Monroe Block Development

[EGrant]

Curbed Detroit has the high-res images if you have not seen them already.

[EGrant]

Even more images. This is going to be a great addition to the core.

Check it out via dezeen.

[Junjie]

Even more images. This is going to be a great addition to the core.

Check it out via dezeen.

Thanks for the link. The high-res overhead view gives a good idea of just how much density this project is adding to downtown.

I also like two of the sightlines - the one down Monroe to the Penobscot is nicely framed with the new towers on the left, and the one down Farmer to the Wayne County building is neat too.

[dtowncitylover]

It would be neat to see the Hudson block renderings in that aerial view.

[Junjie]

It would be neat to see the Hudson block renderings in that aerial view.

My quick and dirty "lol ms paint" attempt at showing the Hudson's massing:

[Gsgeorge]

My quick and dirty "lol ms paint" attempt at showing the Hudson's massing:

Gosh, those lots across from the Water Board Building and around greektown sure are looking ripe for some hi-rises... Time to fill out downtown! Our overabundance of parking is embarrassing. Other cities are working quick to re-densify. Nashville, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Buffalo and others are all reducing their surface parking downtown.

[emu steve]

Gosh, those lots across from the Water Board Building and around greektown sure are looking ripe for some hi-rises... Time to fill out downtown! Our overabundance of parking is embarrassing. Other cities are working quick to re-densify. Nashville, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Buffalo and others are all reducing their surface parking downtown.

According to this Detnews article, there is plenty of unmet demand for housing units in downtown.

Time for more developers to pluck some good property and build up.

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/new...oit/104928998/

[Jason]

imo the beaux arts urban planning demands a clean continuous street wall, especially on Cadillac Square.


Some of the renderings show views which are physically impossible, and the building's design is not consistent across the renderings. I'm guessing the expensive looking renderings are more recent, which I'm glad for because I like that design better.

[EGrant]

imo the beaux arts urban planning demands a clean continuous street wall, especially on Cadillac Square.


Some of the renderings show views which are physically impossible, and the building's design is not consistent across the renderings. I'm guessing the expensive looking renderings are more recent, which I'm glad for because I like that design better.

I think the closeups of the lobby area of the main building are old.

[southen]

The more I break this project down the more I like it. So it looks like the official height will be 536' which is nice and in line with the surrounding buildings. Part of me wishes it were a bit taller but given the amount of space it will be feeling I am pretty pleased.

More can be found at the architects website http://www.shl.dk/monroe-blocks/

[Lowell]

Here are the demolition victims. I'm sorry to see that tidy building on the right go. I always liked it, have photographed it and always forget its name. Anyone remember, it was posted on this board once.



From Crains DB

[EGrant]

That would be the Pochelon Building.

[K-slice]

I thought that was unfortunate too! I always found this building fascinating as the designers seemed to incorporate elements of much larger buildings [[large flag poles, gargoyles and other ornamentation) into this relatively short and narrow structure.

[archfan]

I always liked the Pochelon Building, even though I hadn't heard it's name. The height and narrowness remind me of a European building, especially when there were still flags on those angled poles.

[EastsideAl]

As I think I may have posted earlier in this thread, the taller building on the right is indeed the Pochelon Building. It's named for Al Pochelon, a Detroit florist, socialite, sportsman, yachtsman, etc. who had the building built in 1913 to house his large L. Bemb Floral Co. [[named for his mother, who founded the business).

The lower building at the corner was built several years later as the original headquarters of FTD, the national and international flower delivery service that Al Pochelon was among the founders of. It originally had greenhouses and gardens on its roof for Pochelon's florist business. It was "remuddled" in true early '70s style by the union labor, workman's comp, and personal injury law firm that eventually became Sachs Waldman, who occupied both buildings until they were sold to Gilbert's company in 2013.

[Burnsie]

Any chance of the Pochelon's gargoyles being saved and installed somewhere, anywhere [[hopefully at least Michigan if not Detroit) where the public can continue to admire them? Or are they going to be mindlessly smashed to bits?

[Jason]

There's a whole industry dedicated to selling ornament and other parts from old buildings so I wouldn't be surprised.

[southen]

Pure speculation on my part, but I feel like there may be a slight redesign coming for Monroe Blocks much like we have seen with the Hudson's site. Periodically I check in on the architect's website, which tends to have the latest renderings of the project. The two attached images were among the most recent added months ago. They have since been removed.

