City Club Apartments. Taking place of Stalter Hotel

**Gistok** · March-02-18, 10:23 PM

Let me give you an enlarged zoom in for closer details....

**DetroitSoldier** · March-03-18, 01:49 AM

There has been quite a bit of utility work going on beneath the adjacent streets. This should always be expected to be time consuming, given how long the site had been unused. Not only does everything feeding the site need to be rebuilt, it is a great opportunity to work on other areas exposed during this time. But I have seen first hand that tons of work is being done on the site on a daily basis.

**bibs** · March-03-18, 10:01 PM

Biggest pothole I've ever seen. Definitely pure Michigan.

**mikeg19** · March-05-18, 10:08 AM

Originally Posted by bibs

Biggest pothole I've ever seen. Definitely pure Michigan.

Nah. Hall Road still has bigger ones.

**Dexlin** · April-04-18, 11:06 PM

Have they started driving piles, yet, or is this still in the excavation phase?

**DetroitGuy423** · April-05-18, 04:37 PM

Originally Posted by Dexlin

Have they started driving piles, yet, or is this still in the excavation phase?

I'm not a construction guy, but they've been driving in stuff along the perimeter. Looks like a metal wall. Been doing that for about 3-4 weeks now I think.

**DetroitGuy423** · April-06-18, 03:45 PM

As of April 6, 2018:

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**Hypestyles** · April-07-18, 11:28 AM

how tall will the new building be?

**swingline** · April-07-18, 01:26 PM

Originally Posted by Hypestyles

how tall will the new building be?

Good one Hype. Very funny.

**Atticus** · April-07-18, 04:38 PM

So basically it is a giant underground parking garage, that just happens to have some stick built apartments on top.

**gencinjay** · April-09-18, 01:07 PM

Originally Posted by Atticus

So basically it is a giant underground parking garage, that just happens to have some stick built apartments on top.

I would hardly call 400 spaces a giant garage. With that footprint you're only looking at 2 floors tops. With 288 apartments, short term rentals and retail, that doesn't leave many spaces for anything outside the property.

**SpartanDawg** · April-08-19, 06:09 PM

so there's been a lot of progress on the site, and we are up to five stories above ground at this point, with the most recent renderings showing 7-8 stories I believe

This begs the question, and if any construction people out here know this, what is the maximum height a building can be made out of wood? Are the developers selling smoke and mirrors for the height of the building on their renderings? It seems that they aren't going any higher on the site for the last few weeks

**mwilbert** · April-08-19, 06:40 PM

Originally Posted by SpartanDawg

so there's been a lot of progress on the site, and we are up to five stories above ground at this point, with the most recent renderings showing 7-8 stories I believe

This begs the question, and if any construction people out here know this, what is the maximum height a building can be made out of wood? Are the developers selling smoke and mirrors for the height of the building on their renderings? It seems that they aren't going any higher on the site for the last few weeks

Just a reference. I don't know what these people are doing.

https://www.architectmagazine.com/te...ng-in-the-us_o

**SpartanDawg** · April-08-19, 07:11 PM

Originally Posted by mwilbert

Just a reference. I don't know what these people are doing.

https://www.architectmagazine.com/te...ng-in-the-us_o

this article references unique techniques in building it to ensure it is able to support the weight. From driving by the building as it has risen to five floors about once or twice a week, they have just been throwing up wood and plank similar to the scott in brush park [[very cheaply built).

Now again i have zero construction background and I'm sure other people here know more than I do, but I've just noticed they've been topped out at five floors for about two or three weeks now and I would be quite disappointed if the developers lied in their renderings and end up going only up to five stories. People here were upset enough [[rightfully so) with the building only being 7 or 8 stories high. If we're getting a five story apartment building made out of wood in one of the premier properties in town, that would really be too bad

**Dmberko11** · April-08-19, 07:53 PM

Originally Posted by SpartanDawg

this article references unique techniques in building it to ensure it is able to support the weight. From driving by the building as it has risen to five floors about once or twice a week, they have just been throwing up wood and plank similar to the scott in brush park [[very cheaply built).

Now again i have zero construction background and I'm sure other people here know more than I do, but I've just noticed they've been topped out at five floors for about two or three weeks now and I would be quite disappointed if the developers lied in their renderings and end up going only up to five stories. People here were upset enough [[rightfully so) with the building only being 7 or 8 stories high. If we're getting a five story apartment building made out of wood in one of the premier properties in town, that would really be too bad

Yeah. Burn it down! Such a shame

**hybridy** · April-08-19, 09:28 PM

Originally Posted by SpartanDawg

this article references unique techniques in building it to ensure it is able to support the weight. From driving by the building as it has risen to five floors about once or twice a week, they have just been throwing up wood and plank similar to the scott in brush park [[very cheaply built).

Now again i have zero construction background and I'm sure other people here know more than I do, but I've just noticed they've been topped out at five floors for about two or three weeks now and I would be quite disappointed if the developers lied in their renderings and end up going only up to five stories.

architect here:
i think i can clarify a number of posts here. there is a difference indeed. the city club cbd project is conventional wood construction over concrete or steel base. being fully sprinklered allows it to get to desired height to meet building code. it's also faster and cheaper to build. there are disadvantages - mainly acoustics. when this building opens, expect to read lots of complaints about noise from the party frat boys who rent there. similar to orleans landing and the scott. it's 5 stories of wood construction over the non-combustible 'plinth' [[pay attention to max height vs number of floors). the roof deck is a 'faux' story where they frame out the amenity deck to mimic an additional story. see my image here.

