Midtown Dump?

[401don]

In contrast to everyone else, I have no idea what is going to happen.

Then you shouldn't be here. The internet is where anyone can be an expert on anything. Go ahead ask me about architecture.

[LongGone06]

Go ahead ask me about architecture.

Ok, I'll bite. Proceed.

[iheartthed]

Are we talking about whether any place in Metro Detroit will benefit at Midtown's expense? If that's the premise then it doesn't make sense. Midtown alternatives like Ann Arbor, Royal Oak, and Ferndale are all in similar situations.

If I had to take a wild guess, though, I think the first casualties will be the struggling malls. Whatever mall you considered to be struggling before will go under by the end of 2020. And even some malls that were not in the struggling category might be forced into restructuring. There will be an even more massive contraction in brick and mortar retail than what was already happening.

[JonWylie]

Are we talking about whether any place in Metro Detroit will benefit at Midtown's expense? If that's the premise then it doesn't make sense. Midtown alternatives like Ann Arbor, Royal Oak, and Ferndale are all in similar situations.

If I had to take a wild guess, though, I think the first casualties will be the struggling malls. Whatever mall you considered to be struggling before will go under by the end of 2020. And even some malls that were not in the struggling category might be forced into restructuring. There will be an even more massive contraction in brick and mortar retail than what was already happening.

I think there's a big distinction between malls and brick and mortar. Even though they are both in person shopping and compete with online shopping, they serve a different area/clientele. Malls are dying and we pretty much all can get on board with that, but small, brick and mortar stores are finding there place in new urban areas and city centers. As much as there is a demand for online shopping, there is still a very sustainable in person demand if the store and product is right.

[Onthe405]

I've heard of people living in cities wanting to leave not just because of the virus but because they are going stir crazy in their tiny and expensive apartments. People will eventually return to the city, but in the meantime, it makes sense to want a backyard and your own personal space to spend outdoors. . . .Exorbitant city rents and real estate will go down

We heard this same forecast for the inevitable trend away from urbanization immediately after the 2001 terrorist attack--particularly with regard to the NYC & DC markets. In the scheme of things, it was barely a blip. Not only did demand quickly recover in the most densely populated districts of most major cities, areas like DC & NYC were on the leading edge of soaring values right up until the 2008 crash.

Even taking into account the severe effect of the crash, within 5 years, demand & prices went into the stratosphere, with residential towers springing up in the urban cores of NYC, Los Angeles, Miami, and Chicago like weeds.

That's not to say the same pattern will necessarily recur after this crisis---or it will apply to the situation unique to Detroit. Sarcasm aside, I'm with gnome

In contrast to everyone else, I have no idea what is going to happen.

[iheartthed]

I think there's a big distinction between malls and brick and mortar. Even though they are both in person shopping and compete with online shopping, they serve a different area/clientele. Malls are dying and we pretty much all can get on board with that, but small, brick and mortar stores are finding there place in new urban areas and city centers. As much as there is a demand for online shopping, there is still a very sustainable in person demand if the store and product is right.

True. I'm referring to brick and mortar chain retailers. That business model will be dramatically different when this is all said and done. But there will certainly be space for boutiques in the aftermath.

[Richard]

What about the office sector,why rent space when you can have employees 1099 from the house acting as contractors and not employees,who are then responsible for their own taxes and insurance.

Where I am at all the county administration staff are working from home,I hear their kids screaming in the background,do not need big fancy buildings anymore,outside of them telling me it takes them a week to receive a fax.

Maybe that’s what it was all about in the past,they needed a building to house a fax machine and a way for parents to get away from their kids for 8 hours a day.

[JonWylie]

What about the office sector,why rent space when you can have employees 1099 from the house acting as contractors and not employees,who are then responsible for their own taxes and insurance.

Where I am at all the county administration staff are working from home,I hear their kids screaming in the background,do not need big fancy buildings anymore,outside of them telling me it takes them a week to receive a fax.

Maybe that’s what it was all about in the past,they needed a building to house a fax machine and a way for parents to get away from their kids for 8 hours a day.

