DETROIT | Development & Construction: Motown Lowdown

[DetroitSky]

48307 on DetroitYes posted two photos of the Monroe Blocks site from One Campus Martius today. It looks like the parking lot has been scraped clean from the phase 1 block. The other block looks the same.



Flowers of Vietnam chef to anchor historic southwest Detroit building

The renovation of the partially collapsed, red-bricked Grosfield Building has taken longer than expected. But financing is locked and major stabilization work is likely to start in spring on the nearly $5 million project, the developers said Friday.

The finished product is expected to comprise 19 apartment units, retail and a corner restaurant from George Azar.

The chef who grew up in southwest Detroit is best known for his Vietnamese pop-up that first appeared in 2016. It has since expanded from visitor status in the Vernor Coney Island to full-fledged restaurant. And for his next Detroit venture?

"I'm going to be cooking Mexican food," he said. "Focusing on regional places in the country that I think are underrepresented in our community, in Michigan, that are really, really interesting."

East Riverfront framework wins prestigious urban design award

Almost two years ago, the Detroit RiverFront Conservancy released an extensive plan for Detroit’s east riverfront, including more public space, more greenways, and redevelopment of old warehouses. Developed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM); the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy; the City of Detroit Planning & Development Department; and the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation, the plan was a hit with the public.

Now it’s gained national design recognition. The framework has received the 2019 American Institute of Architects (AIA) Honor Award for Regional and Urban Design, an award that recognizes the best in urban design, regional and city planning, and community development. It’s one of four U.S. projects to receive the award this year; the other recipients are the Pike Place MarketFront in Seattle, Shelby Farms Park in Memphis, and the Infra-Space Initiative in Boston.

JPMorgan Chase Commits $15M to Expand Economic Growth in Detroit’s Neighborhoods

JPMorgan Chase has committed $15 million – part of the company’s $150 million, five-year promise to the city – to support Detroit’s neighborhoods to help more residents benefit from the city’s continued economic recovery.

This new investment, which combines a $10 million, long-term, low-cost loan and $5 million in philanthropy, is expected to expand economic opportunity in these neighborhoods.

The commitments will enable the Strategic Neighborhood Fund to finance neighborhood projects that lack access to traditional financing, help attract additional capital, and over time provide local residents with more access to affordable housing, and goods and services where they live and work.

New Digital Marketing Firm Mainstreet Mob Launches in March, Focuses on Small Businesses

Mainstreet Mob, a new digital and event marketing company, will makes its debut March 10th in Detroit. The platform allows small businesses and shoppers to connect through social media and cash mob events, where people join together to make purchases at local businesses as a show of support.

Users who join the online Mainstreet Mob platform earn points, prizes, rewards, and other perks in return for participating.

“For a fraction of the cost, Mainstreet Mob will be putting an entire expert team and community of … potential new customers behind small businesses, who otherwise might not have the access,” says Margarita Barry of Mainstreet Mob.

[uaarkson]

So excited about the Grosfield building. Corktown is going to be a real neighborhood again.

[uaarkson]

https://www.mlive.com/news/2019/02/f...n-detroit.html

Majorly awesome news for Detroit.

[Tiorted9]

Originally Posted by uaarkson

https://www.mlive.com/news/2019/02/f...n-detroit.html

Majorly awesome news for Detroit.

Wow that's a big economic injection. That should definitely help increase the residential development in the neighborhoods

[DetroitSky]

Another article on the new assembly plant that discusses the potential impact on the city:

New Jeep plant won't be another Poletown: 4 ways it could impact Detroit

Over the past year or so, Duggan and his team have suggested possibly closing the city's east-side airport and converting its 260 acres to something new, perhaps an industrial park. Proponents of that idea point out that the airport is underused and that it's difficult to assemble that much land if a major project comes along.

The new Jeep plant will no doubt lead to spin-off projects by suppliers or related businesses. Those projects will need land to build. Duggan said the city will fight to get new supplier plants that feed parts to the Jeep plant.

