Downtown Office Market Bests Southfield

[gameguy56]

http://www.freep.com/story/money/bus...ield/21891663/

Next up -- Troy? Auburn Hills? Novi?

[Scottathew]

Next up -- Troy? Auburn Hills? Novi?

My job has me working in the Tower Drive office park on occasion, and I can tell you it seems to be doing alright. There's a couple of floors in one of the towers being ripped apart and built out by contractors after being abandoned by EDS who knows how long ago.

In a way, it's sad that this is big news...

I don't feel that way.

Detroit has been down for so long that now its starting to rise from the ashes, and take its rightful place as the leader in the region.

If regional businesses want to be where "it's happening", they'll need to be in Downtown Detroit. On top of that, they'll be able to draw people from all over the region with the more central location.

[Don K]

they'll be able to draw people from all over the region with the more central location.

I'd take issue with the idea of downtown being more central than Southfield. I mean look at a map. Downtown is off at the edge of the metro, whereas Southfield is pretty central to where people actually live. I recall reading after the 1980 census that the center of population of the area was somewhere like 8 Mile and Greenfield. Detroit is one of those metros [[like Boston and Los Angeles) that has a hard boundary on one side [[in our case the international border) that limits how far the population can expand in one direction.

I have no problem with downtown prospering [[in fact I welcome it), but I'd argue it's not because of a more central location than other office centers.

[animatedmartian]

I'd take issue with the idea of downtown being more central than Southfield. I mean look at a map. Downtown is off at the edge of the metro, whereas Southfield is pretty central to where people actually live. I recall reading after the 1980 census that the center of population of the area was somewhere like 8 Mile and Greenfield. Detroit is one of those metros [[like Boston and Los Angeles) that has a hard boundary on one side [[in our case the international border) that limits how far the population can expand in one direction.

I have no problem with downtown prospering [[in fact I welcome it), but I'd argue it's not because of a more central location than other office centers.

But the thing is that the freeways all don't lead to Southfield. 696 is pretty much the main thoroughfare into Southfield that isn't a surface road. Southfield Freeway only enters from the south but no major route from the north side [[basically funneling most traffic onto 696). And generally, it's not very desirable to have traffic build up on surface roads when you consider all the red lights. Geographically, Southfield is central to the metro, but with the current infrastructure set up, it could never handle the whole metro's population coming into it.

Detroit, on the other hand, despite how carved up the city is by freeways, actually makes it pretty easy to reach downtown from any direction. Not even including the radial surface streets. That's what people usually mean when they consider it 'centrally' located.

[Scottathew]

I'd take issue with the idea of downtown being more central than Southfield.

When you think of downriver in addition to Oakland and Macomb, Downtown might be more central. Southfield freeway gives a pretty good route from downriver to Southfield, but it would be quicker to go to Downtown from downriver.

The western suburbs have straight-shots via 94 and 96 to downtown, where if they want to go to Southfield they have to go east, then north.

The roads in the region are pretty much designed with downtown Detroit as the center hub. However, there are several other mini-hubs in the region that have a lot of roads leading to them, including some freeways. For example, Southfield and Pontiac.

If Pontiac was able to resolve some of its issues, it would be a pretty awesome location to start building up. It has great proximity to place that are often thought as "pretty far out there".

Not to say that Southfield isn't a good location, it most certainly is. However, many companies seem to be leaning toward the "urban"-ness of Detroit, the bustling street, parking your car during the day and walking downtown to meetings, to eat, to the park, etc...

I feel the Downtown offer a good location, as well as a much better experience.

[gameguy56]

If Pontiac was able to resolve some of its issues, it would be a pretty awesome location to start building up. It has great proximity to place that are often thought as "pretty far out there".

Pontiac pretty much tells you everything you need to know about Oakland County's priorities. It butts up against some of the wealthiest zip codes in Michigan but has very little if any investment. Auburn Hills was created essentially for suburban cheap land in the Pontiac school district that wouldn't have any of Pontiac's other services.

Pontiac could be a great place for chrysler employees and other folks to enjoy as an urban oasis in the middle of ugly sprawlsville that is that part of Oakland County.

Instead it's basically treated as nothing, nowhere. A place to get mexican food [[maybe)

[Bham1982]

P
Pontiac could be a great place for chrysler employees and other folks to enjoy as an urban oasis in the middle of ugly sprawlsville that is that part of Oakland County.

There's no "urban oasis" in Pontiac. It's a rundown suburban town of disposable 20th century bungalow housing. It makes Detroit look like Hong Kong in terms of urbanity.

It also didn't help that they have always had horrible elected officials.

Auburn Hills is mostly in another school district, BTW.

[Scottathew]

Pontiac pretty much tells you everything you need to know about Oakland County's priorities. It butts up against some of the wealthiest zip codes in Michigan but has very little if any investment. Auburn Hills was created essentially for suburban cheap land in the Pontiac school district that wouldn't have any of Pontiac's other services.

Pontiac could be a great place for chrysler employees and other folks to enjoy as an urban oasis in the middle of ugly sprawlsville that is that part of Oakland County.

Instead it's basically treated as nothing, nowhere. A place to get mexican food [[maybe)

Keep in mind that the county can try to steer and lure investment, but ultimately, it's the investors who choose.

Today, Pontiac's crime and piss-poor school district keep commercial and residential investors out.

Pontiac does seem to be making progress on crime since contracting out to the sheriff.

I do agree that it has so much potential, although I think it will take a long time for something to come of it.