Is the project expanding in scope or shrinking? I have a feeling they are going to be decreasing the size of the towers given the increased investment in Hudson's. I hope I am wrong though.

[Atticus]

Pure speculation on my part, but I feel like there may be a slight redesign coming for Monroe Blocks much like we have seen with the Hudson's site. Periodically I check in on the architect's website, which tends to have the latest renderings of the project. The two attached images were among the most recent added months ago. They have since been removed.

Is the project expanding in scope or shrinking? I have a feeling they are going to be decreasing the size of the towers given the increased investment in Hudson's. I hope I am wrong though.

Good observations. If I remember correctly, the tower on the corner of Monroe and Randolph was part of "Phase 2" anyway, so I think that project may be a few years off. If anything, it may get delayed a bit further rather than just constructed shorter.

As for the Monroe block tower overlooking Campus Martius, I think that was proposed as all commercial use. And while the block portion of the Hudson development [[the portion with commercial use) was increased slightly, the tower height increase had to do with the addition of the second hotel in the tower, not additional commercial space. And aside from the hotel [[if that is considered commercial), there isn't commercial uses programmed for the Hudson tower other than possibly ground floor retail.

[southen]

You are correct, the tower itself is going to be 800,000 square feet of commercial space. In the comparison I was looking at the Hudson development as a whole, including the podium development which has increased by several hundred thousand square feet of commercial space. I feel like the addition of that space coupled with the additional funding needed to increase the tower height might impact Monroe.

I am probably wrong though and DG will come back with new renderings of Monroe showing an even taller building.

[313WX]

Spec office buildings all across the country are struggling to get off the ground right now, so I'd be surprised if the all-office tower becomes taller / bigger. In the post Great Recession era, it's rare to see 800K ft. of office space get built without a major corporate hq or expansion lined up.

In fact, it wouldn't shock me at all either if it shrunk.

[Worldsgreatest]

Gilbert has made it clear they need the space and vacancy rates are extremely low so there's no reason why they would suddenly downsize Monroe block, that's just baseless conjecture. I wonder why Chemical Bank doesn't sign on for space in the tower instead of building new space on Woodward though.

[Detroit]

Gilbert has made it clear they need the space and vacancy rates are extremely low so there's no reason why they would suddenly downsize Monroe block, that's just baseless conjecture. I wonder why Chemical Bank doesn't sign on for space in the tower instead of building new space on Woodward though.

I would imagine the location of the new Chemical Bank HQ has everything to do with the fact that one of its board members owns/controls directly or indirectly the property it is supposed to occupy.

[hybridy]

Spec office buildings all across the country are struggling to get off the ground right now, so I'd be surprised if the all-office tower becomes taller / bigger. In the post Great Recession era, it's rare to see 800K ft. of office space get built without a major corporate hq or expansion lined up.

In fact, it wouldn't shock me at all either if it shrunk.

Local design firms have been laying off and ceased hiring. This is indicative of the downturn as projects are based on demand/speculation. One local firm just dumped 30% of their staff in addition to high rate of departures already in motion.

Detroit feels this worse sooner and it will last longer evidenced by the longterm hemorrhaging population trend. Next recession is imminent and it’s gonna hurt real bad. I am glad I got out at high price and locked in a record low rate for mortgage. Time to batten down the hatches.

DG isn’t using conventional financing to build his projects. He’s using taxpayer’s dollars.

I doubt Monroe block happens in this economic cycle, of at all.

Hudson’s will flood market with unnecessary office space and hotel rooms, but it’s newness appeals. Ren Cen 2.0, if it even gets completed.

[CrashDummy]

Hudson’s will flood market with unnecessary office space and hotel rooms, but it’s newness appeals. Ren Cen 2.0, if it even gets completed.

I think such direct comparisons fail to appreciate the enormity of the Renaissance Center, one of the world's largest buildings at 5.5 million square feet. Estimates for the Hudson's and Monroe projects together are little more than half that total, about 3 million sq ft. The combined office space is planned to be 1.2 million sq ft, well below half of the Ren Cen's 3 million. Hotel space is probably the closest comparison, with a planned addition of about 1000 rooms compared to 1300 at the Marriott.

The Monroe and Hudson's projects do remedy what the Ren Cen failed to do though, which is add residential. Estimates are a modest 750 units, a good amount, but will hardly flood the market.