This topic was discussed in Curbed Detroit on the eighteenth of this month. I agree with most of the comments made that the design of the building is inappropriate for a major arterial street like Grand River. There should be no set back and the building should be two stories tall at a minimal.
Detroit is unique in that it has a number of streets that take you directly into downtown, not just Woodward. Urban planners and developers should take advantage of this fact by building up these streets as much as possible with buildings that come right up to the sidewalk. Isn't this a part of the "complete streets" movement? When considering residential and commercial development, I would love to see a series of mixed-use developments line these streets such as the Ellington or Studio One developments. Parking is placed in the back. Regarding this veteran's center, if reconfigured, the use of Rosa Parks Boulevard would be more appropriate for drop-offs and parking. Well, that's my two cents. What do you think?
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