DETROIT | Development & Construction: Motown Lowdown

[animatedmartian]

Originally Posted by LMich

The one view he left out is the view from Belle Isle or coming down East Jefferson. This is going to be very prominent on the skyline from those angles, too.

Yea, he updated with the view from Belle Isle as well as the views from down the major spoke roads.



Grand River (near Motor City Casino)



Woodward (near Mack/MLK)



Gratiot (near the Dequindere Cut)



https://www.reddit.com/r/Detroit/com...ll_change_our/

[LMich]

You guys called one.

Google signs office lease in downtown Detroit

Candice Williams | The Detroit News

November 20, 2017

Detroit — Google has finalized its plans to move downtown with a lease signing for a new office space alongside the Little Caesars Arena, company officials announced Monday.

The 29,000-square-foot office will be at 52 E. Henry St. More than 100 employees will occupy the space following the move planned for spring 2018.

[Docta_Love]

Now that the elections are over looks like things may start moving faster with the land swap deal, Gilberts new projects need state approval but seeing as the state legislature already passed the so called "gilbert (brownfield redevelopment) bill" it should hopefully be a lot easier going in for review this time.

Gilbert's downtown Detroit developments take step forward with City Council votes

By CHAD LIVENGOOD
Crain's Detroit Business
November 21, 2017


One of the City Council votes clears the way for the land swap and allows Wayne County to enter final negotiations for a new jail to replace the stalled jail project on Gratiot Avenue (above).



-Community benefits agreement, transformational brownfield land swap get greenlighted
-Vote applies to Hudson's, Monroe Block, Book Building and Tower
-Vote allows Wayne County to move forward with final jail negotiations


Billionaire businessman Dan Gilbert's $2.1 billion in downtown Detroit real estate development plans took a "major" step forward Tuesday as Detroit City Council gave approval to a tax-capturing designation and greenlighted a land swap with Wayne County tied to the new county jail Gilbert wants to build.

City Council voted 7-1 in favor of a transformational brownfield designation and community benefits agreement for Gilbert's plans to build what would be the state's tallest building on the site of the former J.L. Hudson's store, construct a 35-story office tower on the Monroe Block and redevelopment the Book Building and Tower.

The council also approved the transformational brownfield designation for Gilbert's plans to add a 300,000-square-foot addition to One Campus Martius, the former Compuware building that serves as Quicken Loans Inc.'s headquarters.

If approved by the state, the brownfield designation will allow Gilbert's Rock Ventures LLC to capture certain state sales and income taxes generated by the four projects.

City Councilwoman Raquel Castañeda-López cast the lone "no" vote. There was no community benefits agreement attached to the expansion of One Campus Martius expansion, which Gilbert co-owns the building with Meridian Health.

Gilbert's Rock Ventures still needs to come back to council for final approval of a 15-year property tax exemption. The four projects also need the approval of the state's economic development board in order for the developer to capture future state taxes generated on the sites, City Councilman Gabe Leland said.

"This is a major hurdle," Leland said.

The council also unanimously approved a land swap with Wayne County that is needed for the county to sign a deal with Gilbert's Rock Ventures LLC to build a new criminal justice complex at East Warren Avenue and I-75.

Without debate, the council approved the Duggan administration's proposal to trade the 13-acre Detroit Department of Transportation site on East Warren for the 35-acre former American Motors Corp. site on Detroit's northwest side at 14250 Plymouth Road.

Gilbert's Rock Ventures has proposed building a $520.3 million criminal justice building and jail at the East Warren Avenue site in exchange for the unfinished Gratiot Avenue jail site. The county would responsible for $380 million of the cost and Gilbert would get possession of the Gratiot site for redevelopment.

Earlier Tuesday, a Wayne County judge rejected a resident's request for a temporary restraining order to block city officials from carrying out the land swap.

....

