DETROIT | Development & Construction: Motown Lowdown

[DetroitSky]

Originally Posted by Blocky858

Has anyone posted anything about, or has information pertaining to, the new apartment block being built on Harper Ave near Woodward?

All I remember seeing about this project in the past was some brief mentions that it received some grants. Other than that there doesn't seem to be any info online. I took these photos on April 9th:

[DetroitSky]

I'm glad to see this moving forward:

Music Hall expansion, $80 million bond plan get blessing from City Council committee

Music Hall’s proposed $125 million expansion took a big step toward reality Thursday as a Detroit City Council committee greenlighted a key financing component.

Following a public hearing, the council’s planning and development committee voted to recommend full council approval of $80 million in nonprofit bonds for the project. The bonds would be issued by the Economic Development Corporation (EDC) and secured by Music Hall revenues with its mortgage as collateral.

[Velvet_Highground]

As am I. With the dramatic shift in the amount and or time people are spending working from home there’s been a shift in the emphasis placed on downtown development. The Henry Ford - MSU Campus in new center is one example. UMCI is another cornerstone development along with the Ford Campus.

The past decade’s work redeveloping vacant or nearly vacant former office towers into mixed use & or residential has positioned downtown Detroit well. GM’s move to Hudson’s Detroit is in some ways a reverse mirror of downtown in the 70’s. Though if the 4 original office towers are converted into residential it opens up possibilities for a revival of the Monroe Block, the fail jail / old courthouse & jail facilities & Woodward street front next to CoPa.



An interesting piece to note is that towers 600 & 700 are owned by a Gilbert friend. The demolition of 375 opens up space for the old criminal justice complex to be redeveloped. It also opens up the Ren Cen to development long envisioned along the east riverfront & it would be a good time for a Hart Plaza restoration/renovation. At the very least similar to the plans for Second Street by the new JLA site hotel that open up a cluttered and confusing area. Not much can be easily or feasibly done about the tunnel. Yet opening up a community such as has been envisioned by speculators to the east, west & north would be quite an anchor for a 375 redevelopment.

GM currently owns the original five towers. Two shorter towers east of the original towers belong to Farmington Hills-based Friedman Real Estate, which bought the pair last year from a New Jersey utility company. The firm's founder, David Friedman, is a longtime friend of Gilbert's.

An optimistic article covering some very important bases as to why after working so hard to bring downtown back the Ren Cen is unlikely to be a ruin. Though it would very likely require a transformative tax break.

https://www.freep.com/story/money/bu...m/73359970007/

[seabee1526]

Originally Posted by Velvet_Highground

As am I. With the dramatic shift in the amount and or time people are spending working from home there’s been a shift in the emphasis placed on downtown development. The Henry Ford - MSU Campus in new center is one example. UMCI is another cornerstone development along with the Ford Campus.

The past decade’s work redeveloping vacant or nearly vacant former office towers into mixed use & or residential has positioned downtown Detroit well. GM’s move to Hudson’s Detroit is in some ways a reverse mirror of downtown in the 70’s. Though if the 4 original office towers are converted into residential it opens up possibilities for a revival of the Monroe Block, the fail jail / old courthouse & jail facilities & Woodward street front next to CoPa.



An interesting piece to note is that towers 600 & 700 are owned by a Gilbert friend. The demolition of 375 opens up space for the old criminal justice complex to be redeveloped. It also opens up the Ren Cen to development long envisioned along the east riverfront & it would be a good time for a Hart Plaza restoration/renovation. At the very least similar to the plans for Second Street by the new JLA site hotel that open up a cluttered and confusing area. Not much can be easily or feasibly done about the tunnel. Yet opening up a community such as has been envisioned by speculators to the east, west & north would be quite an anchor for a 375 redevelopment.



An optimistic article covering some very important bases as to why after working so hard to bring downtown back the Ren Cen is unlikely to be a ruin. Though it would very likely require a transformative tax break.

https://www.freep.com/story/money/bu...m/73359970007/

Oh my dearest Monroe Blocks...how I mourn for thee.

[uaarkson]

Aside from a major tax incentive, the other critical piece of the Ren Cen puzzle is the podium, and the connection of the overall complex to the surrounding downtown street grid. IMO, demolish that shit; leave the towers. Run pedestrian only streets between them and repurpose the ground floors of the towers for mixed use. Or at least, a park of some sort. That monstrous shopping mall the towers sit on needs to go.

[Velvet_Highground]

I agree in general the Ren Cen is still a fortresses that’s the main problem with the complex even with 375 & the Jefferson interchange removed. The GM Museum space has the mall on life support. I wouldn’t be opposed to getting rid of the podium and replacing it with pedestrian only streets.

It’s hard to see an alternative as a matter of fact. The central core of shopping is back where it should on Woodward there will be plenty of space for retail to serve residents without a dedicated mall. Bringing the podium down to with pedestrian access can concentrate retail in the towers. A pedestrian layout that will see traffic flow better as opposed to a labyrinthine city within a city.

The Ren Cen needs to be opened up to the rest of the city & urban malls in general are a dying breed. Perhaps some of the more interesting interior design elements could be kept as part of a central focus.

[seabee1526]

Crains Business said the Cunningham building downtown is now for sale.

That would be an exciting 'fix-up' as it wraps around the Stott and is in dire need of a redo. Maybe even a hight increase like the building on the other side of Griswold is getting.

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-e...ot-hits-market