DETROIT | Development & Construction: Motown Lowdown

[DetroitSky]

Poke Burri restaurant to occupy former Le Petit Zinc space in Midtown

Poke Burri is replacing Le Petit Zinc in the Strathmore Apartments building in Detroit's Midtown neighborhood.

Poke Burri replaces Le Petit Zinc in the Strathmore Apartments building. Some of its food concepts include sushi dishes shaped like doughnuts, pizza and corndogs.
The Atlanta-based sushi restaurant that creates things like sushi pizza, sushi corn dogs and sushi doughnuts in addition to its poke bowls and sushi burritos, is leasing about 900 square feet in the rehabilitated building, said Seven Chan, who co-owns the restaurant along with Ken Yu.

Mohamad Atwi of Dearborn is on board as an owner-operator, Chan said.

Chan said the restaurant will have 15 to 30 seats on the inside and about 20 to 25 seats on outdoor patio space when it opens in late summer or early fall. He anticipates build-out will cost less than $100,000 and annual revenue to be at least $750,000.

6 Salon to open downtown Detroit location

A hair salon company with locations in Oakland County is swooping into downtown Detroit while the city's retail prospects continue improving.

George Nikollaj, owner of 6 Salon, is planning to open a new 3,900-square-foot store at 1441 Woodward Ave. in September. He said a $600,000 build-out is scheduled to begin in the next two weeks.

The full-service salon will have 18 cutting chairs, two manicuring stations, two pedicure stations and two makeup stations. Nikollaj's 15-year lease with Bedrock is split into three five-year terms.

"I have this crazy love of being downtown," Nikollaj said. "Before I signed the lease, I spent a lot of time down there. It blew me away to be out there on a Monday afternoon, when it wasn't even nice out yet, and see the energy."

Foundations give $2.5 million to improve early childhood education facilities in Detroit

Of the $2.5 million in new grants to IFF in support of the Learning Spaces program:

A $500,000 grant from Kellogg will provide continued facilities support for 10 to 12 home-based and center-based licensed early childhood education providers.

A $1 million grant from PNC will support IFF's work in Detroit neighborhoods by improving the quality of early childhood education facilities, providing targeted technical assistance and addressing specific needs of providers who would like to offer extended or after-hours care. Funding will also help support investments in the city's Brightmoor neighborhood on Detroit's northwest side, including home-based providers.

Another $1 million grant from Kresge will support citywide projects, especially in the Livernois-McNichols area, where the foundation supports neighborhood development efforts alongside the Live6 Alliance economic development organization and last fall made a $50 million grant, its largest ever to a Detroit neighborhood, in support of a
"cradle to college" plan on the Marygrove College campus.

Delta Dental donates $5 million toward playground at new west riverfront park

Delta Dental of Michigan is donating $5 million toward construction of a 5-acre playground along Detroit's west riverfront in the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park, where construction is scheduled to begin next year.

The Delta Dental Play Garden "is going to be a game-changer for the families in Detroit and for folks who live in this region," said Mark Wallace, president and CEO of the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy.

Goran Jurkovic, CEO of Delta Dental of Michigan, said the donation will be the largest in the dental-benefits management company's 62-year history.

"It will activate that area and hopefully bring a lot of kids to the riverfront," Jurkovic said in an interview at the Detroit Regional Chamber's Mackinac Policy Conference.

New York City landscape architect Michael Van Valkenburgh and his firm Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates will design the play garden. Van Valkenburgh's previous major park projects include Gathering Place in Tulsa, Brooklyn Bridge Park in New York City and Maggie Daley Park in Chicago along Lake Michigan.

[DetroitSky]

Mayor Duggan pledges blight-free Detroit neighborhoods by 2024

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is planning to ask voters to support a $200 million bond issue next spring to wipe out the city's blight by the end of 2024.

Duggan announced his plans Thursday morning during his keynote address at the annual Mackinac Policy Conference on Mackinac Island.

"We're going to take down 4,000 houses a year, and in five years by the end of 2024, we will not have a single abandoned house in any neighborhood in the city of Detroit," Duggan said to applause.

The city is positioned to post its fifth balanced budget and has paid down so much of its debt, Duggan said, "we could actually sell this bond issue with no tax increase."

