New $52.4 million Paradise Valley plan

**EGrant** · June-29-16, 02:46 PM

Via Crain's Detroit:

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...urants-office?

**401don** · June-29-16, 03:58 PM

If all this gets done and it may not or will probably be delayed, I hope the developers have done their homework i.e. studies to confirm market demand. Galleries, upscale restaurant, boutique hotel, banquet hall, all sounds nice but I hope it's not just a DDA gov't idea. The area is a unique enclave of buildings but several businesses have failed in that area before.

**Gistok** · June-29-16, 06:20 PM

The Ilitch owned parking lot that was the site of the hastily demolished Madison-Lennox Hotel is not part of this area... even though the M-L was the largest building in Harmonie Park.

**Chicago48** · June-29-16, 08:47 PM

Originally Posted by EGrant

Via Crain's Detroit:

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...urants-office?

Like every other grand plan for Detroit -- it needs people. Lots of tourism and local people who have money who can partake in this. Is Gilbert going to bus people into the city?

**Hypestyles** · June-29-16, 09:44 PM

where's the mainstream movie theater?

**Danny** · June-30-16, 09:13 AM

On no! Another Africantown over the old Africantown that did not attract more diverse people.

**Hypestyles** · June-30-16, 09:39 AM

Too bad about the Carr Center. Nice place, the upper level theater wasn't renovated yet, I guess fundraising was ongoing. Hopefully they can land somewhere else in the city, and be an 'anchor' institution in another neighborhood.

**1953** · June-30-16, 11:49 AM

Hey, your neighborhood was demolished, so now its where this other neighborhood is...

That worked really well in Israel.

**dtowncitylover** · June-30-16, 12:28 PM

Originally Posted by 1953

Hey, your neighborhood was demolished, so now its where this other neighborhood is...

That worked really well in Israel.

No kidding! 60 years later, and here's some buildings and 60 luxury apartments. That really rectifies the destruction of the original Paradise Valley.

**swingline** · June-30-16, 12:31 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

The Ilitch owned parking lot that was the site of the hastily demolished Madison-Lennox Hotel is not part of this area... even though the M-L was the largest building in Harmonie Park.

I noticed that too. Olympia Development really pulled a fast one on the city on that one. That parking lot is here to stay unless Olympia gets a huge subsidy or is persuaded to sell to an actual developer.

**mwilbert** · June-30-16, 12:39 PM

Originally Posted by dtowncitylover

No kidding! 60 years later, and here's some buildings and 60 luxury apartments. That really rectifies the destruction of the original Paradise Valley.

It is a weird and probably doomed attempt at branding, with a brand that almost no one under 65 remembers. It would be like starting a car company and calling it DeSoto. I wish the developers luck, but they will certainly need it.

**dtowncitylover** · June-30-16, 12:43 PM

Originally Posted by mwilbert

It is a weird and probably doomed attempt at branding, with a brand that almost no one under 65 remembers. It would be like starting a car company and calling it DeSoto. I wish the developers luck, but they will certainly need it.

If it just the development of bringing new housing in, some refurbishes, etc it wouldn't be such a stupid plan. But no, they had to dig up Paradise Valley again [[no pun intended at all) and brand-it that way. I'm all for homage to jazz greats, but trying to recreate the neighborhood in a different location 60 years later it effin' ridiculous.

**corktownyuppie** · June-30-16, 03:20 PM

Originally Posted by Chicago48

Like every other grand plan for Detroit -- it needs people. Lots of tourism and local people who have money who can partake in this. Is Gilbert going to bus people into the city?

There's no shortage of people in the Downtown area. My high school just had its reunion weekend and called 4 months ago to block off a bunch of hotel rooms. Every hotel downtown was booked completely solid.

The funny thing is that Detroit isn't skyrocketing, not at all. What's happening is that they're just becoming what is to be expected in any normal city. We just haven't had it in so long that people don't know quite what to think of it.

A $100,000 property downtown 4 years ago will sell for $350k+ right now. That's not because the local economy has tripled. It's because we went having no actual economy to a fairly normal one.

**corktownyuppie** · June-30-16, 03:21 PM

Originally Posted by 401don

If all this gets done and it may not or will probably be delayed, I hope the developers have done their homework i.e. studies to confirm market demand. Galleries, upscale restaurant, boutique hotel, banquet hall, all sounds nice but I hope it's not just a DDA gov't idea. The area is a unique enclave of buildings but several businesses have failed in that area before.

This has actually been in the planning and funding stages for almost 10 years now. They are only making the announcement because it is going forward. Sure, there might be delays of 6-12 months, but this project is definitely going to happen.

**mwilbert** · June-30-16, 05:02 PM

Originally Posted by dtowncitylover

If it just the development of bringing new housing in, some refurbishes, etc it wouldn't be such a stupid plan. But no, they had to dig up Paradise Valley again [[no pun intended at all) and brand-it that way. I'm all for homage to jazz greats, but trying to recreate the neighborhood in a different location 60 years later it effin' ridiculous.

I am only quarreling with the branding. There isn't anything inherently ridiculous about putting dining, entertainment, and housing in that location, but to the extent they think the "Paradise Valley" brand is going to do anything for the economics of the project, to that extent I think they are being silly.

**Atticus** · June-30-16, 07:37 PM

So where is the proposed Hastings Place parking garage going to go?

Based on the renderings, there are condos fronting the park at least, and the plan view graphic just shows that development only going as far back as the alley, which would make the garage a tight fit unless they plan to use car elevators.

**Gistok** · June-30-16, 09:08 PM

I have a feeling of deja vu about this.... remember the city attempting to recreate Chinatown in Midtown.... that didn't go over very well either.

Also the 2 awarded groups so far should set off alarm bells. Dennis Archer Jr. and his co-developers are OK.... provided they follow the guidelines for development as set down by the DDA.

But the Michigan Chronicle? Yuck!! Few of you remember that this Afro-American newspaper took a lead in calling Freeman Hendrix "Helmut" back in the mayoral contest back last decade. And they absolutely hated the entire Archer family. I still remember their front page headlines.... "Archer Jr. Gets $70 Million GM Contract/GM Lays Off 25,000".

Yeah that's a great way to get a successful district together by getting 2 groups of developers together that probably can't stand each other.

I'm starting to think the DDA is run by folks who have logic issues....

**southen** · July-01-16, 09:04 AM

I too am pretty ho-hum on the Paradise Valley branding. Harmonie Park has it's own history that is now being ignored in a poor attempt to recreate something that hasn't been around for 50+ years. The city HAS to be able to come up with a better way to be inclusive that isn't cheap rebranding.

As for the development I like it and it will further help what is one of my favorite areas downtown. Closing in the park will make it seem even more intimate and I hope that once the developments get rolling that you might see movement on the lot just west of Music Hall and that someone will offer the Illitch's a lot of money to redevelop the ML site. That lot is just begging for something substantial and mixed use.