DETROIT | Development & Construction: Motown Lowdown

[LMich]

DetroitGuy423 over at DetroitYes.com got this picture a few days ago of the site:

[Docta_Love]

Glad to see efforts to get Lee Plaza renovated moving forward after a false start the other year, a few years ago I was doubting whether the building would ever be saved.

3 groups bid to redevelop historic Lee Plaza in Detroit

By KIRK PINHO
Crain's Detroit Business
March 12, 2018


-City owns historic and long-vacant high-rise on West Grand Boulevard
-Plans include blend of mixed-income residential with ground floor commercial
-One bid received for Woodland Apartments near Highland Park



Lee Plaza on West Grand Boulevard in Detroit was built in 1928 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.


The city of Detroit received three proposals to redevelop a historic but long-vacant high-rise on West Grand Boulevard in the Northwest Goldberg neighborhood.

Those submitting bids to redevelop the 15-story Lee Plaza were Detroit-based Central City Integrated Health Inc.; Globe Energy Moneta LLC, which is registered with the state in Detroit; and a joint venture between New York-based L+M Development Partners and Detroit-based The Jean-Baptiste Group, according to John Roach, Mayor Mike Duggan's director of communications.

"All three proposed some blend of mixed-income residential with ground floor commercial and activation of adjacent lots for parking and outdoor space," Roach said in an email Thursday. "We expect to make a decision and begin sale negotiations within the next 1-2 weeks."

....

The Woodlands Apartments RFP received one bid from Marlton, N.J.-based The Michaels Organization. The group is one of the largest affordable housing developers and managers in the country. Affording to the National Affordable Housing Management Association, it is the fifth-largest in the country with more than 32,000 units under management.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...aza-in-detroit


With plans for a Big Sean backed multiplex seemingly brewing and the indications possibly pointing to Milwaukee Junction as the location a number of real estate moves have been made in the neighborhood lately.

3 neighboring Milwaukee Junction commercial buildings list for sale

By Robin Runyan
Curbed Detroit
Mar 2, 2018





One area that’s prime for renovations is Milwaukee Junction, between the North End and the Art Center in Midtown, just east of Woodward. The area has an industrial past, and now houses art galleries, lofts, and the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant. Across East Grand Boulevard, the North End is seeing higher real estate prices. Across Woodward on the Boulevard sits the Fisher Building and a slew of development activity in New Center.

O’Connor Real Estate has just listed three commercial buildings along East Grand Boulevard, near the popular Jam Handy event space. The building with the Illuminated Mural also sits nearby, and that building will soon be redeveloped by The Platform. These buildings are listed separately at $415,000, $325,000, and $450,000.



O’Connor also added some renderings of what the block could look like in the future.

https://detroit.curbed.com/2018/3/2/...dings-for-sale

[Docta_Love]

I'm actually pretty excited about this the area was hurt when the course closed but that general area has been pretty stable with it's fair share of well maintained middle class & working class neighborhoods. A re-imagining of the Rouge Park System especially with new flood control measures is a good idea and this piece of land would be challenging to redevelop on because most of the property is flood plain other than the 7 Mile frontage.

There's talk about developing the aforementioned area but currently Lasher & Grand River is the center of redevelopment efforts in the area now.

Detroit plans $1.94 million purchase to turn closed Rogell Golf Course into park

By KURT NAGL
Crain's Detroit Business
March 13, 2018





-Several city departments would partner for property rehab
-City sold course to church group in 2007 for $2.1 million
-Pending City Council approval


....

"The Detroit Water and Sewage Department would install the storm water structure; that's the first step," Jemison said. "The next piece is the park and that would be part of the city's strategic development fund."

In addition to initial grooming, the park would require significant maintenance — a costly enterprise complicated by its position in the Rouge River floodplain. As part of the purchase, the city would address the property's storm water management challenges. It ties into the city's plan to create a comprehensive green storm water infrastructure strategy for the neighborhood along the Grand River corridor.

The proposed park would sit on 70-80 acres of land and cost $3.5 million to build, Jemison said. Developable land fronting Seven Mile Road totals about 35 acres. An overhaul of the park's drainage is estimated to cost $6 million to $7 million.

The proposition involves a partnership between city departments. Open space and nature trails would be developed and overseen by the General Services Department, storm water infrastructure would be maintained by the Water and Sewerage Department, and the Housing and Revitalization Department would take the lead on future development.

Development would be handled through open bids and requests for proposals and might not take place for years. Jemison said the development would ideally be public-private and mixed-use.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...ll-golf-course

JV buys Park Shelton retail space; facade improvements planned

By KIRK PINHO
Crain's Detroit Business
March 13, 2018





A joint venture of Sturgeon Bay Partners LLC and Millennial Partners LLC has purchased the Park Shelton's 21,000 square feet of retail space and plans cosmetic upgrades.

