East Riverfront Development

[masterblaster]

I don't like this project.

I want the east riverfront to be like Chicago's waterfront and it can! We don't need charter schools where high density residential and live/work loft conversions SHOULD BE BUILT. That area should be for the yuppies, the empty nesters not families! This is bad planning - this area should be for residential, recreation, shops in restored warehouses - not educational. There is so much land and so many old factories in other parts of the city that can be developed. This is BAD PLANNING, period.

We have enough charter schools. What we need is for my fellow Detroit residents to take back our public school system THAT WE have allowed to go downhill. Everybody just wants to bail to the charter schools and schools of choice - nobody wants to fix the problem of THEIR public school system. Detroit residents are the only people that can fix THEIR public school system, since they are the ONLY customers. We are just unwilling to fix the problems.

[dcmorrison12]

I feel as if the first part of your argument is flawed and shortsighted. You realize that MANY residential areas have schools in them, right? In fact, it's desireable to live close to a school and can raise your land value. What exactly IS the point of your first argument? This school is going to start the trend of investing in the East Riverfront Area, I'd say that the chances are much higher now that residential projects will pop up in that area.

[masterblaster]

Mr. Morrison, you make a good point. I hope you are right. Families with children tend to live in single-family houses with backyards - at least in the Detroit metro area - and not downtown highrises and rowhouses/townhomes. I just come from the school of thought that the optimal environment to raise a child is a single-family house, where they can have room to run around and play in the yard, but it definitely isn't the only environment in which one can raise a child.

[dcmorrison12]

The thing is the East Riverfront area, putting aside the vacant areas, is surrounded by high density zoning, developments. There's no possibility that single family homes will be constructed in that area. We'll see loft conversions of Wharehouses, rowhouses and townhomes - oh and the occasional parking structure. There will be lots of room for the kids to run around since the Tri-centennial state park is continuing forward. If I remember correctly, there are two more phases left of the park - not including the Wetlands phase finishing up now - and the plans include a relatively large open park area. The newspaper said that next year they will start construction of the next phase. This part of the city will be fantastic once day, not that it already isn't [[riverwalk).


-on a sidenote - I went on the Detroit Synergy Pedal Cruise this saturday [[to rebel against the dreamcruise - sorta). About 40 people showed up and we took a 20 mile tour or Detroit / Woodward corridor up to 8 mile. Point being, a man who is involved with the rehab of the Globe Building was taking part in the tour and told us that the plans are moving along slowly but surely.

[Rocko]

It seems like the energy that has been present and slowly building along Joseph Compau is finally starting to spread to the west down Atwater, Franklin, Woodbridge, and the other small brick sidestreets, which is great to see. Once this school opens [[they were even working on it this past Sunday!), hopefully that will spur additional development of some of the other old factories and warehouses, and maybe some new development on some of the vacant lands where other buildings once stood.

[crawford]

I don't think this is bad for the neighborhood, but I also don't see how it would spur additional development. How would a charter school spur new construction?

Does the presence of other school facilities in the city spur development? I doubt it.

I also wonder how they can rebuild this warehouse when there are so many schools being shut down right and left by DPS and the Archdiocese.

Can't they just use a recently vacated school and save on renovation costs?

[GREENTROIT]

If newly paved roads and sidewalks with working streetlights comes with the school, it will do nothing but help the area.

[Rocko]

Greentroit, I must agree. I drove by the site again on Franklin the other day, and that part of the street is like driving on the moon. The funniest thing is that the problem parts of the pavement are not the brick, but all the asphalt and concrete additions and replacement portions along with the brick. Maybe if they just took brick from some other street that was bring rebuilt and reinstalled it there, along with the already extant brick, the street would be good for another hundred years.

They have next water and sewer pipes on site, so maybe the whole pipe system down one of those streets will be redone. Great to see them working today on another Sunday.... this project is really moving forward.

[szla]

I cant see anything but positives from 400 parents dropping off kids 200 days a year. They eat at restaurants, go to cleaners and make aquaintences with other parents. Hopefully they add to a critical mass that makes other commercial possible. Mr Thompson's charter schools look good and are wonderfully maintained.

[Rocko]

I had a free couple of minutes driving around the East Riverfront between Belle Isle and the RenCen yesterday late afternoon. Apparently it's been a while since I've been down there. I almost didn't recognize the old Franklin Furniture warehouse! I wish I had a camera to take some photos. The building is well on its way to conversion into the charter school. I can't wait to see how it will look when it is complete for the 2010-2011 school year, with landscaping and a cleanup of the streets surrounding it.

