Northland Mall's possible future: Pricey condos

**xrockerboy** · March-27-17, 08:09 PM

"Now, Northland's former anchor store, known to generations of Detroiters as J.L. Hudson's, could soon reinvent itself as luxury lofts that look out on landscaped parks, restaurants, stores and acres of new offices.

That’s the vision Southfield Mayor Ken Siver will share Thursday, when he’s scheduled to give his State of the City speech at City Hall. And residents will listen, while city planners and mayors across the country eye the ambitious plans for one of the nation's most storied shopping centers..."

http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2017/03/22/southfield-mayor-sees-new-life-northland-mall/99476090/

**gumby** · March-28-17, 06:59 AM

Who the hell would want to live in a mall?

**Hypestyles** · March-28-17, 07:10 AM

-- get the investors together and make it happen. The sooner the better.

**Jimaz** · March-28-17, 07:59 AM

Originally Posted by gumby

Who the hell would want to live in a mall?

Attachment 33025
Help me! Wife won't leave!

**Hermod** · March-28-17, 08:12 AM

One old two-level mall in Newport News, VA was repurposed as a community college. It made a nice walkable indoor campus as the former stores became classrooms and administrative spaces.

**401don** · March-28-17, 08:31 AM

Surprised this wasn't announced sooner. It usually takes about a week after any giant dinosaur closes for the mandatory condos, etc. announcement. It's usually followed closely by an actual marketing study and reality check.

**hybridy** · March-28-17, 08:41 AM

you can see RTKL's reuse study here. pricey condos is a bit of a misnomer. the study indicates raw loft spaces, though i'm sure the prices will be targeting a higher price point

OHM redevelopment plan here

**Honky Tonk** · March-28-17, 09:08 AM

Originally Posted by gumby

Who the hell would want to live in a mall?

Everybody, look @ Midtown....

**gumby** · March-28-17, 09:54 AM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

Everybody, look @ Midtown....

Not sure how living in Midtown compares to living in a mall.

**1953** · March-28-17, 10:46 AM

Both begin with the letter M.

**Shai_Hulud** · March-28-17, 10:53 AM

Read the article, apparently indoor parking and cutting in windows and balconies are on the table. Those changes could make the building appealing, but you still have to have something surrounding it besides parking. I could see it happening at Northland, at Eastland, it seems a bit of a stretch.

**canuck** · March-28-17, 02:14 PM

Originally Posted by gumby

Who the hell would want to live in a mall?

Valley girls, really.

**hybridy** · August-28-18, 02:41 PM

Southfield Announces Mixed-use Redevelopment Plans for Northland Mall

The city is currently in discussions with Edward Rose & Sons, a Bloomfield Hills-based luxury residential developer, that is interested in approximately 30 acres on the northwest side of the property for a residential development, including senior housing.

Negotiations also continue with San Diego-based Pacific Medical Buildings [[PMB), a national full-service health care real estate developer. PMB is proposing to build a mixed-use medical development on 25 to 30 acres on the northeast side of the property directly across from Providence Hospital.

In turn, General Development Corporation [[GDC), a Southfield-based commercial real estate development firm which specializes in built-to-suit office, industrial, and R&D projects, has expressed interest in developing 20 acres of the property on the southwest side.

**Scottathew** · December-31-19, 09:13 AM

Here's a video showing a vision for the site:

**Danny** · December-31-19, 12:37 PM

It may not work! In that area between 8 and 9 Mile Rd from Greenfield Rd. to Telegraph areas. The neighborhood is stable but still a few pockets of vacant office buildings and a ghetto-eqsue Detroit hoods and other pockets of Southfield and Oak Park hoods are going into the hood. Building a prime real estate in a once historic Northland Mall is going to be tough. Investors will look at it and say, Nah!

**Hypestyles** · December-31-19, 12:51 PM

more green space is needed. include a community benefits agreement for jobs and support for local schools regarding redevelopment.

**Danny** · December-31-19, 07:02 PM

I say tear it down and put a green farm space with forests.

**Tig3rzhark** · January-01-20, 05:32 PM

The area looks like enough room for new apartments and condos. Southfield could use some more apartments, since Detroit's Apartments are getting too pricey.

