February 23, 20178 yr I agree...Cleveland's downtown resurgence has been spurred by a fairly wide variety of developers...but it would be nice to have one main figure like Gilbert - with a chip on their shoulder along with the finances to back it up... His sole purpose is to see DET rise from the ashes (And of course profit from it as well.) Nothing wrong with wishing CLE had the same.
February 23, 20178 yr More importantly is that he does good work. Which raises the bar. In a city with a suffering economy that has a LONG way to go, Detroit's urban renaissance could easily have gone the route of ambiguous, bland, cheap construction/architecture and wound up hurting the built environment's (well, what's left of it) historic quality. Detroit has some amazing historic architecture and it seems Gilbert appreciates that and wants to build the quality modern counterpart to it, not just throw up whatever is quickest and cheapest. Every city benefits from a super wealthy developer who is full blown devoted to their hometown and isn't willing to F**k it over by doing everything on the cheap. His buildings force others to do a better job, something I think everyone wants for their city.
February 23, 20178 yr Let's see what Gilbert does first before we put him in the "Developers Hall of Fame". So far he's done very little to deserve such a$$-kissing from some of you overly negative Cleveland posters!!!
February 23, 20178 yr The Book Tower renovation is enough in and of itself to make me believe in Gilbert.
February 23, 20178 yr I can count 8 sky scrapers that Gilbert has purchased and is currently converting to mixed uses. He also had a hand in luring in adient, Microsoft, Nike, Plante Moran. Also, All of his companies are in downtown Detroit. Part of me believes it's bad to have all eggs in one basket, but certainly good to have a passionate guy with a vision greater than a single project with such deep projects.
February 23, 20178 yr Yeah and the 15,000+ people he employs in downtown Detroit. Hard not to be a little envious.
February 23, 20178 yr Renovations are all fine and dandy, but how many skyscrapers has he built? Is new construction the end-all-be-all of urban development? I'd say no, especially in a city with SO much vacant existing space. Cleveland and Detroit SHOULD be focusing mainly on adaptive reuse. Filling existing space is good for all sectors of real estate, commercial, residential, or otherwise. The time hasn't been right for new construction in Detroit in awhile. But now that it might be that time he's proposing a big new build on a prominent site. Seems pretty logical to me.
February 23, 20178 yr Renovations are all fine and dandy, but how many skyscrapers has he built? Detroit has had, and still does have, tons of eyesore, derelict buildings (including several office towers) that stand graffiti-ed and in ruins. Just rehab these first, which is what developers like Gilbert and John Ferchill from Cleveland (Book Cadillac hotel), are doing in downtown Detroit. ... Look at Cleveland. While one would be crazy to say downtown Cleveland is all the way back or some kind of Nirvana, it's obviously come a long way... Now tell me how many new skyscrapers (or even just high rises) have been built here in the last 10 years? I count 2: E&Y tower and the new Hilton hotel (which is great). The overwhelming bulk of Cleveland's downtown development has been from adaptive reuse, often/usually with empty or largely empty, office buildings being converted into apartments. You've gotta crawl before you can walk... So you might want to ease up on Dan just a bit.
February 23, 20178 yr Also, similar to Clevelands next big skyscraper the feasability and scale of these projects are pinned on some "creative" financing. From http://hudsonssitedetroit.com/: "What happens if the Michigan Thrive Initiative is not passed? Will you still build? Without the Michigan Thrive Initiative, this transformational plan for the Hudson’s site will not be possible. The project will have to be dramatically reduced in scale and impact. It will not have the same potential to be a catalyst for Downtown Detroit and Michigan’s economy, nor will it have the same catalytic economic output that this proposed plan will deliver."
February 24, 20178 yr I'm all for renovations/restorations, don't get me wrong. But there are more than a few posters on here that criticize Starks for not being fast enough in constructing his proposed towers on the one hand, and then on the other hand heaps praise on Gilbert for doing something that he apparently has never done. My guess is that he'll run into a few roadblocks before he breaks ground. The slobberfest for Gilbert is just astonishing!!!?