....

The purchase price was not disclosed. Gibbs, son of Birmingham-based urban planner Robert Gibbs, said facade improvements are expected and that the capital expenditure budget is north of $100,000.

"We see this as a long-term hold and really just want to improve the building and work with the Historic (District) Commission to clean up the limestone, do some other storefront improvements and bring life back to the exterior," said Gibbs, who last year purchased a Midtown apartment portfolio consisting of 63 units across three buildings with more than $1 million in renovations planned.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...ements-planned



Good to see "affordable" housing continue to be pushed by the city as Duggan had noted at the Mackinaw Policy Conference last year potentially one of the biggest challenges the city will be facing is that many HUD tax credits for affordable housing are going to expire.

Detroit plans to preserve, create 12,000 affordable housing units with new $250 million fund

By KIRK PINHO
Crain's Detroit Business
March 12, 2018



The former Transfiguration Catholic school building in Detroit on Syracuse Street north of Hamtramck will be redeveloped into a 23-unit apartment building that will be 100 percent affordable housing at 60 percent of the median area income.

....

In a news release, the city said the fund would be made up of $50 million in grant funding; $150 million in low-interest borrowing; and another $50 million in city and federal funds over the next five years. Some of the funding is expected to come from CDFIs, shorthand for community development finance institutions, traditional financial institutions and philanthropic groups. A fund manager is expected to be chosen this year.

....

The city says an estimated $800 million — with $550 million through LIHTC, debt and equity — is needed to support its affordable housing goals, including $300 million for preservation and $500 million for new development. There are approximately 22,000 affordable housing units in the city, and the federal requirements for them to remain affordable are expected to expire for about 10,000 of them by 2023, according to the city.

An affordable housing unit is one that is affordable to those making 80 percent of less of the area median income for the entire metro Detroit area, which last year was about $54,900 for a family of four and $43,950 for a two-person household.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...ing-units-with

[LMich]

I've heard absolutely nothing pointing to Milwaukee Junction as a site for the new Emagine Theater, and it wouldn't make any sense as the district stands now. It's certainly not the kind of business that goes into an area with that much underused space as a catalyst project, either.

Anyway, looks like The Siren in the Wurlitzer has a "soft opening" on Friday or Saturday.

[cityguy]

Any idea where the Monroe Block will start.Earlier reports said Jan 18.

[Docta_Love]

Originally Posted by LMich

I've heard absolutely nothing pointing to Milwaukee Junction as a site for the new Emagine Theater, and it wouldn't make any sense as the district stands now. It's certainly not the kind of business that goes into an area with that much underused space as a catalyst project, either.

I posted this article back in February when Big Sean announced his partnering with Emagine with his goal to be some kind of live music venue - multiplex theater idk what they have in mind and it's not proof of anything but seems to point to some kind of interest in the area by Emagine.

Can't say I don't agree that Milwaukee Junction would be a surprising location for this kind of development but maybe we don't have enough information yet as to what the parties involved are wanting or intending.

An entity tied to Paul Glantz, the founder and chairman of Emagine, has been accumulating property in Detroit's Milwaukee Junction neighborhood, buying a building with a mural saying "We Kahn Do It!" on its eastern wall at East Milwaukee and Brush Street and a handful of small proximate parcels since, according to city land records.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...nue-in-detroit


Btw found a sweet pic of the Fisher Building from the air I posted yesterday it over in the found pic's aerial pic's thread but I felt like I should post it here too since we're talking about the general area.


https://www.smugmug.com/search/?q=de...g+detroit&i=28 *Edit

[deja vu]

Awesome photo.

[LMich]

Originally Posted by cityguy

Any idea where the Monroe Block will start.Earlier reports said Jan 18.

A construction bid outreach meeting was held in early January. It's always either been "early 2018" or "spring 2018." I believe the state doesn't sign off on these Gilbert projects - they are seeking some state financing - until their March meeting at the end of the month, though they don't have the agenda up for March at the Michigan Strategic Fund's website, so I'm not sure if it's still on the agenda.

That is truly an awesome shot. I see my dad's family's old neighborhood

[Docta_Love]

HOLY SHIT! I hope its true!

Sources: Ford pursues deal to buy, redevelop Michigan Central Station

By KIRK PINHO and CHAD LIVENGOOD
Crain's Detroit Business
March 19, 2018





Ford Motor Co. is in discussions to purchase the dilapidated Michigan Central Station in Detroit's Corktown neighborhood just outside of downtown, Crain's has learned from multiple sources familiar with the negotiations.

The exact status of negotiations is unknown. But two sources familiar with the matter said a deal for the Dearborn-based automaker to redevelop the 500,000-square-foot former train station off of Michigan Avenue owned for decades by the Moroun family could come as soon as next month.

