City Club Apartments. Taking place of Stalter Hotel

**SpartanDawg** · March-26-14, 06:30 PM

Better than nothing... buuut i have a feeling a lot of people won't be happy with a 5[[scratch that, 6) story building there.. I too was hoping for something at least 10 stories.. what can we do though

Although another good sign was Duggan was at the meeting as well. I guess first time a mayor has been to one in years. Said he wants to severely cut down time it will take to acquire permits and whatnot... that would definitely be nice to see just to encourage more development in greater downtown

200-250 apartments. 400 SF [[hello smaaaall studios) to 1200 SF. all rent

Retail on ground floor though which is a definite plus

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http://www.freep.com/article/2014032...s-unemployment

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · March-26-14, 06:34 PM

You can't quite tell from the larger pic, but you can from the other one in the article, that its six floors. Taller would be nicer, but it does seem to fill the whole footprint.

**MikeyinBrooklyn** · March-26-14, 06:38 PM

I like the look of it. I think I like the height as well. Not having a solid tall wall of buildings surrounding GCP's Western side will open it up a bit.

**SpartanDawg** · March-26-14, 06:39 PM

Originally Posted by DetroiterOnTheWestCoast

You can't quite tell from the larger pic, but you can from the other one in the article, that its six floors. Taller would be nicer, but it does seem to fill the whole footprint.

Yea i definitely don't mind new residential projects downtown ... especially in an area that so desperately needs it. But i would hate to be on that second/third floor and have people in the people mover be able to look into my window lol. I won't be living there though so not worried bout it

**animatedmartian** · March-26-14, 06:39 PM

I honestly like this design a lot. I mean, I would have sorted expected something taller for the GCP location, but Detroit really needs these kind of developments to fill out the empty blocks.

**ronaldj** · March-26-14, 07:12 PM

Let's go with Statler.

**southen** · March-26-14, 07:13 PM

this is perfect for a site like the madison-lenox, but this is horrible here. this is a prominent location that deserves more. five years from now we will be kicking ourselves for not demanding more for this location. just curious, does the billboard add to the height like a spire would? sigh

**cramerro** · March-26-14, 07:18 PM

What happened to the proposal for a multi-use hotel/apartment/parking deck from what seemed like a few weeks ago?! What a terrible waste of arguably the biggest, most prominent vacant lot in downtown aside from Hudsons. The scale sucks, the people mover will block half of the building, and the giant hole on that end of GCP will live on. Look across the park with mature trees you'll barely see the top. Mikey, I generally agree... but what are you talking about?? Not having a building wall will open it up??? That end of GCP has been open for years, like a hockey player with 3 teeth in a row missing on the top gums. This scale would be great in about a dozen other locations... why waste such a large block [[assuming you, uh, let the AAA building fall over) with such potential on a ho-hum 6 story apartment tower. Not the return to glory I was hoping for at the end of Washington Blvd.

**mikeg19** · March-26-14, 07:23 PM

I'm fine with it, although I'm with most who were hoping for 10-15 stories. Oh well. Although I'm a bit confused on why the 2 year timeline for completion, with an entire year dedicated to permits and paperwork. Make sense to anyone?

**SpartanDawg** · March-26-14, 07:28 PM

Originally Posted by mikeg19

I'm fine with it, although I'm with most who were hoping for 10-15 stories. Oh well. Although I'm a bit confused on why the 2 year timeline for completion, with an entire year dedicated to permits and paperwork. Make sense to anyone?

yea that's why Duggan directly said to that he wants to shorten that year of permit acquiring/ paperwork/ bureaucracy...

this just proves that with the previous administrations people had to pull teeth just to develop something and invest in the city.. really hope the new administration streamlines this for people who are trying to do so

**animatedmartian** · March-26-14, 07:29 PM

Originally Posted by mikeg19

I'm fine with it, although I'm with most who were hoping for 10-15 stories. Oh well. Although I'm a bit confused on why the 2 year timeline for completion, with an entire year dedicated to permits and paperwork. Make sense to anyone?

Makes sense to no one at all other than the DDA. What's more is that the DDA has supposedly been working with Village Green on this for a while now, so it's even more odd that it'd still take that long to just get through red tape.

**animatedmartian** · March-26-14, 07:31 PM

Originally Posted by cramerro

What happened to the proposal for a multi-use hotel/apartment/parking deck from what seemed like a few weeks ago?!

The DDA had said this was already in the works by the time the other developer made that proposal. Keep in mind, height doesn't always mean greatness. It's still possible to end up with ugly high-rise towers.

**Spartan** · March-26-14, 07:35 PM

Why does everyone want something taller? There's too much empty space in Detroit to be building 15 story buildings everywhere, IMO

**313WX** · March-26-14, 07:48 PM

Originally Posted by Spartan

Why does everyone want something taller? There's too much empty space in Detroit to be building 15 story buildings everywhere, IMO

Because a 6 stories building will be completely out of place in a prime space that was formerly occupied by a tall building and that's otherwise surrounded by 20-30 story skyscrapers.

