extra effort to get over the finish line."

"MSHDA has been and continues to be committed to engaging with the developer and the city to find the best approach for this project," said spokesperson Katie Bach.

Higgins said he was surprised to see Kraemer Design go to court right away for the money. The firm also filed a lien on the property.

https://www.freep.com/story/money/bu...t/69585890007/

[DetroitMan]

A lawsuit has been filed by the developer proposing a mixed-use project in Detroit's West Village neighborhood claiming that the bankruptcy of the construction company that they planned to team up with is delaying the project from starting.
Lawsuit claims construction company's bankruptcy delays West Village redevelopment

In a lawsuit filed Friday in U.S. Eastern District of Michigan Bankruptcy Court, an affiliate of developer Michael Higgins (more on another case in a hot minute) claims a construction lien that the now defunct Bloomfield Hills-based T.H. Marsh Construction Co. filed this summer seeking $267,000 for alleged unpaid work is hindering financing on his mixed-use redevelopment proposal for the northwest corner of Jefferson Avenue and Van Dyke Street.

An attorney for T.H. Marsh in its bankruptcy case did not respond to a message seeking comment Tuesday.

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-e...illage-project

[ShadowSoarer]

This sounds very sketchy but apparently there is a $10 Billion (that is like 7 Hudson Site or 33 Brewster Douglas Development Projects) revitalization plan for Highland Park from an anonymous source. Part of the money is to pay off debt for Highland Park's water bill and part to for a Highland Park "Uptown":

https://www.freep.com/story/money/bu...t/69600330007/

[DetroitMan]

Restaurant Roundup: Heirloom plans Mad Nice in Midtown

The team behind the two Townhouse locations and Prime + Proper is set to open its newest concept before the end of the year.

Heirloom Hospitality plans to open Mad Nice restaurant and retail in mid-December in 10,500 square feet at 4120 Second Ave. in the former Will's Leather Goods space in Midtown Detroit.

The restaurant will offer modern Italian specialties with a focus on direct-from-the-farm and fermented ingredients. A retail space called Mad Nice Goods will sell signature merchandise and prepared and packaged foods, and include a coffee and cocktails bar featuring lattes, espresso martinis and fresh pastries.

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/restau...y-pop-and-more

[DetroitMan]

The City of Detroit is planning to replace the old Coolidge Bus Terminal in NW Detroit. The new facility will support 24-hour operations and when finished will accommodate up to 144 buses.


https://detroitmi.gov/departments/de...cement-project

[DetroitMan]

The Ilitch family just announced updated plans for District Detroit. Under the new plan, the Fox Theatre offices would be converted to a hotel. In addition, 695 residential units would be built, along with1.2 million sf of office space, 100,00 sf of retail and 467 hotel rooms.
New Ross-Ilitch plans totaling $1.5 billion would convert Fox offices to hotel, will seek state aid

The Ilitch family's Olympia Development of Michigan and Stephen Ross' Related Cos. are seeking what could be hundreds of millions in public financing as they seek to build what they say is $1.5 billion in new and redeveloped buildings, including turning the Fox Office Building downtown into a new hotel.

Detroit-based Olympia Development and New York City-based related said in a Tuesday press release that they plan a total of 695 residential units, 1.2 million square feet of office space, 100,000 square feet of retail and 467 hotel rooms across 10 properties in the Ilitch family's District Detroit area downtown.

Twenty percent of the residential units would be reserved for those making 50 percent or less of the Area Median Income.

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-e...ings-2nd-hotel

[Innsertnamehere]

Excellent news! Now if only they can get it built.. Is getting Related involved a new thing? They are a huge developer in NYC so if that's new it would lend itself to being good news for the development's chances..

Also, 1.2 million sf of Office is a very significant amount of Office space. I'm surprised the use mix doesn't lean heavier to residential.

Also, Illitch continues to sit on the half-built frames around Little Ceaser's Arena, which are very, very low hanging fruit.

[The North One]

Yes Related got on board recently. There's been a lot more movement ever since.

Also this got looked over from about a month and a half ago. A subsidiary was made for the innovation center to hold the land and money.

https://ilitchnewshub.com/2022/09/do...or-innovation/