If a deal comes to fruition, it would mark Ford's biggest step back into the city where it was born, three months after announcing that it was going to put more than 200 employees just down Michigan Avenue in The Factory at Corktown building. A redeveloped train station could house more than 1,000 workers, depending on the layout.

"At this time, Ford is focused on locating our autonomous vehicle and electric vehicle business and strategy teams, including Team Edison, to The Factory in Detroit’s historic Corktown neighborhood," Ford spokesman Said Deep said Monday in a statement to Crain's. "While we anticipate our presence over time will grow as our (autonomous/electric vehicle) teams begin moving downtown in May, we have nothing further to announce at this time."

....

Last year, Samhat said the Moroun family had spent more than $8 million over the past five years abating the building, constructing a freight elevator in the shaft of the depot's original smokestack and installing 1,100 windows.

....

One source familiar with Ford's pursuit of the train station said the move is aimed at building a workplace in an urban setting that can attract younger workers to the automaker.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...entral-station

[dc_denizen]

Wow that would be awesome!

[mind field]

Originally Posted by Docta_Love

HOLY SHIT! I hope its true!




http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...entral-station

Wow, this is incredible news. I hope nothing gets in the way of this happening.

[The-New-Tony-Detroit]

I've gone from regular poster to mostly lurker... but the reporting on MCS/FoMoCo has me literally jumping for joy.

Way to go, Detroit! Hope this happens!

[rlw777]

Demolition for Monroe Blocks project to begin in June from Crains

Dan Gilbert's Bedrock LLC is anticipated to begin demolition in June on a pair of buildings downtown that will make way for a large underground parking garage for his planned $830 million Monroe Blocks development.

Documents filed last week week with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality say the buildings at 1000 Farmer St. and 815 Bates St. will be torn down using an excavator following removal of asbestos; the abatement is expected to begin in a few weeks.

...

The existing two buildings total about 43,000 square feet, according to the DEQ documents. Bedrock's transformational brownfield plan submitted to the state for tax incentives says the project is expected to include three levels of underground parking with approximately 1,200 parking spaces across the 3.66-acre site and below Cadillac Square.

I didn't realize they were planning parking below Cadillac Square. I wonder how that's going to work in terms of construction.

[Docta_Love]

The Detroit News article about Ford's plans initially seemed to be a bit more cautious than the Crain's article but it was soon updated to say they have heard the same as Crain's. It also had another lil nugget in it that Ford has been looking to acquire property around the train station as well.

Multiple sources told The Detroit News on Monday that the automaker has been negotiating to amass property around the train station, as well as buy the train station itself. Part of that move would be for Ford to either purchase or occupy the abandoned book depository near the train station, one source with knowledge of the negotiations said. An announcement is expected on the deal by May.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/bu...tion/33088971/

[Docta_Love]

Detroit to pay $7 million for 90 percent of state fairgrounds site

By KIRK PINHO
Crain's Detroit Business
March 21, 2018


-City paying $7 million for 142 acres; Magic Plus paying about $472,000 for 16 acres
-Detroit expects to issue RFP for site by the fall
-City Council needs to approve the purchase





Half of the city's $7 million purchase price would be paid up front, while the remainder would be paid once it's redeveloped.

David Williams, senior adviser to Mayor Mike Duggan on his Planning, Housing and Development team, said Wednesday morning that environmental assessments and due diligence on the property should happen in the next several weeks, and the city expects to issue a request for proposals or start to market the property for sale by the fall.

"Primarily we see this as a job creation opportunity," Williams said. "It is one of the largest developable parcels in the city. Those companies, those developers are all looking for a place that could employ hundreds if not thousands of people.

"We honestly think it is a win for everyone. Magic Plus is able to develop a smaller, more manageable site and we at the city are going to drive the rest of the site."

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...irgrounds-site

Down at The Corner, new ballpark to open

By SHERRI WELCH
Crain's Detroit Business
March 18, 2018


-Detroit PAL to open new ballpark on site of old Tiger Stadium this weekend

-Corner Ballpark presented by Adient will be home to youth sports, concerts, popup markets and a new workforce training program

-The year-long program will give young adults tools and connections to break into sports and entertainment, hospitality





As it hosts youth sports games, outdoor markets, concerts, car shows and other events, the stadium will serve as a workforce training site for 17 young adults, many of them former Detroit PAL participants.

Detroit PAL chose the young adults ages 18-30 from over 350 who applied for paid positions in the yearlong program.

The new training program expands on Detroit PAL's longtime focus on youth development through sports.