So this Jeep announcement could increase suggestions to close City Airport.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer labeled the deal a "generational investment" for the state and predicted spin-off benefits rippling through the state's economy, with as many as eight spin-off jobs for each new job at the new Jeep plant. With average pay at the Jeep plant pegged at $58,000, this could produce an enormous payout for many Detroiters.

All those new workers will have to live somewhere, and while many may commute from farther away in the city or in the suburbs, at least some will choose to live close by, boosting demand in the immediate area. That could further propel the trend toward new construction that has already taken place closer to downtown and along the riverfront.

Buddy's Pizza is coming soon to downtown Detroit

Pikula said Buddy's on Broadway, which will be on the first floor where Angelina's Italian Bistro was, will have a full bar and seating for about 200 inside and another 25 on an outdoor patio along Broadway. There are plans to have a grab-and-go element to make it easier for people looking for a quick take-out lunch.

Detroit streetwear line expands with new storefront on the Avenue of Fashion

Fashion entrepreneur Clement "Fame" Brown Jr. is opening a second location for his Three Thirteen streetwear brand. And, appropriately enough, the new storefront is located on Detroit's Avenue of Fashion, that famous stretch of Livernois Avenue between 7 Mile and 8 Mile roads.

A grand opening party is scheduled for Wednesday, March 13, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. There will be complimentary food from Yoshi Hibachi and D&D Cuisine. DJ sets will include DJ LOS, DJBJ 3525, Nick Speed, and more. Look for sales and discounts, as well.

Brown's stores carry his own Three Thirteen line as well as a host of local brands that include Detroit Hustles Harder, Detroit Vs. Everybody, and more. Three Thirteen also carries select national brands.

At 2,200 square feet, the new storefront is bigger than the original location and will also serve as a special events destination. The building has been renovated and remodeled, inside and out.

[LMich]

Originally Posted by DetroitSky

48307 on DetroitYes posted two photos of the Monroe Blocks site from One Campus Martius today. It looks like the parking lot has been scraped clean from the phase 1 block. The other block looks the same.

I'm confused why he keeps photographing the second block as if he expects it to look different. Right now, all that is being built is Phase 1, so we shouldn't expect to see much of anything serious happening on that block for quite some time. I know some folks are expecting them to building a two-block underground garage, but I'm not quite honestly.

[DetroitSky]

Originally Posted by LMich

I'm confused why he keeps photographing the second block as if he expects it to look different. Right now, all that is being built is Phase 1, so we shouldn't expect to see much of anything serious happening on that block for quite some time. I know some folks are expecting them to building a two-block underground garage, but I'm not quite honestly.

I was wondering the same thing. The only thing we should be seeing anytime soon at all is demolition. Speaking of that, I wonder why demolition of the Pochelon Building still hasn’t happened. It was supposed to be torn down back in June.

[DetroitSky]

Saint Rita apartments reopen for veterans, homeless in Detroit

On Wednesday, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and Central City Integrated Health Inc., a Midtown group that provides primary health care in efforts to improve health disparities, marked the reopening of the 1916-built, six-story Georgian Revival red brick apartment building at 35 Owen St. just off Woodward Avenue.

The $7.2 million redevelopment project has created 26 one-bedroom, 750-square-feet affordable apartments for veterans, homeless individuals and Detroiters with special needs. It is another milestone as the city of Detroit moves toward a permanent supportive housing model for homeless people, Duggan said.

Central City plans to continue its efforts to provide affordable housing, CEO Ryan Lepper said. It is looking to make further investments in the North End neighborhood, and Lepper announced its next project is an approximately $5 million redevelopment of the 70-unit Peterboro Place at 8 Peterboro St. about three blocks from Little Caesars Arena in Midtown.

Bagley Central is betting on being a neighborhood bar

A new bar, Bagley Central, is coming to Hubbard-Richard neighborhood

Located where Our/Detroit vodka distillery and tasting room used to be, the new casual spot is billing itself as a shot-and-a-beer corner bar.

Bartender and owner Mike Ketelhut, who has nearly 20 years of bar experience that includes a recent stint at the nearby Green Dot Stables, describes it as a punk rock cocktail lounge.

