Illitch secretly buying up properties, again.

[gthomas]

I went to visit my friend who lives in one of those apartment buildings near Cass Tech High School, he was sad that he and many others who live the apartment building will be displaced. He handed me this pink slip...[[I can't say much on what was on there) but Ilitch bought the building and more and likely to be demolished for his $600 million development plans. I was shock to read it, he has til August to move...this will make the News soon.

I believe his development plans will be between Third Ave to the west, Masonic Temple to the north, Woodward to the east and Adam st. to the south [[behind the fox). That's a pretty impressive plot of land to be redevelop, the liquor store and those historic apartment buildings [[just north of I-75) on Cass and Second will be demolished [[probably). Harry's will be the only one standing in the area, [[assuming)?

[gthomas]

Here the facts!!! http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2.../BIZ/304220419

Additional properties change hands in Detroit's Cass Corridor

• By Louis Aguilar
• The Detroit News
• 9 Comments

Low-income residents of three apartment buildings on Henry Street in Detroit's Cass Corridor were abruptly notified Friday the buildings are being sold and the unknown buyer wants everyone out by May 20.
Residents were still in disbelief on Monday.
"This is so wrong, it's just so wrong," said Cathy Griffeth, a resident of the Berwin apartment at 489 Henry, north of the Fisher Freeway service drive. "We had no clue this was going to happen," Griffeth said. "I'm on disability like a lot of other people who live here. Do they really think we can find some other place just like that?"
The three apartment buildings are on the 400 block of Henry, just west of Cass Avenue. In addition to the Berwin, the other two buildings are the Claridge at 459 Henry and the Bretton at 439 Henry. All are owned by Peter Mercier of Grosse Pointe Farms.
Residents in each building, a total of 96 units, received a three-sentence letter in their mailboxes Friday informing them that Mercier has signed an agreement to sell. It doesn't name the new owner. "And the new owner has requested that all of the apartments be vacated," states the letter.
Along with the letters, the residents were given a state of Michigan document to vacate, which is the step prior to eviction.
Residents also received a copy of a hand-written written note apologizing for the short notice. The note over Mercier's signature explains he signed an option to sell the buildings a year ago. He explains he asked the new owner to extend the time for the residents to leave but that request was declined. Mercier could not be reached for comment Monday.
Tenant Glenn Chinchilla said and many others tenants lived in one of the buildings for more than a decade. "I am still in shock," Chinchilla. "Now I'm getting really worried. I don't know if I should try to fight this, or work something out with the new owner, or I should just somehow find a new place in time," Chinchilla said, who works in the housekeeping department of a nearby hospital.
Meanwhile, around the block, two buildings near Cass Technical High School and the Masonic Temple were bought in January by entities that have created opaque paper trails. One of the buildings was a vacant nursing home on Ledyard. The other was owned by the Baptist State Convention of Michigan that was being used by Cass Park Baptist Church congregation, which has moved out. Both were sold in January, according to public records. Both purchases are linked to a limited liability company that doesn't provide a telephone number on the public document; both list a registered agent as the sole representative for the company.
The deals are similar to the nearly two dozen property deals of blighted buildings and vacant parcels that have taken place in the neighborhood since September 2008. Most sellers have signed confidentiality agreements. So far, none of the purchased properties has been renovated or put back to use.
The latest deals expand the boundaries several blocks west and south where the previous mysterious deals have taken place.
Cass Corridor is just north of downtown and many residents believe at least some of the area is the site of a new hockey arena and entertainment district. Officials of the Detroit Red Wings, owned by Michael Ilitch, haven't publicly revealed where the arena and district may be located. The envisioned entertainment district, announced in December by Ilitch's Olympia Development, is described as being "strategically located to serve some of the most underutilized areas in Detroit's downtown core."
In addition to a possible new hockey arena and entertainment district, a streetcar line called M-1 Rail is expected to begin construction this year for a 3.3-mile line that would run from downtown Woodward to the New Center.
The Federal Transit Administration has given the environmental clearance for the $137 million project, as the nonprofit group Monday named eight new directors and a chief financial officer.
The FTA's clearance allows the 3.3-mile, fixed-rail streetcar system to move forward to the next phases of design, right-of-way acquisition and construction. This is the last approval step under the National Environmental Policy Act process, said M-1 Rail President and CEO Matthew Cullen.
The project is scheduled to begin operations in late 2015.








