Union at Midtown - closed/condemed?

[wardwood]

This is the new apartment buiding on Cass across from Old Main, I heard tht their pipes burst and all the resident have been forced to move out, have not heard to much about this on the news

Subject: Flooding update

January 25, 2012
Dear Union at Midtown Resident,
Due to the events of January 16, 2012, it has become necessary to immediately vacate your apartment and relocate you to alternative housing. During demolition and reconstruction the facility cannot provide you the services we promised and a peaceful environment to live in. Therefore everyone needs to vacate the facility by Sunday evening January 29, 2012.

We have coordinated a number of services which will help in this process. On Thursday January 26th [[tomorrow) between 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm, and Friday January 27th between 9:00 am and 2:00 pm, we will have Union at Midtown representatives available on the first floor to answer your questions and provide housing suggestions. Wayne State University's housing department will also have officials in attendance that will provide options for on-campus housing.

In order to make the transition as smooth as possible Union at Midtown in conjunction with Wayne State will provide the following additional services:
o Boxes will be available for you to pack up your personal belongings.
o For those tenants who decide to move into Wayne State housing, we will provide delivery of your boxes.
o Wayne State will process your applications without an application fee and will waive the security deposit.
o Wayne State will work diligently to provide single rooms to all interested parties and multi-tenant room when it is desired.
o If a Wayne State room does not have a kitchen, they have agreed to provide a meal plan for each tenant at no additional cost.
o Wayne State has agreed that rent will be no greater than you are paying now.

Please realize that it is extremely important that you meet with our counselors on Thursday or Friday as it is necessary for all of you to vacate the apartments by Sunday evening, January 29, 2012.

We are terribly sorry for this inconvenience and apologize for the necessity of this move. After Sunday, we will continue to update you regularly on our progress of our reconstruction and we want you to know that we want everyone to return to new and improved The Union at Midtown this coming fall.

THE UNION AT MIDTOWN

[MidTownMs]

It was on the news...apparently many of the students were placed in dorms while the repairs are being made.

[Gsgeorge]

I am honestly not surprised. This reeked of shoddy, cheap construction from the start, and by the looks of the building and the way it was hurriedly assembled, burst pipes are the least of its problems. How did Sue Mosey let this one slip by? This location is ideal for an inviting strip of streetside retail to service the school, not a shoddy apartment building with garage doors in front of the sidewalk. And the building's garish rear ruins the sight lines of Old Main across Wayne State's new "Front Yard" [[another poorly executed wholesale replacement of decent streetside retail). Combine this with that horrible looking Subway all alone by itself in a giant field of nothing, right by what should be one of Detroit's most active streetcorners, and you can't help but say: what were they thinking?????

I feel bad for the tenants. Maybe they'll knock the building down. Normally, in Detroit, that's not a good thing. But this is one I wouldn't mind seeing brought down as quickly as it was built...

[Russix]

I am honestly not surprised. This reeked of shoddy, cheap construction from the start, and by the looks of the building and the way it was hurriedly assembled, burst pipes are the least of its problems. How did Sue Mosey let this one slip by? This location is ideal for an inviting strip of streetside retail to service the school, not a shoddy apartment building with garage doors in front of the sidewalk. And the building's garish rear ruins the sight lines of Old Main across Wayne State's new "Front Yard" [[another poorly executed wholesale replacement of decent streetside retail). Combine this with that horrible looking Subway all alone by itself in a giant field of nothing, right by what should be one of Detroit's most active streetcorners, and you can't help but say: what were they thinking?????

I feel bad for the tenants. Maybe they'll knock the building down. Normally, in Detroit, that's not a good thing. But this is one I wouldn't mind seeing brought down as quickly as it was built...

Yes it does have a "blind garage" on Cass ave, but most of it facing Cass is ground floor retail. I think they would have utilized the alley for garage access but again that proves too complicated to non-urban drivers just like parallel parking. I think that front yard is temporary till they can buy out the Subway, then they are going to "twin" the Maccabees.

