$14 million New Center Development at Woodward and Baltimore

[detroitbob]

If only the walls in that place could talk, there would be stories no one would believe. Maybe those rich folks living in their nice new condos will look out the patio door and see Andy's ghost paying them a visit!

True indeed!...as someone cried out one night at last call after some sort of laison échoué, "this is the stuff of soap operas"!

As they also owned the Milwood Apartments, right across the parking lot, many a customer of any persuasion would become tenants in fact the Millwood earned the nickname "Heartbreak Hotel" LOL.

[Danny]

Look how the Woodward M1 Rail brought all of Gilberttown, midtown and New Center Area. wonderful regional development. 30 years ago Woodward Ave from the 3.3 mile stretch went from DEAD [[C)KRAK HEAD and prostitution alley to regional renaissance. I'm proud of Mayor Mike Duggan, Peter Karmanos, Mike Illitch and even Dan Gilbert for putting Detroit back on the world map. New buildings are going to pop up like mushrooms and a range of diverse people will be living, working and enjoy their fine scenery. Detroit is where the action is.

[emu steve]

Look how the Woodward M1 Rail brought all of Gilberttown, midtown and New Center Area. wonderful regional development. 30 years ago Woodward Ave from the 3.3 mile stretch went from DEAD [[C)KRAK HEAD and prostitution alley to regional renaissance. I'm proud of Mayor Mike Duggan, Peter Karmanos, Mike Illitch and even Dan Gilbert for putting Detroit back on the world map. New buildings are going to pop up like mushrooms and a range of diverse people will be living, working and enjoy their fine scenery. Detroit is where the action is.

Lol.

I'm not sure what your issue is with it.

It's not like the money for M-1 is coming from the general fund coffers of Detroit. It is a 'gift' to Detroit from those [[you name) with money.

Do you begrudge that these areas are coming back to life? Do you think the [[other) neighborhoods would magically spring back if downtown, Midtown, etc. die on the vine?

This isn't an either / or proposition. The whole city wins when ANY neighborhood or commercial area come back.

How about students at Wayne State? Patients at the various medical centers, including the VAMC?

Don't those institutions serve Detroiters of every race, income level, veterans, etc?

[detroitbob]

Lol.

I'm not sure what your issue is with it.

It's not like the money for M-1 is coming from the general fund coffers of Detroit. It is a 'gift' to Detroit from those [[you name) with money.

Do you begrudge that these areas are coming back to life? Do you think the [[other) neighborhoods would magically spring back if downtown, Midtown, etc. die on the vine?
This isn't an either / or proposition. The whole city wins when ANY neighborhood or commercial area come back.
How about students at Wayne State? Patients at the various medical centers, including the VAMC?
Don't those institutions serve Detroiters of every race, income level, veterans, etc?

Agree EMUSteve...

I am continually amazed by disparaging remarks about the redevelopment of Downtown/Midtown/New Center and those who have led the way on these fronts. While major projects are important, smaller elements continue to surprise. For example, in the last two weeks façade restoration on the Mabley Dept. Store/Metropole Hotel block buildings 620-630 Woodward Ave. has started including the restoration of a major center entrance. The pediments and cornices have been removed for years...at least 40 years by old photos. Now is this important in the overall scheme of things...yes...it shows a sensitivity and attention to detail being paid to the historic elements of these buildings that date to the 1870's-1880's. While the city lost the Monroe block facades years back, these buildings are the last reminders of the early commercial development of lower Woodward area when, as now, Campus Martius was the center of downtown. Hopefully the other two similar era buildings to the south in the same block will get similar tlc. Look at the attention to detail on the Richman Bros store building now nearing completion and the stunning job done on the Wright Kay building. I expect similar work on the SS Kresge buildings at Woodward/State and can't wait to see the Rayl's Hardware/Meyer store building at Grand River work start.

This block at Woodward/Baltimore is equally as important to the New Center Woodward Ave. district as the Merchants Row is to downtown proper.

[hybridy]

While major projects are important, smaller elements continue to surprise. For example, in the last two weeks façade restoration on the Mabley Dept. Store/Metropole Hotel block buildings 620-630 Woodward Ave. has started including the restoration of a major center entrance. The pediments and cornices have been removed for years...at least 40 years by old photos. Now is this important in the overall scheme of things...yes...it shows a sensitivity and attention to detail being paid to the historic elements of these buildings that date to the 1870's-1880's. Look at the attention to detail on the Richman Bros store building now nearing completion and the stunning job done on the Wright Kay building. I expect similar work on the SS Kresge buildings at Woodward/State and can't wait to see the Rayl's Hardware/Meyer store building at Grand River work start.

Well thankfully this is due in part to federal and state historic tax credits for adaptive reuse that are required as all of the CBD is designated on the National Register of Historic Places. I'm glad these facades are being restored, but Bedrock is not doing so out of the goodness of their hearts and taxpayer funds are partially financing these.

[detroitbob]

Well thankfully this is due in part to federal and state historic tax credits for adaptive reuse that are required as all of the CBD is designated on the National Register of Historic Places. I'm glad these facades are being restored, but Bedrock is not doing so out of the goodness of their hearts and taxpayer funds are partially financing these.

Understood but what impresses me is the attention to detail. There was no mandate to restore---the facades on all of the in progress buildings could have been left as it. Bedrock and others certainly will take advantage of available tax credits for historic restoration as they should. But its not a mandate that they must restore.

[hybridy]

Understood but what impresses me is the attention to detail. There was no mandate to restore---the facades on all of the in progress buildings could have been left as it. Bedrock and others certainly will take advantage of available tax credits for historic restoration as they should. But its not a mandate that they must restore.

i believe that if you're going modify the exterior in any way [[which most buildings end up needing due to their deteriorated nature), it must be restored to it's original detailing, per its historic status.

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

Lol.

I'm not sure what your issue is with it.

It's not like the money for M-1 is coming from the general fund coffers of Detroit. It is a 'gift' to Detroit from those [[you name) with money.

Do you begrudge that these areas are coming back to life? Do you think the [[other) neighborhoods would magically spring back if downtown, Midtown, etc. die on the vine?

This isn't an either / or proposition. The whole city wins when ANY neighborhood or commercial area come back.

How about students at Wayne State? Patients at the various medical centers, including the VAMC?

Don't those institutions serve Detroiters of every race, income level, veterans, etc?

I think you don't understand how to read Danny's posts.

[emu steve]

I think you don't understand how to read Danny's posts.

I try, but it apparently is above my pay grade.

I understand that he has a sardonic writing style, but it hard to otherwise follow how to constructively reply to him.

Maybe I should have found an emoticon for a shoulder shrug, or a sigh or just gone "SMH".

[Dbest]

Look how the Woodward M1 Rail brought all of Gilberttown, midtown and New Center Area. wonderful regional development. 30 years ago Woodward Ave from the 3.3 mile stretch went from DEAD [[C)KRAK HEAD and prostitution alley to regional renaissance. I'm proud of Mayor Mike Duggan, Peter Karmanos, Mike Illitch and even Dan Gilbert for putting Detroit back on the world map. New buildings are going to pop up like mushrooms and a range of diverse people will be living, working and enjoy their fine scenery. Detroit is where the action is.

If Danny is in, I'm in.