Flint development news - Page 35

LMich · #**681** Posted **Apr 15, 2019, 7:40 PM**

Rob,

Figured it out. And old GTW line used to go through there, so that's why there is nothing on the northside of Longway.

This line serviced Chevy in the Hole and went right through the northern end of downtown. In fact, I think this is what Union Street is named after as the GTW line crossed diagonally the Pere Marquette line immediately north of the northwest corner of the old Citizens Bank Building:

You can see why they moved these lines. That must have created a heck of a lot of congestion when trains would have to stop downtown at the junction.

Anyway, I wouldn't be surprised to find that CN (successor of GTW) still owns the right-of-way north of Longway. And here I was thinking this empty land was the result of an urban renewal scheme gone wrong and that there used to be a commercial strip there. lol

DetroitSky · #**682** Posted **Apr 16, 2019, 12:26 AM**

^^^^ That's fascinating. It's too bad Flint's passenger station isn't downtown anymore.

robk1982 · #**683** Posted **Apr 16, 2019, 1:13 AM**

Well, that answers that!

uaarkson · #**684** Posted **Apr 16, 2019, 2:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LMich

You can see why they moved these lines. That must have created a heck of a lot of congestion when trains would have to stop downtown at the junction.

Not many people left who remember, but train traffic was once a way of life in Flint.

LMich · #**685** Posted **Apr 17, 2019, 10:23 AM**

How far back are we talking? Because at least on the CN line, most crossings on the major roads are under or overpassed, though I guess the old CSX line (just leased by Lake State) could have caused a lot of back-ups since most of that line is at-grade. I was mostly talking about traffic and congestion as it related to blocking auto and pedestrian traffic. Yeah, the traffic on the railways, themselves, must have been crazy when all the factories were humming at full capacity.

DetroitSky · #**686** Posted **Apr 17, 2019, 10:21 PM**

8 new playgrounds coming to Flint parks this year

Quote:

FLINT, MI - Eight new playgrounds are coming to Flint parks this year.

The playgrounds are planned for Polk, Delaware, McClellan, Ramona, Fleming, McKinley, Windiate and Bassett parks.

Flint relies on partnerships and grants to provide new playgrounds, according to Suzanne Wilcox, Flint’s director of planning and development. Park improvements are expensive and the city’s parks millage doesn’t cover the cost.

McKinley Park

uaarkson · #**687** Posted **Apr 18, 2019, 2:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LMich

How far back are we talking? Because at least on the CN line, most crossings on the major roads are under or overpassed, though I guess the old CSX line (just leased by Lake State) could have caused a lot of back-ups since most of that line is at-grade. I was mostly talking about traffic and congestion as it related to blocking auto and pedestrian traffic. Yeah, the traffic on the railways, themselves, must have been crazy when all the factories were humming at full capacity.

Even as late as the early 70s. I-475 through the downtown area was built mostly on existing rail ROW, for instance.

robk1982 · #**688** Posted **Apr 23, 2019, 7:11 PM**

https://www.cityofflint.com/2019/04/...ound-breaking/

Quote:

1214 W University Ground Breaking
Posted by: Candice Mushatt

The 1214 W University ground breaking is on April 25 at 10 am

The City has partnered with Habitat for Humanity and provided HOME funds towards the completion of the ‘Live’ portion of this live-work duplex. The housing units will be sold to entrepreneurs and the project offers buyers the ability to live above their work space. This unique housing opportunity will set buyers up for a more solid financial future.

...

I saw on Kettering's Facebook Page today that one of the businesses in this building will be a Poke Bowl restaurant.

Steve100 · #**689** Posted **Apr 29, 2019, 7:35 PM**

Longtime occasional lurker, first time poster here. I grew up a block from the old GTW main and have studied its history quite a bit. The aerial view Lmich posted originated at the USGS Earth Explorer site. I was the one who annotated it, and posted it on railroadfan.com, and/or michiganrailroads.com.

In 1901 (not 1928 as has been repeated frequently in error on different websites and in books), Grand Trunk built through the south side of Flint a bypass to carry through freights. This line's original primary purpose was to avoid the grades into and out of the Flint River valley (which required helper engines on long freights) and secondarily to avoid grade crossing congestion. The auto industry did not yet exist in Flint. Originally the bypass was single track; it and the old line formed a double track route through Flint at the time when GTW was double tracking its entire line from Chicago to Port Huron.

In 1927 or 1928 passenger trains shifted to the diverted line when the station on 14th Street (replaced 1989 by Dort Hwy location) was built. The circa 1903 station on Harrison St. downtown was dismantled and moved to Muskegon. Grand Trunk's primary yard in the Flint area remained Belsay Yard (centered along Genesee Rd) until the late 1950s when Bristol Yard was developed. Until that time, trains serving Chevrolet Manufacturing downtown accessed it from Belsay Yard. "East Yard" by Decker and Walnut Streets remained in place through at least the 1960s, with even a piggyback ramp service briefly offered.