[markd]

Wayne State has got to be one of the most incompetent organizations in the country. What a waste of space. First they take super valuable land and turn it into a worthless "green space" that no one will ever use and looks terrible because they couldn't buy out the Subway owner's lease. And then they take more valuable land and give the contract to some cookie cutter campus housing company that builds that ugly ass building and on top of that it's shoddy as fuck.

[Baselinepunk]

"Wayne State has got to be one of the most incompetent organizations in the country."

I agree 100%. There are a few, great people that I think [[and know) are straight up awesome that work and teach there.

I've heard that the WSU internal term used for this type of incompetence is called:

The Wayne Way.



If true it's pretty fitting.



If Mr. Gilmour really wants to make a difference there he must clean house; starting with Administration. WSU is starting [[thinking) about tightening up admission requirements; me thinks he needs to really look internally at a lot of waste, abuse and administrative redundancy and incompetence.

If he doesn't, that will just be the ole Wayne Way ....

[Zaiko]

Sue Mosey didn't like this building. But she decided that she didn't have enough authority to fight Wayne State. So she stayed quiet.

[Danny]

What type of common piping that the construction workers used at the Union Apartments is the investors way to cut down on cost and save city water bills. PVC and copper piping is the common use of plumbing materials in any housing. There are some weak spots mostly in "male" to "female" piping [[mostly hot water) that could cause pipebursts and exteme water damage. Some construction workers who did the plumbing probably didn't put enough required fluxing paste or metal sealant on the copper pipes or not enough PVC joint compond to tightly seal the joints. I feel really sorry for the tenants who lost their belongings and hopefully they should have renter's insurance to cover the damages. The Union Apartments will be fixed just like any other housing around the corridor area. Demand for student housing is on the rise and we need to young hipsters and young professionals and empty nesters here in Wayne State and midtown area to create a vibrant society and make Detroit a better safer place for anyone to live.

[RickBeall]

I thought the Union building looked nicer than what it replaced. And it was mixed use retail and apartments.

Concerning the "park" on Woodward and Forest, my intuition is that Wayne State always buys whatever nearby property it can, especially frontage on Woodward. They do not have a plan for the property yet. Normally when they do this they turn it into parking lots, but this time they thought they would gain a little goodwill and good PR and make a park. Who can dislike a part? But it is temporary until they have a real plan for it.

[aoife]

From what I have heard around campus, the park is there as a placeholder until they can buy out the lonely Subway. They did not want the other businesses to renew leases and slow down the process so they bought the area when it was available. There has been talk of putting in a full sized auditorium and some sort of smaller hotel so that there is place to put visiting researchers/families besides the Inn on Ferry or the empty student apartments. I don't know how much of that is actual fact- it was just floating around for a while. The "Wayne Way" also involves wild speculation on any given topic. People like to talk.

That the Union at Midtown was closed/condemned so soon after opening should not be a shock to anyone. We watched that building go up in what seemed to be a matter of months- I have never seen anything so cheaply constructed. They really should have put more effort into them, especially considering the prime location.

[noise]

The "Wayne Way" also involves wild speculation on any given topic. People like to talk.

Ha! Very true.

[Flintoid]

If Wayne State is indeed looking to that site to build a hotel, that would be wonderful. While the Inn on Ferry Street is an amazing place to stay, Midtown needs a larger hotel with all of the growth that is occurring there. Even more people to get out and walk the streets and enjoy this booming district

[wolverine]

How on earth was this building constructed? Catastrophic floods are rare in multi-family buildings. Did they run plumbing laterally? Usually during a pipe burst, the water goes straight to the ground level or basement.

[Road_warrior]

Wsu does not own the The Union. The building is a private apartment building.

