Broderick Tower Not Ready As Planned

[jpbollma]

http://detroit.curbed.com/archives/2...eader_comments

As a future tenant I am enraged. I will no longer be moving into this building or to Detroit at all. I will be canceling my move in and am taking the train to Chicago tomorrow morning. I guess I will have to follow a Curbed Chicago next :-). In all seriousness though, get it together Detroit.
One pissed off future/never Detroiter

PS I have spent 3000 dollars on storage and housing due to all of these set backs.

[canuck]

I dont know the details but in all fairness to Detroit, this kind of setback can happen anywhere condos are built. I hope you get what you signed up for soon though.

[Eber Brock Ward]

Meh, you gotta expect it with new construction or a rehab. I can think of three friends off hand that the same thing happened to in chicago.

[Shollin]

Should've leased a place in the Chicago Spire. Oh wait...

[stinkytofu]

It looks like they haven't even touched renovating the space into restaurants on the first few floors...

[wolverine]

http://detroit.curbed.com/archives/2...eader_comments

As a future tenant I am enraged. I will no longer be moving into this building or to Detroit at all. I will be canceling my move in and am taking the train to Chicago tomorrow morning. I guess I will have to follow a Curbed Chicago next :-). In all seriousness though, get it together Detroit.
One pissed off future/never Detroiter

PS I have spent 3000 dollars on storage and housing due to all of these set backs.

Well you'll get more bang for your buck in Chicago. I've found new apartments in Detroit overpriced. Take what you were going to spend on the Broderick and get yourself a nice place on the Magnificent Mile.

In the future though, what you experienced is normal. I had a friend move into a residential highrise where they were still pouring concrete floors on the upper levels. But if this delay happened here your landlord would have to reimburse you for those costs. Happened when my apartment didn't have new cabinets, carpet, or paint. Got to stay at the Drake hotel a few days for free!

[detroitbob]

I was not impressed by the leasing office staff when I enquired about availability. I had the distinct impression they were not organzed and thought their you know what didn't stink and it was a big hard sell to get the $$$.

[Bad Brains]

http://detroit.curbed.com/archives/2...eader_comments

As a future tenant I am enraged. I will no longer be moving into this building or to Detroit at all. I will be canceling my move in and am taking the train to Chicago tomorrow morning. I guess I will have to follow a Curbed Chicago next :-). In all seriousness though, get it together Detroit.
One pissed off future/never Detroiter

PS I have spent 3000 dollars on storage and housing due to all of these set backs.

If Mike Higgins still owns the building or has anything to do with the management, why would you be surprised or angered by this?

[stasu1213]

I wonder how much the lack of city inspectors has to do with the delayed opening of the Broderick or any other renovations and developements in the city. Many planned openings by condos, restaurants, retails, and supermarkets are probably being held back due to the lack of inspectors who would give the final approval for the renovation or development. Unless you are one of the big boys who have special privilege then the inspections would be completed in a timely manner

[Bham1982]

New construction/gut renovation is almost always late. It's very rare for a project to actually wrap up by the due date.

As a potential tenant, it's your responsibility to understand this. It has nothing to do with Detroit. It's the nature of the project.

[wolverine]

Nothing to do with Detroit? The RLT Ordinance doesn't write itself Bham. It's there to protect tenants from contracts that go bad. How good of a safety net is provided depends on the provisions in the ordinance. Of course this is also Detroit's fault.

[Wheels]

There have been issues with scab labor right from the start. Have you been wearing Rose colored blinders? Good luck with the quality once you do get in.

[Bham1982]

Nothing to do with Detroit? The RLT Ordinance doesn't write itself Bham.

Yes, it has nothing to do with Detroit. Construction deadlines are rarely met. There are all kinds of unseen issues, and the built-in estimates intended to account for these issues are notoriously vague.

I have dealt with this in my job for years. It has nothing to do with Detroit or Bloomfield or Timbuktu. There are permitting issues that are jurisdiction-specific, but, again, they're tough to build-in to your time estimates.

It's there to protect tenants from contracts that go bad. How good of a safety net is provided depends on the provisions in the ordinance. Of course this is also Detroit's fault.

I don't know the specifics of Detroit's statutory framework, but I don't think many municipalities would be crazy enough to guarantee construction deadlines. You're referring to contractual law, however, which is something different, and, again, has nothing to do with Detroit.

Anyone who rents an apartment in a structure undergoing gut renovation has to know that the move-in date could be delayed by months. This is the responsibility of the prospective tenants.

[wolverine]

Yes, it has nothing to do with Detroit. Construction deadlines are rarely met. There are all kinds of unseen issues, and the built-in estimates intended to account for these issues are notoriously vague.

I have dealt with this in my job for years. It has nothing to do with Detroit or Bloomfield or Timbuktu. There are permitting issues that are jurisdiction-specific, but, again, they're tough to build-in to your time estimates.



I don't know the specifics of Detroit's statutory framework, but I don't think many municipalities would be crazy enough to guarantee construction deadlines. You're referring to contractual law, however, which is something different, and, again, has nothing to do with Detroit.

Anyone who rents an apartment in a structure undergoing gut renovation has to know that the move-in date could be delayed by months. This is the responsibility of the prospective tenants.