February 25, 20178 yr Detroit Pistons to build practice facility in New Center The Detroit Pistons are moving to the New Center. The Pistons and Henry Ford Health System have scheduled a 3 p.m. news conference today to announce the new location of the new corporate headquarters and practice facility. The news conference will be held at Gilmour Center at One Ford Place, three blocks from W. Grand Blvd., in the heart of the New Center, where the site is located. More below: http://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2017/02/23/detroit-pistons-practice-facility-midtown/98328256/ "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 2, 20178 yr Photos: Detroit's new Riverfront Plan -- more parks, fewer pricey condos Detroit's east riverfront will not, after all, become the near-exclusive domain of high-end condominium and apartment dwellers. In a bold, new, and more democratic vision unveiled Wednesday evening, city planners showed off a blueprint to create three zones of public parkland on the riverfront where once private development had been scheduled to rise. http://www.freep.com/story/money/business/john-gallagher/2017/03/01/detroit-riverfront-greenways-development-riverwalk/98544290/
March 2, 20178 yr Downtown Detroit Partnership Announces Redesign for Capitol Park The Downtown Detroit Partnership, in collaboration with the city of Detroit, today announced its selection of Toronto-based urban design and landscape architecture firm Public Work as the lead designer for the upcoming Capitol Park renovation. The firm will create and implement a complete park renovation plan for the district, which is expected to begin construction in fall 2017. “DDP continues to demonstrate strength, vision, and leadership in the cultivation of great public spaces,” says Eric Larson, CEO of DDP. “This will be transformational for the area, providing an anchor to our economic and social stewardship. Public Work’s commitment to community engagement, combined with their unique design approach, made them the perfect fit for this project.” More below: http://www.dbusiness.com/daily-news/Annual-2017/Downtown-Detroit-Partnership-Announces-Redesign-for-Capitol-Park/ "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 2, 20178 yr Woodpile BBQ Shack heading to New Center area Woodpile BBQ Shack is the latest newcomer to Detroit’s already sizzling-hot restaurant scene, the restaurant confirmed Sunday. The Clawson-based restaurant announced it will open a second location, joining Detroit’s New Center area near the Fisher building. The new eatery and bar is expected to open early next year. It will be located in a 2,000 square ground floor space at 6402 Woodward. More below: http://www.detroitnews.com/story/entertainment/dining/2017/02/26/woodpile-bbq-shack-heading-new-center-area/98465344/ "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 2, 20178 yr Beaumont gets green light to redevelop shopping center in Royal Oak Beaumont Health is cleared to begin construction of a 183,000-square-foot mixed-use center in Royal Oak this summer after the city commission approved a zoning change Monday. The former Northwood Shopping Center at the southwest corner of Woodward Avenue and 13 Mile Road is being demolished to make way for the new development on the 15-acre property. A campus comprised of five main buildings will offer a grocery store, a 70,000-square-foot five-story hotel, restaurants and 110,000 square feet of retail space. The 183,000-square-foot complex will feature green space, landscape gardens and an assemblage area to host festivals and fairs. More below: http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20170228/NEWS/170229816/beaumont-gets-green-light-to-redevelop-shopping-center-in-royal-oak "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 2, 20178 yr Gordie Howe bridge to include path for bikers, walkers When the Gordie Howe International Bridge is built, biking and hiking will be a part of the border crossing. The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority said Wednesday that multi-use paths are going to be included in the new span as a result of public feedback and consultation in both the Canadian and Michigan sides of the Detroit River. Authority officials say they have not determined how the specific path will be designed but they anticipate “that the multi-use path will be one lane that will accommodate two-way pedestrian and cyclist traffic and that pedestrians and cyclists will be separated from traffic by barriers,” according to a new release. More below: http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2017/03/01/gordie-howe-bridge-include-path-bikers-walkers/98604926/ "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 2, 20178 yr Orleans Landing update More riverfront renderings: More below: https://www.facebook.com/pg/OrleansLanding/photos/ "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 3, 20178 yr Small developers target Detroit’s near east side Investment in the city’s near east side goes beyond plans to overhaul the