[sophia]

I beg to differ from you. The owners of the properties adjacent to the apartment building vehemently disapproved of the investors plans to build such a desecration to the historic area of Detroit. Nevertheless, the investor & builder went in front of the Detroit Building & Safety Engineering Department for permits to build. Sue Mosey was one of the speakers who went up to the podium to speak in favor of this plan, stating she, as well as Wayne State University, was in favor of it. The B & S E Department denied their request because of the multitudes of serious variances, [[at least 7), they would have to allow. The investor and builders didn't stop. They then went to the Detroit Variance Board and pleaded their case asking for approval of these variances for their project. Again, Susan Mosey was right in front of the microphone representing the University Cultural Center Association and speaking on behalf of Wayne State University in huge support of the project. [[You can read the transcripts yourself Case # 57-10) Obviously, there were many people who planned on making big bucks on this project. I just wonder whose pocket Ms. Mosey is in?

[sophia]

I am honestly not surprised. This reeked of shoddy, cheap construction from the start, and by the looks of the building and the way it was hurriedly assembled, burst pipes are the least of its problems. How did Sue Mosey let this one slip by? This location is ideal for an inviting strip of streetside retail to service the school, not a shoddy apartment building with garage doors in front of the sidewalk. And the building's garish rear ruins the sight lines of Old Main across Wayne State's new "Front Yard" [[another poorly executed wholesale replacement of decent streetside retail). Combine this with that horrible looking Subway all alone by itself in a giant field of nothing, right by what should be one of Detroit's most active streetcorners, and you can't help but say: what were they thinking?????

I feel bad for the tenants. Maybe they'll knock the building down. Normally, in Detroit, that's not a good thing. But this is one I wouldn't mind seeing brought down as quickly as it was built...

Sue didn't let this slip by. The owners of the properties adjacent to the apartment building vehemently disapproved of the investors plans to build such a desecration to the historic area of Detroit. Nevertheless, the investor & builder went in front of the Detroit Building & Safety Engineering Department for permits to build. Sue Mosey was one of the speakers who went up to the podium to speak in favor of this plan, stating she, as well as Wayne State University, was in favor of it. The B & S E Department denied their request because of the multitudes of serious variances, [[at least 7), they would have to allow. The investor and builders didn't stop. They then went to the Detroit Variance Board and pleaded their case asking for approval of these variances for their project. Again, Susan Mosey was right in front of the microphone representing the University Cultural Center Association and speaking on behalf of Wayne State University in huge support of the project. [[You can read the transcripts yourself Case # 57-10) Obviously, there were many people who planned on making big bucks on this project. I just wonder whose pocket Ms. Mosey is in?

[Gistok]

There has been talk of putting in a full sized auditorium and some sort of smaller hotel so that there is place to put visiting researchers/families besides the Inn on Ferry or the empty student apartments. I don't know how much of that is actual fact- it was just floating around for a while. The "Wayne Way" also involves wild speculation on any given topic. People like to talk.

aoife... I know you alluded to "speculation"... but the strange thing is that there are already so many venues in the area... that the need for yet ANOTHER auditorium seems almost absurd...

There's the Hillberry, DeRoy, DIA Theatre, the Rackham, the newly rehabbed Garden Theatre.... and farther down the road the Bonstelle and The Max.... another auditorium seems almost like overkill!

[gnome]

Sophia:

I look forward to leaning more about the issues you raise; to that end, I'm sure you could provide links to substantiate your claims. Your conflation of different events leads your reader to assumptions not in evidence, namely that Sue Mosey is anything but an ardent supporter of the Mid-Town area.

For decades she has held that area together with the slimmest of resources; she has fought a thankless battle against ravages of time, greed, drugs, blight and a series of hapless City governments. Yet on this single issue, an issue on which you seem informed, you single her out as the cause of broken water pipes.

All plans, be they for a building or a war, come down to execution. Nothing you have shown leads one to the conclusion you present.

If you have evidence, bring it forward, otherwise consider yourself a rumor-mongering trollete.

In the meantime, those who know Sue will rest comfortable in the knowledge that she has fought the good fight while being respectful of other people.

