Does anyone know what's being planned for this area?

**jtf1972** · February-02-13, 09:06 PM

I drove by the site after work [[in the snowstorm) and could immediately tell the amount of clearing that has already taken place. That they cleared most of the two buildings across Chene from the post office is fantastic alone!

I wonder if the number of fires in this neighborhood during the past year may have had anything to do with this... Hmmm...

**Honky Tonk** · February-02-13, 10:44 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

The restoration of natural water features will go a long way. Currently Detroit has a combined sewer overflow problem. This means that when normally seperated sewers get too much rainfall the result is poop and pee in Detroiter's basements as well as in places like beaches. The City was going to launch a multi-billion dollar project to correct this [[remember when the fences were around rouge park then suddenly went away?) However it was realized that they could save water and sewer customers approximately 3/4ths the cost by putting in green infastructure instead. If you have noticed, they have been working with Greening of Detroit and others to plant trees as phase one on publicly owned land.

Ah yes, the Greenies of Detroit. Vigilantly planting trees on top of more trees. obscuring visibility, creating more blind spots, and forcing more citizens to walk in the middle of the road, for fear of getting accosted or mugged. What a cracker-jack organization they are. Now I'm even more confident then ever Detroit is on the right path to recovery with this project. Again, who's going to maintain this and take care of this? The City keeps announcing more City service cut-backs, yet they're creating something that going to require City Services. Nothing like priorities.

**hybridy** · February-03-13, 12:52 AM

Send all your inquiries/concerns to Stephen Vogel. He used to be dean of UDM SOA and is the literal and figurative architect heading this up. I assume he still lives in Rosedale Park.

**Gannon** · February-03-13, 06:02 AM

I just drove through on the way home from the Magic City Soul event at CAID, and some of my concerns...and that mystery of the zero private parcel purchases for D1...have been resolved a bit. They haven't touched the best of the houses within that area, and the people are still living in them. At least four houses remain occupied...they've mostly cleared the overgrowth.

It would've been nice to have had that reviewed before it was torn up, though, there might've been something truly special growing wild that could've been saved, or at least had some cuttings taken from it. Lotsa old-school immigrants and transplants brought their familiar plants and flowers and fruit trees...and many cultivated roses and such.

At least two houses still standing look recently occupied, but obviously abandoned/empty. I was surprised to see them up. And this is a tinier area than I was expecting...it is surely just the Demonstration I, zero private land transfer costs with those two city-owned properties somehow magically transferring to the project for that NA price.

Just as I drove by, an older gentleman was scattering salt in front of the door to that fabulous metal fabricator with those huge windmills and the grand gateway...I wanted to ask him what he thought about the project, but didn't want to freak the dude out at five in the morning. But he's got newfound waterfront property now, if this project succeeds.

I didn't have the heart to tell him they didn't include him in any of their projected graphics...he isn't in their future timeline!

Cheers!

**Gannon** · February-03-13, 03:52 PM

Originally Posted by Jimaz

Tax increment financing

Thanks, Jim...just saw your post, don't know how I missed it.

So, bankers have now found a way to skim profits off of the imagined future value of the taxes generated by the adjacent properties...vaporous.

And someone his friends are now calling brilliant has created the loan insurance to cover the downside of this, creating many hundreds of new seemingly-balanced derivatives contracts in the process.

Good lord...I cannot imagine how those like Warren Buffet sleep at night, knowing the potential of all these cards building our economic system crashing down unlike any time in history.

That 2008 thing came pretty close to devastating the nation, and ramifications of it are still being felt around the entire world.

**Gannon** · February-03-13, 03:59 PM

OK, back to the thread at hand.

What're the odds on whom within the Bing administration will be the fall guy for the illegal land transfer? Who's the next to fall from grace?!

And will any of this become known before the EFM is assigned by Snydley?

One wonders whose pockets have been greased and palms filled by the movers and shakers of this project? If Baron gave significantly to Snydley's campaign, it might be a tell on his potential pre-knowledge on the timing of the regime change. There is SOMETHING to the timing of this bold action, and I'm merely guessing some potentials...nothing more.

Cheers!

**Gannon** · February-03-13, 05:29 PM

I wonder if there is anything like karma with dirt.

Looking at this plan, they will be disturbing many tons of it to unearth these sewers and shine some daylight on what they say will be healthy creeks when they're done.

How long has the incinerator been spewing toxic crap over that area?! Twenty something years...

Ground has to be remediated for gardening, for sure...but is this going to be something akin to how they say asbestos is handled best, by stirring it up the least?! What happens with airborne fine lead particles? One would think they'd not travel far, but perhaps fill a few filters on the way to landing. Bad enough if they're in engines, worse if they're within life. Lungs are filters.

I'm just asking every question which pops into my over-caffeinated noggin.

There'd be an odd karmic whiplash if it turns out the old, abused, worn-out Black Bottom dirt came back to haunt those who wish to profit off it again. Mystic Poetry.

