Boutique Hotel/Residential Highrise Proposed For Statler Site

[mwilbert]

Holy hell, 700 parking spots for 118 hotel rooms? Exactly how many residential units are being planned? I bet its a lot less than 582.

So let me get this straight. There was no demand, so the Statler had to be demolished. But that was an oddly-shaped building. And on the same exact lot, the new building will NOT be oddly-shaped?

I'm so confused.

The hotel closed 40 years ago. It was demolished almost ten years ago. Possibly the downtown real estate market has changed since then? And all buildings on the same lot must be the same shape? I'm pretty sure you have more options when you aren't trying to wedge 1000 hotel rooms, all of which need windows, onto a lot.

[Spartan]

This is my favorite downtown project - the restaurant and bars sound like great additions. Interested to see what the actual facades will look like

Boy that's a lot of music-themed venues in one spot [[Cliff Bell's, Mo Better Blues, plus these two). Wonder if there's enough room for all of them.

[Khorasaurus]

The hotel closed 40 years ago. It was demolished almost ten years ago. Possibly the downtown real estate market has changed since then? And all buildings on the same lot must be the same shape? I'm pretty sure you have more options when you aren't trying to wedge 1000 hotel rooms, all of which need windows, onto a lot.

They also seem to have addressed the question of the lot shape by filling the lot with a parking garage and non-room hotel amenities [[meeting rooms, offices, etc), and the putting rectangular towers on top.

Speaking of which, I wish that the long sides of the residential towers were oriented along Washington/Clifford, rather than Clifford/Bagley.

[Gistok]

They also seem to have addressed the question of the lot shape by filling the lot with a parking garage and non-room hotel amenities [[meeting rooms, offices, etc), and the putting rectangular towers on top.

Speaking of which, I wish that the long sides of the residential towers were oriented along Washington/Clifford, rather than Clifford/Bagley.

I wouldn't worry about the residential towers orientation... the developers haven't yet figured out that the People Mover tracks cut diagonally across the property right thu one of the residential towers in the diagram!

Once they figure that out, they'll have no choice but to move the residential towers away from the Bagley/Clifford corner...

[3WC]

Does anyone find it strange that neither reporter from Crain's or the News attempted to obtain a comment from anyone at DEGC. Wouldn't that be the first thing a reporter would do? And, if not successful, note that no one was available to comment? Did the reporter ask for financing details? Virtually all apartments today are financed by HUD, and HUD loans take up to a year to get processed.

Believe it when you see it, folks.

[CrashDummy]

Does anyone find it strange that neither reporter from Crain's or the News attempted to obtain a comment from anyone at DEGC.

No. This is an online article. They are trying to strike a balance between getting the article out quickly, but also avoiding any misinformation. It just makes sense.

I will also believe it when I see it. But, I will believe it now as well. C'mon, how long are we going to play this game?

[Gistok]

No. This is an online article. They are trying to strike a balance between getting the article out quickly, but also avoiding any misinformation. It just makes sense.

I will also believe it when I see it. But, I will believe it now as well. C'mon, how long are we going to play this game?

Do you mean SimCity??

I thought something was odd when the design had 2 of the towers place right in the way of the People Mover tracks... [[on the Clifford and Bagley side of the block). That was a red flag from the get go!

The other red flag... that has to be the lamest rendering I have ever seen!

But we'll just have to wait and see...

[gumby]

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...ew-Wings-arena

here is the new link to the Detnews article.

[401don]

From the way it crosses the entrance to Washington Blvd., to the way it wraps itself around the Statler lot, the People Mover track is one big eyesore across Grand Circus Park.

[MikeyinBrooklyn]

Crain's has more info.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...hilton-site-in

[mikeg19]

The design reminds me of a condo I rented in Miami a couple years ago. Lower level wedge shape was parking, with three towers protruding upward on top of it. Obviously a lot nicer than the rendering we've been provided, but I like the design aspects.

[southen]

Do you mean SimCity??

I thought something was odd when the design had 2 of the towers place right in the way of the People Mover tracks... [[on the Clifford and Bagley side of the block). That was a red flag from the get go!

The other red flag... that has to be the lamest rendering I have ever seen!

But we'll just have to wait and see...

i think it was something thrown together in sketchup quickly to put in with the announcement. my guess is that they have had to go back to the drawing table for this development. if they have been working on this for four years that means they were likely thinking of just putting a hotel on the site with a lot of parking, because it wasnt until recently that a developer could look at new high rise residential construction as an option. that is probably why the two towers are awkwardly placed and seem like an afterthought.

i do like the massing and how it doesnt really feel like a super block. id love to see one of the residential towers fronting washington and id like to see the hotel setback removed. im sure we will see some more fleshed out renderings in the coming months if they get approved because their timetable is pretty ambitious.

