Orleans Landing, Those condos on the riverfront by globe building, break ground soon

**SpartanDawg** · April-08-14, 02:35 PM

Should break ground by labor day

http://www.freep.com/article/2014040...ousing-project

street scape, retail and residential, and 20% affordable housing... what can the naysayers point out this time?

**mikeg19** · April-08-14, 02:58 PM

They will point out that the property is too valuable to have only two story housing on it, and not something taller.

Cue that one in 5,4,3......

**dmike76** · April-08-14, 02:58 PM

It's not about naysaying. I've posted many things like this with high hopes, only to have those hopes dashed, like the expansion on top of the Book Caddy which was supposed to happen five years ago, or Papa Joe's going into the First National Building. So, I've learned to take these articles with cautious optimism. I'll believe it when the shovels go in the ground, because that's the way things go around here.

**DetroitPlanner** · April-08-14, 03:02 PM

Those are rentals, not condos.

**bailey** · April-08-14, 03:12 PM

Originally Posted by mikeg19

They will point out that the property is too valuable to have only two story housing on it, and not something taller.

Cue that one in 5,4,3......

I like the idea.. fits in with the scale of the globe and the warehouses that were there....there is plenty of room elsewhere for high rises. here's hoping it doesn't morph into Harbor Town II... by that I mean condos in a gated community with a strip mall out front.

Curbed has some more renderings.
http://detroit.curbed.com/archives/2...-labor-day.php

Have to agree with one of the commenter's concerns... if the street side is the "back" of the unit [[as in no doors on the street/main entrance in the interior parking lot) is that an issue?

**corktownyuppie** · April-08-14, 03:14 PM

Originally Posted by dmike76

It's not about naysaying. I've posted many things like this with high hopes, only to have those hopes dashed, like the expansion on top of the Book Caddy which was supposed to happen five years ago, or Papa Joe's going into the First National Building. So, I've learned to take these articles with cautious optimism. I'll believe it when the shovels go in the ground, because that's the way things go around here.

In property development, the words I like to use are "moderated celebration". There are a hundred escalating obstacles between ground zero and a final project. It's obviously an accomplishment to have found a developer, gotten a design approved, etc.

Will it get completed? Or even started? We don't know. But this is a big step and is cause for [[moderated) celebration.

**mikeg19** · April-08-14, 03:27 PM

Originally Posted by bailey

I like the idea.. fits in with the scale of the globe and the warehouses that were there....there is plenty of room elsewhere for high rises. here's hoping it doesn't morph into Harbor Town II... by that I mean condos in a gated community with a strip mall out front.

Curbed has some more renderings.
http://detroit.curbed.com/archives/2...-labor-day.php

Have to agree with one of the commenter's concerns... if the street side is the "back" of the unit [[as in no doors on the street/main entrance in the interior parking lot) is that an issue?

Yea, I'll agree I'm fine with the design as well. I do like beautiful tall buildings, but I image that area of the riverfront to be clusters of buildings probably no more than 12-15 stories tall. I guess it's just hard to image a 50 story skyscraper over in that area; seems like it'd stick out like a sore thumb with nothing close in scale to it.

**animatedmartian** · April-08-14, 04:24 PM

Originally Posted by bailey

Have to agree with one of the commenter's concerns... if the street side is the "back" of the unit [[as in no doors on the street/main entrance in the interior parking lot) is that an issue?

That's not really going to make a difference in terms of pedestrian traffic.

**ABetterDetroit** · April-08-14, 05:36 PM

Originally Posted by SpartanDawg

Should break ground by labor day

http://www.freep.com/article/2014040...ousing-project

street scape, retail and residential, and 20% affordable housing... what can the naysayers point out this time?

270 units of brand new housing? 20% affordable? Coffee shops for crying out loud!
Cool, very cool.

**Lowell** · April-08-14, 05:51 PM

Originally Posted by corktownyuppie

In property development, the words I like to use are "moderated celebration". There are a hundred escalating obstacles between ground zero and a final project. It's obviously an accomplishment to have found a developer, gotten a design approved, etc.

Will it get completed? Or even started? We don't know. But this is a big step and is cause for [[moderated) celebration.

'Moderated Celebration' - I love it. Nice choice of words.