It gives participants a chance to make connections in the sports and entertainment world through Detroit PAL's relationships with the city's professional sports teams.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...llpark-to-open

First look: Lumen Detroit gets set to open in Beacon Park in Detroit
LePages move away from Belgian menu before April opening

By ANNALISE FRANK
Crain's Detroit Business
March 19, 2018



Beacon Park anchor restaurant Lumen Detroit is to open the first week of April at 1903 Grand River Ave. in the city's downtown area next to DTE Energy Co.'s headquarters. It seats 150 on its outdoor patio area on the edge of the park.


The 4,000-square-foot restaurant at 1903 Grand River Ave. seats 125 indoors. Sliding glass walls accordion out to the corners of the restaurant to mingle the dining room with a 150-seat outdoor patio in warmer weather.

A rooftop harbors an additional 45 seats, views of the city and a sustainable plant bed surrounding the dining area.

The husband-and-wife team own and operate Lumen with their son Scott LePage and his wife Susanne. The family also operates Clubhouse BFD in Rochester Hills, Big Rock Chophouse and Griffin Claw Brewing Co. in Birmingham and an incoming Griffin Claw in Rochester Hills.

They hired Sarah Stricher as Lumen's general manager and William Hollie as kitchen manager, and worked with Big Rock Chophouse Executive Chef Gabby Milton on the menu.



Beacon Park is a 1.5-acre green space on Cass and Grand River avenues. Its operator, Downtown Detroit Partnership, hosts concerts, movie nights, pub nights and other events there. DTE developed the park with the intention of creating a "beacon" for the surrounding community and for downtown development to spread northwest along Grand River Avenue.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...ark-in-detroit

[DetroitSky]

Updates from the past week or so:

Downtown

Element Detroit at the Metropolitan Building


The Siren Hotel's main entrance


1515 Broadway, which is part of The Siren Hotel development.


Shinola Hotel's building on Farmer Street


Shinola Hotel's Woodward buildings


City Club Apartments


Philip Houze


Stevens Building


Farwell Building


Marquette Building


Free Press Building


Work has been occurring at Theodore Levin US Courthouse the past year or so


Little Caesar's headquarters


Facade work continues at the Detroit Life Building


A small project I've been watching at 436 W. Columbia Street. This was dilapidated until last summer.


Grinnell and Fisher Arcade buildings


New Center

Seward Apartments/Wellington Place


Third & Grand


Henry Ford Hospital's Brigitte Harris Cancer Pavilion, directly across Grand Boulevard from the main campus


1306 Holden Street. This is directly north of Lincoln Street Art Park.


10 Atkinson Street, The North End. Woodward is directly to the right in the photo.


Corktown

2236 14th Street


2060 Wabash Street


Midtown

WSU Anthony Wayne Drive Apartments


3153 Woodward and the Pierce Building


Brush Park

Regina Apartments


Patterson Terrace


64 Watson Street


229 Edmund Place


Alfred Street in the City Modern development

[The North One]

I didn't expect the triangle glass on the LC HQ to look so good.

Thank you for the amazing update.

[dc_denizen]

awesome showcase of detroit's recovery. wow!

[mind field]

In an article in today's free press about Ford possibly buying the MCS, or becoming a tenant in a renovated MCS, Mayor Duggan was quoted as saying there are several more major announcements forthcoming in the next few months! I wonder what he has up his sleeve?

[LMich]

Looks like the media have already started releasing their interpretations of the 2017 county-level estimates. This one bodes particularly well for Detroit's number when the sub-county estimates are released in a few months. Wayne County went from having the third highest net lost in 2016 to the ninth largest lost in 2017; it's percentage loss lessened to an even greater percentage. It ranked (-2,982) in between Anchorage (-3,020) and Kanawha County, WV (-2,804)

Wayne County population loss at 2-decade low

By Christine MacDonald | The Detroit News

March 22, 2018

Wayne County’s population drop last year was its smallest in two decades, a period over which it often led the nation in decline, a Detroit News analysis of census estimates shows.

Michigan’s largest county, home to Detroit, lost about 3,000 residents as of July 2017, according to yearly estimates released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau.

While still posting the nation’s ninth largest decline, Wayne lost significantly fewer people than the home counties of the Rust Belt and Midwest cities of Chicago, Baltimore, Cleveland, St. Louis and Pittsburgh. Even Hawaii’s Honolulu County had a bigger decline.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/ne...ades/33167773/

Of comparable central urban counties, it's percentage loss between 2016-2017 (-0.16%) was less than St. Louis (-1.44%), Baltimore (-0.86%), Cuyahoga County (-0.39%), Cook County (-0.38%), Allegheny County (-0.36%), and Milwaukee County (-0.34%).

The Detroit MSA added 7,133 residents in that period mostly on the slow-down in loss from Wayne County (and thus Detroit), after having posted basically no growth in 2015-2016.