From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...#ixzz2RF2YkF4h

[casscorridor]

More pieces of urban fabric likely to be destroyed, therefore decreasing the urban vitality of a city that is more and more resembling a suburb... parking lots, massive blocks, gigantic fortress-like developments, etc. This has to stop. A city needs its small buildings, like I just mentioned in another thread. Without them, the city is no longer a city, but rather a disparate collection of landmarks. And without residents, who exactly will patron the supposedly-proposed retail developments beyond game-day/show-night?

Not to mention the displacement of low-income residents... could gentrification be any more clear? Or can this even be called gentrification if all that is taking their place is parking lots and sports stadiums? Do we need another name for this type of gentrification?

[Shollin]

More pieces of urban fabric likely to be destroyed, therefore decreasing the urban vitality of a city that is more and more resembling a suburb... parking lots, massive blocks, gigantic fortress-like developments, etc. This has to stop. A city needs its small buildings, like I just mentioned in another thread. Without them, the city is no longer a city, but rather a disparate collection of landmarks. And without residents, who exactly will patron the supposedly-proposed retail developments beyond game-day/show-night?

Not to mention the displacement of low-income residents... could gentrification be any more clear? Or can this even be called gentrification if all that is taking their place is parking lots and sports stadiums? Do we need another name for this type of gentrification?

Yea because the area was just so vibrant and had such great urban fabric. We all know the city of Detroit lacks low income housing.

[casscorridor]

Yea because the area was just so vibrant and had such great urban fabric. We all know the city of Detroit lacks low income housing.

So the solution to Lower-Cass urban degeneration is demolishing what is left and replacing it with developments that are fundamentally opposed to the urban? [[i.e. what I just described based on Illitch's track record... parking lots, superblocks, fortress-like developments, no retail or residential .. and I'm not talking about what he did in the 30 years ago with the Fox Theatre).

[Tonynace]

And just who is going to build or refurbish those "small building?" There's not much of anything there at the moment and developing this area will stabilize it and prevent further decline of the surrounding neighborhoods. Be thankful somebody wants to invest in Detroit. Yea it's tough on the people living there and I hope somebody helps them resettle, but what Ilitch is doing is much better than the alternative of doing nothing.

[downtownguy]

Nice scoop on the news gthomas.

If it looks like Ilitch, walks like Ilitch and quacks like Ilitch, it must be Ilitch. Too bad they didn't show more compassion for the residents, that by all accounts were paying their rents faithfully, yet are given only 30 days to vacate.

[jt1]

Nice scoop on the news gthomas.

If it looks like Ilitch, walks like Ilitch and quacks like Ilitch, it must be Ilitch. Too bad they didn't show more compassion for the residents, that by all accounts were paying their rents faithfully, yet are given only 30 days to vacate.

The truly sad thing is that Ilitch will put these people out on their asses with 30 day notice then let properties sit vacant for at least a year [[if not more).

If that happens, I will never spend a penny on anything related to Ilitch ever again [[Tigers, Wings, Tigers or Wings clothing, hats, whatever is eventually put on this site.

[gthomas]

Nice scoop on the news gthomas.

If it looks like Ilitch, walks like Ilitch and quacks like Ilitch, it must be Ilitch. Too bad they didn't show more compassion for the residents, that by all accounts were paying their rents faithfully, yet are given only 30 days to vacate.

My friend just moved here from Las Vegas several months ago, he is sad about this and might end up back in Las Vegas if he can't find a place quick enough...this is wrong on many levels.

[Gannon]

Nice scoop on the news gthomas.

If it looks like Ilitch, walks like Ilitch and quacks like Ilitch, it must be Ilitch. Too bad they didn't show more compassion for the residents, that by all accounts were paying their rents faithfully, yet are given only 30 days to vacate.

The Neo-Savior did this to old folks on Washington Boulevard, too...I was going to start a thread on their displacement, but since I'm already viewed as an anti-Gilbert word-bully I thought the better of it.

But yeah, those who warn against gentrification are getting strong confirmations from these two...and now have many poster-people to help support their cause.

How can developers force these changes more responsibly?! Dumping the elderly, indigent, and the sick on the street most certainly is the opposite of that.

What an ugly start to the day...but then again, I don't have to uproot and move today.

