What do you want downtown to look like in 2020?

The focus of the next 5 years should be cleaning up what we already have and bringing more people downtown, not building a bunch of new buildings while old buildings are left to rot. There should obviously be a few new buildings, but not a huge amount. This means

-Continuing to fix up existing buildings like Book Tower, David Stott, all of the other abandoned high/mid rises in downtown while demolishing small blighted buildings
-Have a plan to minimize surface parking [[specifically around RenCen and Comerica)
-Do something with the vacant lots around Cass
-Hopefully have Woodward full of retail, including some form of development on the Hudson site
-Have plans for a midrise/highrise apartment building on the Monroe block of Campus Martius, this would be huge in keeping that area alive after 5:30
-Progress on the I-375 restructuring [[this is more for MDOT)
-Most of all, I want to see a few companies move to Detroit. Not like Google "Detroit" in Birmingham, actually in Detroit.

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Originally Posted by Spartan

Yeah, it may have just been speculation from someone on here. I couldn't find any articles saying the same. A lot of silence since the announcement though, so I guess we'll just have to wait & see.

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As a Meridian employee, I can tell you it was still planned as of June. Since then, I haven't heard anything either.

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Originally Posted by 313WX

Well aren't we all dreaming with our desires in this thread any way?

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Of course :rolleyes: I expect some of these to actually happen though!

I don't want to see more office towers being built, we need more residential development. First, I will like to see our dilapidated skyscrapers turned into hotels/residential development and retail. Second, build about 4-5 new residential skyscrapers 25-50 story tall, on former surface parking lots throughout downtown.

We need thousands more to live downtown, 24/7! So tired of the 9-5 atmosphere downtown. :[[ Plus, I will like to see our skyline enhanced with a mixture of modern and art deco architecture. The demand is there for at least 2,500 unit residential development.

WSU12 I am totally on board with your sentiment of rehabbing old stuff first [[I feel that this is what's happening, see Book Cadillac, Fort Shelby, DFD HQ, Broderick, Whitney, Milner, Capital Park...) but I would nitpick a bit at how you included the Guardian with the Stott and Book. I am wondering why? I am not privy as to the upper floor conditions at Guardian, but I thought it was pretty up to date and full [[though perhaps not everything it can be, given the government ownership). Stott is totally underutilized and begging for Broderick-esque residential conversion, and Book likewise though probably in worse condition. These are our last two 'abandoned skyscrapers,' and the superficial detractors who mocked the blackened skyline of around 1995-2005 won't have too much fodder once these are worked on.

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Originally Posted by gthomas

I don't want to see more office towers being built, we need more residential development. First, I will like to see our dilapidated skyscrapers turned into hotels/residential development and retail. Second, build about 4-5 new residential skyscrapers 25-50 story tall, on former surface parking lots throughout downtown.

We need thousands more to live downtown, 24/7! So tired of the 9-5 atmosphere downtown. :[[ Plus, I will like to see our skyline enhanced with a mixture of modern and art deco architecture. The demand is there for at least 2,500 unit residential development.

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I agree, I would love to see more residential development. Downtown is at 99% occupancy, so there is definitely a demand for apartments. Maybe one or two high rise buildings and then renovate all of the mid-rise buildings on Woodward around Campus Martius -> GCP that are empty and make them luxury lofts. Detroit just needs investors to see the demand for it since obviously the city doesn't have the money

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Originally Posted by Mackinaw

WSU12 I am totally on board with your sentiment of rehabbing old stuff first [[I feel that this is what's happening, see Book Cadillac, Fort Shelby, DFD HQ, Broderick, Whitney, Milner, Capital Park...) but I would nitpick a bit at how you included the Guardian with the Stott and Book. I am wondering why? I am not privy as to the upper floor conditions at Guardian, but I thought it was pretty up to date and full [[though perhaps not everything it can be, given the government ownership). Stott is totally underutilized and begging for Broderick-esque residential conversion, and Book likewise though probably in worse condition. These are our last two 'abandoned skyscrapers,' and the superficial detractors who mocked the blackened skyline of around 1995-2005 won't have too much fodder once these are worked on.

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Yeah Guardian doesn't really fit with the other two, it just needs a modernization of some of the interior which looks very dated and maybe re-bricking. Last I checked there were a number of empty floors, but still relatively full. I would love to see Book redone. It would be nice to see the dreaded abandoned quartet of Broderick/Whitney/Book/Book-Cadillac completely redone.

I might be going off-topic here, but what about more links between Detroit and Windsor? I've heard of plans for cable cars and ferry boats to connect the two cities being talked about for years, but maybe with Mike Duggan in Detroit and a new Windsor mayor coming in November, this might be the ideal time to get some action on that front.

