New Plans for the Failed Bloomfield Park

**paulj313** · April-19-15, 07:02 PM

A local developer has a "new" concept for the failed Bloomfield Park development... Seems like a bit of a tired concept to me, does that area really need more places to shop?

http://www.freep.com/story/money/bus...park/25934537/

A developer has unveiled designs for how it hopes to transform the failed and blighted Bloomfield Park into Oakland County's next hot shopping spot and residential development.Conceptual renderings presented to local officials this week by Southfield-based REDICO call for razing most of the rusting parking garages and other half-built structures on the 80-acre site, which fronts Telegraph Road and straddles Pontiac and Bloomfield Township.
In their place would come new retail buildings, offices, a grocery store, theater and a hotel, perhaps even a fitness center. There would be a new senior living complex, several apartment or condo buildings, 18 townhouses and three dozen single-family houses.
The Bloomfield Park name also would disappear. This re-imagined project is called Village at Bloomfield. The price tag: $180 million.
Conceived in the 1990s as an upscale and amenity-filled "lifestyle center," Bloomfield Park was to rival Somerset Collection mall and include up to 80 shops and restaurants, a luxury hotel, high-end fitness center, "Class A" office space, hundreds of residences, two lakes and an ice-skating rink.
The project was scaled back over time and, after delays, construction crews broke ground in late 2006 on the $350-million first phase. But all work halted in November 2008 amid the recession.
In the six and a half years since, the modern ruins of Bloomfield Park have stood as the biggest failed development project in Oakland County in decades.
This week REDICO executives presented two sets of conceptual renderings in what would be the first of many procedural steps needed before redevelopment work can begin. Buildings on the map would not necessarily get built as they appear, and REDICO has yet to name which commercial tenants would go in.
Officials plans have yet to be drawn up or submitted to the Bloomfield Park Joint Development Council, a three-person body that must approve final designs.
"It was an opportunity to introduce our conceptual plan and we are encouraged by the response," Dale Watchowski, REDICO's president and CEO, said in an e-mail.

The second of two conceptual renderings for the proposed redevelopment of Bloomfield Park, to be renamed Village at Bloomfield. Received on April 17, 2015. [[Photo: REDICO)

Earlier this year, another REDICO executive described how the developer envisionshaving "daily needs"-type retail on the site on a more modest scale than was proposed a decade ago for the old Bloomfield Park.
"The vision for this site initially, going back some years, was more of a Somerset 2.0," REDICO's Craig Willian said in February. "We're not going there with this."
REDICO and its California-based equity partner, PCCP, or Pacific Coast Capital Partners, last fall bought foreclosure rights to Bloomfield Park from the former project's mortgage holder, Wells Fargo Bank. The bank's redemption period runs until mid-July, so any redevelopment work would not happen until afterward.
If all goes well, the demolition phase of the project could begin as early as late this year, Watchowski said. The project would likely then be built in phases with no projected completion date.
"Conceptually, it all looks very very good," said Bloomfield Township Supervisor Leo Savoie, one of the three development council members.
REDICO did identify the senior living complex as an American House Senior Living Community. American House is an affiliated company of REDICO.
About 95% of the project site is in Pontiac; the rest is in Bloomfield Township.
Contact JC Reindl: 313-222-6631 or jcreindl@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @JCReindl.

Buy PhotoMap of Bloomfield Park [[Photo: Martha Thierry/Detroit Free Press)

Bloomfield Park timeline
1992: Local developer Craig Schubiner begins buying and assembling parcels of land off Telegraph near Bloomfield Township's border with Pontiac. The site was home to two streets of rental homes and a closed drive-in theater.
1999: Schubiner unveils his original vision for the Bloomfield Park residential, retail and commercial town center, complete with 15- to 20-story buildings.
2001: Schubiner turns to Pontiac after Bloomfield Township officials object to his $2-billion plan and its massive scale.
September 2001: Pontiac voters approve the annexation of about 95% of Bloomfield Park.
2002: Pontiac and Bloomfield Township settle disputes and form development and revenue-sharing arrangements for Bloomfield Park.
2006: Schubiner hands over most development duties to New York-based Coventry Real Estate Advisors and shopping center expert DDR.
November 2006: Ground is broken on Bloomfield Park's $350-million first phase.
November 2008: Construction stops as financing evaporates in the economic downturn. Nearly $250 million in capital already has poured in.
August 2012: Jurors in Oakland County Circuit Court deny Schubiner's claim to collect damages from Coventry and DDR for supposedly bungling a good project.
August 2013: Mortgage holder Wells Fargo reaches tentative deal to sell foreclosure rights to Grand/Sakwa Development, but the deal eventually unravels.
October 2014: REDICO and its equity partner buy the foreclosure rights
Late 2015: Demolition of the parking garages and other half-built structures could begin.

**rb336** · April-20-15, 08:23 PM

People are fresh out of ideas. My plan for turning into a giant skatepark not withstanding

**Danny** · April-20-15, 09:45 PM

Finally Bloomfield TWP. would get rid of its ghetto-like eyesore meant for squatters along Telegraph Rd. And build something that would lure middle to nouvaeu riche class.

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · April-20-15, 10:26 PM

The Fabulous Ruins of Oakland County

**Bham1982** · April-21-15, 09:49 AM

This plan is closer to realistic, but they still need to cut out all the housing, and just do boring big box retail. Put in a Walmart and Menards [[both stores are actively expanding in the region and looking to sign leases pronto) and call it a day.