Detroit has paid its back debt of schedule because revenues have been running higher than projections made during its bankruptcy. All the city will be asking voters to support is the authority to borrow off of its existing bonding capacity.

[DetroitRises]

Has any read or heard of news on ground breaking for The Tcf/Chemical bank headquarters? When they announced the merger no mention was made of delaying start on the project and Tcf/chemical is paying for the entire project so financing is not an issue.

[DetroitSportsFan]

Originally Posted by DetroitRises

Has any read or heard of news on ground breaking for The Tcf/Chemical bank headquarters? When they announced the merger no mention was made of delaying start on the project and Tcf/chemical is paying for the entire project so financing is not an issue.

Was just thinking about this. I believe they mentioned starting work on in the q2 of this year. Could they possibly be working on a redesign?

[DetroitSky]

Originally Posted by DetroitRises

Has any read or heard of news on ground breaking for The Tcf/Chemical bank headquarters? When they announced the merger no mention was made of delaying start on the project and Tcf/chemical is paying for the entire project so financing is not an issue.

I know there was talk of the project potentially growing after the TCF/Chemical merger was announced. I also don't think any of the renderings we've seen so far have been more than conceptual. Either way, the Michigan Mutual Liability annex building needs to be torn down before construction begins, and its still standing and appears to be in use still. I haven't heard anything about when we should expect demolition to begin.

Italian automotive supplier plans new manufacturing plant in Detroit

An Italian automotive supplier plans to build a new manufacturing plant in Detroit.

Tiberina Group, a supplier of body-in-white and metal stampings for the auto industry, acquired 10 acres of land at the former American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings site on Holbrook Drive on the city's border with Hamtramck.

Tiberina purchased the land from Cleveland-based Industrial Commercial Properties LLC and California-based Industrial Realty Group LLC, who themselves acquired most of American Axle's 2.5 million-square-foot Detroit Manufacturing Complex in 2014. As part of that deal, American Axle demolished about 1.9 million square feet of the complex and leased back about 360,000 square feet.

The size of the manufacturing plant Tiberina plans to build on the site or what products it will supply to whom remains unknown at this time. Representatives from Tiberina and the real estate companies did not immediately respond to inquiries.

Realtors plan $1.12 million rehab of East Grand Boulevard building

Two Realtors are rehabbing a three-story building on East Grand Boulevard in Detroit after receiving a state grant that's assisting with an intensive renovation.

Jan Dijkers and Todd Sykes are vice presidents with Detroit-based Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, but separate from that work they're undertaking their first development.

It will cost approximately $1.12 million to undergo historic masonry restoration — including rebuilding porches and replacing missing decorative stone — and renovate the long-vacant building to reopen with a ground-floor commercial tenant and three apartments upstairs, Dijkers said.

The Michigan Economic Development Corp. awarded Dijkers and Sykes, who plan to operate under D-Town Development LLC, $220,682 under the state's Michigan Community Revitalization Program, according to a state memo.

They plan to break ground within a couple months and expect work to take 8-10 months on the 4,560-square-foot building. Detroit-based Virtuoso Design + Build signed on as architect and Detroit-based ROK Construction Services LLC as construction contractor. The duo is seeking a commercial tenant for 1,185 square feet — likely an office or retailer, Dijkers said.

Sneak Peek: The Corner development at old Tiger Stadium nears completion

Corktown is about to get a whole lot denser. On the east side of Trumbull Avenue, Elton Park will add retail and over 400 units of multi-family housing.

West of Trumbull, on the former side of the old Tiger Stadium, will be The Corner, developed by Larson Realty Group. When complete, it will add 111 apartment units and 34 townhomes.

Called The Towns @ The Corner, the two-story townhomes will be 1,588 square feet and have two bedrooms, a two-car detached garage, modern appliances and fixtures, granite countertops, a first-floor mudroom, and more. Some come with a rooftop deck.

This Free Press article contains some exterior photos of The Corner's new construction and mentioned a development that hasn't been posted about called North Corktown 11 at 3303 Cochrane.


The Corner

Further afield, there are two other new condo projects in Corktown that are starting to take shape: The "Bagley 10" three-bedroom condos at 1336 Bagley St. and the "North Corktown 11" two-bedroom condos at 3303 Cochrane.