City Councilman Gabe Leland said Mayor Mike Duggan's administration wants to market the former AMC property for redevelopment as a logistics industry site.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...ward-with-city

[LMich]

Quite a bit of development news, today. This is mostly them trying to get in stuff before year's-end.

Some more sources on the news above. First, the land-swap for the jail site:

Land swap deal to build $520M jail clears hurdle with Detroit council vote

By Katrease Stafford | Detroit Free Press

November 21, 2017

A plan to build a $520.3-million criminal justice complex north of downtown is moving forward after the Detroit City Council approved a land swap deal allowing the city to swap land with Wayne County in exchange for the massive former American Motors headquarters site on Plymouth Road.

The vote came exactly one week after council decided to delay voting on the matter after a number of concerns were raised, including a lawsuit that sought to block the swap deal.

A Wayne County Circuit Court Judge David Groner decided Tuesday to deny the lawsuit's request.

The downtown Bedrock proposals:

Detroit council approves $250M tax breaks for Bedrock

By Christine Ferretti and Louis Aguilar | The Detroit News

November 21, 2017

Detroit — The City Council on Tuesday approved $250 million in new state tax incentives for Dan Gilbert’s Bedrock Detroit.

Bedrock needed council approval to get the incentives for four “transformational” projects that could redefine downtown. The plan has been met with some public rancor over the billionaire’s need for tax money to help finance the ambitious projects.

And then the greenlighting of the browfield plan for the Ashton, which seems to have gone from 12 stories and 96 units to 14 stories an 103 units. according to The Ashton's facebook page, tonight:

Major milestone complete!

The Detroit City Council approved brownfield credits for the Ashton, a $58 million brand new 14-story luxury condo development complex located on the west end of downtown Detroit. The Ashton will be the first free-standing high rise complex built in Detroit in more than 20 years.

To be built on a parking lot adjacent to WDIV TV-4, the 103-unit new construction project will be developed by 600 Ventures Development Group a partnership of Eric Means and Brian Holdwick.

[deja vu]

Originally Posted by LMich

Quite a bit of development news, today. This is mostly them trying to get in stuff before year's-end.

No kidding. Busy day. Nice to hear about The Ashton getting slightly more substantial.

[Docta_Love]

Another significant project may be coming to Brush Park.

Detroit seeks developers for Brush Park land

By KIRK PINHO
Crain's Detroit Business
November 24, 2017



-RFP went out to 300 developers and others
-Vacant parcels become a less available commodity
-Land neighbors massive Dan Gilbert project


The city of Detroit is looking for developers to build more housing on a 1.1-acre parcel of highly prized vacant Brush Park land, which is becoming a rare commodity as the district becomes a hotbed of development.

The Housing and Revitalization Department is seeking a developer to build more than 100 residences, with at least half of them rental units, on a U-shaped property bounded by Brush Street to the west, Watson Street to the north, Beaubien Street to the east and Wilkins Street to the south.

If completed, the Brush Park project would add to a flurry of construction in the once-posh 117-acre neighborhood north of downtown that claimed the Kahns and the Whitneys as residents among other historical Detroit elites.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...rush-park-land

[LMich]

I recall hearing about this when they were piecing together City Modern. Loving all of this development hitting Brush Park. Remember when we were all excited that Crosswinds developed the first phase of Woodward Place and then the Garden Lofts at Woodward Place? Looking back at old news from 2005, the 62-units in Garden Lofts sold out in a 12-hour period. But the recession (which hit Michigan 2 years earlier than it did everywhere else) ended up putting a halt to that. Anyway, the Brush & Watson RFP is extensive. Some things of note:

1. They are encouraging this to be mixed-use, though they aren't requiring it. What they are requiring, however, is that the price ranges be far greater than in neighboring City Modern. 20% of units must be affordable (making 80% of area median income), and at least half the units have to be rental.

