Detroit Developments

roger wyoming II · PostJan 23, 2016#12016-01-23T01:49+00:00

Major renovation of the Renaissance Center has been announced by GM:

http://www.freep.com/story/money/busine ... /79172796/

The latest addition and upgrade are meant to convey a forward-looking, optimistic image for GM.

"This is what we consider a confident addition," said Daniel Schneider, an architect with Neumann Smith's downtown Detroit office. "Right now people drive by the Renaissance Center and say, 'That's a cool building.' We want them to drive by and say, 'Wow, what is in there? I want to go in there.'"

The complex used to be pretty much it's own enclave but there's been some pretty good changes in recent years and this will help it become integrated into the rest of downtown even more. There also is talk of GM redeveloping some of its massive parking lots on the riverfront.

kathleencjustice · PostJun 11, 2016#22016-06-11T05:12+00:00

It is really impressive.

STLrainbow · PostJul 18, 2016#32016-07-18T20:39+00:00

McCormack Baron is making good progress on its mixed-use Orleans Landing development on the Detroit riverfront.... having trouble embedding the video but the link is to aerial drone footage of the multi-block project:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8FfeQ4oZP4

Would love to see them do a variation of this for our own Near North Riverfront.

Also, the Little Caesar's Arena work is moving full-speed ahead.

time-lapse/live cam: http://www.districtdetroit.com/live-web-cam

here's a bit about the underground practice facility that will also host youth hockey as well

A peek inside the new Red Wings arena project: Practice ice takes shape
http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index ... _wing.html

goat314 · PostJul 19, 2016#42016-07-19T02:48+00:00

STLrainbow wrote:McCormack Baron is making good progress on its mixed-use Orleans Landing development on the Detroit riverfront.... having trouble embedding the video but the link is to aerial drone footage of the multi-block project:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8FfeQ4oZP4

Would love to see them do a variation of this for our own Near North Riverfront.

Also, the Little Caesar's Arena work is moving full-speed ahead.

time-lapse/live cam: http://www.districtdetroit.com/live-web-cam

here's a bit about the underground practice facility that will also host youth hockey as well

A peek inside the new Red Wings arena project: Practice ice takes shape
http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index ... _wing.html

I know Detroit is building a streetcar, but they have nothing like Metrolink. It is a shame that SLDC, St. Louis County, Metro etc. have not partnered with McCormack Baron on a signature TOD project at either Grand, Forest Park Southeast, or Hanley Stations.

STLrainbow · PostJul 19, 2016#52016-07-19T15:22+00:00

^ Yeah, Detroit's 3 mile streetcar line running along Woodward will be up and running next year.... it'll help power the intense redevelopment going on in their greater downtown area but transit beyond that is a big weakness. They will be voting on funding a regional BRT plan though this fall and an Ann Arbor - Detroit commuter rail effort is making some progress.

As for McCormack Baron working locally, I like your idea of them working on a TOD project, esp. on Grand.... I'd love to see them partner with SLU to develop their vast expanse on Chouteau. I also guess we'll learn this fall if their application for the Choice Neighborhood grant for their Carr Square effort is awarded. Brinkmann btw is their lead contractor on the Orleans Landing project.

PostJul 19, 2016#62016-07-19T21:52+00:00

On the retail side, Kit & Ace just opened in the CBD on Woodward (we got one in CWE) as well as Nike Community Store earlier this summer. Both in buildings vacant just a couple years ago. Shake Shack space on Woodward also is under construction.

framer · PostJul 20, 2016#72016-07-20T00:43+00:00

That Orleans Landing project looks awesome. Would fit in great over at Northside.

STLrainbow · PostAug 17, 2016#82016-08-17T23:04+00:00

^ Some more recent pics of Orleans Landing...

Hopefully McCormack Baron does something like this in STL with a market-rate orientation in addition to their North Sarah work.

More pics along with other Detroit development in greater downtown here

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showpos ... count=3451

PostAug 23, 2016#92016-08-23T23:10+00:00

STLrainbow wrote:On the retail side, Kit & Ace just opened in the CBD on Woodward (we got one in CWE) as well as Nike Community Store earlier this summer. Both in buildings vacant just a couple years ago. Shake Shack space on Woodward also is under construction.

Now Warby Parker is opening next to Kit & Ace and there are reports of Bonobos also opening on Woodward.

http://www.freep.com/story/money/busine ... /89196388/

Hopefully we'll catch a retail wave downtown soon as well... I don't think Detroit's downtown demographics are necessarily that far ahead of ours at the moment to account for the difference, but they do have the great benefit of Gilbert's Bedrock team building a coherent vision that upscale retailers are now buying into. I don't think our downtown even has a retail strategy.

PostAug 31, 2016#102016-08-31T20:55+00:00

Nice drone footage of McCormack Baron's Orleans Landing project:

That's a big project.... still think an adaptation of this could fit in nicely with "Plan B" and Laclede's Landing TOD hopes

stlgasm · PostAug 31, 2016#112016-08-31T23:56+00:00

Get a load of this impressive development coming to downtown Detroit...

http://detroit.curbed.com/2016/8/30/126 ... al-farwell

STLrainbow · PostSep 01, 2016#122016-09-01T03:27+00:00

^ Here's another view...