In about 1960, pressure from the City of Flint resulted in GTW removing its old main track from the Flint River behind Citizens Bank eastward to just east of Saginaw St. Certain improvements to Bristol Yard, and on the old main westward from Chevy Mfg, were necessary before this could happen. I haven't checked in some years, but you might still be able to see the different colored brick in Saginaw St. where the track by University Pavilion crossed.

GTW stopped serving the remaining few small customers east of Saginaw St. by 1975. These included Taystee Bread, Sears, etc. The track was removed from there to Franklin Avenue, so it could still serve McCloy Paper. In 1987 or 1988 the track was ripped up from Franklin to just east of Dort Hwy, and about 10 years later (after CN gave up hope of any further traffic at the Dort plants of AC), it was removed to Averill Ave. Within the past 10 years I've seen "FOR SALE GRAND TRUNK PROPERTY" signs by Franklin Ave. and Dort Hwy. CN might have given up on that, though. It might still earn revenue from the billboard at Vernon and Longway. CSX continues to use the remaining mile of the east end of the old main to run trains on CN trackage rights from Flint to Port Huron.

On the west side, GTW stopped serving Delphi (ex-Chevy Mfg.) in 2000, and during the next few years the track was removed to Linden Rd.

In 1922 Pere Marquette built the current CSX freight bypass line along the east side of Dort. The C&O line through downtown was removed in fall 1972 between Kearsley St. and Avon St (near present day River Village Apts), and it's been whittled away on both ends since. Passenger trains, which went between Saginaw and Detroit, stopped in October 1950. Right up until 1972, freight trains moved between Buick and Fisher Body on this line daily.

DetroitSky · #**690** Posted **May 30, 2019, 11:19 PM**

Carla Hall to appear at grand opening of Mott’s Culinary Arts Institute in Flint

Quote:

FLINT, MI -- A grand opening date has been set for the new Mott Community College Culinary Arts Institute in downtown Flint -- complete with a special guest.

The 36,000 square-foot building at the corner of Second and Saginaw streets is scheduled to open Friday, June 7, with a community open house and tours from 1 to 3 p.m. on the same day.

Carla Hall will be on-hand for the grand opening. Hall is a celebrity chef and former co-host of the ABC show “The Chew,” cookbook author and Culinary Ambassador for Sweet Home Cafe at the Smithsonian National Museum for African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.

Kettering students poised to launch scooter ride-share business in Flint

Quote:

FLINT, MI -- A new electric scooter ride-share company has been awarded $75,000 as it prepares to launch in the city of Flint.

Kuhmute is an electric scooter ride-share that features smart-charging hubs with a goal to keep scooter fleets organized and charged.

The company was co-founded in November by current Kettering University students Peter Deppe, 23, and Scott Spitler, 22. The pair of entrepreneurs will graduate in June -- Deppe with a degree in electrical and electronics engineering and Spitler with a degree in computer science. They hope to launch the Kuhmute ride-share in Flint within the next three months.

International and local artists to paint 50 murals throughout Flint

Quote:

FLINT, MI-- Artists from all over the world have joined forces with local Flint artists to paint 50 murals in Flint.

The Flint Public Art Project wants to decorate the city with 100 murals by fall 2020. Joe Schipani, who’s directed the Flint Public Art Project the past four years, wants to refocus the international perspective of Flint.

“When you get all these big names coming here to do work, you gain an international presence," Schipani said. "Hopefully people will start noticing us for our art and not our water.”

robk1982 · #**691** Posted **Jun 25, 2019, 5:22 PM**

Here are some pictures from today and the past few weeks:

1214 University Ave. (retail/apartment development shown a few posts up)

Flint June 2019 by Rob K, on Flickr

Future site of Blueline Donuts (right next to Carraigetown Ministries....https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/201...ob-skills.html)

Flint June 2019 by Rob K, on Flickr

Flint City Hard Cider has their sign up. They are distributing ciders to area restaurants...just don't have their own building open yet.