[Gistok]

I agree about the rendering Southen... and I too am not fond of the setback on GCP. I bet it's for a Porte Cochère type main entrance facing the park for valet guests.

When you look at a map of the block [[well most of it anyway).... you see that having apartment towers along Bagley or Clifford have the people mover route [[blue line) to contend with, which even a hastily put together rendering should have dealt with.

Also... the AAA Building, the only part of the block not city owned... if someone was serious about this block... you would think that someone would have asked the owner... who was unaware of this development...

[rb336]

Boy that's a lot of music-themed venues in one spot [[Cliff Bell's, Mo Better Blues, plus these two). Wonder if there's enough room for all of them.

there is ALWAYS room for Jello, I mean music

[southen]

yeah but that is extra work in sketchup, much easier to outline the lot line and project a mass up and outside of a few people here nobody is the wiser. there are also other buildings projected in the rendering that dont exist. i wouldnt be surprised if the whole thing was put together hours before the announcement.

as for the AAA building im sure thats next on the list of things to do. if they get city approval on the purchase and plan im sure both the city and developers will start to apply pressure for mr. p to sell.

[Khorasaurus]

Do you mean SimCity??

I thought something was odd when the design had 2 of the towers place right in the way of the People Mover tracks... [[on the Clifford and Bagley side of the block). That was a red flag from the get go!

The other red flag... that has to be the lamest rendering I have ever seen!

But we'll just have to wait and see...

The rendering was clearly done in SketchUp and probably took about 10 minutes. Less if the existing buildings were already done.

I'm optimistic about this project because of the list of specific tenants who are on board. That's usually a very good sign.

[Gistok]

I would LOVE to have my skepticism be proved wrong!

I also hope [[as has been mentioned) that one of the proposed apartment towers faces Washington Blvd.

I just hope that this doesn't end up as a hotel on the corner, with a large parking structure covering the block and no apartment towers ever being built. If this were to become a "phase 1, phase 2" development... I would worry....

[3WC]

Southen: As some may remember when I used to post here more frequently quite a while ago, "mr. p." and I were business partners here in Texas until he sold out a year or so ago.

"Putting pressure" on "mr. p" is about the dumbest tactic anybody could use.

I know.

[southen]

Southen: As some may remember when I used to post here more frequently quite a while ago, "mr. p." and I were business partners here in Texas until he sold out a year or so ago.

"Putting pressure" on "mr. p" is about the dumbest tactic anybody could use.

I know.

haha it was pure speculation. im sure they have something in mind given that the concept takes up the entire block, how successful it will be... thats another story.

[313WX]

Such a tacky design, for Washington Blvd. no less.

That's why it's important to preserve buildings.

[SpartanDawg]

Such a tacky design, for Washington Blvd. no less.

That's why it's important to preserve buildings.

hahahhahahaha

THERE ISN'T EVEN A REAL RENDERING YET AND 'PURISTS' ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE DESIGN.

this board cracks me the eff up sometimes

[swingline]

Such a tacky design, for Washington Blvd. no less.

That's why it's important to preserve buildings.

Huh? No design has been proposed yet.

However, the question of the design of this project raises some very interesting issues for the historic preservation community, not only locally but nationally. As most know, this site is located within the Grand Circus Park Local Historic District. If this project moves forward, it will easily be the largest "new construction" project ever undertaken in a locally designated historic district in Detroit and/or the entire state of Michigan. The project must satisfy architectural elements of design established under city ordinance for the district, and it must adhere to certain federal construction rehabilitation standards established by the National Park Service. The incorporation of completely new buildings into established historic districts has generated endless debate among preservation types nationally. How closely should such buildings resemble historic architectural styles? Mimicry is frowned upon, but how distinct and "modern" should the building appear? If the project moves ahead, the developer will have to obtain the approval of the Historic District Commission for the design. Hopefully the HDC will be up to the task.

BTW, if the developer at is unaware of this design debate, or worse, doesn't even realize that the HDC has a jurisdiction regarding this project, then he/she/it has failed very basic due diligence and is not capable of doing this deal.

[cman710]

While it might be more expensive, couldn't they run the People Mover through the parking lot, if the parking lot will be at the base of the residential towers?

[313WX]

Sorry, I was referring to that picture with some type of rendering in the Crains article MikeyinBrooklyn posted earlier.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...hilton-site-in

[downtownguy]

The first Luca's Chophouse in Detroit is expected at the Fitzgerald Place development, according to the release. Gillespie's jazz bar and the Blues Note club are expected, as well.

Seems like they could have named one of the restaurants McNally's.