I think you pretty much answered your question there. After this, companies are going to realize what kind of productivity you get when everyone is working in different spots with distractions. Most big companies can't wait to get their people back in the office.

[401don]

I think you pretty much answered your question there. After this, companies are going to realize what kind of productivity you get when everyone is working in different spots with distractions. Most big companies can't wait to get their people back in the office.

I agree. There will be some more people who work from home but there are reasons why places like Quicken Loans have open floor plans where people are encouraged to move about and share ideas. The competition aspect is huge as well. I do know people who can work from home in I.T. but still choose to go into the office a couple of days a week just for their own sanity.

[JonWylie]

I agree. There will be some more people who work from home but there are reasons why places like Quicken Loans have open floor plans where people are encouraged to move about and share ideas. The competition aspect is huge as well. I do know people who can work from home in I.T. but still choose to go into the office a couple of days a week just for their own sanity.

Yeah I love working from home but I know I get less done. I have friends who work for big accounting firms and its been hell for them to try to communicate with clients which they are usually face to face with.

[gnome]

Since Richard chimed in, and since I have no idea what I'm talking about, I figured why not just start wasting everyone’s time with more baseless pontificating.

you ready?

ok, you asked for it.

Man caves are out. Cheryl and her She-Shed are history.

The next big thing in home improvement: sound-proofed home offices wired for video conferencing.

That’s it. Impressed aren’t you?

[Zacha341]

^^^ You never disappoint G! ----

[Zacha341]

Arghh-yes! Writing/ recording video/ youtubes instead of presenting/ training face to face in the classroom is very TIME consuming. But I'm digging learning skill-sets in the brave new world of 'distance learning'......

Then there's the mid-day break for food prep and cooking and the like.

Yeah I love working from home but I know I get less done. I have friends who work for big accounting firms and its been hell for them to try to communicate with clients which they are usually face to face with.

[Richard]

Since Richard chimed in, and since I have no idea what I'm talking about, I figured why not just start wasting everyone’s time with more baseless pontificating.

you ready?

ok, you asked for it.

Man caves are out. Cheryl and her She-Shed are history.

The next big thing in home improvement: sound-proofed home offices wired for video conferencing.

That’s it. Impressed aren’t you?

LOL I chimed in because I have a friend that works for a large company that up until the housing crash had offices in 25 states with over 500 employees.

The crash came,they dumped the overhead of the offices and 300 employees and the rest now work from home and they do teleconferencing.They sell and support systems that range from $30,000 up to over $200,000 and never meet the client face to face.

The bulk of their contracts were government related and large corporations so their revenue never decreased.They just used the opportunity to review their cost cutting measures.

There are a lot of companies that will take advantage of revenue cost cutting measures once it is tried and acceptable.

Our dmv offices are closed but between kiosks and instant chat there is nothing that you cannot do that you could not do before,actually faster without waiting in line for hours.

So they have proved that they can do the same job faster with 1/2 of the staff.

There must be something to it because they have software that monitors employees working from home to make sure they are actually putting in their 8 hours.

It is like anything else,when there is a disruption in business,buisness look to mitigate the losses in future disruptions.

Businesses do it all of the time in hurricane country,you only get caught with you pants down one time,you learn to adapt for future problems should they arise or you do not survive.

I guess it could be called baseless pontification if one has actually never owned a business and never had to worry about its survival in a changing world or the employees that it depends on.

[gnome]

Like the sun rising, dogs hating mailmen and Richard’s double-jointed self backslapping...

Alex, I’ll take Things That Are Predictable for $200

[Richard]

Like the sun rising, dogs hating mailmen and Richard’s double-jointed self backslapping...

Alex, I’ll take Things That Are Predictable for $200

Funny how the ones that have the least amount to actually add to the conversation spend the most time in self amusement.

At least you admitted you have no idea what would happen,remind me of outside of the occasional ice storms,how many disasters and what happens afterwards have you been through?

Notice how you wish to regulate those who you personally do not agree with,a bit self absorbed maybe?

Just keep doing what you are doing and how you are going about it,seems like you have left a respectable legacy for the younger folk to clean up.