Flint June 2019 by Rob K, on Flickr

Flint Cultural Center Academy

Flint June 2019 by Rob K, on Flickr

Murcie Science Building expansion at UM-Flint

Flint June 25 2019 by Rob K, on Flickr

Hilton Garden Inn

Flint June 25 2019 by Rob K, on Flickr

Flint June 25 2019 by Rob K, on Flickr

Third Street Development at the old YWCA site

Flint June 25 2019 by Rob K, on Flickr

Flint June 25 2019 by Rob K, on Flickr

Team One Credit Union is getting a facelift (block between the Farmers' Market and the new Third Street Development)

Flint June 25 2019 by Rob K, on Flickr

robk1982 · #**692** Posted **Jun 25, 2019, 5:28 PM**

https://nbc25news.com/news/local/ket...r-academic-hub

Quote:

Kettering University unveils plans for new, multi-million-dollar academic hub

by Madeline Ciak/Sarah JaegerFriday, June 14th 2019

FLINT, Mich., -- A new, multi-million dollar academic hub called Learning Commons is going to be built on the campus of Kettering University.

Plans for Learning Commons were unveiled during a news conference held on Friday morning.

"This represents not only a future for Kettering University but also representative of our investment in Flint and our community and our belief in the positive future and the positive momentum of this community and where we are going together," says Kettering President Dr. Bob McMahan.

The Learning Commons will take two years to build and cost $60 million. So far the university has raised over $23 million. They are hoping to break ground in October 2019.

...

uaarkson · #**693** Posted **Jun 25, 2019, 8:16 PM**

Appreciate the updates.

subterranean · #**694** Posted **Jun 25, 2019, 8:24 PM**

I feel like Flint might need a name change. Is there any escaping its image, no matter how much improved? And I say this being a son of Saginaw.

uaarkson · #**695** Posted **Jun 25, 2019, 9:33 PM**

Nonsense. These cities wear their problems with pride; some day, the name will mean something positive.

deja vu · #**696** Posted **Jun 25, 2019, 11:52 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by uaarkson

Appreciate the updates.

^ Agreed - thanks for all of those updates. I wasn't aware of Kettering's new(ish) master plan, of which the Learning Commons plays a key role in. It looks good - those will be some fantastic interior spaces. There's a nice walk-through animation on Kettering's website, at this link. Here's some of those photos posted with the news story (cropped a little to accommodate the camera angle).

Source: NBC25 News | Courtesy Kettering University

robk1982 · #**697** Posted **Jun 26, 2019, 9:21 PM**

https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/201...n-in-2021.html

Quote:

Flint’s new Sloan Museum of Discovery to open in 2021
Updated Jun 12, 2019; Posted Jun 12, 2019
By Zahra Ahmad | zahmad@mlive.com

FLINT, MI-- The new Sloan Museum of Discovery will nearly double in size during a $26.5 million renovation that includes interactive science and history galleries.

The museum is set to open in late fall of 2021 with construction slated to start July 1. Plans for the interactive and inclusive museum were unveiled at a ground breaking on Wednesday, June 12.

Sloan Museum of Discovery will feature re-imagined Flint history galleries, a hands-on science Discovery Hall and Early Childhood Gallery.

The project is nearly funded, about 85 percent, and is seeking additional funding through a Million Dollar Match. All contributions made before December 31 will be matched two to one by the C.S. Mott Foundation, up to $1 million.

Sloan Museum has been closed for over a year already as they empty the building in preparation for the renovation. It is currently operating out of the Courtland Center mall.

It's going to be quite the renovation, with a much needed upgrade to the building's facade and entrances. They are also filling in the inner courtyard.

robk1982 · #**698** Posted **Jul 23, 2019, 3:28 AM**

The view from Kettering:

20190722_194922_HDR by Rob K, on Flickr

robk1982 · #**699** Posted **Jul 26, 2019, 4:09 AM**

School starts in a few weeks. The link to FIM/Sloan is still a few months away from completion.

20190724_173659 by Rob K, on Flickr

The Sloan Museum renovation is ramping up big-time now. The former main entrance is demolished, exposing the inner courtyard which will be filled in for more museum space.

20190724_173729_HDR by Rob K, on Flickr

robk1982 · #**700** Posted **Aug 8, 2019, 3:27 AM**

Future home of Blueline Donuts has a new look

20190726_122546

A new CrossFit gym opened on University Ave. between Atwood Stadium and Kettering

20190726_122726_HDR

Basically across the street from the above gym is the 1214 University Ave. development

20190726_122736

Not sure when this building appeared at the Kettering auto proving grounds

20190726_123058

Future site of the Kettering Learning Commons building

20190726_122939

UM-Flint Murchie Science Building expansion

2019-08-06_10-44-59

A crane is on-site

2019-08-06_12-25-55

Third Street Development

20190806_143745_HDR

20190806_151949

Team One Credit Union facade update

20190806_144044_HDR

FCC Academy construction and Sloan demolition occurring simultaneously

20190807_174745_HDR

20190807_175008_HDR

20190807_174918_HDR

School starts on Aug 19!

20190725_081625