[DetroitSky]

$12 million mixed-use development aims to fit in southwest Detroit

Three organizations signed onto the potential project: the Southwest Detroit Business Association; Cinnaire, a Lansing-based nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution; and Invest Detroit, another Community Development Financial Institution. Invest Detroit acts as an investor, partner and lender on business and real estate projects in the city.

The three development partners have jumped several city hurdles and aim to build 53 units on top of retail and community space.

The development team expects completion and occupancy by March 2021, according to documents included in its Hubbard Farms Historic District Commission application.

The development is planned for a vacant block from 4000-4060 W. Vernor Highway on about 0.81 acres two blocks from Clark Park. The partners have a development agreement with the city to buy up property on the closing of financing.

Wayne State University to move historic Mackenzie House in March

The historic Mackenzie House on Wayne State University's campus is scheduled to be moved to a new spot in March.

The home already is on jacks in preparation for the move to property on Forest Avenue, a block from its current location.

According to the university, moving the home, weighing nearly 600 tons, from 4735 Cass Ave. to the next block will cost approximately $750,000. The move is to support the university's $65 million Hilberry Gateway Performance Complex and expansion.

[DetroitSky]

Ruth Ellis Center plans new housing for LGBT youth in Detroit

A Highland Park-based nonprofit wants to build a $15 million mixed-use development in Detroit to provide subsidized living and support to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning young adults who may otherwise become homeless.

Armed with $1.48 million in Michigan low-income housing tax credits and Peoria, Ill.-based Full Circle Communities Inc. as its development partner, Ruth Ellis Center Inc. aims to create 43 units of housing on top of health care, entrepreneurial and community space in Detroit's Piety Hill neighborhood west of Woodward Avenue and north of New Center.

The project would take shape on a Clairmount Avenue property marketed by the city last year. Detroit is currently reviewing its site plan and exterior elevation, said Jerry Peterson, executive director of the Ruth Ellis Center. Construction would follow, pending approval, in fall or next spring.

Evans: Jail deal may not be last for county with Gilbert

Wayne County Executive Warren Evans is opening the door to the county selling the Guardian Building — and speculating that downtown real estate mogul Dan Gilbert might be interested in buying the 90-year-old iconic skyscraper.

Last year, Evans sealed a deal to get an affiliate of Gilbert's Rock Ventures LLC to build a $533 million jail complex at I-75 and East Warren in exchange for the county's 15-acre former jail site along Gratiot Avenue and $153 million.

Evans said Monday that Wayne County could do other real estate deals with Gilbert, with the county's headquarters in the landmark 40-story Guardian Building being a possible asset to sell.

"I've got a feeling that we'll have more deals with Rock before my term is over," Evans said at the Crain's Newsmakers of the Year luncheon.

Port authority seeks upgrade of Detroit sea wall

Detroit — Major upgrades are needed for an aging port authority cargo terminal to attract more business to the area, its governing authority said Friday.

Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority Executive Director Kyle Burleson said there's an urgent need to apply for grant funding to rehabilitate a 50-year-old terminal south of the Ambassador Bridge at the foot of Clark Street.

“The urgency is not because something is going to collapse tomorrow,” said Burleson, who presented the authority’s strategic plan to stakeholders and government officials Friday. “The urgency is to take advantage of the opportunities to get federal dollars.”

The port authority, he said, owns the cargo terminal on West Jefferson that's one of between 25 and 30 terminals along the Detroit River and River Rouge. The cargo handling facility, he said, is the only one that's publicly owned.

Gilchrist ailing Detroit apartment building sold for $190K

Detroit — The fire-damaged Detroit apartment building Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist owned has been sold.

The eight-unit apartment building at 253 Marston near the New Center area sold for $190,000 to Detroit Renaissance Fund LLC, said Alyssa Strickland, spokeswoman for the Detroit Land Bank Authority, which had to approve the deal. The sale closed Feb. 21.

The listed buyer is essentially a shell company with scant public information. The registered agent is listed as Incorporating Services Ltd. with a Plymouth address, and it was organized under Delaware law and managed by a corporation company out of Florida.

In a Michigan filing, the company described its business plans as "rental or residential real estate.”

