Residents don't want restaurant at Corktown fire station

**archfan** · July-24-18, 12:58 AM

1201 Bagley was the fire station for Engine Company No. 8 from 1918 to 1982. In the '80s, a law firm renovated the building and moved in. Now, a group would like to open a restaurant on the first floor, with apartments on the 2nd and 3rd floor.

Long-term residents expressed their concern about increased traffic, odors, and noise. They're outspoken enough that the restaurant group will ask to postpone their zoning hearing allow them to talk with the community.

I see points on both sides - it would be nice to see this building used, and they will have traffic and parking issues in this neighborhood.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/ne...ant/807868002/

**Honky Tonk** · July-24-18, 08:24 AM

Originally Posted by archfan

1201 Bagley was the fire station for Engine Company No. 8 from 1918 to 1982. In the '80s, a law firm renovated the building and moved in. Now, a group would like to open a restaurant on the first floor, with apartments on the 2nd and 3rd floor.

Long-term residents expressed their concern about increased traffic, odors, and noise. They're outspoken enough that the restaurant group will ask to postpone their zoning hearing allow them to talk with the community.

I see points on both sides - it would be nice to see this building used, and they will have traffic and parking issues in this neighborhood.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/ne...ant/807868002/

Good for them. People don't want their lifestyles disrupted because someone wants to make a buck.

**detlump** · July-24-18, 08:55 AM

I clerked at that law office way back when, there is not a lot of parking available nearby to support the volume of restaurant customers, let alone workers, plus the apartment residents. Don't forget a restaurant requires frequent truck traffic to unload food and supplies, a dumpster [[with food waste). Just not a good use for that neighborhood. Why not just subdivide the whole thing into apartments?

**Towne Cluber** · July-24-18, 11:35 AM

The Free Press restaurant critic is writing a review of this place as we speak...

**1953** · July-24-18, 11:46 AM

Let them open their restaurant. This is a multi-use city, not a suburban cul-de-sac -- and its only a restaurant, not a steel mill.

**Meddle** · July-24-18, 12:11 PM

City's supposed to be getting more money now. Reopen it for a rig.

Who's the nearest Engine to there now ?

**iheartthed** · July-24-18, 12:17 PM

“You can see there’s no space for parking. We know that’s going to be a problem for the people who live here.”

Yeah, sure. This place is two blocks from the old Tiger Stadium. Hardly a neighborhood that doesn't know how to deal with traffic.

**Richard** · July-24-18, 12:19 PM

Originally Posted by 1953

Let them open their restaurant. This is a multi-use city, not a suburban cul-de-sac -- and its only a restaurant, not a steel mill.

kinda like the lady that bought the loft in an industrial part of town then complained about how the surrounding industrial part bothered her.

Granted pre existing but I agree,it is supposed to be a city,a lot of cities have mixed restruant residential and get along.

It is different if it was a place that was open until midnight.

On a side note,what happened with the other one that was going through the same thing,last year maybe,it was across from a little park and was having issues.

**Richard** · July-24-18, 12:22 PM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

Yeah, sure. This place is two blocks from the old Tiger Stadium. Hardly a neighborhood that doesn't know how to deal with traffic.[/FONT][/COLOR]

used to have a house near a stadium,big back yard,$20 a car makes for a good day.

**Johnnny5** · July-24-18, 02:39 PM

IMO would be business owners need to either work within the existing zoning regulations or prove that the change is a positive for those surrounding them. There are dozens of empty lots up and down Michigan Ave to build a restaurant. Shoehorning one into a residential neighborhood that already has limited parking doesn't seem like a positive for anyone except the building owner/business.

**iheartthed** · July-24-18, 03:28 PM

Originally Posted by Johnnny5

IMO would be business owners need to either work within the existing zoning regulations or prove that the change is a positive for those surrounding them. There are dozens of empty lots up and down Michigan Ave to build a restaurant. Shoehorning one into a residential neighborhood that already has limited parking doesn't seem like a positive for anyone except the building owner/business.

There will soon be another empty lot if they don't allow the building to be repurposed.

**Johnnny5** · July-24-18, 03:41 PM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

There will soon be another empty lot if they don't allow the building to be repurposed.

The likelihood of the owners tearing down a large brick [[Former) fire station in the hottest real estate market in the city is probably about the same as winning the Mega Millions tomorrow.

**iheartthed** · July-24-18, 03:56 PM

Originally Posted by Johnnny5

The likelihood of the owners tearing down a large brick [[Former) fire station in the hottest real estate market in the city is probably about the same as winning the Mega Millions tomorrow.

It's not worth anything if you can't do anything with it because of zoning.

**Johnnny5** · July-24-18, 04:09 PM

Ihearttthed, Are you familiar with this building? If not, look up the address on Google maps and you'll see why some in the neighborhood have an issue with allowing the rezoning. The building was already rezoned for use as office space, and was used for such for many years. The repurposing isn't the issue. The rezoning and repurposing into use as a restaurant is the issue.