**Packman41** · February-03-13, 06:16 PM

[QUOTE=Gannon;365605]Thanks, Jim...just saw your post, don't know how I missed it.

So, bankers have now found a way to skim profits off of the imagined future value of the taxes generated by the adjacent properties...vaporous.

Good lord...I cannot imagine how those like Warren Buffet sleep at night /QUOTE]

Ummm, sorry, but the bankers are totally blameless here.

TIF was the creation of California politicians/government in order to lure developers into starting redevelopment projects when bankers would not lend.

Bankers, using their normal, common-sense underwriting standards, could NOT justify making any loans so government “leaders” needed to “do something” and TIF was created.

Vaporous? Definitely, that is why it “works” for politicians.

And that is why bankers can sleep at night. As for politicians, they are never held accountable, so they sleep well at night too.

Source: http://www.lincolninst.edu/pubs/1078...ment-Financing

”TIF expenditures are often debt financed in anticipation of future tax revenues. The practice dates to California in 1952, where it started as an innovative way of raising local matching funds for federal grants. TIF became increasingly popular in the 1980s and 1990s, when there were declines in subsidies for local economic development from federal grants, state grants, and federal tax subsidies [[especially industrial development bonds). In many cases TIF is “the only game in town” for financing local economic development.”

**Gannon** · February-03-13, 08:05 PM

Thanks for that...1952?! Damn. Sounds like these would be the underpinnings of empty municipal bond sales, then.

I'm sure since then the bankers have become more willing participants!

Good stuff, though.

**neavling** · February-04-13, 03:47 PM

Here is a link to photos of the project. You can see the property and the vacant school, church and houses that will be cleared. The crews are not messing around, even in this snow storm. http://motorcitymuckraker.com/2013/0...-on-east-side/

**Gannon** · February-04-13, 04:18 PM

Yeah, they were out when I passed by after 8 this morning. They were all busy sculpting the dirt at the curb across from MetalDoctor's joint...the Iron Windmill farm.

Have you had the chance to get any information out of that one hold-out in the middle of the block...or those two at the eastern end? Looks like at least three viable, occupied homes.

Makes me wish I would've befriended that one insistent woman who always nicely called to me as I drove by when I lived in the market...would've loved to get the street-level information on all this.

Where're the street prophets when you need 'em?!

Cheers!
John

**neavling** · February-04-13, 06:16 PM

Gannon, the owner of the modern house with graffiti on it has refused to sell his property to the school, which wants it for their athletic field. I've tried talking to the other few residents but haven't been able to get them when they're at home.

**dmike76** · February-04-13, 10:02 PM

This is such a bizarre story. If this is true, its complete stupidity. It just doesn't make sense. I need to hear some more details.

**neavling** · February-05-13, 04:47 AM

The crews already demolished the houses. The school and church are next.

**Gannon** · February-05-13, 06:26 AM

Originally Posted by neavling

Gannon, the owner of the modern house with graffiti on it has refused to sell his property to the school, which wants it for their athletic field. I've tried talking to the other few residents but haven't been able to get them when they're at home.

Wow, I thought that one was long abandoned, although I did see that someone put new doors on it. It was trashed inside, but it looked simple enough to fix, the structure is quite sound. It should be, not six years old yet I don't think.

If I notice any pattern in timing with the lights, that middle house seems to be the strongest hold-out, I'll drop you a private note on your website. I really respect the legwork you do, and very thorough reporting.

It was fun to read the details from your article, while laughing at the WDIV intern's admission that they had nothing. And knew less. That's why I'm HOPING they are merely interns.

Cheers,
John

**Gannon** · February-05-13, 10:11 AM

Drove by this morning, after another delicious Zeff's breakfast. They did knock down two more shacks, and I saw a couple of official-looking black GMC SUVs parked near the other ones.

I was going to avoid them, but glad I didn't. After my second loop, since I was counting occupied houses and didn't want to miss anything...I drove by those last two, and happened to glance between the SUVs to see a fellow putting a padlock on one of the gates.

So I drove on, but waited for him at the end of the block.

He has NO IDEA what is happening all around his family's homestead, since 1920. No idea.

I'll e-mail you with the specifics, not going to share any more here until I get his explicit permission. Got a blanket enthusiastic one during our conversation on the street, but I'm not sure he understands the potential of broadcasting.

Cheers

**dmike76** · February-05-13, 11:32 AM

Isn't it possible that Bing is just tearing down homes? I know he's been stepping on the gas with that. It's not illegal and he doesn't have to have the clownsil's permission. It just seems so unlikely that he would so obviously do something so illegal.
Anyway, IF that greenspace pdf is the actual plan, I wonder what if any of the money from the Kresge Foundation would help to fund it.

**Gannon** · February-05-13, 12:16 PM

UNLESS he knew Council was going to be rendered moot with the insurgence of an Emergency Financial Mismanager from Snydely.

Unless he knew, and Baron knew, that the EFM was less than a few months away.

That is my guess...and I'm sticking to it.

