What can Brush Park neighborhood become?

[gthomas]

I was looking up several informations and plans for the Brush Park neighborhood, I realize that soon this will be the most valuable and attractive area once several pieces are together. The potentials are there, you have something in every direction..within blocks. I hope, soon we will see a full housing stock filled with families and creative class folks.

Some of the biggest development is happening north, south, east and soon west of the area, like: Whole Foods/Spring 2013, DMC Campus Development/2015, Eastern Market Shed Development/Landscaping, Midtown Loop/Extension through Brush Park neighborhood, Downtown Gilbert Town redevelopment and Ilitch new Red Wings Arena Development/ M-1 Light Rail with three stop near Brush Park...Oh, and soon-to-be demolished Brewster Project/ Multi-use redevelopment.

Hands down this will become the neighborhood to live in Detroit, I'm determine to invest and live in this neighborhood very soon. The infrastructure is fairly new and ready for families. Here's some plans I like to see in Brush Park, having different style of housing. Courtesy of St. Louis Development page: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...=76120&page=24


























This photo by Pasa47, flickr

[mwilbert]

In my opinion, Brush Park is the neighborhood most likely to flourish among all Detroit neighborhoods which are not already successful. Of course if Detroit as a whole gets a lot worse, it isn't going to be able to overcome that, and it is hard to know how long it may take--it still seems to be a challenge to finance anything in Detroit. If a few successful projects get built in BP, things are likely to become a lot easier.

[southen]

a few mid size residential buildings would be nice. the last few pictures looked pretty cheap IMO.

[rex]

a few mid size residential buildings would be nice. the last few pictures looked pretty cheap IMO.

seriously. Its unfortunate thats not one of the nicest neighborhoods in the tri-county area. Home for doctors and downtown executives.

[illwill]

I think we can do much better than those development pictures in St. Louis.

I'd rather see vacant lots.

[Shollin]

I think we can do much better than those development pictures in St. Louis.

I'd rather see vacant lots.

Only in Detroit.

[canuck]

I kinda like the way the architects designed setbacks and varied heights and shapes on one block. There seems to be a lot of care in designing this and not only giving it a "homey look". I think the proximity and variety are just right. I also like the streetlamps. This is probably the best of the new developments of small scale housing I've seen on this forum the past couple of years. It's all there, housing and small scale business done more or less the old fashioned way.

[serpico]

Detroit will need a massive influx of "others" to be a good city. The current crop of residents lack the money, education, and general life skills to turn this city around.....

[gthomas]

I will only add a few more mid-size residential buildings in the area, I prefer single-family homes with garages. Some modern and traditional housings, it needs to stay commercial-free..no retail/bar etc..

[corktownyuppie]

Detroit will need a massive influx of "others" to be a good city. The current crop of residents lack the money, education, and general life skills to turn this city around.....

Those "others" are piling in little by little...sometimes to the chagrin of the old-timers. I think in 5 years it's going to really explode.

[serpico]

Those "others" are piling in little by little...sometimes to the chagrin of the old-timers. I think in 5 years it's going to really explode.

Detroit is still suffering from a negative flow of residents.... New York Mayor Bloomberg had it right,... flood Detroit with immigrants. 200,000 hungry Cambodians into Detroit within a year would turn this city around... A few white boys moving into Corktown aint going to turn this city around.. Nor is Dan Gilbert with Mike Illitch dancing on Woodward Ave going to change much.. Detroit needs a flush of new residents by the hundred thousands... I'd say let every Southeast Asian come to Detroit and watch this city boom... Malik Shaabaz and his crew?... ditch them all.

[wolverine]

No offense gthomas but those buildings look practically identical to the public housing replacements all the poor folks were shuffled into here in Chicago. They were pretty cheaply done...and done so similarly in St. Louis expressed by my friends' concerns who live in STL and took me through there. Not there's anything wrong with this, but I think Brush deserves better.

Some of the contractor spec housing we have here in Lincoln park would be a good fit. Because its all standardized it could be affordably done but would be comparable in architectural quality to the existing mansions. Not the cheap econo housing shown above

They were building these even through the recession in a down housing market. If they can keep most of the house standard and switch up the facades a bit, they can probably get a price point that will sell in brush park









^ Not bad right? Nearly the same age as the structures in your photo, but way more convincing.

[gthomas]

Now those are NICE!!! I see what you mean, but is it feasible now to construct homes of that standard. Is there a market for it, knowing banks aren't lending much.

[gthomas]

Here's a modern-style version of the one you have in Chicago. I think Brush Park should have a mix of both traditional and modern housing stock.



As for mid-rise residential buildings, I will like to see something similar to this in Toronto: http://m.theglobeandmail.com/news/to...service=mobile

[illwill]

gthomas-

The demand for luxury style housing in Brush Park WAS certainly there a few years ago. The proximity to everywhere is second to none and if the M1 gets built, that's another bonus. Detroiter's have to stop settling for anything and demand higher quality products. Unfortunately, as I always say, Detroit City missed the economic boom AGAIN. It's difficult for developers across the country to get money these days and it's even harder in Detroit. These kinds of structures that wolverine posted should have been introduced during the height of the real estate boom in Brush Park. I'm not saying build an entire block but maybe 2 at a time or do pre-construction sales. Bottom line is, they would have sold and still possibly can if financing can be arranged. As a matter of fact, the same type of architecture that wolverine posted fits right in with Brush Parks historical homes anyway. New construction in Detroit is going to be extremely difficult in the near-to-distant future because of the economic uncertainty of the city at this time and the current low values of real estate in the city.