2. The development must adhere to the draft Brush Park Form-Base Code whether the city council ends up approving the code for the neighborhood or not. This includes discouring front yard parking, vehicle access should be in the alley

3. Current zoing for the city is Planned Development, which allows for flexibility. But it's within a historic district, which kind of defeats the purpose. Either way, the Brush Park Form-Base Code should take care of this discrepency.

Do we ever know what happened to the development planned for the site of the former Fredrick Douglass Towers at Brewster-Douglass, though?

[animatedmartian]

Originally Posted by LMich

Do we ever know what happened to the development planned for the site of the former Fredrick Douglass Towers at Brewster-Douglass, though?

It's more or less in the funding stages. Last October, the City of Detroit didn't win a federal HUD grant that would have helped funded the first phase of Brewster-Douglas project. That means the city has had to apply for other grants and state tax credits that probably don't (individually) cover as much of the cost as the federal grants.

Since the Brewster Towers were federally subsidized public housing, it's a bit more complex/slower of a process to create a new development especially when a certain percentage of the units have to replace whatever units were demolished.

[Docta_Love]

Philadelphia developer plans second mixed-use project in New Center area

By KIRK PINHO
Crain's Detroit business
November 22, 2017


Philadelphia developer David Grasso plans a retail and residential project on this 0.35-acre surface parking lot on West Grand Boulevard between Second and Third avenues.

-David Grasso plans residential, retail on the Detroit parking lot site
-Project still in "early stages of planning"
-Developer still considering size of West Grand, Woodward project

....

David Grasso, the CEO of Grasso Holdings LLC, said he is planning a development with first-floor retail space and residential units above it, plus a parking structure at 2974 W. Grand Blvd. between Second and Third avenues.

He declined to reveal how many residential units or stories he envisions for the project, but said "the zoning permits something very substantial, but we are in early stages of planning."

"Hoping to get in the ground in late 2018 with completion in mid 2020," he said in a text message Wednesday morning.

....

In the spring, Crain's reported that Grasso was under contract to purchase property from Midtown Detroit Inc. at the southwest corner of West Grand Boulevard and Woodward Avenue and was considering building a mixed-use high-rise building there. He has since closed on that purchase.

This summer, Grasso said he was considering a development of up to 35 stories there, but had not made a final determination about how large he expects it to be.

"More clarity" is expected on that project in the first quarter next year, he said Wednesday.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...-in-new-center

[LMich]

Sounds like whatever it will be, it will most certainly be a high-rise, which makes sense for such a prominent corner.

In other high-rise news, Gilbert breaks ground on the Hudson Site tower this Friday.

[rlw777]

I was pleasantly surprised to see downtown Detroit packed with people for the Christmas market this weekend. For people like me who haven't lived in the Detroit area for quite a while and who remember a downtown of mostly empty sidewalks it makes a big impression.

[animatedmartian]

Originally Posted by animatedmartian

It's more or less in the funding stages. Last October, the City of Detroit didn't win a federal HUD grant that would have helped funded the first phase of Brewster-Douglas project. That means the city has had to apply for other grants and state tax credits that probably don't (individually) cover as much of the cost as the federal grants.

Since the Brewster Towers were federally subsidized public housing, it's a bit more complex/slower of a process to create a new development especially when a certain percentage of the units have to replace whatever units were demolished.

Reupdate; The land could possibly be sold to Dan Gilbert if the feds approve.

Housing Commission plans to sell Brewster-Douglass site to Gilbert's Bedrock for $23 million
By KIRK PINHO. Crain's Detroit. November 27th, 2017.


....


The sale, which needs to be approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, marks a departure from the city's previous plan to apply again for a HUD Choice Neighborhoods grant of up to $30 million to redevelop the site along with three others in Eastern Market and Brush Park.

Arthur Jemison, Detroit's director of housing and revitalization, said the city saw only a "very narrow avenue" to winning one of five implementation grants available and decided not to apply for the second time this year.