[downtownguy]

The Neo-Savior did this to old folks on Washington Boulevard, too...I was going to start a thread on their displacement, but since I'm already viewed as an anti-Gilbert word-bully I thought the better of it.

But yeah, those who warn against gentrification are getting strong confirmations from these two...and now have many poster-people to help support their cause.

How can developers force these changes more responsibly?! Dumping the elderly, indigent, and the sick on the street most certainly is the opposite of that.

What an ugly start to the day...but then again, I don't have to uproot and move today.

John, my good friend, your constant Gilbert bashing across threads, no less, is making me weary. This thread is about Ilitch. I'll put Gilbert's record in the last, what, 2 years? up against Ilitch's 25 year record anyday.

[Zacha341]

Yeah, I've just saw a similar article on Fox2Detroit:

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/22...old-in-detroit

The article mention Detroit Cab Company being sold as well.....

Nice scoop on the news gthomas.

If it looks like Ilitch, walks like Ilitch and quacks like Ilitch, it must be Ilitch. Too bad they didn't show more compassion for the residents, that by all accounts were paying their rents faithfully, yet are given only 30 days to vacate.

[Shollin]

I'm holding out hope that the development will be as planned. I guess slums and abandonment is a better option to surround downtown. I drove down Cass on opening day and I'm surprised there are people actually living there. It sure didn't look it like it.

[casscorridor]

I'm holding out hope that the development will be as planned. I guess slums and abandonment is a better option to surround downtown. I drove down Cass on opening day and I'm surprised there are people actually living there. It sure didn't look it like it.

Do you really trust Illitch to keep his word? [[think about his once-proposed Agora) The current proposal is super vague mind you... no details on amount of residential or retail space. Either way, it doesn't excuse demolishing historic buildings that can easily be incorporated into the new district.

[Shollin]

This is what I don't get. People want development and want to fancy themselves to Chicago or New York, but any building that is old, even if it doesn't have a grand history or any use, they want to save. It's not like the buildings even look good. We're not proposing to tear down the Penobscot or Guardian, but rather a slum. I'll give Illitch another chance. I don't see anyone else lining up to develop Detroit, Gilbert included.

[casscorridor]

This is what I don't get. People want development and want to fancy themselves to Chicago or New York, but any building that is old, even if it doesn't have a grand history or any use, they want to save. It's not like the buildings even look good. We're not proposing to tear down the Penobscot or Guardian, but rather a slum. I'll give Illitch another chance. I don't see anyone else lining up to develop Detroit, Gilbert included.

What an incredibly naive statement. This has been the policy of Detroit for over half a century, to demolish any and everything deemed blight/slum... it has been an utter failure. These small buildings are what make a city. Penobscot building doesn't make a city, unless your idea of a city is a skyscraper skyline... something that has only existed for a little over a century. Please tell me what you know about real cities beyond their skyline and landmark buildings.

I'm also confused on how Illitch stadium = development, but Gilbert retail, residential, office development does not.

[Shollin]

What an incredibly naive statement. This has been the policy of Detroit for over half a century, to demolish any and everything deemed blight/slum... it has been an utter failure. These small buildings are what make a city. Penobscot building doesn't make a city, unless your idea of a city is a skyscraper skyline... something that has only existed for a little over a century. Please tell me what you know about real cities beyond their skyline and landmark buildings.

I'm also confused on how Illitch stadium = development, but Gilbert retail, residential, office development does not.

I didn't say Gilbert development didn't count. What I meant was that people aren't lining up even after Dan Gilbert has made major investment. Kind of ironic though that all these great historic small buildings in the city of Detroit, Gilbert choses to locate his main company, Quicken, in a couple floors of the nice new Compuware building. What I do know about real cities is they don't let buildings sit vacant for 30-40-50 years. Just go down any residential street in Wrigleyville or Lincoln Park and you'll seem some new 3 story condo building shoehorned into a lot that once hed some flat. Not too mention the gold coast and up the northern lake shore is chock full of new highrises. I don't know of much areas in Chicago where random old buildings are renovated and reused. Everything I have seen has been new condo development. The problem is Chicago in certain neighborhoods has a demand for the housing, Detroit does not.