It looks like Kresge's cash is enough to get the D1 portion of the plan started. With the diesel fuel for the bulldozers and back-hos...since D1 and D2 together are estimated at $33,211,200 and I thought Kresge's public involvement thus far was in the $450,000 range. [[if I'm off even by an order of magnitude here, while significant, it isn't in the overall $1billion scheme)

Sincerely,
John

**dmike76** · February-05-13, 12:32 PM

Yeah, I figured that if sneaking this by the Clownsil is true, then I thought that he may be trying to time this with the EFM. Still though....one would think that he'd wait until Snyder announced it.

**neavling** · February-05-13, 12:42 PM

Another strategy Bing has tried in the past is to drum up support for the project so that he has the momentum going into council meetings. For whatever reason, the exchange of property drives a lot of Detroiters nuts.

John, thanks for the compliments!

**Gannon** · February-05-13, 02:47 PM

Originally Posted by neavling

Another strategy Bing has tried in the past is to drum up support for the project so that he has the momentum going into council meetings. For whatever reason, the exchange of property drives a lot of Detroiters nuts.

John, thanks for the compliments!

I calls 'em as I sees 'em.

I'm concerned, Steve. Did you see in the D1 portion of their plan, which this most surely is, they claim only 2 city-owned properties and NO private properties. It looks like this is only D1, so I don't see how they can claim so few parcels in this area. D2 is larger, and has only 2 publicly-owned and 17 privately-held parcels. I cannot see the boundaries of the two, though.

Good Lord, I just went through the plan again to find that D2 acreage and divisions, and found on page 7 the most outrageous claim. This one should be false advertising, actually.

"One Simple Move" "Vacant Land -> Open Space"

One simple, BILLION DOLLAR move for him, many hundreds of painful moves in ten years to get there.

Who're they trying to kid? Oh yeah, everyone they are going to invite to see what they do with D1 and D2.

Cheers!

**Gorath** · February-05-13, 04:12 PM

On page 34 of the PDF file there is a plan for D1.

D1 looks like it's mostly an extension of the Dequindre Cut from Gratiot to Wilkins. With a new water feature! What they are doing now isn't what they had planned as D1.

I'm not sure what they are doing. Maybe it's D2. Or maybe it's just athletic fields for the school. Even if it is just going to be athletic fields for the school are they setting aside space for the day lighting plan? Did they abandon the old demonstration plan and will now daylight this area and build athletic fields as the new demonstration plan?

On page 34 of the PDF there is this budget chart for D1 & D2.

It looks like most of the budget for D2 is set aside for sewer separation & streetscaping.

I couldn't find a plan for D2 but on page 17 is this plan on sewer & storm water separation.

I'm speculating that D2 is area 2C on the plan above. And primary will consist of separating the sewer and storm water. The storm water from 2C will then empty into D1. In the process of separating the sewer and storm water streets will get torn up, so that is where the sreetscaping money will be applied.

What are they doing now is the question.

**Gannon** · February-05-13, 09:24 PM

Gorath,

Wow, thanks...

I think your speculation is off...the D's are not outside Zone 1. What you reference is decidedly Zone 2.

From everything you illuminated, as well as zooming on the map on page 31 on the lower left...we can see that Zone 1 is bounded by Mack on the North.

If we subtract D1 [[which now makes sense, as there are no residential properties in that area that I know of) from that area...which is OUTSIDE the area they are working on now...it leaves precious little for D2 beyond what they are clearing now.

It fits according to their schedule, because they've got to get this done in order to sell the rest of the project. They've been nice enough to give Gantt charts for each phase.

So, I'm a bit less stirred up about the NA cost estimate for land purchases in D1...excepting that at least two publicly-owned properties on each of D1 and D2 must change hands, and from what I understand Council needs to approve of such things. I'd think they'd be concerned with four parcels going missing from the inventory. Ahem.

But it looks like MetalDoctor's Windmills are going to get sunk, and our 1920 Homesteaders get a creekside or pondside southern view. Sure, in my dream world. But that IS what the rendering appears to show.

Again, don't get me wrong. I think this plan is somewhat revolutionary, at least when it was first imagined...hell, from thirty years ago I'd even call it visionary. I love the concept, I'm just not happy with the application thus far.

Thanks, Gorath for tempering my alarm, with the chance that this could merely be the sports field. I think they merely started on D2, because they can DO this stuff during the Winter. Things they have planned for D1 seem only fit for after the Spring thaw.

Cheers

**getmoore** · February-07-13, 07:41 AM

Just a few minutes ago my Hubby reported seeing a police officer snapping pics of the site and of the construction equipment. He also said the area looks a lot more cleared out.

**Gannon** · February-07-13, 08:01 AM

Was it a bald, young white cop, looking like he works out with free-weights all the time?! Police vehicle, or old Detroit iron? DID he burn rubber on the way out?!

Just curious. Might only be a concerned citizen tourist, but it might be something official. But if so, you'd think there'd be more than one.

I'm sure nothing was stolen, they've got a security detail on-site now that likes to shine spotlights on people driving by. Smile for the camera!

Cheers