riverfront. A growing number of small developers are set on reviving buildings and even building anew in the long neglected area. One such project would convert a former Catholic school in the Islandview neighborhood to a building of 25 residential units of more than 1,000 square feet each with 14-foot ceilings. The plan is to create apartments in the former classrooms of the vacant St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School in the 1400 block of Townsend. A new top floor is planned and local artists will be commissioned to help decorate. More below: http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2017/03/02/small-developers-target-detroits-near-east-side/98669732/ "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 3, 20178 yr Detroit’s Riverfront Is Getting A New Beach As part of plans for a sweeping redesign including 7.5 acres of new parks on Detroit’s riverfront, Detroit is getting a new beach. “Atwater Beach” as it is named would be located along the riverfront just east of Chene street. It would be ready in 2018. More below: http://www.dailydetroit.com/2017/03/01/detroits-riverfront-getting-new-beach/ "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 3, 20178 yr East Jefferson Avenue Update http://detroit.curbed.com/2017/3/2/14794900/east-jefferson-street-design-intersection --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stone Soap Building rehab http://detroit.curbed.com/2017/3/2/14789196/stone-soap-building-riverfront-redevelopment "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 3, 20178 yr East Jefferson has always been my favorite Detroit main street. It has a lot of potential as well as (already) significant commercial and high-end apt/condo development because of its location along the Detroit River (along with the Belle Isle access). I sure wish RTA would bend the Q-Line LRT east out Jefferson as well as narrow Jefferson by a lane on both sides, along with widening the sidewalks, to make it more walkable. This would make Jefferson more urban and less suburban in feel... This LRT should be extended into Grosse Pointe and would serve the Villages (formerly Indian Village), which is one of the more desirable in-city neighborhoods, with old apartment mid-rises along Agnes Street and mini-mansions (as well as a couple outright mansions) no crossing streets.
March 3, 20178 yr If the Motor City can add bike lanes like that ... the cities that aren't building bike lanes should be ashamed!
March 3, 20178 yr Detroit has very wide streets and no residents to complain about them taking lanes. Cincinnati does not have many wide streets, and the ones that are wide don't go to the places bicyclists would most likely travel to.
March 6, 20178 yr How Detroit's tallest skyscraper would be built at former Hudson's site Joe Guziewicz spent much of the past 20 years building high-rise hotels and casino towers around the country for Caesars Entertainment. Now he’s bringing that skyscraper expertise to building what promises to become the tallest building on Detroit’s skyline. Businessman Dan Gilbert hired Guziewicz a year ago to build his stunningly ambitious project on the Hudson’s block downtown — a 1.5-million-square-foot mixed-use array of residential, retail, office, entertainment and civic space all wrapped up in an eye-popping architectural package. But as Guziewicz told me this week, going from concept to ribbon-cutting demands an incredibly complex ballet of construction workers, traffic control and coordination with all the other construction projects on the boards now. Those other projects include those by Gilbert himself that Guziewicz will juggle as vice president of construction for Gilbert’s Bedrock real estate arm. “It’s just this incredible logistics dance,” he said. More below: http://www.freep.com/story/money/business/john-gallagher/2017/03/02/gilbert-bedrock-detroit-hudsons-project-intricate-dance/98641776/ "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 9, 20178 yr Little Ceasars Arena coming along! Olympia Development "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 9, 20178 yr Two New Greenways To Connect Riverfront To East Side Neighborhoods Of The City If you love the Dequindre Cut, you might like this development. Two new “Dequindre Cut” style greenways will be built along the East Riverfront to connect east side residents to the RiverWalk. The information was revealed at a presentation Wednesday night where the city of Detroit and the Riverfront Conservancy talked about plans for the future of the East Riverfront. More below: http://www.dailydetroit.com/2017/03/01/two-new-greenways-connect-riverfront-east-side-neighborhoods-city/ "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 10, 20178 yr Gordie Howe bridge to include path for bikers, walkers When the Gordie Howe International Bridge is built, biking and hiking will be a part of the border crossing. The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority said Wednesday that multi-use paths are going to be included in the new span as a result of public feedback and consultation in both the Canadian and Michigan sides of the Detroit River. Authority officials say they have not determined how the specific path will be designed but they anticipate “that the multi-use path will be one lane that will accommodate two-way pedestrian and cyclist traffic and that pedestrians and cyclists will be separated from traffic by barriers,” according to a new release. More below: http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2017/03/01/gordie-howe-bridge-include-path-bikers-walkers/98604926/ So this is how they are going to do it... "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 13, 20178 yr Good post, Shiver-Me-Timbers, er Fallen Timbers, er Just In Timberlake. