New building planned on the site of the former Marie Apartments building on Selden St

**hybridy** · February-23-16, 03:15 PM

Last week, the city issued a demolition permit for the former Marie Apartments building at 438 Selden St. at Cass Avenue, a step which will clear the way for a new mixed-use development by the Detroit-based Ferlito Group LLC, which plans to begin razing the 1924 building on Monday.
Replacing the vacant and blighted 16,500-square-foot building: a new 22,000-square-foot building with a dozen for-sale condominiums, a new office for Ferlito Group and a new high-end restaurant, said Mike Ferlito, project developer for Ferlito Group.

About 30,000 reclaimed bricks from the razed building will be used by Detroit-based Green Garage LLC in a brand new community park that’s expected to open by Christmas, according to Ken Flaherty, who is procuring reclaimed material for the park next to its El Moore building at Second Avenue and Alexandrine Street, a little over a block northwest of the new Ferlito building.

Also pretty cool: the entrance to the park, dubbed El Moore Gardens [[for now), will be made out of a [[reclaimed) water tower currently sitting on the property, which consists of two former city-owned lots, Flaherty said

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...cks-in-midtown

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**1953** · February-23-16, 03:43 PM

This is a shame. The Marie Apartment Building is a very nice looking building and will make way for a modernist travesty.

1953

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · February-23-16, 04:18 PM

Originally Posted by 1953

This is a shame. The Marie Apartment Building is a very nice looking building and will make way for a modernist travesty.

1953

Given the state of the building from the pic in this Curbed article from 2 years ago, it doesn't seem that the building was much of a candidate for rehab. Reclaiming the bricks is a definite plus.

http://detroit.curbed.com/2014/1/31/...g-midtown-ruin

As far as modern construction goes, I find this one better than most.

**SpartanDawg** · February-23-16, 05:55 PM

Originally Posted by 1953

This is a shame. The Marie Apartment Building is a very nice looking building and will make way for a modernist travesty.

1953

highly disagree... not every brick and mortar building needs to be saved... people who are looking to purchase condos do not want old fashioned layouts and small windows... this will draw more millennials to the area than that old building would.. and like the previous poster said, it was in quite a pit of despair..

This new one encourages walkability much more with ground floor retail as well.

Looking forward to it!

**ABetterDetroit** · February-23-16, 06:25 PM

"Conventional construction loan and equity"

The magic words that bring jobs to communities across America.

**dtowncitylover** · February-24-16, 09:49 AM

And looking at that part of the Corridor, it needs help to put it simply. The building will be placed in the middle of an oasis it seems on inactivity. Everything "going on" is 3-4 blocks to the north and not much has trickled south. That whole lot at the corner of Cass and Selden is ripe for the type of development Midtown wants to see after the "no strip malls" ordinance. It seems this part of Midtown is the last stand of the old Cass Corridor feel.

**mwilbert** · February-24-16, 11:34 AM

Originally Posted by ABetterDetroit

"Conventional construction loan and equity"

The magic words that bring jobs to communities across America.

True. And in Detroit they are the magic words that will allow the number of residential units in greater Downtown to [[potentially) grow rapidly--supply has been constrained by the finite amount of subsidy available. If conventional financing is actually available, we will be able to see how much residential construction there is actually demand for.

**DeLemur** · February-24-16, 05:30 PM

Originally Posted by dtowncitylover

And looking at that part of the Corridor, it needs help to put it simply. The building will be placed in the middle of an oasis it seems on inactivity. Everything "going on" is 3-4 blocks to the north and not much has trickled south. That whole lot at the corner of Cass and Selden is ripe for the type of development Midtown wants to see after the "no strip malls" ordinance. It seems this part of Midtown is the last stand of the old Cass Corridor feel.

I disagree. Development for development's sake isn't worth it.
This building is horrendous visually. It has no quasi historical elements that could tie in the Cass Methodist Episcopal church or other older local buildings into its design. It compliments nothing. They should alter the exterior to fit the block, to fit Detroit, not just fit the cheapest square foot price for construction. Development is good, but not anything. Not this monstrosity.

**dtowncitylover** · February-24-16, 07:15 PM

Originally Posted by DeLemur

I disagree. Development for development's sake isn't worth it.
This building is horrendous visually. It has no quasi historical elements that could tie in the Cass Methodist Episcopal church or other older local buildings into its design. It compliments nothing. They should alter the exterior to fit the block, to fit Detroit, not just fit the cheapest square foot price for construction. Development is good, but not anything. Not this monstrosity.

I did not mean to insinuate that development for development sakes was worth it. I just simply stating that's its being built south of where the usual development has been. I agree with that it's going to stick out like a sore thumb.

**3WC** · February-24-16, 10:10 PM

Development for development's sake or any other reason is a wonderful thing, especially in Detroit. Let the folks who have the money and take the risks develop any legal use, anywhere. Or, buy them out of their project and do it the way YOU want to.

**SpartanDawg** · February-24-16, 10:16 PM

Originally Posted by 3WC

Development for development's sake or any other reason is a wonderful thing, especially in Detroit. Let the folks who have the money and take the risks develop any legal use, anywhere. Or, buy them out of their project and do it the way YOU want to.

. Amen.. this isn't a terrible design by any means. sure it isn't world class or ground-breaking, but it fits the needs of the neighborhood, and fits the style of the majority of the new mid-rise structures we're seeing around midtown.

**Richard** · February-24-16, 10:39 PM

Originally Posted by 3WC

Development for development's sake or any other reason is a wonderful thing, especially in Detroit. Let the folks who have the money and take the risks develop any legal use, anywhere. Or, buy them out of their project and do it the way YOU want to.

Yea don't you just hate it when pesky residents want to get involved in their city and its future,start allowing that and next thing you know more and more will start caring about their city and just ruin it for us billionaires,it is our money after all we should be able to have exclusive control,why cannot they just pay their taxes and be happy and quiet.

**3WC** · February-24-16, 11:19 PM

AMEN To that.

**DeLemur** · February-25-16, 11:15 AM

Originally Posted by dtowncitylover

I did not mean to insinuate that development for development sakes was worth it. I just simply stating that's its being built south of where the usual development has been. I agree with that it's going to stick out like a sore thumb.

...I hear ya. It could have some coloring like the music school nearby. Tie it into that scheme. I think its a green tone like the roof of the church.

I'm trying to find that middle ground. I think some people get into "build anything" mentalities and its not wise or needed in 2016. The market is hot so let's have a higher standard on the visual elements or we're going to look like new build Seattle popped up in the middle of the D. What we leave behind will be for DetroitYes folks in 2105 to talk about and this thing looks like a turd.

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · February-25-16, 02:16 PM

Certainly, only a "world class" building should be built in an area with not much going on. The Marie, after all, was.....oh wait, sort of cookie cutter for its day.

The proposed building, IMO, looks better than a number of other recent projects. And better than numerous new builds in San Francisco where the condos are well over $1,000 per square foot.

Sometimes a reality check is needed.