Metro Detroit-Windsor 2023 Predictions

It's New Year's Eve, so time for an annual DYes tradition.

Previous prediction threads:
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022

My top ten:

1. Gilbert gives up on the Monroe Blocks project and just converts it into permanent park space.
2. Additional mid-rise projects are announced in Corktown and New Center as space in Midtown starts becoming sparse.
3. Wings somehow make their way back to the Stanley Cup Final, Lions somehow make their way into the NFC Championship, Panthers recover from their awful first season in the USFL, DCFC wins a championship.
4. As the Woodward Corridor downtowns become too crowded, the downtowns of Wyandotte and Dearborn become the latest hipster spots.
5. A movement for countywide transit in Wayne County gets underway as SMART's Oakland County expansion and DDOT Reimagined get underway.
6. The first Detroit Grand Prix in downtown in the 21st century gets huge crowds.
7. A surprise development project is announced for the Fail Jail site.
8. The last retail and restaurant tenants left in the RenCen close their doors.
9. Michigan continues its population decline.
10. The Pontch's proposed second tower gets built.

Add your predictions!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mtburb

The first Detroit Grand Prix in downtown gets huge crowds.

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It did, in 1982.

Quote:

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Gilbert gives up on the Monroe Blocks project and just converts it into permanent park space.

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Keep dreaming.

1. The last retail and restaurant tenants left in the RenCen close their doors.

They did, also in 1982.

Not so much a prediction but hopefully some of the following projects will breakground. It would be overly optimistic for all of them to breakground, but hopefully at least half of them breakground:

*City Club Apartments Midtown
*The Mid
*AC Hotel
*Brewster Douglas Development
*2nd phase of Midtown West
*World Economic Forum Site
*Whether or not the DCI will breakground Q3/Q4
*Whether or not the office space on Comerica Lot at 2200 Woodward will breakground Q2/Q3, would assume that DCI would be higher priority in terms of timeline but maybe the Related Companies is trying to establish an office there?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Satiricalivory

Keep dreaming.

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1. Monroe blocks will break ground but will be entirely residential.

2. Apple store will open at Hudson site.

3. MSU will announce large presence at Fail Jail site.

4. Traffic circle will be built at Trumbull and MLK.

5. Robocop statue becomes one of Detroits most popular attractions.

6. Grand River begins to see massive investment.

7. Plans emerge to eliminate the last 2 miles of the Lodge downtown.

8. The Illitches parking district continues to be a sea of asphalt.

^ Hah! Not crazy about round-abouts but one at Trumbull and MLK/ Grand River could not hurt!

1. Gilbert Town's Brush Park Townhouses has been expanded to the vacant lot at the former Brewster Projects.

2. A proposed Apple Store coming to Downtown [[Gilbert Town) Detroit.

3. Hudsonsite Building Projects is now 60 completed.

4. Detroit Tigers lose another season. Not making it to the playoffs.

5. Detroit Lions clinched the NFC Playoffs with a 11-6 record but lost in the second round.

7. Detroit Red Wings barely made the playoffs as 6th seed.

8. Detroit Pistons are having a another losing season Not making it to the playoffs. Head Coach Dwayne Casey is fired. And Cade Cunnigham want to be traded.

9. Michigan Wolverines College Football team made the College Football Playoffs as 11th seed in the AP Coaches Poll. But lost to Clemson in the first round in the Chick Fil-A Bowl.

10. Michigan State Spartans also make the College Football Playoffs as 10th seed in the Quick Lane Bowl. But lost to third around against Alabama.

i'm feeling optimistic, so here goes.

1. Bedrock reveals an early rendering of a major mixed-use development on its riverfront holdings, including a plan to extend a light rail down Jefferson from the QLine's current terminal point to the MacArthur Bridge.

2. The project to replace I-375 gets pushed up due to federal funding and groundbreaking is rescheduled from 2027 to 2024.

3. The Exchange opens, and LIFTbuild's proof-of-concept building technique is successful and celebrated, leading to announcements for two more ~16-story towers on vacant blocks in the 7.2 to be built with the same top-down approach.

4. Cass Corridor sees a pop in new announcements as the hotel next to Detroit Shipping and Ross' 3rd/Charlotte buildings both break ground.

5. The Lions beat the Packers to finish 9-8 but miss the playoffs as Seattle takes the last slot. The team retains most of its coaching staff and star roster and drafts defensive talent in the offseason, and goes on to win the NFC North and win a playoff game at home in '23-'24.

6. Support for transit in MI continues to grow as plans are laid for the RTA-backed commuter rail between Ann Arbor and Detroit, as well as the Ann Arbor to Traverse City rail line, even as rural Oakland County continues to oppose non-car transportation.

7. Cobo, DTE, the city, and the state announce a joint plan for cleaning up the infrastructure around southwest downtown, as towers for the remainder of the JLA site, DTE's 2nd Avenue Greenway, a reworking and capping of the Lodge tunnel south of the WCCC, and Hotel Pontchartrain Tower 2 all come into view.

8. Moroun finally throws in the towel on trying to build a third bridge to Windsor, and moves to sell their holdings along 16th Ave in Corktown, opening the way for more residential development near the newly-opened MCS.

9. Plans for Amtrak's new Baltimore Station hub in New Center are released, and include an ambitious plan for a shared local line from Springwells to Hamtramck to co-exist with the regional trains.

I think 2023 will be a mixed bag for Metro Detroit Windsor so here goes again.
1. The long vacant Grace Hospital site on University and Campbell will finally see some activity as Ohio-based Fairfield Development breaks ground on their "international village" concept. This won't solve Windsor's housing shortage because I think most of the apartments and townhomes will be unaffordable for locals.
2. The Farhi group will break ground on their proposed condo tower at the corner of Janette and Riverside.
3. Dan Gilbert will lobby the city for tax breaks on another big development. After a lot of debate at city hall, the city administration will give in.
4.Electric cars will tax power grids on both sides of the border as electricity production falls short of demand and brown outs become an epidemic during summer. The electric car is this generation's answer to the Wankel engine.
5. The province of Ontario will come through with money to extend Lauzon Parkway to the 401, eliminating the need to take Manning.
6. Gretchen Whitmer will announce her campaign to become the Democratic candidate for president.
7. Mike Duggan and Drew Dilkens will join forces to bring new jobs to this area.
And that's it. Happy New Year. May all your dreams come true.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mtburb

Wings somehow make their way back to the Stanley Cup Final, Lions somehow make their way into the NFC Championship, Panthers recover from their awful first season in the USFL, DCFC wins a championship.

Add your predictions!

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The Wings will make the Final in 2023, as in this season? We're currently 12th in the east. Also, the Lions have been eliminated from the playoffs in 2023 and thus we can't make the 2023 NFC Championship game.

So what happened to the annual end of the year prediction tradition?

Looking back it only looks like the AC Hotel and DCI broke ground.