Alex,I will take,I thought as much,for $1

[gnome]

This is like watching someone hit themselves in the face, then bragging about how hard they punch.

[Richard]

This is like watching someone hit themselves in the face, then bragging about how hard they punch.

Then maybe stop doing it? All you are doing is showing what type of a person you really are,nothing to be proud of.

[gnome]

And now we have reached the part of the thread where Richard starts the sidestepping, the shuffle, the cushy-coo ... those rhetorical islands of retreat where he feels vindicated and masterful while shaking his fist and twirling his Snidely Whiplash mustache.

Gosh pal, it is your own ego that gets you into these messes. We all have egos but most people keep them in check. Try to be like most people.

It might not seem like it, but Richard, I have better things to do than poke at your overinflated ego.

So, go ahead, shake your tiny fist and have the last word from your Elba.

[DetBill]

Sometimes I wonder if we know too much today. In regards to everything shutting down for good after this, if you look at the Spanish Flu, which was even worse than what we were seeing, spreading in a even more deadly fashion, after it slowed down,, what happened ?? The roaring twenties, a time with strong socialization, strong sexual liberation and excessive consumerism,, People went just the opposite of social distancing and certainly did alot more than shaking hands...They didn't have the scientific analytic tools we had, so basically went all in in society...We know far more today about virus effects, will be interesting how all this shakes down when / if it slows down or we generate a vaccine.

[Zacha341]

^^^ Interesting historical look-back there DetBill... I think for sure Midtown property owners will have to re-think the high rent craze going on over the last ten years. WSU numbers will be down for one.

[DeLemur]

Thank you for this, gnome. The diatribes from Richard zig zag across so many half drunk Florida retiree spots...and the length of them. Lordy lord lord.

And now we have reached the part of the thread where Richard starts the sidestepping, the shuffle, the cushy-coo ... those rhetorical islands of retreat where he feels vindicated and masterful while shaking his fist and twirling his Snidely Whiplash mustache.

Gosh pal, it is your own ego that gets you into these messes. We all have egos but most people keep them in check. Try to be like most people.

It might not seem like it, but Richard, I have better things to do than poke at your overinflated ego.

So, go ahead, shake your tiny fist and have the last word from your Elba.

[DeLemur]

Good look. I think the acceptance of death in 1918 and the 20's was much higher than today. Life was shorter, people lived to their 50's, when today people live to their late 70's. War was more prevalent among our peer countries. People died at home not at the hospital like today. People got healthy and wanted to dance because death was everywhere. Today we're distant from death and so deathly afraid of it,

Sometimes I wonder if we know too much today. In regards to everything shutting down for good after this, if you look at the Spanish Flu, which was even worse than what we were seeing, spreading in a even more deadly fashion, after it slowed down,, what happened ?? The roaring twenties, a time with strong socialization, strong sexual liberation and excessive consumerism,, People went just the opposite of social distancing and certainly did alot more than shaking hands...They didn't have the scientific analytic tools we had, so basically went all in in society...We know far more today about virus effects, will be interesting how all this shakes down when / if it slows down or we generate a vaccine.

[casscorridor65]

Looks like Wayne State has decided to only offer online classes for the fall semester at this point. Devastating for local businesses and off-campus rentals! Even if they offer in-person classes in January, I doubt many would move to the neighborhood in the middle of winter. More likely, life around here will be dead until the Fall of 2021. I wonder what the 400 sq/ft. - $1000/month apartments will be going for now?

Here is the article.

[drjeff]

Looks like Wayne State has decided to only offer online classes for the fall semester at this point. Devastating for local businesses and off-campus rentals! Even if they offer in-person classes in January, I doubt many would move to the neighborhood in the middle of winter. More likely, life around here will be dead until the Fall of 2021. I wonder what the 400 sq/ft. - $1000/month apartments will be going for now?

Here is the article.

It's interesting to me, as a faculty member, that they have not informed the faculty that all fall courses will be remote. Of course we are thinking of what may happen if that is the case, but there hasn't been any WSU directive about it.