[[disclaimer: i am not local, so what is built vs what is published may be different...recent pic)

alternately the industry is turning to mass timber construction. this is the method mentioned in the post above. it offers a sustainable alternative to steel or concrete construction, [[local steel framed project i worked on 6 stories + basement)and offers equivalent strength and fire ratings equivalent to non-combustible construction [[steel or concrete). it is more prevalent in europe, but local municipalities are beginning to recognize the advantages. this is not how city club is building.

i'm excited to see the tallest mass timber project in the US proceed right here in Milwaukee. this is the future folks.

milwaukee already has a mass timber office building underway

**NSortzi** · April-09-19, 12:25 AM

You guys act like there aren’t hundreds of parking lots and vacant lots in the greater downtown area that aren’t prime for redevelopment. An occupied 5 floor building taking up an entire downtown block is better than the dirt lot that was there before. It’s not like downtown’s fully built up and attractive historic buildings are at risk of demolition. It’s not the Statler Hotel. We get it. But it’s not bad for what it is and what it’ll do for the downtown area.

**Gistok** · April-09-19, 01:33 AM

^ Have you noticed that that stick built building is never shown with the People Mover track? Maybe because you'll be able to look into some of the upper floor windows of that low lying building from the PM cars. It'll be great living there as the PM goes around that complex on 3 sides.

Meanwhile... Midtown will build this on a scale more befitting of downtown...

**NSortzi** · April-09-19, 01:44 AM

Originally Posted by Gistok

^ Have you noticed that that stick built building is never shown with the People Mover track? Maybe because you'll be able to look into some of the upper floor windows of that low lying building from the PM cars. It'll be great living there as the PM goes around that complex on 3 sides.

Meanwhile... Midtown will build this on a scale more befitting of downtown...

The People Mover track would interrupt the view in the renderings. Its really quite common for architects to omit things like that, trees, etc in renderings. Some of the renderings don’t show the United Artists Building either.

Be happy The Mid is being built in Detroit at all. Like I said, there’s still countless sites downtown to build skyscrapers.

**EGrant** · April-09-19, 05:57 AM

Ah, its been a while since we had the "this is a bad suburban development" vs. "be thankful it isn't a dirt lot" debate

**cmubryan** · April-09-19, 06:00 AM

Again, let me remind everyone this site hasn’t seen an occupied building in 44 years! Let’s just be happy a multi story building with high-end, quality apartments will occupy it. I know City Club, they don’t do junk.

There are plenty of other vacant lots downtown to get your steel skyscrapers. This was a nasty dirt lot two years ago.

**swingline** · April-09-19, 09:20 AM

Originally Posted by NSortzi

You guys act like there aren’t hundreds of parking lots and vacant lots in the greater downtown area that aren’t prime for redevelopment. An occupied 5 floor building taking up an entire downtown block is better than the dirt lot that was there before. It’s not like downtown’s fully built up and attractive historic buildings are at risk of demolition. It’s not the Statler Hotel. We get it. But it’s not bad for what it is and what it’ll do for the downtown area.

Yes it is bad for what it will do for the downtown area. Since this multi-year thread is kind of circling around to points made earlier, I'll repeat a post I made here two years ago:

Take a look at Lowell's last picture. Now envision a very slightly larger Auburn or Studio One Apts. structure [[with similar massing and materials) on that vacant site. Upon completion and for decades into the future, passersby will be asking why did they build that cheap, puny little building there. On different level the building will be a another signal to global investors [[on the heels of the RTA millage defeat) that we are satisfied with being a third or fourth tier global city. Finally, for decades into the future the building will serve as a poster child for planners worldwide on what not to permit as infill on an important gateway site. In a National Register district. That's one way to get into the textbooks.

**rjlj** · April-09-19, 09:52 PM

My prediction is that City Club apartments will be sold off and it's cheap ticky tacky construction will be torn down in 20 years time. They were screwed from the start with the city never properly clearing the site and leaving a mess behind. I feel sorry for the developer. Sure the "better than" people get to look at something better than an empty lot but a building worthy of it's location is not what you end up with for th time being.

**MrMichigan** · April-10-19, 12:06 AM

Thank you for the insight hybridy

**Gistok** · April-10-19, 03:45 AM

Originally Posted by rjlj

My prediction is that City Club apartments will be sold off and it's cheap ticky tacky construction will be torn down in 20 years time. They were screwed from the start with the city never properly clearing the site and leaving a mess behind. I feel sorry for the developer. Sure the "better than" people get to look at something better than an empty lot but a building worthy of it's location is not what you end up with for th time being.

I agree 100%, it is too prominent of a site for that building, which should have been built in Midtown instead.

At least if they ever do tear it down in the future... that stick built construction will come down so easily with just a few swings of a wrecking ball. Pieces of wood falling on the People Mover track should be no problem!

I remember this "pipe dream" photoshop of one of our former DYES members of many years ago. And while it is way over the top... just look at what is going up on the Hudsons site...