[drjeff]

Sue didn't let this slip by. The owners of the properties adjacent to the apartment building vehemently disapproved of the investors plans to build such a desecration to the historic area of Detroit. Nevertheless, the investor & builder went in front of the Detroit Building & Safety Engineering Department for permits to build. Sue Mosey was one of the speakers who went up to the podium to speak in favor of this plan, stating she, as well as Wayne State University, was in favor of it. The B & S E Department denied their request because of the multitudes of serious variances, [[at least 7), they would have to allow. The investor and builders didn't stop. They then went to the Detroit Variance Board and pleaded their case asking for approval of these variances for their project. Again, Susan Mosey was right in front of the microphone representing the University Cultural Center Association and speaking on behalf of Wayne State University in huge support of the project. [[You can read the transcripts yourself Case # 57-10) Obviously, there were many people who planned on making big bucks on this project. I just wonder whose pocket Ms. Mosey is in?

Sue Mosey is a graduate of WSU but as far as I can tell she is not employed at the University [[I am faculty at WSU). Therefore she is in no position to speak for WSU as you claim.

[Traxus]

I am honestly not surprised. This reeked of shoddy, cheap construction from the start, and by the looks of the building and the way it was hurriedly assembled, burst pipes are the least of its problems. How did Sue Mosey let this one slip by? This location is ideal for an inviting strip of streetside retail to service the school, not a shoddy apartment building with garage doors in front of the sidewalk. And the building's garish rear ruins the sight lines of Old Main across Wayne State's new "Front Yard" [[another poorly executed wholesale replacement of decent streetside retail). Combine this with that horrible looking Subway all alone by itself in a giant field of nothing, right by what should be one of Detroit's most active streetcorners, and you can't help but say: what were they thinking?????

I couldn't believe how quickly they threw that thing up. Typical WSU detachment. And how about that laughable facade they threw over the old chemistry building to make it look like something less soviet? These two buildings depict a depressing truth about the WSU bureaucracy.

I think the consensus on that subway is that WSU is waiting/hoping to force them out so that they can then develop the whole lot and not have to build around it...

[RickBeall]

I thought the building looked good, and its intended purpose was perfect. Retail on the 1st floor and apartments on the floors above. Also, I thought it looked pretty good. It's a shame there were construction errors that caused problems. Just because a pipe burst does not mean that everyone involved in having it build is evil.

[Flintoid]

I thought the building looked good, and its intended purpose was perfect. Retail on the 1st floor and apartments on the floors above. Also, I thought it looked pretty good. It's a shame there were construction errors that caused problems. Just because a pipe burst does not mean that everyone involved in having it build is evil.

So true. Can we end the wild speculation on this forum? Talk about blowing things out of proportion. The building wasn't built well enough, it's being fixed, and it was designed for first floor retail keeping that urban mindset in mind. It's just 1 building folks. Let's calm down.

[drjeff]

I couldn't believe how quickly they threw that thing up. Typical WSU detachment. And how about that laughable facade they threw over the old chemistry building to make it look like something less soviet? These two buildings depict a depressing truth about the WSU bureaucracy.

I think the consensus on that subway is that WSU is waiting/hoping to force them out so that they can then develop the whole lot and not have to build around it...

I guess you haven't been in the Chemistry building, because that is way more than a facade. Chemistry is one of the top departments at WSU and is nationally recognized.

[Bham1982]

Sue Mosey is a graduate of WSU but as far as I can tell she is not employed at the University [[I am faculty at WSU). Therefore she is in no position to speak for WSU as you claim.

But that isn't what the poster claimed. The poster claimed that Mosey spoke in support of Wayne's policy, which anyone can do.

It's quite common and perfectly legitimate for a public figure to comment on a major land use decision. Granted, I have no idea what went on in these meetings.

[KJ5]

Knock down that fucker and put a Roscoe's Arcade and an internet cafe there!