**DetroitPlanner** · April-08-14, 05:52 PM

Originally Posted by bailey

Have to agree with one of the commenter's concerns... if the street side is the "back" of the unit [[as in no doors on the street/main entrance in the interior parking lot) is that an issue?

Google Texas Doughnut. This type of development has the blessing of the new urbanists.

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · April-08-14, 06:34 PM

Nice to hear that this project is still progressing. I like the mix of affordable/market rate units to allow a diversity of residents. The riverfront between downtown and Belle Isle could become a great area. And its filling in quite of bit of empty land.

It would be nice to live right by Milliken Park as well as well as the Dequindre cut!

**animatedmartian** · April-08-14, 07:25 PM

Hey guys new renderings. Looks freaking awesome.

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...fore-Labor-Day

**313WX** · April-08-14, 07:25 PM

Originally Posted by mikeg19

They will point out that the property is too valuable to have only two story housing on it, and not something taller.

Cue that one in 5,4,3......

The east riverfront is not the STatler site.

Nice strawman though.

**gthomas** · April-08-14, 07:41 PM

Originally Posted by animatedmartian

Hey guys new renderings. Looks freaking awesome.

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...fore-Labor-Day

I agree, this is nice.

**rb336** · April-08-14, 08:44 PM

I want one

**Hypestyles** · April-09-14, 07:21 AM

Is this the development project that Jerome Bettis was involved in? If so, is he still involved?

**313WX** · April-09-14, 07:30 AM

Originally Posted by Hypestyles

Is this the development project that Jerome Bettis was involved in? If so, is he still involved?

I thought that was the Uniroyal site?

**animatedmartian** · April-09-14, 07:34 AM

Yea he's with the Uniroyal site project. This is something totally separate.

**Hypestyles** · April-09-14, 07:54 AM

on that note.. lol.. is the Uniroyal site project still active?

**mikeg19** · April-09-14, 07:59 AM

Originally Posted by Hypestyles

on that note.. lol.. is the Uniroyal site project still active?

I read somewhere that soil remediation was on going and actually was scheduled to wrap up on about half of the site this year. Anyone have info to back that up?

**Hermod** · April-09-14, 12:01 PM

"St. Louis-based developer Richard Baron said his firm intends to secure all of the financing soon. The city’s economic development agency agreed Tuesday to work on a formal development agreement with the firm."

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...#ixzz2yPRU2OpO

Tis many a slip twixt the cup and the lip.

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · April-09-14, 12:10 PM

Originally Posted by Hermod

"St. Louis-based developer Richard Baron said his firm intends to secure all of the financing soon. The city’s economic development agency agreed Tuesday to work on a formal development agreement with the firm."

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...#ixzz2yPRU2OpO

Tis many a slip twixt the cup and the lip.

That's why I use a straw

**downtownguy** · April-09-14, 01:05 PM

As someone who favors a high-rise on the Statler sight, I believe that would be a mistake here. IMHO, everything south of Atwater that's left [[including the site of Bing's failed project) should be reserved for the RiverWalk. From Atwater to Jefferson, low-rise, high density should be sought. Any high-rises should be north of Jefferson.

Someone says the inside court design wouldn't affect street traffic, but I'm not convinced. Do you ever see any street traffic within the courtyard of the Stroh River Place lofts? Possibly having restaurants and coffee shops in their would help, but is there any guarantee that they can attract these businesses? If I had a coffee shop, and the RiverWalk continues to attract more people, I certainly would not want to be walled off from that.

My biggest concern is that this doesn't become a gated community.

Finally, from Curbed renderings, they show this covering 5 of the six blocks west of the Dequindre Cut, the sixth block being the Globe Building. Wasn't there at a least a full block north of the Globe that was supposed to be parking for the place? I don't see it anywhere in the renderings.

**downtownguy** · April-09-14, 01:09 PM

Originally Posted by mikeg19

I read somewhere that soil remediation was on going and actually was scheduled to wrap up on about half of the site this year. Anyone have info to back that up?

Late last year while talking to someone working on the expanded Mt. Elliot Park, they told me all of the Uniroyal site was clean, except for a parcel still owned by Michelin. Apparently, Michelin is not playing along with their share of the clean up.

IIRC, that parcel was at one end of the site and the rest of the development could proceed without it. I also recall him saying that once they open the park up this spring, the RiverWalk is already finished from Mt. Elliot to the Belle Isle Bridge and will open along with the park.