Prices range from $599,000 to $725,000 at the Bagley 10 and from $315,000 to $384,000 at North Corktown 11.

Among the new Corktown projects, North Corktown 11 is notable for its sub-$400,000 asking prices.

"Most of what we see coming to the market today is positioned at the very high end, with big price tags that most can't afford," said Todd Sykes, vice president of new development for Berkshire Hathaway Homeservices/The Loft Warehouse. "North Corktown 11 is aimed to fill that gap."

Here's some renderings from North Corktown 11's Facebook page:

[The North One]

Originally Posted by DetroitRises

Has any read or heard of news on ground breaking for The Tcf/Chemical bank headquarters? When they announced the merger no mention was made of delaying start on the project and Tcf/chemical is paying for the entire project so financing is not an issue.

I highly doubt you'll see it break ground before the merger is finalized which wont be until late this year.

[Jasoncw]

I'm really glad we're seeing more true townhouses (with front entrances on the street and individual back yards) being built. I think that's the ideal typology for urban neighborhood making.

This development in particular seems to have a really nice sense of scale as well.

[DetroitSky]

‘Fortnite' maker Epic Games to open office in Detroit

Fortnite maker Epic Games is coming to Detroit. Not to shift development of the wildly popular online game from Epic's headquarters in Cary, N.C., to the Motor City, but to better serve its growing number of automotive clients using Unreal Engine.

Unreal Engine is an end-to-end game design toolset capable of rendering photorealistic imagery on the fly. Ford used an Unreal-powered VR experience as part of the 2020 Explorer's debut at the 2019 North American International Auto Show, while 1,000 Audi dealerships around the world have interactive Unreal-based car configurators accurate down to the last lug nut.

For Ford, VR is the best way for consumers to experience a prototype vehicle without them sitting in a prototype vehicle. The 2020 Explorer debut at NAIAS this year used an array of cameras to monitor the Explorer and sync visuals to changes in elevation and position as the SUV drove around a track. After six months of planning for the original demo in Detroit, it took six weeks for the automaker's creative agency, Imagine Media, to translate that to an experience that would work within smaller confines of the New York International Auto Show at Javits Center in Manhattan.

"You have to physically be here to be a part of the automotive industry," Kabodian said. "It's not a fly in, fly out industry."

Currently, Wenzcel is taking part in workshops, dubbed Unreal Academy, that teach interested programmers how to use a game engine for auto design. He's also attending related conferences and scouting office spaces.

Wenczel said Epic is currently hiring to fill 10-15 expert-level support staff positions, with a goal to open an office here by year's end.

Southwest Detroit institutions aim to steer neighborhood on change's edge

Amid concerns about how investment sparked by Ford's plans could transform the historically resilient region, locals are formulating separate ideas to guide development and benefit from increased interest in the area.

For one, the Southwest Detroit Business Association and Corktown Business Association joined forces to pitch the Ford Motor Company Fund, Ford's philanthropic arm, in a late February meeting at Ford's Dearborn headquarters.They're seeking funding that would aim to help revitalize Michigan Avenue — a corridor seen by some as having the best business argument for attracting investment that pushes outside the Ford-Corktown footprint.

Around 28 businesses, property owners and neighborhood representatives along the corridor are working to revive a Western Market Commercial District, the collective's leader, Christopher Hájek of The Hájek Firm PLLC, said in an email. They incorporated a nonprofit for the purpose and aim, initially, to make streetscape improvements between I-75 and West Grand Boulevard. Those could be funded in part by creating a business-improvement tax assessment zone.

And nonprofit Southwest Solutions is preparing a multi-pronged neighborhood development strategy for the Chadsey-Condon neighborhood on the north side of Michigan Avenue and the edge of Corktown.

Dewaelsche, the Southwest Detroit Business Association president, said the SDBA isn't "actively working" with either the Western Market or Chadsey-Condon groups on Michigan Avenue plans, though he's had preliminary talks with Western Market. But he said he sees the efforts as complementary and would like to either collaborate or "at least share information."


Hector Hernandez
Southwest Solutions is putting together a "robust" plan that would aim to "recreate a neighborhood," likely stitching together affordable housing, workforce and entrepreneur development, blight removal and vacant lot development with the goal of building prosperity, said Hernandez of Southwest Economic Solutions. It hasn't yet identified partners, but does have seed funding in Chadsey-Condon through a $2.5 million donation announced in September for affordable housing.