**Detroitnerd** · April-21-15, 10:09 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90asEtTMTm4

**401don** · April-21-15, 09:31 PM

If they just level a few of those buildings and put in some additional parking lots development will eventually spring up!

**Danny** · April-22-15, 06:40 AM

Isn't Bloomfield Park area is quite close or a kiddie corner to ghetto-like area of Pontiac's South Side?

**Bham1982** · April-22-15, 06:42 AM

Originally Posted by Danny

Isn't Bloomfield Park area is quite close or a kiddie corner to ghetto-like area of Pontiac's South Side?

Yes. In fact Bloomfield Park is in Pontiac. It would never work as "luxury" anything in that location.

Anything north of Square Lake Rd. is "Pontiac" to the Bloomfield crowd, even when it technically isn't. You can't do luxury along that corridor.

**ghettopalmetto** · April-22-15, 07:19 AM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

Yes. In fact Bloomfield Park is in Pontiac. It would never work as "luxury" anything in that location.

Anything north of Square Lake Rd. is "Pontiac" to the Bloomfield crowd, even when it technically isn't. You can't do luxury along that corridor.

Oh, that's just a technicality. The site might *legally* be in Pontiac, but if you *call* it "Bloomfield", rich people will come out of the woodwork to buy lots of crap they don't need.

Now which existing mall will die a fast, painful death after this lovely, new, and not-at-all generic-or-contrived "lifestyle center" opens for business?

**Danny** · April-22-15, 03:58 PM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

Yes. In fact Bloomfield Park is in Pontiac. It would never work as "luxury" anything in that location.

Anything north of Square Lake Rd. is "Pontiac" to the Bloomfield crowd, even when it technically isn't. You can't do luxury along that corridor.

Bloomfield Park development still remains in Bloomfield TWP. Even through it right behind the ghetto-like black community of Pontiac's South Side. Folks of Bloomfield TWP. are sick and tired of looking an abandon structure that rivals Pontiac. They want something that is not ghetto, keep a lot of black folks out and tighten up the invincible wall so they don't see hoodies walking around.

**Gpwrangler** · April-22-15, 04:28 PM

This thread went to shit pretty quick.

**Scottathew** · April-23-15, 07:52 AM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90asEtTMTm4

HAHA, love it!

**Scottathew** · April-23-15, 08:11 AM

Originally Posted by ghettopalmetto

Oh, that's just a technicality. The site might *legally* be in Pontiac, but if you *call* it "Bloomfield", rich people will come out of the woodwork to buy lots of crap they don't need.

For shopping, I don't think people will have an issue. The county police cover Pontiac, and they're pretty darn good. So safety isn't a concern.

The issue would be with any residential units. The Pontiac School District is pretty crappy, and Pontiac has an income tax. Shitty schools and income taxes seem to be hallmarks of most of the places people are moving out of. People will try to blame racism, which might be true for some people, but I'd suspect the majority of folks don't want to see their income taxed by the city, and don't want their kids to go to a craptacular school.

School rankings: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/md...s_465183_7.pdf

**hybridy** · December-09-15, 02:12 PM

Demolition work begins at vacant Bloomfield Park as meeting to discuss redevelopment approaches

http://www.theoaklandpress.com/gener...ent-approaches

"REDICO envisions the property eventually housing national tenants, empty-nester residential developments and 500- to 600-square-foot apartments for millenials. Other planned tenants include a grocery story, a movie theater and a hotel.The City of Pontiac controls the majority — more than 78 acres — of Bloomfield Park, while Bloomfield Township controls about 5 acres.
REDICO’s new Village at Bloomfield plan includes some deviations from the original Bloomfield Park agreement, including the location of a hotel near Telegraph Road, different square footage in planned residential units and signage"

**Bham1982** · December-09-15, 03:04 PM

It will be Walmart and junk of that sort. What a disaster of a project, conceived by idiots.

**Bigdd** · December-09-15, 03:39 PM

We were all railing against that idiot project back in 2003-2005. It had a 0% chance of success.

The Bloomfield Township council was so tired of them begging for the go-ahed on a project everyone [[except Pontiac City Council) knew was doomed to failure,.. that Bloomfield ceded over some property to Pontiac just to get those idiots to stop coming into the Township building.

They started construction and no one could believe it. The market was in a HUGE bubble that was obviously going to burst at any moment.

I remember being in City Scape Deli and people enraged that it was being built. They blocked off half of telegraph for months re-doing the center island for extra turn-arounds.

Then the market collapsed as everyone knew it would,.. and the thing has been a blot on the landscape ever since. Rusting,.. hurting the surrounding businesses.

**Detroit Stylin** · December-09-15, 04:43 PM

I think it's hilarious to be honest.....

**Bham1982** · December-10-15, 08:15 AM

Are the new owners as dumb as the original owners? Micro-Apartments for millennials? Huh? On a godforsaken exurban highway, next to Home Depot, a megachurch, and Carl's Golf Land?

I assume they're just making up stuff for PR/approvals purposes. No sane developer would envision hipster housing in this incredibly anti-urban locale. They'll have a Menard's, a WalMart, some fast food, maybe a self-storage building, and call it a day.