Brewster Wheeler Rec Center

[emu steve]

Detroit — Mayor Mike Duggan on Tuesday is expected to detail a $50 million redevelopment plan to preserve the iconic Brewster Wheeler Recreation Center.

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/new...plan/25737751/

[mikeg19]

Great to see that this structure will be preserved. Hopefully the plan will outline a potential development of the surrounding area as well, but I thought in another thread it was mentioned that the RFP's on the site wern't due until sometime this summer. Maybe I'm mistaken.

[Danny]

YAY Duggan! A new rec center to keep kids out of the trouble in the Brewster Projects!

[Honky Tonk]

$50 million, that's a lot of dough, where does Dug-in plan on getting the money from? If he redevelops it, all that folk-art will be destroyed.

[ABetterDetroit]

I hope he has some corporate help. At $965 a sq ft it sounds like a damn expensive renovation.

[gumby]

Why do people keep assuming that the $50 million is coming from Duggan or the city coffers? There have been no details presented yet. Save the outrage until the details are out.

"The mayor is scheduled to announce the vision for the historic center and planned efforts to rebuild the surrounding residential neighborhood."

The 50 million is not just for the rec center, I know it is too much to ask to read all the way to the second sentence of the article.

[Honky Tonk]

"The mayor is scheduled to announce the vision for the historic center and planned efforts to rebuild the surrounding residential neighborhood."

The 50 million is not just for the rec center, I know it is too much to ask to read all the way to the second sentence of the aticle.

I agree, is it too much to ask to read all the way to the second sentence of the aticle?

[davewindsor]

$50 million, that's a lot of dough, where does Dug-in plan on getting the money from? ...

By raising city income and property tax rates, which is a great formula for revitalizing an abandoned city.

[Chicago48]

By raising city income and property tax rates, which is a great formula for revitalizing an abandoned city.

He JUST cut property taxes, why would he raise them again?

He'll probably ask for both a public and private partnership for funds -- but the city is not collecting property taxes STILL. The city is steady building, but what property taxes are going to support these things?

For example, you need maintenance people to upkeep, you need security, need rec staff. Is it all going to be private companies that do it?

If the mayor applies for "historical landmark" status, he could get fed money.

[emu steve]

I agree, is it too much to ask to read all the way to the second sentence of the aticle?

Maybe I shouldn't do 'sound sentence' posting [[I don't like sound bites which aren't even a sentence or phrase) but 'sound paragraph' posting [[two or three sentences) to get more of the gist of the article.

Two points:

1). We really don't know the plans and what the 50M entails.

2). When trying to redevelop an area I'd think it is good to encompass as much of the area as possible. After all, who wants to develop next to an abandoned building. I don't think it can be ignored. That building could be envisioned as part of a redevelopment mosaic.

There are only two points as I've never be near the rec center so I have no first hand knowledge [[and I won't be back in Detroit until Summer).

[emu steve]

I hope he has some corporate help. At $965 a sq ft it sounds like a damn expensive renovation.

I like these two sentences.

Renovation isn't a gift from heaven. Everyone wants to renovate everything yet... Where are the mega millions going to come?

Maybe that explains why so many building with 'potential' are left un-renovated for decades. Eventually, they make financial sense to renovate or they meet their other fate.

If tens of millions of dollars came floating down from the sky, we could have a really nice redevelopment party...

[Honky Tonk]

Maybe I shouldn't do 'sound sentence' posting [[I don't like sound bites which aren't even a sentence or phrase) but 'sound paragraph' posting [[two or three sentences) to get more of the gist of the article.

Two points:

1). We really don't know the plans and what the 50M entails.

2). When trying to redevelop an area I'd think it is good to encompass as much of the area as possible. After all, who wants to develop next to an abandoned building. I don't think it can be ignored. That building could be envisioned as part of a redevelopment mosaic.

There are only two points as I've never be near the rec center so I have no first hand knowledge [[and I won't be back in Detroit until Summer).

True, this is why I asked the question: "where does Dug-in plan on getting the money from? "

From reading the second sentence, @ least as I understand it, they're going to TRY to redevelop the surrounding area. You have to live outside the Green Zone to appreciate the rest of "Detroiters" anger @ stories like this. People are still breaking into peoples homes and jacking cars in broad daylight.

[ABetterDetroit]

I fully support recreation centers for the youth in Detroit. The question I have is would they be better served by 3 or 4 of them out in the neighborhoods say built on former DPS school locations at 5 mill a pop? 5 mill buys a decent new building. 50 mill is a ton of money for just one location. I know it's historic but the priority of a new rec center should be to get as many kids into them as possible. One grandiose center in a downtown location doesn't seem to fill that need effectively to me.