However, you'll continue to see rehabbing for the next several years.

[rutlev]

Saw development like that in Richmond, thought it was ugly. The area was
nicely developed with restaurants, small shops, etc. Would have reminded me of Dearborn, so. of Michigan Ave, but Dearborn's row housing is more attractive.

[poobert]

No offense gthomas but those buildings look practically identical to the public housing replacements all the poor folks were shuffled into here in Chicago. They were pretty cheaply done...and done so similarly in St. Louis expressed by my friends' concerns who live in STL and took me through there. Not there's anything wrong with this, but I think Brush deserves better.

Some of the contractor spec housing we have here in Lincoln park would be a good fit. Because its all standardized it could be affordably done but would be comparable in architectural quality to the existing mansions. Not the cheap econo housing shown above

They were building these even through the recession in a down housing market. If they can keep most of the house standard and switch up the facades a bit, they can probably get a price point that will sell in brush park









^ Not bad right? Nearly the same age as the structures in your photo, but way more convincing.

Thanks for posting these. To me, this really puts Metro Detroit in perspective. I know some people around here bash Chicagoland and other cities as not the land of milk and honey we may think them to be, but at least there appears to be some sort of intelligent, well-thought out planning other places. Here, city or suburb, the shittiest garbage is thrown up instantly, with no thought about the aesthetic or livability. The newer "infill" "mansions" in Grosse Pointe don't even look like they belong, by a long shot. That is to say NOTHING of the awful, vulgar tangle of subdivisions that reach all the way out to Romeo these days, or the lowest-common-denominator Detroit developments.

[canuck]

These houses look pretty good wolverine, but we are not talking of the same price point nor the same detailing as the ones gthomas put up. If we are talking luxury and reproduction detailing, fine. Can Brush Park absorb these? Maybe.

[louis]

you all have it pretty right. we will probably see town homes on the streets and low rise apartments/retail on the main roads. i hope to see some big houses near the other original brush park homes though

[ismoakrack]

IIRC council either recently had, or will soon have, a meeting to change zoning in BP to accommodate more multi-level housing, with retail on the bottom. At least that's the plan for John R, not sure about Brush and Beaubien. Single family homes will most likely never be built in BP again, which is a good thing, if we want Detroit to feel like a big city again.

What we really need is redevelopment of the few remaining houses that exist before they are completely gone.

[Sharnelle]

The variety and set-backs illustrated by all these examples is way better than some of the cookie-cutter approaches to new housing I have seen in the downtown area.

Small set-backs from the sidewalk give people a chance to personalize their homes which adds interest and character to the neighborhood. There should also be low-rise apts and live/work mixed in.

Being able to walk to shopping, cafes and parks is important for health reasons and to avoid boredom. Also, these diverse walkable streets offer opportunities to bring people together, which is more likely to build community.

We can learn from these examples in other cities, rather than throwing up dull, low-density, endlessly repetitive housing, assuming there is there no other cost-effective choice.

[wolverine]

These houses look pretty good wolverine, but we are not talking of the same price point nor the same detailing as the ones gthomas put up. If we are talking luxury and reproduction detailing, fine. Can Brush Park absorb these? Maybe.

Actually those homes were built using off the shelf components. Everything about them is standard, but of course, real material. It's like having solid wood doors in your home instead of cheap hollowcore, but its not like having custom doors made by a craftsman. Reason these homes are expensive is its Lincoln Park. But I still think you could construct them for a reasonable price in Detroit. Their design and assembly is far less complicated and labor intensive as the average suburban Detroit home. Difference is they sunk more money into the facade

Btw. Love the Toronto example posted.

[casscorridor]

Preserving what is left of Brush Park will be important for its redevelopment, but ultimately the neighborhood needs to become much more dense. Overall, the neighborhood should resemble that of a [close to] downtown residential neighborhoods in other major cities.


Density can be achieved without high rises, by packing in three-four story structures on lots facing both the streets and alleys. This has already been done with the newer townhouses on the southwest corner of the neighborhood, but could stand to be much more tastefully executed.


Neighborhood retail should be incorporated, in addition to the growing number of retail options in adjacent areas in Midtown, Downtown and Eastern Market.

Brewster Projects should be redeveloped, but incorporate at least some of the existing buildings for their historical importance, the land should benefit the city and surrounding area, perhaps including a new park, and any new buildings built should follow an urban form and compliment not conflict with the surrounding area.


And of course, increased connectivity to/from the neighborhood via walking, biking, and public transit. Woodward light-rail, Midtown greenway are two obvious improvements but there could be many more, especially in regards the freeway barrier.

Brush Park is very well positioned in Detroit's urban geography, particularly when when it comes to walking. Wayne State, DMC, Eastern Market, and the Downtown office district are all within a 15 minute walk. Once the space in between these destinations are filled in with active places, the more desirable walking will become.

[detroitbob]

During the Archer years there was talk of stripping the Brewster high rises to the frame and rebuildng as market rate along with redevelopment of the remaining property as town homes. WSU and the Med Center were supposed to partner with the city and other investors to bridge into the Brush Park area and the project went nowhere. Does anyone else remember this concept?

[ismoakrack]

Good idea. I think the towers and rec centre should be reused; it would be such a waste to demolish them for a development likely to not materialize for decades. The 'townhomes' on the other hand can go.