"We are calling it Choice (Neighborhoods) by another means," Jemison said of the city's new approach. "That acquisition would enable the execution of a project that had a lot of similarity to the Choice proposal we made before." The last time the city applied for the grant, more than 800 residential units were planned for the site.

"Bedrock is excited about this opportunity and looking forward to working closely with the Detroit Housing Commission and the City of Detroit to transform this vacant site into a mixed-use neighborhood for all Detroiters," Jim Ketai, CEO of Bedrock, said in an emailed statement.

....

Richard Hosey, a Detroit-based developer who is president of the housing commission board, said the sale proceeds would go to investing in some of the commission's capital needs, workforce development and properties it owns in the neighborhoods.

The housing commission needs HUD's approval to "release" deed restrictions, allowing Bedrock to "use the property at their discretion," Hosey said.

"While within the clear regulations and performing standard daily operations, HUD approval isn't required for housing commissions, sales of property are outside of standard operations and require HUD scrutiny and approval.

During a 1 p.m. meeting Monday, the housing commission board is expected to consider a measure to authorize the commission staff to prepare a purchase agreement for the Brewster-Douglass site and begin the process of applying to HUD to sell it.

...

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...te-to-gilberts

[Docta_Love]

Here's some Gilbert stats from the article that are particularly impressive it's generally well known that Dan Gilbert owns about 100 properties in the downtown area but he also has ~100 acres of new developments planned / in the works.

POSSIBLE/CONFIRMED GILBERT PROJECTS, BY ACREAGE
Former Uniroyal Tire Co. site: 43 acres
Former Brewster-Douglass housing projects site: 18 acres
Wayne County Consolidated Jail site: 15 acres
River East (with General Motors): 10-plus acres
City Modern (with others): 8.4 acres
Monroe Blocks site: 3.5 acres
Hudson's site: 2 acres
Total: 99.9 acres or more

[CastleScott]

^ Nice perspective photos of that new 800ft tower-it will be a great addition to the skyline.

[LMich]

The Freep's take on this:

Ryan Garza | Detroit Free Press

Dan Gilbert firm plans to buy Brewster-Douglass site, build mixed-income housing

By JC Reindl | Detroit Free Press

November 27, 2017

An affiliate of Dan Gilbert's real estate firm is preparing to buy Detroit's former Brewster-Douglass public housing site to build mixed-income housing.

The Detroit Housing Commission's Board of Commissioners voted Monday to start negotiating a $23-million deal to sell the 18-acre site to the Douglas Acquisition Co., an affiliate of Gilbert's Bedrock firm, said Richard Hosey, president of the housing commission's board and an area developer.

"Their goal is to do mixed-income housing with a focus on affordability and market-rate," Hosey said Monday.

The Frederick Douglass Homes proposal from last year:



And a map of the site:



BTW, this...

Richard Hosey, a Detroit-based developer who is president of the housing commission board

...strikes me as probably being almost constant conflict of interest, let alone being the president of said board.

Anyway, good to hear about this one, again. Hopefully, Gilbert's idea for this is at least as good as the Frederick Douglass Homes proposal. And if City Modern is any example, it will be.

[LMich]

A mixed-use redevelopmen at 7 Mile and Livernois on the Avenue of Fashion continues moving forward.

Old B. Siegel store on 7 Mile to get $8M makeover

By Detroit Free Press staff

November 28, 2017

The Michigan Strategic Fund Tuesday approved incentives to promote the redevelopment of the B. Siegel store at 7 Mile and Livernois in Detroit.

Mostly vacant since the early 2000s, the renovation effort will convert the store into 10 residential apartments above some 20,500 square feet of retail space on the ground floor and 29 parking spaces in an underground garage.

The Michigan Strategic Fund also approved credits for a building downtown on Griswold:

The Strategic Fund also approved incentives to help redevelop a project known as 751 Griswold in Detroit. The $6.9-million renovation will turn the former Olde Building, a 1924 bank building in downtown's financial district, into retail and office space. The space now is headquarters for MarxModa, which bills itself as the "new" dealer for Herman Miller Michigan office furniture.