[LMich]

Joe Louis Arena demolition to start soon: Here's what's coming down

Detroit's now-empty Joe Louis Arena will finally get a date with the wrecking ball this spring, just shy of its 40th year.

Demolition of the arena is expected to begin in the next four to six weeks and finish by the end of the year or early 2020, said Detroit Building Authority Director Tyrone Clifton.

There will be no Pontiac Silverdome-style implosion of the downtown riverfront arena, but rather a gradual disassembly process involving heavy machinery. Demolition crews will start by disassembling the arena's interior, such as ceiling beams, then proceed to the exterior by June or July, Clifton said.

The city is financially responsible for the arena's demolition under a deal with a former creditor, New York-based Financial Guaranty Insurance Co., which accepted future ownership and development rights to the 5-acre site — plus that of the nearby 3,200-space arena garage — in exchange for swallowing big losses during Detroit's 2013-14 municipal bankruptcy.

Financial Guaranty Insurance Corp. has until January 2020 to submit to the city its redevelopment plans for the arena site.

The firm's subsidiary had sued the city last year to extend its original fall 2017 deadline for the redevelopment plan and gain the flexibility to build something other than the required "first-class" hotel with at least 300 rooms.

The dispute ultimately went to arbitration.

[DetroitSky]

Michigan carpenters union plans $30M training facility in Detroit

The Michigan Carpenters and Millwrights Joint Apprenticeship and Training Fund's new facility would be built on city-owned land in the Oakman Boulevard area.

A lease agreement will be submitted to City Council for approval once terms are agreed to, possibly later this month, according to John Roach, a spokesman for Mayor Mike Duggan.

The 120,000-square-foot facility would be built on a seven-acre plot on the site of the former Tappan School near Livernois and Grand River. The groundbreaking is planned for next year with completion of the project in 2021.

When completed, the new facility will have classrooms and training areas for hands-on experience and real-world simulations, using methods and tools that include some of the most advanced in the construction industry, officials said. The new center will also include space to host community events.

Jack White donates $10,000 to Hamtramck Stadium restoration

A crowdfunding campaign is under way to restore the historic Hamtramck Stadium – one of the few remaining Negro League ballparks in America – and Detroit rocker Jack White was first up to bat with a big donation.

"White, an avid baseball fan best known for fronting legendary Detroit garage-rock band the White Stripes, is helping kick off the campaign with a very generous $10,000 donation," a post on the stadium's official blog said.

The Michigan Economic Development Corp. (MEDC), Piast Institute and Friends of Historic Hamtramck Stadium are behind the campaign aimed to update the space for baseball, soccer, cricket and community use.

The goal of the campaign, which is being offered through Michigan-based crowdfunding platform Patroncity, is $50,000 by April 2.

If the campaign hits that benchmark, the project will win a matching grant through the MEDC's Public Spaces Community Places program, a collaborative effort of the MEDC, the Michigan Municipal League and Patroncity.

Detroit seeks developer for small Woodbridge Street property

Redevelopment proposals for a small property near the east Detroit riverfront are due April 15.

The Economic Development Corp., through Detroit Economic Growth Corp. which staffs it, released a request for proposals Monday asking for responses to turn the building at 1977 Woodbridge St. west of St. Aubin Street into a "destination retail or commercial location."

The property consists of three buildings totaling 4,800 square feet. The middle building is required to be preserved, while the buildings to the east and west are ancillary and can be demolished, according to the RFP. It sits on a quarter-acre a block from the Dequindre Cut.

[DetroitSky]

Study shows what happens after blight is removed from Detroit neighborhoods

Violent crime and property crime drop in areas where blighted homes are razed in Detroit — and the more vacant, dilapidated houses that come down in an area, the greater the crime reduction.

That's according to a study done by two Wayne State criminologists who examined nearly 9,400 home demolitions throughout the city over a five-year period. The study, published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Criminal Justice, provides the first data-driven examination of the connection between the city's massive demolition program and its impact on crime.

