Brewster Wheeler Rec Center

[Mackinaw]

Brilliant-- that's huge, and indicative of a quality site plan. I see the open space also alluded to in the press release as part of an outdoor rec center that additional mid-rise residential should be built around on the Brewster tower site.

[canuck]

Brewster and St Antoine, that sounds familiar, about a 5 minute walk from my house...

https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.48330...8Q!2e0!6m1!1e1

[emu steve]

Brilliant-- that's huge, and indicative of a quality site plan. I see the open space also alluded to in the press release as part of an outdoor rec center that additional mid-rise residential should be built around on the Brewster tower site.

And if I'm reading this correctly, I can't see any Duggan Detroit money.

There seems to be two parts to the project and each has its own funding.

Correct?

BTW, is the housing going to be south of Alfred???

[ABetterDetroit]

I stand corrected by the facts in the announcement. Its great to see housing in the devolopment and the city to secure its intrests before the groundbreaking.

[gumby]

http://www.freep.com/story/news/loca...ment/25773209/

Man, are the details different then the first posts here.

Re-reading it: 37M in new construction and 15M for the Rec Center [[52M).

This makes sense. 50M for a Rec Center renovation didn't....

Am I reading this correctly? Couple of quotes:

"The center will be redeveloped, with an expected investment of up to $15 million, by a group of investors..."

"The multistory housing and retail complex will be built on land that used to house the Brewster Douglass projects. Duggan said the cost of that project is estimated at $37 million." [[both quotes from Freep article).

This why I said we should wait until the actual details come out.

[gumby]

And if I'm reading this correctly, I can't see any Duggan Detroit money.

There seems to be two parts to the project and each has its own funding.

Correct?

BTW, is the housing going to be south of Alfred???

From the freep article: "Both the restaurant and the residential-retail projects will be privately financed, Duggan said."

[animatedmartian]

And if I'm reading this correctly, I can't see any Duggan Detroit money.

There seems to be two parts to the project and each has its own funding.

Correct?

BTW, is the housing going to be south of Alfred???

South of Brewster Street. North of Alfred.

Also...


https://www.facebook.com/45474090460...2075866540918/

[SpartanDawg]

South of Brewster Street. North of Alfred.

Also...


https://www.facebook.com/45474090460...2075866540918/

wow those apartments actually look great there... this was a HUGE announcement.. another homerun for the greater downtown area

[emu steve]

From the freep article: "Both the restaurant and the residential-retail projects will be privately financed, Duggan said."

and drum roll, Detroit will SELL the land to the developers.

So even if they get the proverbial one buck [[not literally one buck) but a modest sum, it is a big plus. Detroit is making, not spending, money on this project [[and it will go on the tax rolls).

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

From the freep article: "Both the restaurant and the residential-retail projects will be privately financed, Duggan said."

That's why Bham hasn't been commenting, since nothing can be done in the city without massive subsidies......

[mikeg19]

I think the most important part of the article was this:

"Both the restaurant and the residential-retail projects will be privately financed", Duggan said.

Another huge leap to getting investment spreading to the north past downtown.

[noggin]

Back in the bad good old days, the city would of paid for the demolition of Brewster in order to redevelop it. It seems they are getting relatively smarter.

[emu steve]

Back in the bad good old days, the city would of paid for the demolition of Brewster in order to redevelop it. It seems they are getting relatively smarter.

Wasn't there HUD money involved in the demolition?

And this is working the way 'seed' [[or demolition) money is supposed to work:

W/out the demolition we wouldn't have this thread now: nothing would be happening.

To use the logical expression to describe conditions, the demolition was 'necessary but not sufficient' to cause the development announced yesterday.

I really, really doubt a developer would spend big, big bucks to demolish the housing project just to get that land. There is plenty of other nearby land which doesn't have a housing project on it...

[Hypestyles]

this initiative needs to start as soon as possible.

[detroitbob]

From what I have heard the housing will be similar in stylebut not identical to the Woodward/Erskine/Watson/John R project. A Hotel has already been announced for the far southern end of the Brewster area, where Winder and Beaubian intersect just ahead of the service drive. What will fill in the gap will be interesting as things develop in east Brush Park.

[rex]

ten 5 million dollar rec centers would be a better use of the 50 million. Or better yet spend the 50 on something else entirely

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

ten 5 million dollar rec centers would be a better use of the 50 million. Or better yet spend the 50 on something else entirely

Because the city won't prosper with more new housing and residents, more businesses and a better tax base? Privately financed as well?

[emu steve]

ten 5 million dollar rec centers would be a better use of the 50 million. Or better yet spend the 50 on something else entirely

Wow, have you been following this thread closely???

No Detroit money. Developers are putting up their money. I think it is highly commendable they are spending 15M of their money on a renovation. They could have easily said, 'too expensive to do.'

As I'm following this: Developers are working on both renovating this rec center and build new housing. Who wants to build new housing next to a building which has been shuttered for many years?

As I tried to suggest in another post: For these projects to make sense, the feds helped pay for the demolition of the housing project [[who wants to build new construction next to a huge eye sore?). Next, someone steps forward and offers to spend 15M to renovate a shuttered building, and then someone says: "Hey, this would be a great location for some really nice housing...".

[emu steve]

Don't want to get ahead, far ahead, of the story, but the Brewster Wheeler Rec Center renovation begins [[2015), next [[2016) comes the announced new housing adjacent south of it, and at that point if all is going well, the site of the old housing project is begging to be developed. 2017? 2018?

[Gannon]

This is great news, I hope they can pull it off.

I often pass this building with vague trepidation...that another trigger for life memories will disappear.

Two or three of my early horrors happened when Jack Wilson ran the place...in the early '70s.