I would not want to see skyscrapers but more low rise buildings that utilizes their spaces smartly. More people are working at home so there are no need for high rises filled with floors of offices. I would love to see an Amazon store downtown equip with WiFi where shoppers could shop online and a pickup area for those who work or live downtown to pick up their merchandise. Also the building could be equip with a miniature helipad for three drones that will deliver the packages to purchasers who live in the downtown midtown area

What I want
-Book Tower turned into luxury apartments with the smaller side building having either a city Target or a small shopping mall possibly
-Renovate/rebuild the buildings along Woodward that are blighted and abandoned and converted into lofts with retail underneath
-If possible, a new high rise of either mixed use or offices on the Monroe block or Hudson site
-A new apartment building around Campus Martius/CBD
-Statler Hotel site to be a high rise apartment [[halfway hoping the current plan gets nixed)
-No more surface parking, and vacant lots with no plans turned into grassy areas/parks

What I predict will happen
-The M1 rail completed
-The new arena district
-A few new retail stores on Woodward
-More "plans" for Book Tower/Stott
-Plans for the Hudson site
-A ton of new restaurants

I love some of these suggestions.

For me this is what I'd love to see in Downtown Detroit:

By 2020:
- Arena/Entertainment District finished and filled to capacity
- Woodward from riverfront to GCP storefronts all filled up
- M1 Rail finished and plans to extend
- Renovation of Book/Stott Buildings to Office/Residential
- At least 1 or 2 new mid-rise buildings, or at least under construction
- At least 1 new high rise building, or at least under construction
- Development across the riverfront riverwalk, with restaurants and residential
- Something started on the Hudson's site
- Statler and Tuller sites finished
- United Artists Theatre renovated
- Michigan Theatre building renovated
- Hell, all empty buildings renovated
- Fail Jail site something started there
- Free Press Building redeveloped

I could mention a heck of a lot more that has been already suggested.

A few other suggestions [[not by 2020, just in general):
- The Brush Park neighborhood redeveloped
- Brewster site redeveloped
- A Detroit Sports Hall of Fame
- Tigers Hall of Fame [[near or in Comerica Park)
- Red Wings Hall of Fame [[in the new arena development)
- Development on the Lafayette Building/Gardens site
- Capitol Park buzzing with new residential
- Detroit Police HQ redeveloped to residential
- Joe Louis site development

One other thing I would love to see, but is very unlikely in the next 5-10 years - A dedicated public transit rail from Metro Airport to the RenCen. If they could get funding from the USDOT, I think this would be a huge step forward for the city. If it was built like the Chicago L, it would travel along the median of I-94, up the Southfield freeway, and continue along Michigan Ave, and then go underneath after crossing M-10 and ending up around the RenCen DPM station. If it had 8-10 stops along the way [[notably the Ford HQ, Downtown Dearborn, and Corktown), it would be a huge step in eventually building the infrastructure. Being able to fly into Detroit, not have to rent a car, and be able to go directly to Ford and GM would be HUGE. Is it going to happen? Probably not anytime soon, but it's nice to dream about.

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Originally Posted by UMich06

One other thing I would love to see, but is very unlikely in the next 5-10 years - A dedicated public transit rail from Metro Airport to the RenCen. If they could get funding from the USDOT, I think this would be a huge step forward for the city. If it was built like the Chicago L, it would travel along the median of I-94, up the Southfield freeway, and continue along Michigan Ave, and then go underneath after crossing M-10 and ending up around the RenCen DPM station. If it had 8-10 stops along the way [[notably the Ford HQ, Downtown Dearborn, and Corktown), it would be a huge step in eventually building the infrastructure. Being able to fly into Detroit, not have to rent a car, and be able to go directly to Ford and GM would be HUGE. Is it going to happen? Probably not anytime soon, but it's nice to dream about.

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A piggyback idea on this. Tear down Joe Louis and build a small train station. 2nd/3rd floor hooks up with People Mover and this new rail that extends out to the airport [[and eventually Ann Arbor). Travelers can then transfer from the new train to the PM to get downtown and to M1 rail. Maybe the PM can be salvaged for something actually useful. Ground floor opens up to new Riverfront plaza with food market and shops.

I think I've gotten away from the "realistic" now :o

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Originally Posted by Spartan

A piggyback idea on this. Tear down Joe Louis and build a small train station. 2nd/3rd floor hooks up with People Mover and this new rail that extends out to the airport [[and eventually Ann Arbor). Travelers can then transfer from the new train to the PM to get downtown and to M1 rail. Maybe the PM can be salvaged for something actually useful. Ground floor opens up to new Riverfront plaza with food market and shops.