**Spartan** · March-26-14, 08:03 PM

Originally Posted by 313WX

Because a 6 stories building will be completely out of place in a prime space that was formerly occupied by a tall building and that's otherwise surrounded by 20-30 story skyscrapers.

Formerly occupied? There were previously 2 million people in Detroit. We can't just put everything back how it was, it's unrealistic. The lot is fronted by a four-lane boulevard and a giant park, I don't think it's going to look ridiculous amongst that. Sure, there are a few tall buildings around, but the park is flanked by the M@dison Building, the Opera House, Comerica Park, Rub Pub, an empty parking lot, a building with only a facade, etc.

**animatedmartian** · March-26-14, 08:03 PM

Originally Posted by 313WX

Because a 6 stories building will be completely out of place in a prime space that was formerly occupied by a tall building and that's otherwise surrounded by 20-30 story skyscrapers.

Uhh, then what is the Detroit Opera House? What about the 5-6 story buildings that are directly behind Broderick and Whitney? Or the Vinton Building and the 4 buildings next to it sandwhiched between the National Building and One Detroit Center?

If you've ever been to a city that has a high-rise on every corner directly next to each other, things quickly feel out of scale.

**313WX** · March-26-14, 08:11 PM

Originally Posted by animatedmartian

Uhh, then what is the Detroit Opera House? What about the 5-6 story buildings that are directly behind Broderick and Whitney? Or the Vinton Building and the 4 buildings next to it sandwhiched between the National Building and One Detroit Center?

If you've ever been to a city that has a high-rise on every corner directly next to each other, things quickly feel out of scale.

Except for the fact that Detroit isn't that other city you refer to.

Washington Blvd. was specifically designed to be a boulevard lined with skyscrapers from Michigan Ave. to GCP, akin to 5th Avenue in NYC.

**rbdetsport** · March-26-14, 08:11 PM

ANOTHER new building that is set back from the street... [[sigh) Maybe if they would design some right that is actually urban for a change, I wouldn't be so angry about the height. This is the same scenario that happened with the new design for the Monroe Block.

**southen** · March-26-14, 08:13 PM

you forget the scale of Washington boulevard. a boulevard that large needs a taller building to provide balance. put this on the fuller site it wouldn't look as out of place but it doesn't fit for the statler block.

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · March-26-14, 08:17 PM

Originally Posted by 313WX

Because a 6 stories building will be completely out of place in a prime space that was formerly occupied by a tall building and that's otherwise surrounded by 20-30 story skyscrapers.

Did someone build a skyscraper on the Tuller site that I'm not aware of?

**313WX** · March-26-14, 08:18 PM

Originally Posted by Spartan

There were previously 2 million people in Detroit. We can't just put everything back how it was, it's unrealistic.

Sadly, I realized that long ago.

**313WX** · March-26-14, 08:20 PM

Originally Posted by southen

you forget the scale of Washington boulevard. a boulevard that large needs a taller building to provide balance. put this on the fuller site it wouldn't look as out of place but it doesn't fit for the statler block.

Actually, something like this would fit perfectly on the Lafayette Building site IMO [[the scale would be balanced there).

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · March-26-14, 08:29 PM

Originally Posted by rbdetsport

ANOTHER new building that is set back from the street... [[sigh) Maybe if they would design some right that is actually urban for a change, I wouldn't be so angry about the height. This is the same scenario that happened with the new design for the Monroe Block.

It doesn't appear set back at all. I think there's just an odd perspective with the Washington boulevard in the one rendering. It appears to line up with whatever they are calling Trolley Plaza these days.

**animatedmartian** · March-26-14, 08:31 PM

Originally Posted by 313WX

Except for the fact that Detroit isn't that other city you refer to.

Washington Blvd. was specifically designed to be a boulevard lined with skyscrapers from Michigan Ave. to GCP, akin to 5th Avenue in NYC.

The other city I was referring to was NYC... Or Chicago where the similar effect occurs. It's actually called Manhattanization but either way, it refers to NYC.

Where does that claim that Washington is meant to be lined with skyscrapers? There's only ever been 5 skyscrapers on Washington that were over 7 storeys. All the rest of a dozen or so buildings have been under that height.

**Gistok** · March-26-14, 08:31 PM

Originally Posted by southen

you forget the scale of Washington boulevard. a boulevard that large needs a taller building to provide balance. put this on the fuller site it wouldn't look as out of place but it doesn't fit for the statler block.

Amen to that!! Looks like we have to settle for lowered expectations on this block. 6 floors... 1/3 of the height of the former Statler... the People Mover will probably cut right thru the middle of this.

And yeah... we don't want to have too much of that streetwall in downtown... [[rolling eyes emoticon).