While not from the neighborhood, a few of us from the Aviation sub were driven across town whenever we drove our mothers crazy...the first black family on the block were best friends with Mr. Wilson. I had no clue that being white was a thing. Barely knew anything different.

Eight years old...likely the Summer of '72, if memory serves...and they got me to step out on the high-dive platform. There I learned my fear of heights, especially over water.

We tried our hand in the woodshop...and almost lost it on the bandsaw. The wee nick in my thumb was enough to keep me away for the rest of the time everyone else spent building their entries into the annual model sailboat regatta held in the big pond at Kennedy Square. When the day came, they surprised me with an unpainted 'extra' they'd assembled. Compared with the fancy personalized ones, I didn't have much hope.

The big picture on the back page of the News showed me turning away from the heat in disgust, as my craft stuck on the guide wire. I don't think I even saw it win the race. Our neighbor, Chris Hawkins, won the older group...I won the younger. Never thought of it, but I'm guessing the scar on my thumb should be visible in that picture. They misquoted me, either way.


So yeah, it is great that this Rec Center is being kept alive. I'd much rather it be a service to the community than a repurposed joint for pale faces to feed and water themselves...


Cheers!

[Mackinaw]

First of all, this thing was inches from demolition and if Duggan wasn't in office it would be gone. So I find the people who are proposing alternative uses to have extremely not-compelling arguments. The City cannot afford to rebuild this ruin at all, let alone rebuild it into a purely public good that doesn't raise money. The City is turning it over to private hands [[as a matter of absolute neccesity), and the private hands need to make at least some income off of this.

So be real and awknowledge that. This isn't SimCity and we cannot-- as much as we'd like to-- press a button and see a new rec center.

In addition, I believe that implied premise that the restored rec center will not "be a service to the community" is simply wrong. There is going to be office space for multiple community organizations, and a downright inspirational program that will teach young people the culinary arts. Further, the simple act of preservation of the various rec facilities like the bball court and boxing ring are critical, given the history. The fact that the income-generating conduit to this end will be a restaurant, allegedly for "pale faces," doesn't detract from the laudable end. And hmmm, let's take a look around, do you see any other bars and restaurants within 5 or even 10 blocks of this area? Nope. Brush Park has no restaurants. But we'd like Brush Park to be a livable multi-use place, right? Hmm, sounds like a restaurant would be a GREAT use, actually. Oh and what's the current status of Brush Park? Something like 85% prairie? I'm right back to the beggars can't be choosers theme...

Final note, it is fairly clear that a portion of grounds around which the new development will be built, south of the reinstated Brewster Street, will be for recreational purposes. Wisely, the City planners are eyeing this corner as prime for rec space. So to me it sounds like the mission of the Brewster rec center is not only being reincarnated but expanded. And I have some bad news for you: when it is reincarnated into a softball or soccer field etc., there may be some pale faces mixed in with the scene. Be guided accordingly.

[downtownguy]

http://www.detroitmi.gov/News/Articl...c-Neighborhood

This is quite remarkable.

“Every opportunity we have, we are going to preserve buildings like the Brewster Wheeler Recreation Center that have a deep personal history in our city and do it in a way that provides real benefits to Detroit residents,” Mayor Duggan said.

Kudos for this creative plan.

I want to believe this. Does it mean Duggan is going to use the opportunity to also preserve the Hotel Eddystone and Park Avenue Hotel in the arena district?

[emu steve]

First of all, this thing was inches from demolition and if Duggan wasn't in office it would be gone. So I find the people who are proposing alternative uses to have extremely not-compelling arguments. The City cannot afford to rebuild this ruin at all, let alone rebuild it into a purely public good that doesn't raise money. The City is turning it over to private hands [[as a matter of absolute neccesity), and the private hands need to make at least some income off of this.

So be real and awknowledge that. This isn't SimCity and we cannot-- as much as we'd like to-- press a button and see a new rec center.

In addition, I believe that implied premise that the restored rec center will not "be a service to the community" is simply wrong. There is going to be office space for multiple community organizations, and a downright inspirational program that will teach young people the culinary arts. Further, the simple act of preservation of the various rec facilities like the bball court and boxing ring are critical, given the history. The fact that the income-generating conduit to this end will be a restaurant, allegedly for "pale faces," doesn't detract from the laudable end. And hmmm, let's take a look around, do you see any other bars and restaurants within 5 or even 10 blocks of this area? Nope. Brush Park has no restaurants. But we'd like Brush Park to be a livable multi-use place, right? Hmm, sounds like a restaurant would be a GREAT use, actually. Oh and what's the current status of Brush Park? Something like 85% prairie? I'm right back to the beggars can't be choosers theme...

Final note, it is fairly clear that a portion of grounds around which the new development will be built, south of the reinstated Brewster Street, will be for recreational purposes. Wisely, the City planners are eyeing this corner as prime for rec space. So to me it sounds like the mission of the Brewster rec center is not only being reincarnated but expanded. And I have some bad news for you: when it is reincarnated into a softball or soccer field etc., there may be some pale faces mixed in with the scene. Be guided accordingly.

I read your post.

My only question: Can the developer get all of the rec space, commercial space, meeting space, parking, and over 100 housing units into 6 [[?) acres?

Otherwise, finding someone to invest 15M on the renovation is truly remarkable.

[rbdetsport]

Gannon, we would all love to see that article hahah

[emu steve]

Brush Park continues to spark interest:

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...-of-brush-park

Nice quote [[I always like to read the word "transformative"):

The rollout of these three development opportunities in fairly tight succession is very positive because any one of them, or any two of them, on their own, would be noteworthy but not really transformative," said Eric Larson, founder, president and CEO of Bloomfield Hills-based Larson Realty Group and CEO of the Downtown Detroit Partnership. "All three together are transformative because of the density it creates."