DETROIT | Development & Construction: Motown Lowdown

[DetroitSky]

Here's a list of high rises under construction, proposed or that are currently visions. I may have missed some so feel free to contribute.

1. Hudson Tower-800ft-foundation work
2. One Monroe Avenue-536ft-proposed
3. Crowne Plaza addition-338ft-proposed
4. Woodward & Grand tower-35 floors-proposed
5. Monroe Blocks-Farmer block residential tower-26 floors-proposed
6. Monroe Blocks-residential tower 2-16 floors-proposed
7. The Ashton-156ft-approved
8. WSU Anthony Wayne Dr. Apartments-11 floors-under construction
9. 1201 Griswold St.-11 floors-proposed
10. Adams Tower-n/a-vision
11. Montcalm Tower-n/a-vision
12. Hockeytown hotel-n/a-vision
13. Joe Louis Arena site hotel-up to 30 floors

[Detroit]

Little update, Check my imgur for more pics!
All pics were taken on February 6, 2018.

James Scott Mansion (more on imgur)


Temple West (more on imgur)


City Modern (more on imgur)


Farwell Building in Capitol Park (more on imgur)


Shinola Hotel (more on imgur)


Little Caesars Headquarters


My imgur link https://imgur.com/user/NewDetroit

[Docta_Love]

Thanks for the Update Detroit especially the James Scott Mansion, man it looks great.

Olympia has released more details of the long awaited Woodward I-75 overpass retail project, in the rendering we have a conceptualization of the "CoPA surface lot tower" and the "hockeytown hotel tower".

Woodward's I-75 overpass may be widened by 60 feet for new retail space

KIRK PINHO
Crain's Detroit Business
February 06, 2018



The view of Woodward Avenue southbound at Little Caesars Arena showing new retail space on the I-75 overpass in downtown Detroit.

-Overpass would be expanded by 60 feet for new retail
-Project would cost $10 million to $15 million
-Federal transportation funding sought


In 2016, MDOT put out a request for proposals for what it calls the Fisher Freeway Downtown Crossings project, which in the proposal Olympia estimates to cost $10 million to $15 million.

The Detroit-based development company, which did not respond to emailed questions, says in the proposal that two retail buildings — a 6,150-square-foot building on the west and a 3,000-square-foot building on the east side of the bridge — would be built on 40-foot and 20-foot expansions, respectively.

Olympia is seeking funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation through the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or TIGER, program for 80 percent of the costs for the first phase, which is the bridge expansion.

If Olympia does not receive the TIGER grant, or if it doesn't cover 80 percent of the project cost, the company says it would seek funding from the state's Transportation Economic Development Fund, the Transportation Alternatives Program and/or the federal FAST Act. Olympia would pay the remaining 20 percent of the first-phase cost.

The second phase, which is the ground-up retail construction, would be financed through a construction loan and Olympia equity of about 30 percent to 40 percent. Local tax breaks would also be sought, including perhaps Neighborhood Enterprise Zone funding, the proposal says.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...for-new-retail

[M. Brown]

Originally Posted by Docta_Love

Olympia has released more details of the long awaited Woodward I-75 overpass retail project, in the rendering we have a conceptualization of the "CoPA surface lot tower" and the "hockeytown hotel tower".





http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...for-new-retail

I wonder what the likelihood of this happening is since everyone seems to think the recent leaks have just been the Ilitchs putting up distractions so we wont notice the demolitions.

[Chris Stritzel]

^^ The District Detroit area of Downtown appears that it will be denser in a few years. It is exciting! Plus, an additional 60 foot space added to the bridge will do wonders for people. Capping a highway (partially) is a great thing to do! Can't wait to see this happen!

[DetroitSky]

I hope this project happens. I'm kind of confused by the rendering they used in that article. You can barely see the two retail buildings. It focuses mainly on the walkway from Woodward Avenue to LCA.

[subterranean]

Dan Gilbert buys Comerica bank building in downtown Detroit
Feb 5, 2018 at 10:44 PM by

Source: https://www.freep.com/videos/money/b...oit/110145982/

[LMich]

Originally Posted by M. Brown

I wonder what the likelihood of this happening is since everyone seems to think the recent leaks have just been the Ilitchs putting up distractions so we wont notice the demolitions.