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
March 13, 20178 yr Quiet, KGB. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 13, 20178 yr Good idea. We're always listening. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
March 17, 20178 yr Little Caesars Arena and District Detroit progress photos From: https://www.facebook.com/pg/LittleCaesarsArenaDetroit/photos/ "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 17, 20178 yr City Modern showcase center opens for Brush Park condos The sales center for the largest new residential development in Detroit opens this week, but 39 City Modern condominiums are already on the market and moving briskly, with prices ranging from $230,000 to $800,000 for the new Brush Park units. The City Modern Presentation Center, 318 Edmund Place, is where interested buyers can get a look at the project that will overhaul 8.4 acres of mostly urban prairie in the Brush Park neighborhood just north of downtown. The presentation center is open daily, except Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. City Modern is a $100 million development that will have a mix of apartment complexes, carriage homes, townhomes and duplexes, all of which should be finished by 2020. Once complete, there will be 410 new units of housing and 22,000 square feet of retail space. All will have a modern design scheme that contrasts with the historical Victorian mansions in the neighborhood. The Dan Gilbert-led project will also renovate four Victorian homes on Alfred. In total, 107 of the new residences will be for sale; the other 303 will be rental units. More below: http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2017/03/16/city-modern-condos-brush-park/99271192/ "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 18, 20178 yr Density! Something like this would be great on the former Max Hayes site at 45th/Detroit. Too bad the CMSD and Mayor have no vision.....
March 18, 20178 yr I'm really into those carriage homes. Cleveland could definitely take a few hints from this development overall.
March 20, 20178 yr Birmingham seeks builder for multimillion-dollar project The main thrust of the RFQ calls for replacing the North Old Woodward parking structure with an eight-story parking facility providing about 1,200 parking spaces, a move that will add about 400 new spaces to the downtown. Some concepts for the site include a retail component wrapped around the main floor of the parking structure. The RFQ also includes the possibility of developing a pair of five-story office buildings, one on North Old Woodward and the other on Willits, along with a five-story residential complex behind the deck overlooking the Rouge River. Birmingham architect Victor Saroki, who was hired by the city to help oversee the development plans, expects those three projects to attract national interest. More below: http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/oakland/2017/03/17/birmingham-seeks-builder-multimillion-dollar-project/99325442/ "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 20, 20178 yr More shots of Lil' Cease's Arena! More below: http://wingsarena.tumblr.com/ "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 20, 20178 yr Detroit’s Resurgence Brings New Housing Concerns Concerns about the downsides of gentrification are coming to the country’s poorest major city. After decades of decay, Detroit is experiencing a surprise luxury apartment boom, with some 2,000 new units under construction or recently finished, primarily in the downtown area. The trend toward urban living has made its way to Detroit, leading to a sharp uptick in demand for downtown apartments. The downtown has seen an influx of about 20,000 jobs over the past six years, and many of those workers want to walk to work. The boom has helped transform abandoned office buildings and bring retail and restaurants to the area. In recent weeks, Shake Shack and eyeglass seller Warby Parker have both opened in downtown Detroit. More below: https://www.wsj.com/articles/detroits-resurgence-brings-new-housing-concerns-1489982402?mod=e2tw "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 20, 20178 yr brush park condos look great, we will have to watch how they sell -- and i cannot wait to see the new dan gilbert tower go up on the old hudson block site.