**softailrider** · January-01-20, 06:52 PM

Originally Posted by Tig3rzhark

The area looks like enough room for new apartments and condos. Southfield could use some more apartments, since Detroit's Apartments are getting too pricey.

Too pricey and not a lot left. From its zenith [[1965 or so)I would say 70% of the apartment buildings in Detroit have been lost to one peril or another. And that may be a conservative estimate. Now when you see an apartment building that’s a going concern, consider it a survivor.

**Gistok** · January-02-20, 02:02 AM

Originally Posted by softailrider

Too pricey and not a lot left. From its zenith [[1965 or so)I would say 70% of the apartment buildings in Detroit have been lost to one peril or another. And that may be a conservative estimate. Now when you see an apartment building that’s a going concern, consider it a survivor.

Sorry, but that's not quite correct. There are many hundreds of apartment buildings of 2-6 stories that still are found along the mile roads and other secondary commercial streets of Detroit. Here is but one example...

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.4131...7i16384!8i8192

Whittier Dr. from I-94 up to Kelly Rd. on the far east side. Nearby Cadieux Rd. and Morang Rd. are duplicates of this, with many hundreds more around the city.

The problem is that these may not be in the right places where new residents will want to live [[at the moment).

**royce** · January-02-20, 02:41 PM

I don't like that there is still a lot of surface parking in the proposed development. It would be great if the Southfield powers that be would move city hall to that part of Southfield and create a Main Street/public square development. More residential and green space is needed, not commercial/retail.

There needs to be a concerted effort by developers and city government to do a better job of connecting retail and residential together, mainly through the appropriate zoning whereby a resident of a new development can physically get around the buildings in it without having to still drive to get to the retail.

There is a residential development just north of Northland on Greenfield at Providence Drive that consists of densely packed townhomes/houses and retail, yet to get to the retail you have to drive or take a long walk around the residential complex to get to it. A few gates through the dividing wall would do wonders to make the retail and residential mesh. Given where some people live in the complex, it's much easier to drive one's car to get to the retail instead of walking to it.

This new development at Northland can be that example of meshing retail and residential together so that you won't need so many surface parking lots. Walkability and convenience for the residents of such development should be the focus of new mixed-use developments.

**stasu1213** · January-03-20, 09:31 AM

I would be glad when something is done to Eastland Mall. The owner is another slumlord just like the previous ones. Hopefully the owner will lose Eastland Mall and Harper Woods could take ownership of it and make something out of it

**softailrider** · January-04-20, 09:33 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

Sorry, but that's not quite correct. There are many hundreds of apartment buildings of 2-6 stories that still are found along the mile roads and other secondary commercial streets of Detroit. Here is but one example...

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.4131...7i16384!8i8192

Whittier Dr. from I-94 up to Kelly Rd. on the far east side. Nearby Cadieux Rd. and Morang Rd. are duplicates of this, with many hundreds more around the city.

The problem is that these may not be in the right places where new residents will want to live [[at the moment).

That is very true, there are hundreds of apartment buildings left in the city of Detroit, but what you’re seeing is just the remainder of the way it used to be. Those vacant lots on both sides of Whittier used to contain multi family housing along with some retail, some professional office space and some single family houses. The big behemoth over 20 unit apartment buildings that were located all over Detroit are mostly gone, or still standing abandoned and not yet torn down. There are some still viable over 20 unit buildings but they’re few and far between. I talked about this very subject a few months ago with a fellow who has been in the real estate business in Detroit for over 50 years. I stand by my percentages previously stated: about 70% apartments buildings in the city gone, about 30% remaining.

**Zacha341** · January-05-20, 10:26 AM

Like a Central Park in Southfield. Hah. Not so insane perhaps! ----

Originally Posted by Danny

I say tear it down and put a green farm space with forests.

**JBMcB** · January-05-20, 10:28 AM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

Hopefully the owner will lose Eastland Mall and Harper Woods could take ownership of it and make something out of it

The city would only be able to seize it if the taxes are delinquent, and even after that there is a process. More likely than not, the banks that hold the loans would take possession before that happens. Then, if they keep up on the tax payments, they'll do whatever they can to get the most money out of the property possible. That might mean tearing everything down and selling the property, or it might mean cutting their losses and turning it over to the city.