Hudson's Site Building Thread

[bust]

I'll offer an opinion that's a mix. One, we do need chain stores as much as we need new stores and independent stores. Stores like a City Target offer up the diversity of essentials people need at a low cost that stores like CVS don't have and Amazon can't provide in a quicker time than 2 day shipping. As well, chain stores are recognizable to those visiting downtown. I don't think we need worry about Kohl's coming downtown, they are nearly exclusively a suburban development store. [[Though a Kohl's at Grand River and Greenfield would be neat to see...)

Secondly, and Bham wherever he is, will agree, that malls like Somerset are not dying. Eastland, Westland, yes but not Somerset. And people do go to the malls when its nice out because well it's nice out! I'm not driving in a foot of snow but it hits 50 degrees plus, heck yeah I'm doing all my errands and driving and go places.

What truly needs to change in this region and what I hope the streetcar and RefleX can bring as a test, is the idea that the car needs to stay home in order to go downtown. That's what brings urban pedestrian traffic. Not the singular use of cars, but the diversity of transportation options.

The empty storefronts are indeed waiting new tenets, but we have to remember this is still Detroit. The red tape is still there and while we have a business friendly mayor, retailers are going to take their time because they want to see how these pioneer retailers in downtown are going to play out. BUT, most people didn't think Bonobos was going to open this quickly either...

As for the Hudson Block development, I think it will be the anchor the downtown core needs desperately. I think this is ambitious and awesome, but even a development that half the size but still fills the entire block would be good too. The walk along that block is jarring.

I agree with everything you wrote with one difference: I think a development half as tall that fills the entire block would probably be much better.

Some people get excited by tall buildings, but haven't we learned anything from the Ren Cen? For many it would feel good for it to no longer be Detroit's tallest building. But let's not repeat its mistakes. The proposed design improves upon it, greatly. It doesn't repeat all of them. But let's not flood the market with too much square footage like the Ren Cen did. Now, like in the late 70's, Detroit has no shortage of unused and underused real estate. Let's build something great that leaves open today's opportunities to develop and refurbish more of downtown, horizontally. A project too large could suck those opportunities dry. There are too many dead zones downtown for an egotistical exclamation point. For all the reasons Junjie said, and others, I think tax credits for a project like this one make a lot more sense than for a sports arena. But if too many tax credits result in a building misguidedly too big then then let's not shoot ourselves in the foot twice.

I wish this project fantastic success. But not at the expense of the rest of Detroit.

[southen]

The office portion of the development is rather modest. If what DG says is true regarding the need for space, and I think it is based on his shuffling of employees for Microsoft, you'll see this space filled and the need for more will still exist. What I'm worried about is filling 250 high end apartments.

[emu steve]

The office portion of the development is rather modest. If what DG says is true regarding the need for space, and I think it is based on his shuffling of employees for Microsoft, you'll see this space filled and the need for more will still exist. What I'm worried about is filling 250 high end apartments.

At some point those with $ will decide [[with their wallets) whether to live at other high end rental or at the Hudsons site.

Would an affluent renter rather live at the Book Cadillac, kind of out of the way, or right on Woodward in a brand new, exciting building/tower??

For me it would be a no brainer.