East Village New Construction

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

Some time ago, on a thread that I cannot recall, it was mentioned that some new construction was taking place in East Village - on Fischer Street by St. Paul.

Three new houses have recently hit the market. The are on adjoining lots on a block that is otherwise quite empty. Here are links to the properties:

https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...=srp-list-card

https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...=srp-list-card

https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...=srp-list-card

I love the fact that these homes vary in size and appearance! And are not clad in vinyl siding.

When I lived on nearby Parker Street in the 1980's, I never imagined that I'd see new construction on Fischer. I don't think "East Village" was even a term back then.

IMO, all of these homes fit nicely into the area but 1711 Fischer [[the middle link) is my favorite.

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

I note that the listings say that two more homes will be available in the summer, “more” in the fall, and a total of 23 in “phase one.”

[Gistok]

I'm glad that the area around Indian Village is being infilled. Great to see!!

However, due to the narrow lots, these homes are seriously lacking in curb appeal. Especially at that price!

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

I'm glad that the area around Indian Village is being infilled. Great to see!!

However, due to the narrow lots, these homes are seriously lacking in curb appeal. Especially at that price!

I suppose some folks would like the low upkeep of a narrow lot. I wonder how difficult it would be to convert three 30 feet wide lots into two 45’s?

[mwilbert]

I'm glad that the area around Indian Village is being infilled. Great to see!!

However, due to the narrow lots, these homes are seriously lacking in curb appeal. Especially at that price!

I doubt curb appeal is what they are shooting for. No one's going to build stuff that can compete with the existing housing stock in the area for curb appeal--you can see nicer-looking houses in the background of the listing photos! I'm assuming that these will be sold as an alternative to renting for people who don't want a lot of maintenance issues-- a new, not too large house on a small lot is presumably exactly what such people would want.

[Gistok]

I doubt curb appeal is what they are shooting for. No one's going to build stuff that can compete with the existing housing stock in the area for curb appeal--you can see nicer-looking houses in the background of the listing photos! I'm assuming that these will be sold as an alternative to renting for people who don't want a lot of maintenance issues-- a new, not too large house on a small lot is presumably exactly what such people would want.

My question in that regard is this... which is more expensive... 1) having no driveway/garage and parking on the street [how much will that up your car insurance?]... or 2) having a larger lot with garage and paying for lawn service?

Lawn service in the warm months isn't all that much for a normal sized middle class house... while car insurance with no garage is going going to be a lot for certain zip codes in Detroit...

By me in St. Clair Shores, a normal sized lot [50 ft. wide] costs on average $29 per week for lawn service. I'm just wondering... since I don't know the specifics in the Indian Village zip code.

[ABetterDetroit]

My question in that regard is this... which is more expensive... 1) having no driveway/garage and parking on the street [how much will that up your car insurance?]... or 2) having a larger lot with garage and paying for lawn service?

Lawn service in the warm months isn't all that much for a normal sized middle class house... while car insurance with no garage is going going to be a lot for certain zip codes in Detroit...

By me in St. Clair Shores, a normal sized lot [50 ft. wide] costs on average $29 per week for lawn service. I'm just wondering... since I don't know the specifics in the Indian Village zip code.

Wondering as you ask this question if you noticed that these houses in the thread have new 2 car garages?

[Lowell]

I'm impressed by the prices they are asking $340 for a less-than-1000 sq. ft. house? Really? From satellite they appear to be a block or two away from the big houses with plenty of urban prairie to the east. So lots of room for more.



The location choice makes sense. I've long described Detroit as a city of islands amid a sea urban prairies and have thought the way forward is to be build off those island. This fits that concept completely. I hope they succeed and it triggers more of the same.

[mwilbert]

I hope they succeed and it triggers more of the same.

Me too. There's so little new single-family construction in Detroit
that they probably can sell three of them, although it will be very informative to see how fast and at what price. The NEZ eligibility will help. If they can actually sell twenty of them, that would be very encouraging.

I kind of wonder about the finished basements, which sound like a nice bonus until they flood--I don't know how flood-prone this part of town is, but it's not far from some watery areas.

[Gistok]

^^^ Thanks... I missed the garage pics! Makes a lot more sense to me now. The alley entrance garages... that will certainly save on driveway snow shoveling!

[royce]

I suppose some folks would like the low upkeep of a narrow lot. I wonder how difficult it would be to convert three 30 feet wide lots into two 45’s?

If you own three consecutive lots, then you should be able to take two of them and make two houses with 45 feet lots. I know you probably have to get permit approval from the zoning board. At one time I heard that in order to build a single-family home in some areas in Detroit, that you had to use two lots which equals a 60 foot-wide lot. I don't know if that's the case today.