^That bit about Western Market is very interesting. I noticed a sign announcing the market's rebirth on Michigan and 18th today. Most of the original market site is underneath I-75 now.

War of 1812 grave site, discovered before People Mover construction, receives marker

A War of 1812 grave site, discovered in the 1980s during an archaeological survey ahead of the People Mover's construction, was commemorated Saturday with a historical marker in downtown Detroit.

A years-long effort to raise money and plan for the marker's dedication culminated with a small crowd of about 21 people standing in the median of Washington Boulevard, across the street from the Westin Book Cadillac Hotel, near the intersection with Michigan Avenue.

"I'm very thankful that this Michigan War of 1812 marker was installed," said Jim McConnell of the Michigan War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission. "The story of Detroit in the War of 1812 is truly an amazing story."

[DetroitSky]

Detroit Golf Club plans $4.5 million clubhouse renovation after Rocket Mortgage Classic

As groundskeepers work to get the course at Detroit Golf Club in tip-top shape for the Rocket Mortgage Classic later this month, management is also planning a $4.5 million renovation of its historic clubhouse.

Work on the Albert Kahn-designed clubhouse, which was built in 1918, will include a new pro shop, redesigned dining room, patio overhaul and façade improvements, said Andy Glassberg, president of the private club in northwest Detroit.

It would be the first significant renovation at the clubhouse in 20 years, and is part of a larger vision that could include a total of $9 million of renovations at the club.

Marrow, Folk owners craft joint venture as Corktown corner expansion planned

Nest Egg has two main plans. First, the 390-square-foot Farmer's Hand is set to close around July and reopen in a larger space. It would aim to brand itself as a more frequent shopping destination, aiming to increase competitiveness for high-quality local products and meet consumer demand more effectively, Louya said.

As for Nest Egg's other vision: When the Farmer's Hand closes, the group aims to start work to convert the pocket-sized space into Mink, a seafood-focused restaurant concept dreamed up by Welch and Ho. Their goal is to open in September, serving a small, rotating menu with unique wine pairings and around 20 seats.

The new, approximately 1,800-square-foot Farmer's Hand would open in 2021 in a yet-to-be-constructed Trumbull Avenue building planned by Louya and Foulkes' current landlords, Brian and Stacy Mulloy of Ballet Real Estate.

The Mulloys renovated the 1870s-built building at 1701 Trumbull Ave. that houses Louya and Foulkes' businesses, as well as Mama Coo's Boutique, Meta Physica Wellness Center and The Bearded Lady salon.

Following up on that investment, they want to construct two buildings in neighboring lots: 2,600 square feet on Bagley and 5,000 square feet on Trumbull. Brian expects a $1.25 million total price tag with a combined two apartments and two retail tenants (including Farmer's Hand).

The two new buildings will be on the left and right of these corner buildings.

Nursery to break ground on Herman Kiefer site as sustainability conference spurs initiatives in Detroit

As part of the conference, Detroit's planning and development department, along with Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit American Forests, are scheduled to break ground Tuesday on the new Herman Kiefer Health Complex Nursery, according to a media advisory.

"It's an exciting new model Detroit is piloting for reclaiming vacant land to help stabilize a community, grow trees for planting throughout the city and support careers for residents," the advisory said.

The project is a part of a larger plan to redevelop the sprawling, abandoned medical complex that includes a 460,000-square-foot main hospital and seven smaller buildings. The once city-owned hospital closed in 2013, and its property sold to a New York-based developer in 2015 for $925,000. Converting Detroit's abundance of vacant land into green space is a broad objective helmed by Maurice Cox, planning director for the city.

After purchasing the site, developer and architect Ron Castellano laid out a plan to invest $100 million to redevelop the 18-acre site, according to the city. No major work has taken place on the site.

Eastern Market building to be largely demolished in change of plans for Bea's co-working space

A former meat-packing facility in Eastern Market with a bright egg- and chicken-themed mural is expected to be largely demolished starting Tuesday, with one of its walls, its cornice and bricks from the facade preserved.