[casscorridor]

I didn't say Gilbert development didn't count. What I meant was that people aren't lining up even after Dan Gilbert has made major investment. Kind of ironic though that all these great historic small buildings in the city of Detroit, Gilbert choses to locate his main company, Quicken, in a couple floors of the nice new Compuware building. What I do know about real cities is they don't let buildings sit vacant for 30-40-50 years. Just go down any residential street in Wrigleyville or Lincoln Park and you'll seem some new 3 story condo building shoehorned into a lot that once hed some flat. Not too mention the gold coast and up the northern lake shore is chock full of new highrises. I don't know of much areas in Chicago where random old buildings are renovated and reused. Everything I have seen has been new condo development. The problem is Chicago in certain neighborhoods has a demand for the housing, Detroit does not.

Yeah, they demolish old buildings to build something bigger, in a dense area with no vacant land. In Detroit, we demolish what few buildings are left, in a high-vacancy area, to build something that doesn't even have the same function [[residential).

I don't know much about Chicago, but I do know in Brooklyn there is a renovation boom going on in Bushwick and BedStuy areas, along with the condo boom closer in to Manhattan.

Still, point is... those cities, even with clearing the old to make way for the new... still have URBAN FABRIC... Detroit just demolishes shit and doesn't replace it with something denser. Instead, we replace with something more resembling a suburb than a city.

Not to mention the fact that sports stadiums are not good urban developers. Sure they can bring in some businesses on game day, but that is nothing compared to the business restaurants would be getting if there was a dense residential population.

Detroit does have demand for housing Downtown also. You should read the recent reports stating this as fact... why else would there be several new residential developments announced in the last few weeks?

[chicagoforlife]

This is what I don't get. People want development and want to fancy themselves to Chicago or New York, but any building that is old, even if it doesn't have a grand history or any use, they want to save. It's not like the buildings even look good. We're not proposing to tear down the Penobscot or Guardian, but rather a slum. I'll give Illitch another chance. I don't see anyone else lining up to develop Detroit, Gilbert included.

My thoughts exactly.

[rb336]

I'm guessing that another set of apartments/shops across Woodward, with the arena behind them

[Blueidone]

About 8 years ago, these three buildings were rehabbed using State of Michigan Energy Efficiency grant funds. Can't remember exactly, but at minimum they got all new windows, and possibly insulation, boilers/furnaces, and other measures. Sad to see it all go down with the wrecking ball.

[Wesley Mouch]

About 8 years ago, these three buildings were rehabbed using State of Michigan Energy Efficiency grant funds. Can't remember exactly, but at minimum they got all new windows, and possibly insulation, boilers/furnaces, and other measures. Sad to see it all go down with the wrecking ball.

Lots of comments here that might make someone think that this area is a garden spot. Have you seen most of these building? Affordable? Perhaps? Decent -- from what I know, NO.

[antongast]

Lots of comments here that might make someone think that this area is a garden spot. Have you seen most of these building? Affordable? Perhaps? Decent -- from what I know, NO.

I don't know what you mean by "this area is a garden spot." I don't know what a "garden spot" is. I live in this area. I think it's a pretty good place to live. I can't speak to the quality of individual buildings other than the one I live in; obviously, building management can make a huge difference with rentals, and if this guy cared so little about his tenants that he sold the buildings out from under them with no warning like that, I'm prepared to believe he was a shitty landlord in other respects as well. That said, people chose to live in these buildings, and are now angry about being booted, so it would seem that they found them preferable to the other available options.

[Zacha341]

Compelling points. Thanks.

I don't know what you mean by "this area is a garden spot." I don't know what a "garden spot" is. I live in this area. I think it's a pretty good place to live. I can't speak to the quality of individual buildings other than the one I live in; obviously, building management can make a huge difference with rentals, and if this guy cared so little about his tenants that he sold the buildings out from under them with no warning like that, I'm prepared to believe he was a shitty landlord in other respects as well. That said, people chose to live in these buildings, and are now angry about being booted, so it would seem that they found them preferable to the other available options.

[Blueidone]

Lots of comments here that might make someone think that this area is a garden spot. Have you seen most of these building? Affordable? Perhaps? Decent -- from what I know, NO.

I never said it was a garden spot. I simply said that a lot of money was spent to upgrade the building just a few years ago. To those who live there, it may be the best they can do. Most of them are on very low incomes. Finding affordable housing with adequate public transportation and jobs nearby is going to be a daunting task.