"Qline Effect"? 20-story-plus high-rise Rumored for New Center

[dtowncitylover]

Not certain I understand you. I was noting that other groups in the city like the Riverfront Conservancy have raised the topic of expansion. I guess you're saying that they only raised it on the assumption that the RTA would expand it, but then the RTA's master plan through 2026 never included anything about using millage money for QLine extensions. I was wondering whether this was just daydreaming in the RFQ [["wouldn't it be nice someday...") or whether people think there are plausible alternative routes to the RTA for making an extension happen if the first segment is a success.

I'm looking at page 7 in this document. "Connectivity and expansion of M1 Rail via East Jefferson Avenue, including proposed design, budget and financing." Did we ever hear what SOM came up with to meet that bullet point requirement?

Correct that is what I am saying. If the RTA doesn't have the funding it doesn't have it. Therefore things can't get studied and built. That document is nice but it is daydreaming to think M1 Rail, as a private group, wants to build anything else. They were banking on the RTA passing like most other sane metro Detroiters.

[Junjie]

Correct that is what I am saying. If the RTA doesn't have the funding it doesn't have it. Therefore things can't get studied and built. That document is nice but it is daydreaming to think M1 Rail, as a private group, wants to build anything else. They were banking on the RTA passing like most other sane metro Detroiters.

Sorry, maybe I don't understand, but this just doesn't make sense to me.

A. If the Conservancy was counting on the RTA tax to build a QLine extension for them from regional funds, why even ask the consultants to study financing options? What would that contribute?

B. If the Conservancy folks were just assuming the RTA millage would pass, and then assuming that RTA would take over the QLine sometime after 2024, and then assuming that the QLine might get extended by the RTA despite nothing in the 2026 master plan to that effect, then why did they bother asking the consulting firm to come up with financing options and so on a decade in advance of a multi-stage hypothetical? Seems like a waste of billable hours.

Anyway, I'd still be curious to see the full report and not just the slide deck released in March regarding the East Riverfront plan, and finding out whether SOM addressed that point as required in the RFQ.

[dtowncitylover]

Sorry, maybe I don't understand, but this just doesn't make sense to me.

A. If the Conservancy was counting on the RTA tax to build a QLine extension for them from regional funds, why even ask the consultants to study financing options? What would that contribute?

B. If the Conservancy folks were just assuming the RTA millage would pass, and then assuming that RTA would take over the QLine sometime after 2024, and then assuming that the QLine might get extended by the RTA despite nothing in the 2026 master plan to that effect, then why did they bother asking the consulting firm to come up with financing options and so on a decade in advance of a multi-stage hypothetical? Seems like a waste of billable hours.

Perhaps because, since they work closely with the City, they would want to know how much it's going to cost to get it built for knowing's sake. As well so the design of the streetcar route is developed into whatever private plan the Conservatory wishes to take. There were conceptual drawings of Orleans Landing with a streetcar going through as opposed to staying on Jeff Ave.

I just can't imagine a reason why the Conservatory would want to build a streetcar system themselves but they certainly would like to have some input.

[Junjie]

Perhaps because, since they work closely with the City, they would want to know how much it's going to cost to get it built for knowing's sake. As well so the design of the streetcar route is developed into whatever private plan the Conservatory wishes to take. There were conceptual drawings of Orleans Landing with a streetcar going through as opposed to staying on Jeff Ave.

I just can't imagine a reason why the Conservatory would want to build a streetcar system themselves but they certainly would like to have some input.

Yeah, I suppose you're right. General planning for the future. I wasn't suggesting the Conservancy would somehow build it, but was intrigued that they asked for a study of how it might get built.