Bedrock goes back to work. 2 new renovations, 1 new construction all @ capitol park

[Huggybear]

Great news. Just wondering though. How it is that Dan Gilbert has been able to buy up so many properties relatively quickly, when some properties languished for years during the 90s and 00s because property owners were holding out for a big paycheck? Has Gilbert been paying top dollar or has he found another way to get these property owners to sell their property?

If I recall correctly, the DDA had acquired a good amount of that property [[the corner building everyone loves is definitely in that category) and cleared title relatively recently [[as in the past couple of years) - and that was the point in time where the area was put out to RFPs.

HB

[emu steve]

If Trump was to built his real estate empire in Detroit, poor folks will be gone in 10 years. And a 100 year story Trump Tower will be in place where Hudson's Building used to stood.

Yep, Trump's style doesn't fit Detroit.

Detroit is perfect for the Gilbert style, just take a bunch of smaller steps, minus the hype and glitz.

Detroit is better off with 15 Gilbert buildings than one huge skyscraper...

[stinkytofu]

Capitol Park's redevelopment is going crazy now. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I count seven buildings either currently redeveloped or with imminent plans to begin...plus the new construction on strip club parking lot...

1) United Way Building - currently being renovated
2) The Albert - currently being renovated
3) Bamlet Building - currently being renovated
4) Capitol Park Building - renovation to begin end of summer
5) Farwell Building - renovation to begin 4Q of 2014
6) 45 W. Grand River - not sure timetable, but Gilbert building so expect soon
7) 119 State Street - not sure timetable, but Gilbert building so expect soon
8) Empty parking lot at 28 W. Grand River

I walked through at lunch today and the construction going on between the three buildings currently being rehabbed very exciting. Seeing those wrap up then spreading to the other four buildings...whoa. Talk about a complete and utter transformation of a neighborhood within a 18-24 month period.

[downtownguy]

Bedrock at work on 1265 Griswold, adjacent to the Farwell. Urban Bean in background right. Does this building have a name? Always loved it's rounded corner.

I used to hear it referred to as the "Blue Building," but that was before they sandblasted all that paint off of it. I guess Bamlet Building sounds classier than "Formerly Blue Building."

[MSUguy]

If I recall correctly, the DDA had acquired a good amount of that property [[the corner building everyone loves is definitely in that category) and cleared title relatively recently [[as in the past couple of years) - and that was the point in time where the area was put out to RFPs.
HB

Those building weren't bought by Gilbert those went to a Lansing area developer Karp and Associates.

[emu steve]

Capitol Park's redevelopment is going crazy now. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I count seven buildings either currently redeveloped or with imminent plans to begin...plus the new construction on strip club parking lot...

1) United Way Building - currently being renovated
2) The Albert - currently being renovated
3) Bamlet Building - currently being renovated
4) Capitol Park Building - renovation to begin end of summer
5) Farwell Building - renovation to begin 4Q of 2014
6) 45 W. Grand River - not sure timetable, but Gilbert building so expect soon
7) 119 State Street - not sure timetable, but Gilbert building so expect soon
8) Empty parking lot at 28 W. Grand River

I walked through at lunch today and the construction going on between the three buildings currently being rehabbed very exciting. Seeing those wrap up then spreading to the other four buildings...whoa. Talk about a complete and utter transformation of a neighborhood within a 18-24 month period.

Folks in Detroit [[at least those concerned about downtown Detroit and Midtown) should learn to tune out the naysayers be it here [[won't mention posters by name; everyone knows who they are) or in the media.

The only reason folks might be downcast about downtown Detroit is that it had SO FAR to come back to be the 'Comeback City.'

Another 5 or 10 years of this will be totally transformative.

I wish we had a list of parking lots as of today and we start crossing them off as they become buildings.

28 W. Grand River.
We've discussed surface parking lot behind the Park Tavern [[probable parking garage for the new arena)

[stinkytofu]

Folks in Detroit [[at least those concerned about downtown Detroit and Midtown) should learn to tune out the naysayers be it here [[won't mention posters by name; everyone knows who they are) or in the media.

The only reason folks might be downcast about downtown Detroit is that it had SO FAR to come back to be the 'Comeback City.'

Another 5 or 10 years of this will be totally transformative.

I wish we had a list of parking lots as of today and we start crossing them off as they become buildings.