I mean, they've already done more this time than they did for the stuff they proposed for Foxtown when they developed Comerica Park. I'm not sure if anyone is doubting this stuff is going to happen, it's just that the details and smaller things are just now getting released and it seems to include a lot of demolition, which is weird when you consider how many empty lots exist in this area. I think people just thought Olympia had learned from its mistake in the redevelopment of Foxtown, and it appears they are doing better with District Detroit...but only marginally better. Particularly with the streetcar present, now, you don't have to build all of this parking literally right next door to each development. The streetcar (and now with FAST buses) was supposed to mean that you could space out a lot of the parking and people get shuttled in for events.

Curbed Detroit has caught up on the renovation of the Detroit Life Building we talked about. Apparently, while there are no imminent plans for it, they are restoring the facade in anticipation of reuse.

https://detroit.curbed.com/2018/2/6/...ing-renovation


Olympia Development

BTW, looking through District Detroit's twitter account, and saw this: the LCA did a STEM day for 300 students from DPS.


District Detroit

I love that it was built in such a way that they can use it as a community center, too.

[deja vu]

Originally Posted by LMich

BTW, looking through District Detroit's twitter account, and saw this: the LCA did a STEM day for 300 students from DPS.


District Detroit

I love that it was built in such a way that they can use it as a community center, too.

Pretty cool! Wouldn't have seen that happen at the Joe.

[LMich]

Yep, the amount of both internal and external gathering space in the district is what I really love about it. The mix allows year-round usage by the community.

[subterranean]

Dan Gilbert to redevelop former Detroit police headquarters
Feb 7, 2018 at 4:00 PM by JC Reindl

Dan Gilbert's real estate firm will redevelop the Detroit Police Department's former headquarters at 1300 Beaubien near Greektown, a property the city bargained away during bankruptcy. Gilbert's Bedrock announced Thursday that it will fix up and reuse the old DPD headquarters for a future purpose in partnership with a former city of Detroit creditor.

Source: https://www.freep.com/story/money/20...-hq/319095002/

[Docta_Love]

^Glad to see a perfectly reusable historic building being renovated while being in an area that a major interest has big designs for.

Finalists for West Riverfront Park redesign dreamed big

By Louis Aguilar
The Detroit News
February 08, 2018

Last summer, four teams of designers were asked to come up with a potential overhaul of West Riverfront Park, the rather plain 22-acre space on the Detroit River that’s downstream from Joe Louis Arena and Riverfront Towers.

The teams dreamed big. Renderings of the plans released Thursday include several different visions: a new lagoon for canoes, kayaks and fishing; a sandy beach; a curvy pedestrian bridge and a path that juts onto the river; an ice rink; and a grassy amphitheater bowl.

On Thursday, renderings of the designs, along with table-top models, will go on display publicly on the first floor of the 1001 Woodward building that overlooks Campus Martius in downtown Detroit. At 9 a.m. Thursday, presentations begin by some of the designers involved; presentations are expected to last until 5:15 p.m. The designs will then be on display from Saturday through Feb. 22.

A jury this spring will decide on the winning concept. The Detroit RiverFront Conservancy, the nonprofit group that manages the park, is raising $50 million to make the remade West Riverfront Park a reality.

“We will be seeking funding from all sources, including public funds, as well as donations from individuals, foundations and corporations,” said Marc Pasco, spokesman for the RiverFront Conservancy. “We invite everyone to participate in making this park a reality.”

A detailed timeline for the park’s redesign hasn’t been set, Pasco said.

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http://www.detroitnews.com/story/new...ion/110214608/

[LMich]

The Ashton Detroit released an update on the project. Condo documents and bylaws and environmental and survey work have been completed. Financing is just about done. They are currently working with a design architect I imagine to refine the design. It appears all they are really waiting on is the designation of the Neighborhood Enterprise Zone (property tax freeze for residence).

They are aiming for a late-Spring groundbreaking and already have 30% of the condos reserved.











If I have any criticism, it's that it shape and scale look like the base of a skyscraper. Put another 20-30 stories set back on top of this, and then you'll have yourselves a (typical) design. But, I understand that the condo market is still very miniscule in downtown. Either way, the interior looks nice.

[Docta_Love]

The Ashton reminds me of bit of Kennedy square as another stunted skyscraper but at least it doesn't try and overachieve by having a slanted roof with an antenna on the peak for a sake of adding a little extra height, haha.

Midtown West developers hire '800-pound design gorilla' that did NYC's 9/11 memorial planning

February 09, 2018
Crain's Detroit Business
KIRK PINHO


A rendering of early plans for the Midtown West project in Detroit was released in April.