[Honky Tonk]

I fully support recreation centers for the youth in Detroit. The question I have is would they be better served by 3 or 4 of them out in the neighborhoods say built on former DPS school locations at 5 mill a pop? 5 mill buys a decent new building. 50 mill is a ton of money for just one location. I know it's historic but the priority of a new rec center should be to get as many kids into them as possible. One grandiose center in a downtown location doesn't seem to fill that need effectively to me.

For once I totally agree with your assessment. As spread out as the City is, there are youth throughout that need somewhere to go and have constructive things to do.

[tkelly1986]

I heard about this last week at opening day and Bedrock may have a role. It's renovating the structure and housing apparently.

[Honky Tonk]

I heard about this last week at opening day and Bedrock may have a role. It's renovating the structure and housing apparently.

And Dug-in's taking the blame..... Now that makes more sense.

[Dbest]

Today's free press article regarding the rec center has a quote from the mayor implying it may not be a rec center, here is the August 2014 Duggan quote:

"What we are looking for is a business plan that is feasible and respects and celebrates the history of this building and this neighborhood," Duggan said at the time. "Could it be a fitness center? Could it be a restaurant? Could it be some kind of a commercial building?"
http://www.freep.com/story/news/loca...osal/25740377/


So we will see if it's even going to be rec center? Maybe a YMCA if so?

Maybe its a McCormack Baron Salazar proposal? They would be able to easily navigate a project like this.They have a YMCA rehab project in Akron too... Maybe Gilbert likes what he saw on that project. Pure speculation on my part...

http://www.mccormackbaron.com/what-w...=83&Itemid=206

[Dbest]

I found this in a Crains article from 2011 in regards to Richard Baron:

Baron was turned away from Detroit developments by former mayors Coleman Young and Dennis Archer. He skipped Kwame Kilpatrick, saying, "I wasn't very excited about his administration."

He responded to an early request for proposals on Tiger Stadium, pitching the idea of a YMCA on the ground level with residential housing built into the upper levels.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20111120/FREE/311209978/developer-revives-long-held-dream


So maybe it's not such a stretch? His company is doing the Strathmore.

As for these tidbits from far and wide by business people regarding Detroit's former mayors, they speak volumes about the current condition of the city.

[emu steve]

One things folks who follow politics and legislation realize: Do NOT believe the title [[of legislation). Sometimes the title of legislation is pure baloney.

Analogously, we are reading the title [[name) of the building: Brewster Wheeler Recreation Center and say bingo: A renovated rec center... Why? Because the name of the building is...

[Honky Tonk]

One things folks who follow politics and legislation realize: Do NOT believe the title [[of legislation). Sometimes the title of legislation is pure baloney.

Analogously, we are reading the title [[name) of the building: Brewster Wheeler Recreation Center and say bingo: A renovated rec center... Why? Because the name of the building is...

I thought the name of the building was Rolex Grand or yAshr eary......

[Mackinaw]

http://www.detroitmi.gov/News/Articl...c-Neighborhood

This is quite remarkable.

“Every opportunity we have, we are going to preserve buildings like the Brewster Wheeler Recreation Center that have a deep personal history in our city and do it in a way that provides real benefits to Detroit residents,” Mayor Duggan said.

Kudos for this creative plan.

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

Agreed, a very creative plan and it seems to have come out of nowhere, since so recently it looked as if the center would be torn down. Preserving and repurposing historic structures.....who ever would have thought!

It will be interesting to see what the housing will be.

[emu steve]

http://www.freep.com/story/news/loca...ment/25773209/

Man, are the details different then the first posts here.

Re-reading it: 37M in new construction and 15M for the Rec Center [[52M).

This makes sense. 50M for a Rec Center renovation didn't....

Am I reading this correctly? Couple of quotes:

"The center will be redeveloped, with an expected investment of up to $15 million, by a group of investors..."

"The multistory housing and retail complex will be built on land that used to house the Brewster Douglass projects. Duggan said the cost of that project is estimated at $37 million." [[both quotes from Freep article).

[Mackinaw]

My understanding is that the new mixed use housing buildings will stand immediately south of the Rec Center, and will not cover the entire, quite large Brewster towers site.

[animatedmartian]

http://www.detroitmi.gov/News/Articl...c-Neighborhood

Also mentioned by the city, Brewster Street will be reconnected to St. Antoine.