Bham, don't be silly. You know RLT Ordinance has nothing to do with construction deadlines. I have not the slightest idea why would even make a post about that. Either you are being snarky or have absolutely no clue what you are talking about.

The "T" stands for tenant btw, and the original poster in this thread is the subject of this ordinance. If the unit is not ready for occupancy by the date signed by both lessor and lessee, that tenant is granted varying levels of compensation depending on the language of the ordinance.

1. Most if not all community ordinances allow the return of the deposit and 1st month rent, which I'm assuming jpbollma has received.
2. Some ordinances require credits for moving expenses or accommodation because of a delayed move in date. I received these in my case. I didn't have to request it. My landlord provided them by law. But in this case you must still be on the lease
3. Very few ordinances would require reimbursement for moving expenses and accommodation after a cancelled lease. It gets very complex in this case. But this provision does exist.

Whether these provisions are accommodated in Detroit's ordinance reflect on legal rights the city is willing to provide for its people.

Yes, I'm totally aware of how wildly construction deadlines can change. This is my industry as well. I've worked and lived in buildings that were able to get occupancy permits, but still had a ways to go with construction. Though it's completely different in a commercial situation. Your lease is signed on the new space, but if construction takes longer, you're on the hook for extending your lease in the previous space.

[HelloIDistance]

http://detroit.curbed.com/archives/2...eader_comments

As a future tenant I am enraged. I will no longer be moving into this building or to Detroit at all. I will be canceling my move in and am taking the train to Chicago tomorrow morning. I guess I will have to follow a Curbed Chicago next :-). In all seriousness though, get it together Detroit.
One pissed off future/never Detroiter

PS I have spent 3000 dollars on storage and housing due to all of these set backs.

Can not tell if serious.

Anyways, it looks like Broderick deleted some of the comments regarding the delay on their Facebook page. To the people who are saying this is normal with new construction, I agree. However, it is not professional to inform tenants of this issue ONE DAY before they are scheduled to move in. This is also the second time they have done this.

[kryptonite]

Is it routine practice for residential complexes to lease before opening nowadays? Years ago I moved into a new complex and it was one of the best living experiences I ever had and was the only time I ever lived in a new apartment. But I think that complex was completed before they started signing leases.

Like some people have already posted, new construction is rarely completed on schedule but considering that why don't the owners hold off on leases until the very last finishes are being done on the individual units.

I wonder how close the Broderick is to actually moving it's first tenants in?

[kenp]

Does this mean the Halloween party is off?

[corktownyuppie]

Is it routine practice for residential complexes to lease before opening nowadays? Years ago I moved into a new complex and it was one of the best living experiences I ever had and was the only time I ever lived in a new apartment. But I think that complex was completed before they started signing leases.

Like some people have already posted, new construction is rarely completed on schedule but considering that why don't the owners hold off on leases until the very last finishes are being done on the individual units.

I wonder how close the Broderick is to actually moving it's first tenants in?

I wouldn't necessarily say it's "routine", but it's certainly preferred for everyone involved. I just finished working on a multi-unit residential project for 44 people. The only the bank would finance the construction is because we had all 44 leases signed before construction even started. Even then, they still wanted someone else to guarantee the note.

I know I'm not going to win any points by saying "look at it from the bank's point of view", but if you think about it, a construction loan is one of the riskiest loans you can make as a bank, because the thing that will serve as collateral for the loan is being created by the construction loan.

[downtownguy]

As memory serves, [[it was 31 years ago Wednesday), when I moved into Trolley Plaza, they only gave a week or two notice that it was ready. The lease was signed a few months before and they gave me a general idea when it would be ready. But until they called with the go-ahead, you just had to wait. I was anxious to move in, so it turns out I was the second tenant on my floor [[the super was the first)

[wolverine]

Is it routine practice for residential complexes to lease before opening nowadays? Years ago I moved into a new complex and it was one of the best living experiences I ever had and was the only time I ever lived in a new apartment. But I think that complex was completed before they started signing leases.

Like some people have already posted, new construction is rarely completed on schedule but considering that why don't the owners hold off on leases until the very last finishes are being done on the individual units.

I wonder how close the Broderick is to actually moving it's first tenants in?

It absolutely is common. They'll prelease when they are certain the construction schedule is far along enough they can guarantee occupancy even with an incomplete building. So as long as they can get occupancy permits, the building can be in varying levels of completion. Life safety systems, full enclosure of living spaces and path's of egress must be clear of debris and major construction, but finishes need not be fully completed.

There's a property down the street from me now fully occupied, but the building doesn't have a first floor yet. It's just open to the elements. No facades, windows, or interior partitions, and dirt floor. It's surrounded by construction fencing still. But it's got a temporary entrance and residents are all moved in on the upper levels.

[BigChum]

It's all because of Obama. When will the liberals realize that giving handouts to everyone and starting wars will only delay the opening of fancy luxury condos. I bet if they were luxury condos for illegal mexicans they'd be done!

[bailey]

It's all because of Obama. When will the liberals realize that giving handouts to everyone and starting wars will only delay the opening of fancy luxury condos. I bet if they were luxury condos for illegal mexicans they'd be done!

...only 47% of them would be completed though.

[buckster1986]

Anybody have any photos since the scaffolding was removed?

[kryptonite]

The Free Press has this link to the current renovations with interior and exterior photos. Looks very nice. http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/g...|img|FRONTPAGE