Beatrice and Eli Wolnerman originally planned to renovate the approximately 4,000-square-foot building at 1533 Winder St., but found that the walls weren't structurally sound and wouldn't last, Beatrice Wolnerman told Crain's.

The couple, whose business started as a gifting operation based out of their Grosse Pointe home, plans to construct a two-story building that incorporates elements of the old structure. They're aiming to keep the building looking "exactly the same, especially the front," Beatrice Wolnerman said.

[DetroitSky]

Detroit to spend $2.76 million to reopen Joe Louis Arena parking garage

Detroit plans to spend $2.76 million to reopen the Joe Louis Arena parking garage.

City Council on Tuesday approved a contract for the capital improvements that will be managed through the Detroit Building Authority.

The 2,600-space parking garage at 900 W. Jefferson is expected to reopen at the end of this year or first quarter of next year, Tyrone Clifton, DBA director, told the City Council.

A contractor has yet to be selected. Clifton said an RFP will be issued by late July/early August.

The large concrete structure, adjacent to the vacant former home of the Detroit Red Wings, closed when the team moved to Little Caesars Arena in 2017. Its fate has been uncertain as demolition plans move ahead for the arena. City Council approved the capital improvements unanimously, signaling the garage will remain.

New $39M mixed-use development from Bedrock opens in Corktown

An enormous redevelopment project from Bedrock Detroit, and the company’s first residential project in Corktown, has officially opened.

Called The Assembly, the mixed-use building on Fort Street contains 32 apartment units, nearly 80,000 square feet of office space, and 7,814 square feet of ground-floor retail. According to Bedrock, The total development cost was $39 million and the project received $6 million in Historic Tax Credits.

Bedrock bought the building, formerly known as the Corktown Lofts, in 2016. The general contractor was Sachse Construction and McIntoch Poris lead architect.

The building offers one-, two-, and three-bedroom units on the fourth and fifth floors starting at $1,500 and ranging from 750 to 2,000 square feet. A three-bedroom penthouse with impressive views of downtown and 1,200-square-foot terrace might be one of the more expensive rentals in the city at $6,500 per month.

City of Detroit issues RFPs for four sites in Brush Park

But there’s still plenty of vacant lots in Brush Park. And with four request for proposals (RFPs) issued for new construction projects, it’s clear the city would like to see even more housing in the historic neighborhood.

There were two RFPs issued for four lots, all on Watson Street between John R and Brush streets, that are seeking “new mixed-income housing” with a variety of unit types and sizes.

One address, 205 Watson, has its own RFP. The site is 10,805 square feet (0.25 acres) and has an asking price of $380,000.

The other three addresses—287, 295, and 301 Watson—are adjacent and come packaged as a single RFP. The total combined square footage is 14,985 (0.34 acres) with an asking price of $525,000.

[DetroitSky]

Pope Francis Center planning $19 million, short-term housing complex for the homeless in northeast Detroit

The Pope Francis Center, a downtown Detroit day center for the homeless, is developing a $19 million, short-term housing complex on Detroit's northeast side.

Plans for the block-long development of connected buildings call for 40 studio apartments to provide "bridge" housing for 90-120 days, a cafeteria, gymnasium, library, classrooms, a health clinic and heated, outdoor shelter space for those who aren't ready to go inside.

A rezoning request for the property, previously home to a school, is set to go before the Detroit Planning Commission on Thursday night.

The Pope Francis Center has an agreement to purchase just less than 6 acres of vacant land at 3769 E. Canfield St. near Mt. Elliott from the city of Detroit for $180,000, contingent on securing the rezoning, said the Rev. Tim McCabe, executive director of the center.

The 58,000-square-foot complex would be the first short-term housing development for the homeless in Detroit, McCabe said.

Strong Detroit neighborhood proposals lead Kresge to boost grant round to $2.4 million for 25 projects

Twenty-five community projects including a combined art gallery-cafe in Mexicantown and a neighborhood hub in an abandoned Woodbridge school are getting portions of a $2.4 million round of Kresge Foundation grants.

Troy-based Kresge originally planned to award $1.5 million in this round of the Kresge Innovative Projects: Detroit initiative, it said in a news release. But so many of the 163 applications were compelling that it drew in extra funding from Kresge's national Arts & Culture, Health and Human Services programs. Before this, the largest Kresge Innovative Projects (KIP) round was $2 million in 2017.