I think I like the taller one on the corner better than the smaller one in the foreground... I think the former could look great on one of the thinner parcels on Wash Ave.

Downtown Detroit btw has two new construction projects underway just off Capitol Park... a 13 story micro-apartment project and a project adding 80 apartments on top of an existing parking garage. Crazy fast change going on there.

moorlander · PostSep 01, 2016#132016-09-01T14:30+00:00

I would be really excited to see buildings like that built here

framer · PostSep 01, 2016#142016-09-01T16:44+00:00

^Me too. Here's my personal fantasy for the Kingshighway/Lindell/West Pine block:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-64nw-4Ljvhc/U ... +Mad06.jpg

STLrainbow · PostSep 22, 2016#152016-09-22T04:01+00:00

^ sexy!

the micro-apartments with street level retail is making progress in the heart of downtown

http://detroit.curbed.com/2016/9/21/129 ... g-downtown

PostSep 26, 2016#162016-09-26T19:05+00:00

A couple weeks ago Shinola announced it will rehab a historic building downtown and open a boutique hotel

http://www.freep.com/story/money/busine ... /90347550/

This week West Elm announced it will open a store and boutique hotel in Midtown as part of a new mixed-use development on a current surface parking lot

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20 ... in-midtown

That location will be one of 5 opening across the country.. Indy and Minneapolis among them. Don't know if they'll have more plans past that (this first batch plans to open in 2018 or so) but looking at the Detroit and Indy locations, the Foundry location seems like it could be a good fit if West Elm has a similar interest in Saint Louis.

PostNov 17, 2016#172016-11-17T17:45+00:00

So much has been going on in Detroit in the past couple years but you know it has turned a big corner when active developers are stepping up to save a building that was issued a demo permit.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20 ... ium=social

This building is in Corktown, which is considered part of Greater Downtown and has been seeing considerable investment.

I don't think the building is in bad as shape as Cupples 7 was, but it made me think about where we stand now if another building is threatened by the wrecking ball... we've made progress since the unfortunate Cupples 7 (and Powell Square) demolition, but if we had that similar situation again would we likely have a successful outcome?

PostNov 22, 2016#182016-11-22T20:41+00:00

It's official... Pistons will be moving from the burbs to the new downtown Little Caesars Arena opening next year.

http://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/p ... /94279874/

Looks like they'll also be building a new corporate office and practice facility in the area and community benefits will include 60 basketball courts to be built throughout the city along with handing out 20,000 free tickets to city residents per season.

Looks like $35M in bonds will be re-financed/extended by the city to cover changes in the arena to accommodate the team but that will be the extent of subsidies.

PostNov 29, 2016#192016-11-29T19:37+00:00

Excellent project bringing 400+ units to Detroit's historic but faded Brush Park neighborhood just outside downtown and near the new Arena broke ground today... mixed-use, mixed-income, for sale & rental, historic preservation & contemporary new construction all in a tight area.

This City Modern project has some locational advantages over Saint Louis Place, but if something similar could be accomplished with the Northside Regen neighborhood plans that would be an amazing outcome.

St.Louis1764 · PostNov 29, 2016#202016-11-29T23:09+00:00

Detroit is indeed making good progress on its downtown and surrounding area's

STLrainbow · PostNov 29, 2016#212016-11-29T23:28+00:00

^ yeah, what is going on in their greater downtown is amazing, if not miraculous. But their challenge is how to tackle the daunting problems facing a significant amount of the remainder of the 138 square mile city... I think they'd jump at the chance to shed half their acreage outside the core and be STL City-sized.

FirSTLove · PostNov 30, 2016#222016-11-30T01:31+00:00

After doing more reading and research surrounding Detroit it finally began to set in just how dramatic its decline was. Obviously not all sections of STL south city are healthy but a majority of the neighborhoods in Detroit experienced flight and disinvestment analogous to many areas of north city save for their version of the central corridor from Downtown to New Center down Woodward Ave. Really puts things into perspective.

framer · PostNov 30, 2016#232016-11-30T02:56+00:00

STLrainbow wrote: ...what is going on in their greater downtown is amazing, if not miraculous. But their challenge is how to tackle the daunting problems facing a significant amount of the remainder of the 138 square mile city...

Yep. That's what these folks are saying:

http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/2016/11/2 ... meback?amp

gary kreie · PostNov 30, 2016#242016-11-30T15:17+00:00

So Detroit is in Wayne County. How does it help or hurt Detroit to be part of a larger County, as we want St Louis City to be? What city/county services are merged? How does it work there?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

south compton · PostNov 30, 2016#252016-11-30T15:41+00:00

More than anything else, I'd love to see St. Louis do this:

http://www.freep.com/story/news/educati ... /94553894/