Matthew Larson and Charles Klahm IV, associate professors in Wayne State's Department of Criminal Justice, reviewed 9,398 demolitions completed by the city from 2010 to 2014, then looked at violent and property crime statistics from 2009 to 2014 in the same locations down to the "block-group" level, a U.S. Census Bureau designation equating to a group of five to 12 city blocks, usually contiguous, that contain between 600 and 3,000 people.

Their findings: For roughly every three demolitions completed in that time period, block-groups experienced an average reduction in crime of almost 1 percent. With the average block-group in the study experiencing about 10.7 demolitions during that span, the average reduction in crime was approximately 3 percent.

Belle Isle conservatory closed for renovations

The Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory at Detroit's Belle Isle Park in Detroit is slated to remain closed for new events until a major renovation project is completed in July, state officials said Monday.

The feasibility of opening the conservatory on weekends amid the $2.4 million project, including for the upcoming Easter holiday, will be evaluated in April, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources reported.

[DetroitRises]

H&M to open 25,000-square-foot downtown Detroit store this fall
John Gallagher, Detroit Free Press 3/6/19
https://www.freep.com/story/money/20...on/3078305002/

Bedrock, the real estate arm of businessman Dan Gilbert's family of companies, announced Wednesday morning that H&M will open a 25,000-square-foot space on the west side of Woodard between John R and Park Avenue south of Grand Circus Park.

[DetroitSky]

Originally Posted by DetroitRises

H&M to open 25,000-square-foot downtown Detroit store this fall
John Gallagher, Detroit Free Press 3/6/19
https://www.freep.com/story/money/20...on/3078305002/

Bedrock, the real estate arm of businessman Dan Gilbert's family of companies, announced Wednesday morning that H&M will open a 25,000-square-foot space on the west side of Woodard between John R and Park Avenue south of Grand Circus Park.

Great news! I noticed work underway on the ground floor of the International Bancard Building yesterday. Some renderings:


Source


Source


Source. The area that isn't highlighted in orange is the office lobby for the Grinnell Bros and Fisher Arcade buildings.

H&M store on Woodward could attract more retailers to downtown Detroit

Could the arrival of H&M bring a big-name retailer the likes of Apple or Target?

“Definitely Apple,” said Ken Dalto, a Metro Detroit retail industry analyst. “Target, yes, because Target has an urban strategy.”

The city, he said, "is no longer off-limits as it was 10, 15 years ago."

He expects as many as six or eight companies to follow with announcements within the next year.

“H&M being as sophisticated as it is, is putting an imprint on Detroit,” he said. “They’ve done demographic studies, and they’re exhaustive when they decide to go somewhere and plant down a new retail store. They’ve probably done a year’s worth of research.

Tin Roof restaurant to open in Detroit in former Cheli's Chili Bar

Known for live music and southern fare, Tin Roof plans to open its first Michigan location in the former Cheli's at 47 East Adams. The building is across from Comerica Park and owned by the Ilitch organization.

The first Tin Roof opened in Nashville in 2002 and the chain has lately been adding one to two new locations each year. The closest Tin Roofs are now in Indianapolis and Cincinnati.

Tin Roof's CEO Bob Franklin said Wednesday that he hopes to open his Detroit restaurant by October.

Eastern Market firms up plans for first food accelerator

Building on the incubator space it offers to food startups, Eastern Market Corp. is developing new food accelerator space in buildings developer ASH NYC acquired last June.

The market's nonprofit operator has leased 15,000 square feet across five of the seven buildings ASH bought last year along Adelaide Street, between Orleans Street to the east and Riopelle Street to the west, to create what it's calling in the short term the "Metro Accelerator."

It has letters of intent from five small food companies that started out in its Detroit Kitchen Connect incubator or sell their products at Eastern Market and are ramping up production as they grow, Eastern Market President Dan Carmody said.

Corktown Is Gaining a Detroit-Style Pizzeria This Fall

The Corktown neighborhood is getting another infusion of pizza with the addition of a Detroit-style pizzeria. Michigan & Trumbull, a Detroit-style pizza restaurant owned by metro Detroit expats, is planning to migrate from its original location in Pittsburgh to 1439 W Elizabeth St. this fall.