I still think it's probably a long-shot without the new stadium. But, Detroit has made it to the next round of the MLS expansion process:

Leon Halip, Getty Images / Rock Ventures

Detroit among 4 finalists for MLS team

By Ron Beard | The Detroit News

November 29, 2017

Auburn Hills — Detroit is another step closer to getting a Major League Soccer franchise.

The MLS announced Wednesday morning that Detroit is one of four finalists to receive a franchise when the league expands to two new cities. The other finalists are Cincinnati, Nashville and Sacramento.

The Detroit contingent, which includes Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert and Pistons owner Tom Gores, will make a final formal presentation to MLS commissioner Don Garber and the expansion committee in New York on Dec. 6.

[Docta_Love]

Here's a rendering of the 7 mile / Livernois project from Crain's.

Motor City Re-Store awards $330,000 to 44 businesses for facade improvements

By KURT NAGL
Crain's Detroit Business
November 28, 2017

-Grants approved for businesses in 30 city neighborhoods
-70 percent are minority-owned, 43 percent women-owned
-$519,000 earmarked for potential grant funding


Motor City Re-Store approved Tuesday $330,000 in matching grants to improve facades of businesses in Detroit and earmarked another $519,000 for potential grant funding.

Forty-four businesses in 30 neighborhoods throughout the city are set to receive money from the first round of grants released by the small business stimulator, which launched in June by Mayor Mike Duggan and the Detroit Economic Growth Corp., said Lily Hamburger, DEGC small business development manager.

....

Other winners include UFO Factory in Corktown, which was approved for $10,000 after the bar was forced to close in August when nearby construction badly damaged the building. Atlas Wholesale Food Co. on the city's east side was approved for the largest grant, $25,000.

....

Motor City Re-Store plans to award about $2 million annually for façade improvements to businesses in the city, including retailers, restaurants and event space. The program was launched to boost neighborhood curb appeal, attract more investment and retain the estimated $2.6 billion in retail spending that leaves the city for surrounding communities, according to the release.

The matching grants are awarded in two categories: construction track and design track. The cap for construction grants per business is $25,000, which is a cash-back award given after construction is complete, said Keith Rodgerson, program manager for Motor City Re-Store. The design cap is $10,000, which is awarded immediately in the form of technical assistance

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...ses-for-facade

[LMich]

The bridge:

Anthony Lanzilote / Special to The Detroit News

Officials: Gordie Howe bridge on track for 2018 build

Sean D. Lawrence | The Detroit News

November 29, 2017

Windsor, Ontario — The $2.1 billion Gordie Howe International Bridge remains on track to be constructed beginning in 2018 but has no completion date target.

“We can’t give a completion date, but significant construction will start next year,” said Brad Wieferich, director of the bureau of development for the Michigan Department of Transportation.

[north 42]

More...

http://windsorstar.com/news/local-ne...des-in-detroit

[LMich]

Wayne County has given up the ghost: They have formally dropped plans for their downtown jail off Gratiot, opening up the county to better negotiate a sell to Gilbert.

Robin Buckson | The Detroit News

Wayne Co. won’t finish jail project

By Charles E. Ramirez | The Detroit News

December 1, 2017

Detroit — Wayne County won’t complete its unfinished jail project in Greektown, officials said Friday.

The county and Detroit business magnate Dan Gilbert are moving closer to an agreement on building a new criminal justice center in exchange for the unfinished jail site on Gratiot near Interstate 375 in the city's Greektown district, Wayne County Executive Warren Evans said Friday in a statement.

County officials initially planned to finish the project and gave a Chicago-based construction company, Walsh Construction, a $500,000 stipend earlier this year to conduct a feasibility study on completing it. Walsh had until Dec. 1 to submit a proposal for the project.