BTW, these new houses on Fisher have two-car garages that you enter through the alley, but you have no decent backyard. I would say that you have maybe 15 feet of backyard space from the house to the garage. There's not a lot of room between the houses, so not a lot of lawn to cut. Unless the houses come with association fees, the amount of lawn is not enough to have a service do. The homeowner could probably cut the grass with a manual-lawnmower and be done in a half hour.

[ABetterDetroit]

The ‘first phase’ of these homes is interesting here. If a developer could sell these fast enough, the prices could come down. It costs less to put in 10 basements at a time; saving on staging, excavation equipment and contractors on site. Same for the rest of the trades.

I couldn’t agree more with the OP that these are built with what new home buyers expect here in Michigan. Cement fiber siding, Basement foundation and Open floor plans with modern fixtures. Alley entrance garages on a full block without all the vehicles clogging driveways would make for a close-knit feeling community. Some 45 foot lots allowing for the 1500 to 2000 square foot single level floor plans that are so hot right now would only speed up the build outs.

[Lowell]

For reference.


and Royce is right about having no backyard. Dirt alley could be an issue too.

[LongGone06]

When I lived on nearby Parker Street in the 1980's, I never imagined that I'd see new construction on Fischer. I don't think "East Village" was even a term back then.

I don't remember "East Village" either. I lived in Alden Park Towers [which I think now is just Alden Towers] for a short time in the mid-80s. There was Indian Village, of course, and West Village, but I don't remember anything referred to as East Village.

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

I don't remember "East Village" either. I lived in Alden Park Towers [which I think now is just Alden Towers] for a short time in the mid-80s. There was Indian Village, of course, and West Village, but I don't remember anything referred to as East Village.

When I first came across “East Village” as a name for that area, I thought it was a bit contrived. But every neighborhood name was created by someone at some point. If calling that area East Village gives it a sense of identity and spurs redevelopment, I’m all for it.

I totally agree with Lowell’s view of the city as a bunch of “islands” and that building off of them makes sense. Decades ago, as I’d drive along Woodward, I imagined what the city would be like if, for example, the streets north of New Center saw some fixing up, and, at the same time, the streets south of Boston Edison. Now activity like that isn’t a dream.

[ABetterDetroit]

When I first came across “East Village” as a name for that area, I thought it was a bit contrived. But every neighborhood name was created by someone at some point. If calling that area East Village gives it a sense of identity and spurs redevelopment, I’m all for it.

Exactly. Call it whatever works in the present. It is marketing 101. Younger people couldn’t care less what a bunch of old folks call just about anything. It has always been that way, nothing new there. Car makers couldn’t sell a ‘station wagon’ to save their lives at one point. Suddenly they are a ‘SUV’ and then buyers couldn't get enough of them.

[Jimaz]

...Car makers couldn’t sell a ‘station wagon’ to save their lives at one point. Suddenly they are a ‘SUV’ and then buyers couldn't get enough of them.

Something about that seems blasphemous but I like it.

[Neilr]

In the early to mid 70s, IIRC, Michael Higgins began buying apartments in that area and rebranded those streets as East Village. He was way ahead of the curve and he and his early buildings had a rough go at it. He put in a pool at one building surrounded by a high chain link fence. He engendered a good deal of resentment from long time area residents who resented his attempts at gentrification.

[Satiricalivory]

Those houses are really cute, they did a nice job.

[Gistok]

Speaking of Michael Higgins. He passed away... and was gay. I wonder if he made out a will... since his 24 story Leland House over on Bagley & Cass will be the largest building in downtown not yet restored [excluding the Penobscot complex] and he had been having issues getting financing.

Probate can be very time consuming.

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

Update: Two of these three houses are already pending; the smallest and the largest. The middle in size, which is also the middle of the three, is still available.

This should bode well for the continuation of this project.

[Pontiac6000]

This area definitely was rebranded. It was mainly known as Foch, but so many people in the area worked at the plants [Chrysler, Budd, Continental], no one was home to be community oriented?!? Kercheval from Fischer to Cadillac was main street with a fish market, bank and trust, theatre deluxe, browns bakery, mom and tots school, fire station, cleaners, Happiness market, etc. Roughly between Indian Village and the Ossian Sweet house was what we considered the neighborhood. You'd get a good deal on a rental or an apt from an old couple from an 'old country'- and most of em are just now falling apart. Now locked in between the plants and old money its still a great area with very nice big homes for families.