Construction begins on an upscale 318-unit Lafayette Park

The $133 million Lafayette West, 1401 Rivard St. near I-375, will consist of six five-story buildings with a mix of 230 rental apartments and 88 for-purchase condos. It is scheduled to open in spring 2023 and will include EV charging station for every resident

A full 20% of the apartments will be set aside at below-market rents for income-qualified residents, a requirement for the project's use of development incentives.

Attachment 42093

The market-rate rents have yet to be announced, although asking prices for the condos will start at $234,000 for a small one bedroom, $399,000 for a large one-bedroom and $595,000 for a two-bedroom unit, according to the development's website.

by JC Reindl for the Free Press

As well as $29,500 for a covered parking space, $19,500. for a carport space, and as an example , monthly HOA of $550.00 for a 819 sq foot 1 bedroom priced between $ 399,000-419,000. Not sure about the property tax cost or abatement. Also, if it does happen, the raising of I375 will place it right in front of it…So lots of direct road noise and pedestrian traffic. We are across the street from it, should be interesting.

Why are all these low rises being built without balconies? Is it just a cost savings?

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Originally Posted by DetBill

Also, if it does happen, the raising of I375 will place it right in front of it…So lots of direct road noise and pedestrian traffic. We are across the street from it, should be interesting.

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Bringing the freeway to grade and making it a boulevard with greatly reduce speeds which should lessen the noise. It's also being pushed further west away from this development. The greater travesty is the dumb grass median which will simply be something to mow and catch litter. Why not make developable parcels?

https://i0.wp.com/8woodblog.com/wp-c...pg?w=540&ssl=1

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Originally Posted by 401don

Why are all these low rises being built without balconies? Is it just a cost savings?

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The condominiums have Juliette Balconies, but I gather it's an aesthetic and cost savings measure.

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Originally Posted by hybridy

The greater travesty is the dumb grass median which will simply be something to mow and catch litter. Why not make developable parcels?

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Just picturing how awful that's going to look mid-August, when the grass is withered and trash is swirling around. I hope the long-term plan is to develop that area.

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Originally Posted by EGrant

Just picturing how awful that's going to look mid-August, when the grass is withered and trash is swirling around. I hope the long-term plan is to develop that area.

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It is so unbelievably stupid that that land won’teable to be developed.

That's an out of date rendering.

I think this is the most recent design:

https://www.michigan.gov/mdot/-/medi...27B51953C640C7

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Originally Posted by hybridy

The condominiums have Juliette Balconies, but I gather it's an aesthetic and cost savings measure.

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Balconies might make sense in Florida but not in Michigan. They can only be used for a limited time. If you look at any building with balconies even in the summer I’ll guarantee you that there’s only a 5% chance you’ll see someone actually using a balcony.

When we had an apartment at Renaissance City Apartments, formally known as Millender Center, the apartments with balconies were dark because they were setback from the windows. Whereas our apartment without a balcony you could sit right at the edge of the windows and have a great panoramic view. We were much happier to have the bright added floor space.

^Every time I look at the Jeffersonian on eastbound Jefferson, I never see anyone using them... except to store crap. :eek:

That whole subject of balconies and even porches or lanai,I think one has to create a lifestyle of sorts in order to take advantage of them.

I read this thread and last night I had to do an emergency call downtown tampa where the last 5 years they have been throwing up 40-50 story apartment/condo buildings like weeds.

Where I was at I was surrounded by at least 4 @ 8 pm ,an only saw one couple on their balcony.

Even with porches on vintage houses,nobody really uses them anymore,but Florida is not unlike Michigan where you only have maybe 3-4 months out of the year where it is even bearable to sit on a balcony and no way possible during the day with the sun beating down.

Most are HOAs but those that are not,like mentioned,become outdoor storage closets.

I think it is one of those things where in your mind,wow a balcony that’s cool,but not really practical.

Keep in mind the mention of 20% affordable units,HUD only requires that they be retained for 3 years in order to get their funding,then they become full market rate units,I am not sure what the city requirements are at now,but most likely along the same guidelines.

Its good for a single person or a couple with no children but not so much for say a single mother with a few kids,they would have to be changing schools and friends every 3 years which creates issues within itself.

I loved having a balcony when I lived at DCA downtown years back. Went out there to read the paper, people watch, smoke a cigar, enjoy the city ambiance. Maybe I'm in the minority of people though.

Now if the balcony had over looked a parking lot or something I would have been out there less for sure.

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Originally Posted by Lowell

Balconies might make sense in Florida but not in Michigan. They can only be used for a limited time. If you look at any building with balconies even in the summer I’ll guarantee you that there’s only a 5% chance you’ll see someone actually using a balcony.

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I guess I'm the exception but I lived in apts. for about 15 years when I was younger and would never live in a place without a balcony. I used it from April until November. I would walk out on it just to get some air or stand and drink a coffee or beer for a few minutes. You don't have to sit on a balcony for an hour to enjoy having one.
I do agree most people don't use them much though. Even so, it's very rare with the 30-50 storey condos being built everywhere in the Toronto area to see one without a balcony.

Will not be completed until 2025. Detroit has a history of projects not being completed in the projected timelines

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Originally Posted by 401don

I guess I'm the exception but I lived in apts. for about 15 years when I was younger and would never live in a place without a balcony. I used it from April until November. I would walk out on it just to get some air or stand and drink a coffee or beer for a few minutes. You don't have to sit on a balcony for an hour to enjoy having one.
I do agree most people don't use them much though. Even so, it's very rare with the 30-50 storey condos being built everywhere in the Toronto area to see one without a balcony.

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Agreed, I couldn’t live in a tower that didn’t have an outdoor nook to take the outdoors in.

Heck, My house has three balconies, we use all of them, have tables to eat outside from May to late September on all of them. That’s the time that Netflix and Amazon Prime lies fallow for part of the year. I can’t get enough of my balconies. It’s too hot to sit at noon on the top front one in the summer, so we alternate throughout the day. The winter is so brutal here, that it takes me a while to adjust to the fact summer is actually possible. Lol

Some of the balcony vs. no balcony issue is tempered by what else the facility has to offer. In the case of Renaissance City Apartments, formally known as Millender Center, there is a top floor club house that opens to a large open air rooftop patio. At the time I left the 8th floor tennis courts were being remodeled into a plant covered garden space. Both offered plenty of "outdoor" escape albeit minus the semi-privacy of a personal balcony. So even more reason to not have a balcony and the bright floor space instead. It also had a pool and workout gym.

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Originally Posted by Lowell

Some of the balcony vs. no balcony issue is tempered by what else the facility has to offer. In the case of Renaissance City Apartments, formally known as Millender Center, there is a top floor club house that opens to a large open air rooftop patio. At the time I left the 8th floor tennis courts were being remodeled into a plant covered garden space. Both offered plenty of "outdoor" escape albeit minus the semi-privacy of a personal balcony. So even more reason to not have a balcony and the bright floor space instead. It also had a pool and workout gym.

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Not much to dispute there, Lowell.

These rooftop spaces are becoming quite the norm, and can accommodate parties when space is more limited in an apartment setting.