March 23, 20178 yr Northland Mall's possible future: Pricey condos You’d drive up to an old Macy’s department store, pull right inside and drive up two, three, even four floors to an indoor parking spot — just down the hall from your luxury loft condo. No worries: Shopping is just a stroll away or elevator ride away. Leading to stores and dining would be quiet hallways, some boasting the collectible mid-century-modern art that once adorned Northland Center — the largest shopping center in the nation when it opened in 1954. Now, Northland's former anchor store, known to generations of Detroiters as J.L. Hudson's, could soon reinvent itself as luxury lofts that look out on landscaped parks, restaurants, stores and acres of new offices. More below: http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2017/03/22/southfield-mayor-sees-new-life-northland-mall/99476090/ "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 24, 20178 yr Little Caesars Arena's latest photos! Courtesy of http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2017/03/via_trusses_little_caesars_are.html#incart_river_home "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 24, 20178 yr Cobo looks to expand, raise funds Cobo Center is considering another possible major expansion and shoring up its funding. Hundreds of thousands of visitors are at Cobo for the Detroit auto show this week, but officials are looking years down the road to keep the convention center on a solid financial path. In six years, a tax subsidy for Cobo ends. The regional authority that controls Cobo has to find another source for that money, which currently is $7 million a year. The center has an annual operating budget of about $16 million. One of the ideas being explored is selling the naming rights; historians say the convention center is named after the wrong official — Albert E. Cobo, a ’50s-era Detroit mayor who campaigned against the “Negro invasion” of white neighborhoods, among other things. More below: http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/2016/01/14/detroit-cobo-convention-center/79145190/ "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 29, 20178 yr Jolly Pumpkin owner plans 'meat-themed' restaurant on Selden in Midtown An owner of Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales is expected to open a restaurant in a vacant Midtown building as part of a $1 million Michigan Strategic Fund loan approved Tuesday in Lansing. Jon Carlson, a co-founder and managing partner of Northern United Brewing Co., which brews for Jolly Pumpkin, plans a "meat-themed Up North-style destination restaurant" as part of a $7.24 million redevelopment by an affiliate of Midtown Detroit Inc. on Selden Street just west of Second Avenue, according to an MSF briefing memo. More below: http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20170328/NEWS/170329817/jolly-pumpkin-owner-plans-meat-themed-restaurant-on-selden-in-midtown "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 29, 20178 yr Pontiac, Silverdome owner agree to demolition in court settlement The Pontiac Silverdome will be demolished in the next several months under an agreement reached between the city and the stadium's ownership group. If it comes to fruition, it would mark the next major step in finding a new use for the 127.5-acre site that used to host tens of thousands of Detroit Lions fans when the team played there until moving to Ford Field downtown in 2002. More below: http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20170328/NEWS/170329804/pontiac-silverdome-owner-agree-to-demolition-in-court-settlement "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 29, 20178 yr Michigan OK's more than $23M in aid for Gilbert's Brush Park project The Michigan Strategic Fund today approved incentive payments worth some $23 million in loans and reimbursements to businessman Dan Gilbert's organization to support construction of his ambitious City Modern residential and retail project in Detroit's Brush Park district. The fund's board approved a loan totaling $7.5 million plus $15.8 million in reimbursements over 20 years to alleviate lead and asbestos abatement in the soil and removal of underground storage tanks, among other tasks. The one-acre site covered by the $7.5 million loan — a portion of the total 8.4-acre City Modern project area — will see construction of approximately 69 residential units and about 7,900 square feet of retail space and two levels of underground parking with 136 spaces. More below: http://www.freep.com/story/money/business/john-gallagher/2017/03/28/detroit-gilbert-bedrock-brownfield-development/99702172/ "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 29, 20178 yr Big Boy demolition and historic rehabs planned in Detroit's Islandview One of Detroit's most active development teams sees the potential in large-scale projects that will have immediate and obvious impact on the central city. But they also recognize how, in a city the size of Detroit, targeted smaller projects deliver value in a different way: They re-create community. And for The Platform, that is personal. Founders Dietrich Knoer and Peter Cummings are proud of their restoration of the iconic Fisher Building and projects in Midtown and the New Center. More below: http://www.mlive.com/business/index.ssf/2017/03/big_boy_and_blight_demolition.html#incart_gallery "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 29, 20178 yr Yeah, I can't imagine any other option for Pontiac Silverdome than demolition. Even my beloved Tiger Stadium likely had to be demolished. As much as I loved it, it's tough to redevelop a stadium into anything else. They're not like warehouses and factories than can be easily turned into lofts or offices. And they're not like office buildings and schools that can be easily turned into apartments or condos.
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