The developers behind the Midtown West project on the Wigle Recreation Center site in Detroit have lured a big fish to work on it: Studio Libeskind.

Even if you don't know the company's name, you almost certainly know its work: The 16-acre 9/11 Museum & Memorial site in New York probably being the most well-known, among other large-scale efforts around the world. The company, headed by Daniel Libeskind, did the master planning for that project.

...

Developer Mario Procida on Friday said construction on the Midtown West project, a $77 million and 335-unit effort, is expected to being in spring 2019. Libeskind was hired within the last 30 days, he said.

...

Procida, a New York City-based developer, is working with developer Roderick Hardamon and consultant Douglass Diggs on the $77 million Midtown West development that's expected to bring 335 apartments to the 7-acre Wigle site.

He said Friday morning that Studio Libeskind will do architecture and master planning on the larger portion of the 7 acres, which is between Fourth Street, the Lodge Freeway, Selden Street and Tuscolsa Street. The Volume One architecture firm is doing the site east of Fourth Street between Selden and Tuscola.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...-that-did-nycs

[deja vu]

The developers behind the Midtown West project on the Wigle Recreation Center site in Detroit have lured a big fish to work on it: Studio Libeskind.

He was a guest 'celebrity' judge for The Detroit Riverfront Competition in 2012 -


Source: Detroit Curbed

- Some quality photoshop, right there.

[Docta_Love]

Haha quality work there. The city recently completed a property value assessment and the results show more of what we've been seeing as home values continue their upward trend as the resurgence of the core city spreads into the neighborhoods. Some good news for Detroit industry as well according to Crain's Detroit industrial property values are up 64%.

Detroit releases updated property assessment data
Property values are on the rise

By Robin Runyan
Curbed Detroit
Feb 6, 2018



After completing a much-needed citywide assessment last year, the City of Detroit has released information on property values. In a press release, the City touted the first gain in residential property value in 17 years. The green sections of the map above show an increase in value in many areas around the city.

The City says that the assessed value of its 263,000 residential properties is coming in at $3 billion this year, up from $2.8 billion last year. In 2008, the total residential properties in Detroit had a value of $8.8 billion.

https://detroit.curbed.com/2018/2/6/...ssessment-data

[Jasoncw]

The VolumeOne guy is Lars Grabner (along with his wife, and another partner who I don't recognize), and he worked at Studio Libeskind in the late 90s before eventually moving here to teach at U of M.

VolumeOne isn't a big firm and only in the last few years have they really been getting things built, and they have some other good sized projects going on right now, so I'm guessing this one was too much work for them to actually do by themselves, and that's where Libeskind comes from.

[LMich]

District Detroit announced Columbia Street last week. It'll be 40,000 square feet of retail and dining space squeezed into the block between the Fox Theatre and the new Little Caesars Headquarters immediately west of Woodward. They will start filling space this year.



Olympia has been trying to do this ever since they developed Comerica Park. MLive.com has a story on this project this morning.

[LMich]

We're getting some professional renderings of a mixed-use development at 7 Mile & Livenrnois.

New shops, apartments on Detroit's edge expected to boost neighborhoods

By Frank Witsall | Detroit Free Press

February 15, 2018

An $8.3 million apartment and retail project at Livernois and 7 Mile in Detroit where developers and dignitaries are set to ceremoniously break ground on Thursday is expected to give that neighborhood a big boost.

Named 7.Liv, the project plans to refashion three dilapidated former stores — including the vacant B. Siegel department store — into 10 apartments and about 20,000 square feet of retail space.

It is expected to take about 14 months to complete and be a retail anchor.

https://www.freep.com/story/money/bu...ods/328781002/

The article is about more than just this project, though.

[LMich]

640 Temple on Cass Park is going to be turned into a hotel.

Boutique hotel with 100 rooms added to 640 Temple redevelopment plans

By Kirk Pinho, Crain's Detroit Business

February 15, 2018

The team planning to redevelop the former Standard Accident Insurance Co. building at 640 Temple St. in Detroit formerly owned by Wayne County now has a 100-room boutique hotel as part of its plans.

The new project component is revealed in a brownfield redevelopment plan presented to Detroit City Council last week.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...elopment-plans

Originally proposed to have 100 apartments, the project now includes a hotel on floors 2-4, and 70 apartments on 5-8. The first floor will include a restaurant, a sub-basement a live-music venue, and the lower-level bank vault will be a lounge.