I think I've gotten away from the "realistic" now :o

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If they want to salvage the People Mover they need to make it move both directions. It's absolutely useless otherwise. I like the idea of re-purposing the Joe. It could be like Detroit's Grand Central Station if at some point Detroit gets a couple of rail lines going, like up I-75 or M-10. Very far from realistic now :D

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Originally Posted by UMich06

If they want to salvage the People Mover they need to make it move both directions. It's absolutely useless otherwise. I like the idea of re-purposing the Joe. It could be like Detroit's Grand Central Station if at some point Detroit gets a couple of rail lines going, like up I-75 or M-10. Very far from realistic now :D

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Not necessarily. If there were transfer stations at JLA and Greektown, it could become useful as an "inner loop" that connects the rest of the system, even riding in one direction. You could even connect so it could run through JLA, along the PM path, and branch back off at Greektown. A quick representation.

Attachment 24124

A branch could be added somewhere to connect Gratiot and M1. Potential options:
1. Between 375 and Woodward along Madison
2. Something near Woodward & Congress/Larned
3. Even further north, connecting Gratiot to Midtown. Perhaps a line between Corktown and Eastern Market that runs by Motor City and through Midtown.

Love the DTW to downtown train line idea, and the JLA site could be a station plus transit village, such that visitors literally arrive at the doorstep of the convention center and the western gateway to CBD and Financial District. As much as I think MCS could be used for its original intended purpose, I realize that's difficult, and the fact that it is in an odd spot for alighting, unless there was light rail running down Michigan ave. MCS can be salvaged for residential purposes, if nothing else, I believe.

The DTW line could also offer trains to New Center/M1/Amtrak, to service midtown and northern neighborhoods [[proceeding onto 8 mile maybe). But I think a downtown line as UMich06 describes is really the tops. A direct 20-25 min link into downtown which swings by Dearborn and Ford HQ, too. The ridership would be excellent. If this can't get done, I'd settle with speedy and frequent service to New Center which uses the M1 to complete the journey downtown, though I think transfers are psychologically unattractive to many.

My funding idea: RTA millage + $2 per landing per passenger tax on DTW entrants [[should raise $40 million a year by my quick research) + mix of federal and private funds for initial building of the line.

I was really intrigued by the thought of JLA becoming a train station but here are some problems I see:

1) The high rise condo/apartments on the river. The rail lines would have to be built underneath and I could see some NIMBY pushback.

2) Who owns the empty land between the end of the tracks and the high rises? Maroun? Perhaps a new station could be built on the land across from the Main Post Office and have a streetcar line run down there diverging from Michigan then picking it up again on Rosa Parks.

3) The rail lines from the split off of the main line on which Amtrak goes to the end of the line on the river seems a bit discombobulated. We would also have to extend railroad tracks which could raise costs.

Wow, the DTW line would be great. Servicing Ford HQ, Dearborn, Corktown, downtown, and the RenCen? And it's not too ridiculous of a plan since that route from I-94 => Southfield fwy => Michigan Ave is pretty wide and probably could support that. Another interesting option, similar to what Mackinaw suggested, would be to have it continue on I-94 and end up in New Center and connect to M-1. Since all of the major freeways connect to I-94 in that region, it could become a hub for other major rails in the future [[along I-75, I-96, or M-10).

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Originally Posted by Mackinaw

Love the DTW to downtown train line idea, and the JLA site could be a station plus transit village, such that visitors literally arrive at the doorstep of the convention center and the western gateway to CBD and Financial District. As much as I think MCS could be used for its original intended purpose, I realize that's difficult, and the fact that it is in an odd spot for alighting, unless there was light rail running down Michigan ave. MCS can be salvaged for residential purposes, if nothing else, I believe.

The DTW line could also offer trains to New Center/M1/Amtrak, to service midtown and northern neighborhoods [[proceeding onto 8 mile maybe). But I think a downtown line as UMich06 describes is really the tops. A direct 20-25 min link into downtown which swings by Dearborn and Ford HQ, too. The ridership would be excellent. If this can't get done, I'd settle with speedy and frequent service to New Center which uses the M1 to complete the journey downtown, though I think transfers are psychologically unattractive to many.

My funding idea: RTA millage + $2 per landing per passenger tax on DTW entrants [[should raise $40 million a year by my quick research) + mix of federal and private funds for initial building of the line.

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Well, according to UMich06, the DTW rail would run along Michigan Ave until it hit M-10. So MCS wouldn't be out of the question. They could convert it to apartments that would have easy access to the rail. Of course, all of this is a long way down the road, so this is assuming they haven't repurposed MCS by then [[or torn it down).