Strategic Staffing Solutions hiring hundreds in Detroit to meet rising demand for remote IT, business services

Rising demand for information technology and business services employees from companies in the region and beyond has Strategic Staffing Solutions on track to add another 140 jobs at its Detroit headquarters during the second half of this year.

That's on top of the 160 IT jobs the company added to its Detroit ranks over the past year, said Executive Vice President Jeff Nelson.

The additions will bring the total number of S3 employees working from its downtown Detroit headquarters to 600 or more. S3 employs another 600-800, depending on contracting customer needs, on site at Michigan companies.

The increased demand for remote employees is coming from one local customer and two other U.S. companies seeking to keep jobs in the country by locating them in Detroit, Nelson said, declining to name those customers due to contractual terms.

Expanded bike plaza part of improvements at Coleman A. Young Municipal Center downtown

An expanded bicycle plaza, benches and widened walkways are included in $4.4 million of exterior improvements planned for the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center in downtown Detroit.

Construction will begin in the next couple of weeks and wrap up by the end of the year, said Sharon Banks, spokeswoman for the Detroit-Wayne Joint Building Authority. The work will impact pedestrian traffic around the 19-floor government office building at 2 Woodward Ave.

[uaarkson]

Not sure if this has been posted yet, but I found a neat little animation on the second phase of work being carried out MCS.

• Video Link

[DetroitSky]

HUD approves sale of Brewster-Douglass site to Gilbert for $23 million

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has approved the sale of the former Brewster-Douglass housing projects site in Detroit to an affiliate of billionaire developer and online mortgage giant Dan Gilbert for $23 million.

It's the latest key step to getting the site redeveloped more than five years after the demolition of the windowless towers that stood for years as one of the most recognizable symbols of Detroit's decline, along with Michigan Central Station in Corktown.

To replace the towers, Gilbert and his development partners plan a more than $300 million redevelopment with more than 900 residences with a mix of for-rent and for-sale units across about 22 acres.

"We are still working through our due diligence inspections on the Brewster-Douglass site and expect to close (on the purchase) in early fall," Gilbert's Bedrock LLC said in a company statement Monday morning. It released no additional details.

Winning design for revamped Detroit cultural district envisions unified landscape, architecture and technology

An international design team led by a French firm and several local partners has created the winning design for a new cultural district taking shape in Detroit's Midtown neighborhood.

With its vision for Detroit Square, a team including Paris-based Agence Ter with Detroit-based Akoaki LLC, Harley Etienne, assistant professor in the University of Michigan Urban and Regional Planning program, and Ann Arbor-based Rootoftwo LLC was named the winner of the DIA Plaza/Midtown Cultural Connections international design competition Monday morning.

The team was chosen from 44 submissions that came from firms in more than 10 countries and 22 cities. Those were culled to eight finalists a year ago and then three finalists.

The Detroit Square design presents a new walkable concept for Detroit's 83-acre anchor cultural district that seeks to unify the landscape, architecture and technology to create a signature destination for the public.

The $75 million-$85 million vision for a 10-block area around 12 cultural institutions in Detroit's Midtown neighborhood includes possibly reducing the number of lanes on Woodward between the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Detroit Public Library, lush vegetation to create borders, a promenade, an artists' platform/stage for events and other features such as a Respect Café near the DIA, a canopy addition to the DIA's John R entrance and bioswales. Other features include new controllable lighting, wayfinding technologies and outdoor screens.

Google plans $17-million expansion in Michigan, to add jobs in Detroit and Ann Arbor

Tech giant Google announced Monday that it will expand its Detroit and Ann Arbor offices and add new sales and technical support jobs.

The expansions will involve new hires across Google's two Michigan locations: its Detroit office next to Little Caesars Arena and its primary Michigan office on the north side of Ann Arbor.

The company declined to specify how many new jobs are coming, but said there will be a "significant" addition. Google currently employs about 600 people in Michigan, mostly in advertising sales and technical support for services such as Google's cloud-computing platform.

Google plans to spend $17 million on the expansion work and is not seeking any development subsidies. The company is making similar investments in 13 other states.

[detroiterforlife]

Originally Posted by uaarkson

Not sure if this has been posted yet, but I found a neat little animation on the second phase of work being carried out MCS.