28 W. Grand River.
We've discussed surface parking lot behind the Park Tavern [[probable parking garage for the new arena)

I was pleasantly surprised that in the MLive article regarding the new construction at 28 W. Grand River the spokesman said it would contain residential with ground floor retail...and not a parking garage. I have to imagine a parking garage will be a must at some point given all the new folks who will be there?

[swingline]

The sale of 45 W. Grand River, owned by historic preservationist Dennis Keffallinos and a beautiful gem of a restoration that he sandblasted to within an inch of its life, is particularly disappointing. Bedrock is certain to banish the helpful young men constantly stationed outside the building's party store entrance for the past few years. Now, where are downtown residents and workers supposed to go for their weed and rock purchases? With the old set up, you didn't even have to get out of your car. Heck, they were so nice, they even worked when it rained.

[leland_palmer]

I have a few photos of the Bedrock owned properties including some shot during the Keffallinos renovations.

http://fadeddetroit.blogspot.com/2014/05/capital-park-on-rise.html

[stasu1213]

I wished the City of Detroit would had sold Lafayette Towers to Gilbert instead of Greg Jackson whom hasn't done any renovations to the buildings and they are steadily declining while he raise the rent

[Huggybear]

I wished the City of Detroit would had sold Lafayette Towers to Gilbert instead of Greg Jackson whom hasn't done any renovations to the buildings and they are steadily declining while he raise the rent

Gilbert didn't want them. Presumably because with as many layers of historic protections as those buildings have, he wouldn't have been able to paint anything inside lime green. But seriously, those buildings were way out of code.

HB

[Huggybear]

I wish we had a list of parking lots as of today and we start crossing them off as they become buildings.

It might shock you, but the Downtown Synagogue has some old Fire Dept maps that show some of those have been parking lots basically since the beginning.

HB

[antongast]

The only reason folks might be downcast about downtown Detroit is that it had SO FAR to come back to be the 'Comeback City.'

Or perhaps because their vision of a positive outcome is more nuanced than "lots of development happening."

[stasu1213]

Gilbert didn't want them. Presumably because with as many layers of historic protections as those buildings have, he wouldn't have been able to paint anything inside lime green. But seriously, those buildings were way out of code.

HB

Mr Jackson probably knew about the layers of historic protections. He could hide behind that to keep from doing something to those buildings

[DetroitPlanner]

I hear Gilbert is going to turn one of those cesspools into the house of blues and the other one a cheesecake factory and the kids from Glee are going to open them up.

[Huggybear]

Mr Jackson probably knew about the layers of historic protections. He could hide behind that to keep from doing something to those buildings

I think you would find that despite the architectural cache, Lafayette Towers were cheaply constructed and not well maintained over the past 50 years. For as much as people want to complain about rents in Lafayette Park, they're not high enough yet to attract the capital needed to bring places like this into the 21st century [[stating with the massively energy-inefficient original exterior glass panes that make up 85%+ of the exterior of the two buildings). And if we have learned one thing about the Gilbert acquisitions, it is that the organization specializes in distressed properties that are functional without major work [[unless, of course, the major work is required to make the property "cool," like the Federal Reserve Building that now unintentionally looks like Skeletor).

HB

[stasu1213]

I think you would find that despite the architectural cache, Lafayette Towers were cheaply constructed and not well maintained over the past 50 years. For as much as people want to complain about rents in Lafayette Park, they're not high enough yet to attract the capital needed to bring places like this into the 21st century [[stating with the massively energy-inefficient original exterior glass panes that make up 85%+ of the exterior of the two buildings). And if we have learned one thing about the Gilbert acquisitions, it is that the organization specializes in distressed properties that are functional without major work [[unless, of course, the major work is required to make the property "cool," like the Federal Reserve Building that now unintentionally looks like Skeletor).

HB

Wasn't the Pavilion made with a similar design and was renovated a few years back? Lafayette Towers could also be renovated. No excuses. My friend was told by management that it would cost thousands to put a fence around the property. Spend the money being that the property was only purchased for only $5 million. I believe that the owner knew about the historical preservation of the property before buying it. It could be use as an excuse not to put any money into the property due to not having money to bring it back to the condition it was 50 plus years ago

[motz]

I hear Gilbert is going to turn one of those cesspools into the house of blues and the other one a cheesecake factory and the kids from Glee are going to open them up.

Is he finally going to bring the long-rumored URBAN OUTFITTERS to downtown too?!