Kristen Calverley and Nate Peck are the owners of Michigan & Trumbull. Calverley grew up in Royal Oak and went to school in Pittsburgh. In 2008, she returned to the Detroit area and met Peck, a restaurant industry veteran and a native of Southgate. The husband and wife team decided to relocate to Pittsburgh to pursue their goal of opening a food truck focused on soups in 2012, but soon became fixated with making the pizza they had grown up eating.

^This building is currently empty and is right across W. Elizabeth from the Elton Park project.

Shuttered West Village Wine Bar Finds New Home on the Avenue of Fashion

After several months adrift, short-lived West Village wine and charcuterie bar Brix has finally found a new address. Owner Mikiah Westbrooks says she plans to resettle her business in the B. Siegel department store development at the corner of 7 Mile and Livernois.

[LMich]

Someone over at DetroitYes posted a photo of construction at Livernois and 7 Mile from a few weeks ago:


https://www.detroityes.com/mb/showth...566#post567566

[uaarkson]

Detroit seems to be taking a lot of radical steps toward stabilizing the outer neighborhoods. Other cities in the midwest should take notice.

[e-dub]

This thread makes me so happy. I fell in love with Detroit the first I came to visit in 2003.

From one music city to another, Nashville has always rooted for you guys

[subterranean]

Originally Posted by DetroitRises

H&M to open 25,000-square-foot downtown Detroit store this fall
John Gallagher, Detroit Free Press 3/6/19
https://www.freep.com/story/money/20...on/3078305002/

Bedrock, the real estate arm of businessman Dan Gilbert's family of companies, announced Wednesday morning that H&M will open a 25,000-square-foot space on the west side of Woodard between John R and Park Avenue south of Grand Circus Park.

I give it 1 year until we hear an announcement about an Apple Store downtown.

In other news, UPS Company 'Coyote Logistics' To Open New Detroit Tech Hub in Bedrock's 'The Assembly' Development in Corktown
--500 jobs to Detroit, including 350 new hires--

[DetroitSky]

^^^^ I've always felt like the former banking lobby on Woodward and Michigan in 1001 Woodward would be the perfect spot for an Apple store. I guess we'll wait and see.

More news from today:

Masonic Temple's theater operations assumed by concert company AEG

AEG Presents, the national live-music company with a growing footprint in metro Detroit, has taken over operations at the Masonic Temple's two big concert venues.

AEG has signed a multiyear deal with the building's owner, the Masonic Temple Association of Detroit, to run the 4,400-capacity Masonic Temple Theatre and 1,586-capacity Cathedral Theatre.

The company says it will devote $2 million during the next two years to renovate the concert spaces, situated on the lower levels of the 93-year-old, 14-story building in Midtown Detroit.

Gift box business Mitten Crate to open in Eastern Market

Mitten Crate, which offers specialized gift boxes featuring Michigan-made products, is opening its first brick-and-mortar store in Eastern Market this weekend.

The store, scheduled to open Saturday, will sublease space from current tenant Beau Bien Fine Foods LLC at 2478 Riopelle St. near Detroit City Distillery and Eastern Market Brewing Co., according to a Wednesday news release.

Through its website, Mitten Crate offers monthly subscription boxes packed with a range of Michigan-made products made by companies including Dexter-based small-batch chocolate maker Mindo Chocolate, Plymouth-based dessert shop The Blu Kitchen and more.

Park, schools are focus for Campau/Banglatown neighborhood

Detroit — Safer streets, new park activities and affordable housing are the focus of efforts to connect a neighborhood north of Hamtramck to resources, city leaders said Wednesday. The plans are part of a larger move to reinvest in communities outside of the city's downtown and Midtown areas.

The projects are part of the Strategic Neighborhood Fund, a city initiative seeking to reinvigorate areas in the city outside downtown and Midtown with the help of philanthropic dollars. The Campau/Banglatown neighborhood that includes East Davison Village is one of seven the city is targeting to attract new investment. Plans presented to about 100 residents Wednesday seek to better connect the diverse community to parks and schools.

"There are some great strengths in this neighborhood," said Alexa Bush, the city's urban design director for the east region. "They're almost hidden secret assets. We're looking at what can we do to lift them up and connect them better with those different resources."