• Video Link

Love that Ford is giving frequent updates on this site. SE Michigan has huge emotional ties to MCS due to what it has represented over the last 30 years, and I'm glad theyre restoring it so beautifully.

I wish bedrock would offer these types of updates on the hudson site construction timeline

[DetroitSportsFan]

An article was recently published about the Hudson Site. They’ve been hitting pieces of the Hudson’s foundation while drilling which has caused some delays. They have drilled about 74 of the 105 required caisson holes for the block portion. Once those are finished sometime in August, they’ll start drilling them for the tower portion. We should supposedly start seeing the block portion rise above grade first sometime early spring next year, with the tower following after.

[DetroitSky]

Ulysses S. Grant home finally heading to Eastern Market

Now it's on the move again – to Eastern Market.

The Department of Natural Resources, the Michigan History Center and the Eastern Market Partnership on Thursday announced details of the historic home's long-planned move and renovation.

The home, where Grant lived with his wife, Julia, will be relocated to the corner of Orleans and Wilkins streets and include gardens and a small orchard.

According to officials, the setting will complement the house, whose major attraction – according to a letter Ulysses sent to Julia – was “a garden filled with the best kind of fruit ... a long arbour grown over with vines that will bear fine grapes in abundance for us and to give away ... currents [sic] and plum & peach trees.”

Detroit to showcase art and heritage of Russell Woods, Nardin Park

Detroit — The city of Detroit seeks to showcase the memories and music of one historic neighborhood in west Detroit with plans for park updates and a strengthened retail corridor presented to residents Thursday.

The projects in Nardin Park and Russell Woods are part of the city's Strategic Neighborhood Fund, an initiative to reinvigorate areas outside downtown and Midtown with the help of philanthropic dollars. The neighborhood, once home to the Supremes and other influential artists, is one of seven the city identified to attract investment.

"We listened to this community over the last 12 months to really kind of understand what is the most important thing for them right now based on the money we have," said David Walker, design director for Detroit's western region. "We're really celebrating their arts, their culture, their heritage, which residents have defined to us over and over again how important it is."

That includes removing blight and activating vacant lots with programming. It means creating gateways into the historic neighborhoods and infusing parks, commercial buildings and crosswalks with art.

Zussman Park upgrades


Dexter Ave


Russell Woods gateway on Leslie Street


Several two, three and four family homes along Elmhurst Street in Nardin Park will be rehabbed by 2021.

Detroit seeks to connect riverfront to Campau Greenway

Detroit — Construction workers broke ground on the Joseph Campau Greenway Thursday morning, a 1.2-mile-long pathway that will connect Vernor to the city's Riverfront.

The $4.9 million project will include a shared path for pedestrians and cyclists, new benches, updated storm water infrastructure and recreational features such as playgrounds.

The project is part of a larger effort to make the city's waterfront more accessible to residents in the area, Detroit Riverfront Conservancy President Mark Wallace said.

Construction begins on Belle Isle garden by renowned landscape designer Piet Oudolf

Dutch landscape architect Piet Oudolf has worked on some of the most significant gardens in the United States—the High Line and Battery Park in New York City, Millenium Park in Chicago—and many more across Europe.

His most recent commission? Belle Isle in Detroit. In just over a year’s time, a grassy, 2.5-acre site outside the Nancy Brown Peace Carillon Tower will soon become a flourishing garden with thousands of plants and a walking path.

A groundbreaking took place on June 11 to signify the beginning of construction of the hardscape and preparation of the topsoil.

Bayview Yacht Club in Detroit plans major overhaul of clubhouse

Management at Bayview Yacht Club is planning a $3.7 million to $4.3 million overhaul of the private sailing club on Detroit's east side as it looks to turn the tide on declining membership.

An extensive renovation of the historic club at 100 Clairpointe St. is scheduled to begin this fall, with the 12,688-square foot club complete by July 2020, said Brad Kimmel, a member of the club who served as its commodore last year.

"The whole project is to capitalize on the view of the Detroit River — see the river, see downtown from anywhere inside the clubhouse," he said.

Large windows, natural light and open air will influence the design of the new club house. There will also be conference and banquet rooms added to make it more than just a bar and restaurant, Kimmel said. Another bar will be built, but the beloved original bar, or "mahogany altar," as it is sometimes called, will remain.