**Jason** · July-24-18, 04:16 PM

Let's see... Corktown, the residential part being a handful of blocks of houses sandwiched between a bunch of restaurants and bars and boutique places, and a light industrial district.

This particular part being on the lodge's service drive, across the freeway from a casino, and less from 200 feet from Michigan avenue itself. I bet the houses on this block can see motor city casino glowing in the distance from their upstairs windows. The north side of that street also features the backside of a carwash. I personally find the weedy lots with cars strewn about to be very quaint. Or maybe the most quaint feature of that block is the 5 story converted industrial building with a giant billboard that looms over them?

**Richard** · July-24-18, 04:20 PM

I wonder if they are spending the money to put apartments on the second and third floor they thought about parking and how it would impact the investment.

Or are they spending 200k + without thinking about the little details.

**iheartthed** · July-24-18, 04:39 PM

Originally Posted by Johnnny5

Ihearttthed, Are you familiar with this building? If not, look up the address on Google maps and you'll see why some in the neighborhood have an issue with allowing the rezoning. The building was already rezoned for use as office space, and was used for such for many years. The repurposing isn't the issue. The rezoning and repurposing into use as a restaurant is the issue.

I am familiar with it. For reasons I have already stated, I think the concerns are a little ridiculous. They do not live on a bucolic country road. They live in what has always been one of Detroit's most active neighborhoods.

**JBMcB** · July-24-18, 05:52 PM

There is a restaurant two blocks down the street. Are they having problems with it? I looked and didn't find any specific complaints.

It looks like there's an empty lot a half a block down sixth that could probably be turned into parking if it's that much of an issue. They could also unload trucks right off of sixth.

**Meddle** · July-24-18, 05:55 PM

I see what appears to be at least 7 parking lots in the area, though this image is a few years old. There is also a dirt area at #8 that could be parking. Valets or shuttles could handle the distance if that was an issue. Sixth St. isn't exactly a major thoroughfare so street parking could be possible.

The truck deliveries and dumpster are on the Sixth Street side too, so that shouldn't bother the Yuppies nearby.

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**stasu1213** · July-24-18, 07:24 PM

I would rather see it become a independent grocery store that will cater to the neighborhoods and the surrounding area but that would bring a lot of traffic. I give it to the residents of Corktown; they know what is good for their community. If only West Village/Indian Village area could have a stronger voice as well as the Lafayette Park area as well

**professorscott** · July-24-18, 10:58 PM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

I would rather see it become a independent grocery store that will cater to the neighborhoods and the surrounding area but that would bring a lot of traffic. I give it to the residents of Corktown; they know what is good for their community. If only West Village/Indian Village area could have a stronger voice as well as the Lafayette Park area as well

The problem, Stasu, is that since you and I don't own the property, we don't get to decide, in detail, what gets done with it. Zoning provides for a very broad categorization: retail, office, residential, industrial, and sometimes it gets a little bit more specific. But you can't insist on a grocery store or a men's clothier or a hair salon on a specific parcel; that is way more detail than what zoning can do, and anyhow it's not the city's business to pick and choose what kinds of businesses locate in an area.

If people with money think a grocery is the best use of a piece of land, they will buy it and try to make a go of it as a grocery. If they think a bookstore would be a better use, they will try to do that. Government can't dictate precisely how a parcel is used; we live on Earth, not in Sim City.

**masterblaster** · July-24-18, 11:28 PM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

I would rather see it become a independent grocery store that will cater to the neighborhoods and the surrounding area but that would bring a lot of traffic. I give it to the residents of Corktown; they know what is good for their community. If only West Village/Indian Village area could have a stronger voice as well as the Lafayette Park area as well

There is already an independent grocery store just a few blocks away called the Farmer's Hand [[Bagley @ Trumbull). It is a valuable asset to the community and the business's owners recently opened an adjacent all-day brunch cafe and coffee shop next door.

https://detroit.eater.com/2018/4/9/1...orktown-photos

This is not Sherwood Forest. This is basically downtown. You should expect mixed use in a downtown neighborhood. As has been pointed out upthread, parking and loading/unloading could be established on Sixth Street, which is a basically a service drive for the noisy Lodge Freeway at the location. A Resident parking tag system can be instituted to discourage parking along Bagley Street.

**archfan** · July-25-18, 01:17 AM

I think this may also be a turning point for real estate and businesses in the city. For the past 20+ years, everyone was just grateful that someone was opening a business, or occupying a building. Now, people have to figure out how to fit in, and convince folks to grant the zoning variance. I suspect that has happened all along in more functional cities.

**archfan** · July-25-18, 01:19 AM

Originally Posted by 1953

Let them open their restaurant. This is a multi-use city, not a suburban cul-de-sac -- and its only a restaurant, not a steel mill.

I think it also matters what type of restaurant they're thinking of. A sports bar has vastly different hours and crowds than a cafe or white tablecloth restaurant. A good neighborhood joint might be a real plus to the existing residents.