I forgot to drive by the Detroit Elevator Co. building a few blocks west of Franklin to see how the conversion of that building is going. Anyone have any recent photos of either, or any other recent development news from this neighborhood?

[DetroitZack]

Work on the Detroit Elevator Co. in underway? I was under the assumption it was stalled for some reason just like the Globe Trading Co.

[Rocko]

That's what I'm saying DZack, I wasn't able to drive by to confirm or disprove that Detroit Electric work had stalled for now. All I saw was the old Franklin Furniture renovations well underway.

[DetroitZack]

I drove and walked by yesterday. Work is well underway. I kinda wish they had left the writing that said Detroit Elevator Co. Sorry for the quality of the pictures, the sun ruined them.

[French777]

Thanks for posting those photos. Here are some more.

[Rocko]

Thank you both for the update photos. I'm looking forward to starting my part time work in that area this summer so I can monitor the progress. By September, the Franklin Furniture warehouse will have completed its transformation into a charter school and be open to students. From another thread, I see part of Atwater is being resurfaced, another good investment in that neighborhood.

From the images of the Dequindre Cut, it looks like it'll be done soon. Now, if we can only get work underway on the Detroit Drydock/Globe Trading building, so bricks aren't falling onto the sidewalk! Even a facade stabilization would be an important step up from the eyesore/danger that it is today.

[French777]

More photos of Milliken State Park phase 2. The photos are not very good quality, yet I recommend everyone that is able to should check out the new park expansion.

[DetroitZack]

2 recent pictures of the old Franklin Furniture building.

[artds]

Looking good. Nice to see some progress in the area.

Thanks to all those who posted photos.

[DetroitDad]

Looking good! I can't wait to take DetroitMom through the area.

Personally, I could see some nice narrow Brownstones goring in there, and maybe some day getting them right up to the brownstones that are left in Bricktown.

-Check out this beauty at the corner of Fisher Freeway and 4th Street. I'd move in today if it was on the Riverfront area, and was reasonably priced [[$45,000-$50,000 or the yearly average median income for much of the middle class in Detroit).

-Other great developments are similar to those that are occuring on Woodward and Midtown, and are far too new to show up on the maps. Go take a walk down Woodward From Forest to Campus Martius like we do all the time, and you'll see all sorts of stuff, and start getting good ideas, motivation, and ideas about how to make it happen.

-Something like this historic beauty in Bricktown would also be nice, right at East Larned and Beaubien. That could bring in a little higher price tag over time, but you aren't going to get much higher than close to the yearly median upper income of the middle class in metro Detroit. A property like this could have commercial income on the lower floors, a nicer more expensive condo above, and then still have a cheaper condos or apartments on the floors above.

Other good options for rental properties would be similar to these pair of apartment buildings near the corner of John R and Canfield.


CHEERS! and remember; It's not even about what our great city can do for us, it's about what we can do for our great city.

[Marlon_JB2]

Wow, I'm glad I saw this thread. I had no clue why they were renovating the old Franklin Furniture building.

It saddens me the condition of the area though. As said, it has so much potential. I pass by it every day during the heavy traffic on Jefferson, I use these roads as a bypass on my way to work at the Ren Cen.

Something needs to be done one of these days. Kinda sick of staring at the old buildings.

[manualshift]

[Pcm]

Wow, I'm glad I saw this thread. I had no clue why they were renovating the old Franklin Furniture building.

It saddens me the condition of the area though. As said, it has so much potential. I pass by it every day during the heavy traffic on Jefferson, I use these roads as a bypass on my way to work at the Ren Cen.

Something needs to be done one of these days. Kinda sick of staring at the old buildings.

Sick of staring at old buildings? That's funny.

Move to Houston! Where everything looks like Southfield!

[hybridy]

Sick of staring at old buildings? That's funny.

Move to Houston! Where everything looks like Southfield!

or dubai - most of it is still under construction/water - oh snap

[Rocko]

The renovated Franklin Furniture really does look great. It will contribute favorably to that area of the eastern Warehouse District. I think one of the most important things this does is add another layer to the vibrancy of this area. The Stroh complex and nearby buildings keep things busy during the day, and the addition of the school will add to that. The building and grounds look great around the building. The old streets surrounding it are pretty rough...you can still see old Detroit Terminal Ry. tracks running down Franklin Street right in front of the building, but at least there are new sidewalks. Now, let's see if those streetlights work...