[Docta_Love]

That's great news about Grant's home I had no idea it was still at the state fairgrounds! I wasn't even aware he lived in Detroit until recently when I was reading Grant by Ron Chernow. The structure was originally located on East Fort Street between Russell and Rivard, Lafayette Park today. Grant and his wife spent a year and a half in this home while working as quartermaster he was briefly shipped out to a small outpost on Lake Ontario in upstate NY but was reportedly happy to return after a cold and lonley 4 month winter. Upon arriving he decided to relocate closer to work fittingly enough in the area of the original Eastern Market.

Hopefully they will return the home to its original appearance once it's moved Orleans and Wilkins.


Over the years well wishers and preservationists have contributed to the upkeep and relocation of the home.


https://patch.com/michigan/grossepoi...slept-homeless

Postcard of the Fort St. home during the Gilded Age.


https://historicdetroit.org/building...-s-grant-house

[DetroitSky]

IBM moving to Gilbert building downtown

IBM Corp. is moving into the Ally Detroit Center in downtown Detroit later this year.

The New York-based company confirmed it is "awaiting new office space in Detroit which is scheduled to be ready later this year," without providing additional details when asked.

A source familiar with the matter identified billionaire real estate mogul Dan Gilbert's Ally Detroit Center skyscraper as the ultimate location, in a little more than 10,000 square feet.

IBM would join the likes of fellow tech companies Microsoft Corp., Google and LinkedIn in opening large downtown Detroit office presences in recent years.

Crain's reported Tuesday that IBM's Southfield location had closed and that signage from its Southfield Centre building had been taken down.

Detroit Axe to expand to Corktown, Mall at Partridge Creek

Owners of Detroit Axe in Ferndale will swing into Detroit's Corktown neighborhood and Clinton Township with a pair of new locations as they carve out a larger footprint for the ax-chucking company.

A new 7,000-square-foot location in Detroit got the thumbs up from the city's building department this week. Construction on the leased property at 1375 Michigan Ave. is expected to start in the next couple of weeks, said Brian Siegel, co-owner of the business with Geoff Kretchmer.

At the same time, work on the location at the Mall at Partridge Creek is expected to start soon. The business partners signed a long-term lease for a 3,700-square-foot space across from Bar Louie.

Both are expected to open sometime in October.

Work now underway on $20 million center for city's homeless

Detroit — The Neighborhood Service Organization broke ground Friday on what it says will be a transformative project with the mission to end homelessness in the city.

Construction began on the estimated $20 million Clay Center campus on Mack near Gratiot despite Ilitch Holdings Inc. earlier this year backing out of a $1.5 million deal to buy NSO’s homeless crisis shelter building in Cass Corridor — a transaction that was to be a source of funding for the new campus.

The project will be done in two phases. The center is named for Sheilah Clay, who retired as the Detroit-based nonprofit’s CEO last year.

Mayor Mike Duggan on Friday credited the vision of Clay, who spoke up in a meeting with city leaders years ago when it was apparent that efforts to reduce homelessness weren’t working.

‘Female-focused’ coworking space to open downtown location in the fall

Detroit’s only “female-focused” coworking space is expanding. Femology, which has been operating out of a 500-square-foot office on East Jefferson Avenue, will open an approximately 3,000-square-foot downtown space in the fall.

The exact location hasn’t been announced yet. Femology says there will be a groundbreaking event later in the summer.

The company did release some details about the new location. In addition to both shared and private office space and conference rooms, there will also be a wellness room with space for yoga, a podcast room, and lactation space for new moms.

The design of the new space is being lead by two Detroit-based women: Imani Day, a designer with Gensler, and architect Chandra Moore, founder of coG-Studio.

[subterranean]

One of the last grants I made when I worked for the state housing authority was to move the Grant house. That was over 4 years ago. Crazy to think it hadn’t happened yet.

[subterranean]

by Jay Koziarz

After more than a year of interior demolition—and souvenir scavenging—crews have begun the process of dismantling the gray exterior panels of downtown’s iconic Joe Louis Arena. The process started last week and is scheduled to continue for the next two to three months.

Source: https://detroit.curbed.com/2019/6/18...opx-B47w-8Nwts