So quick question.... Downtown Development ridding parking lots?

[Detroit Stylin]

How many parking lots have we gotten rid of due to development downtown, including the one behind the pawn shop on Gratiot and Brush that will soon have an apartment building on it?

[Danny]

Only a few. Gilberttown Detroit is packed with over 100 surface parking lots.

[DetroitSoldier]

The new TCF HQ at Woodward and Elizabeth, the 28 Grand apartments on Griswold, most of Beacon Park, the Woodward facing portion of LCA, the WSU Business School, the Ilitch multipurpose building between the two mentioned prior.

I would also add Greektown Hotel and Hudsons Site developments to this list. While one was a while ago and the other is still in progress, they are quality developments in the place of otherwise underwhelming parking structures.

[gnome]

While not official lots, a good chunk of Brush Park were once de facto surface lots on game days.

Same goes for the old Statler lot which is now blessed with City Club apartments. At least until a big wind comes through.

[DannyP]

The new TCF HQ at Woodward and Elizabeth, the 28 Grand apartments on Griswold, most of Beacon Park, the Woodward facing portion of LCA, the WSU Business School, the Ilitch multipurpose building between the two mentioned prior.

I would also add Greektown Hotel and Hudsons Site developments to this list. While one was a while ago and the other is still in progress, they are quality developments in the place of otherwise underwhelming parking structures.

In addition to those, the Little Caesars HQ building next to the FOX

[DannyP]

In my opinion, the worst place for surface lots is between Cass ave and Woodward just south of I75. This place is a sea of blacktop.

[EastsideAl]

In my opinion, the worst place for surface lots is between Cass ave and Woodward just south of I75. This place is a sea of blacktop.

Ilitchtown.

[401don]

In my opinion, the worst place for surface lots is between Cass ave and Woodward just south of I75. This place is a sea of blacktop]

Somebody asked Hinch at his press conference if he was impressed with the improvements downtown since he was last with the Tigers. I was wondering if the Tigers drove him up Grand River from his Motor City Casino hotel to Comerica Park. I expected him to say "Yes I noticed how they paved a lot of those gravel lots since 2003."

[Danny]

One thing's for sure. I hate to see more parking lots. Gilberttown Detroit needs more skyscrapers and businesses. Even along the Grand River Strip.

[Gistok]

Has this building in Capitol Park ever gotten started? Haven't been downtown since February... and been longer since I've been to Capitol Park. Google maps is so old, I can't tell from that. Haven't seen any discussions on it, so I assume it's not going to get built...

[masterblaster]

Has this building in Capitol Park ever gotten started? Haven't been downtown since February... and been longer since I've been to Capitol Park. Google maps is so old, I can't tell from that. Haven't seen any discussions on it, so I assume it's not going to get built...

That proposed Capitol Park Building - Of course, not. And why haven't you been downtown since last winter?

[masterblaster]

While not official lots, a good chunk of Brush Park were once de facto surface lots on game days.

Same goes for the old Statler lot which is now blessed with City Club apartments. At least until a big wind comes through.

GNOME strikes again with his sharp wit!

One disappearing parking lot near my work place is at the corner of Third and Howard. The new Cambria Hotel is taking that parking lot as well as incorporating the old WWJ Building at 3rd and Lafayette.

Another projects outside downtown include the Sugar Hill mixed-use project @ Garfield and John R in Midtown and [[FINALLY) the Hillbery Gateway Performance Complex/Gretchen Valade Jazz Center on Wayne State [[has finally broken ground along Cass between Forest and Hancock.)

[Gistok]

That proposed Capitol Park Building - Of course, not. And why haven't you been downtown since last winter?

Ummm... the Pandemic... I last went down there on Feb. 5 to a restaurant and the Il Volo concert at the Fox. Haven't been to a restaurant anywhere... except for carryouts. I'm not a drinker, so no bars either. I do miss going downtown though...

[royce]

It's too bad that the Ilitches are so short-sighted on development. The two parking lots that face Columbia and Grand River are an abomination to any serious urbanist [[which accounts for most of us on this forum). All that wasted space. I would love to see residential in those locations. In Atlanta, most new multi-residential developments come with a parking structure attached to it in the back. For the two surface lots I just mentioned, you could build hundreds of apartments or condos and still have the same amount of parking spaces if the Ilitches just built some parking decks.

It's seems the Ilitches have never been big on even building parking decks to free up space for residential and retail. I know they've built a few more decks with LCA, but prior to that I could count on one hand how many parking decks they have built. Maybe one of you knows the official count. I count six.

[ShadowSoarer]

Another area that is the worst for surface parking lots would have to be along the Riverfront near the Ren Cen. That area already gets a good amount of pedestrian traffic despite having nothing but surfaces lots there [[also that section seems to get more pedestrian traffic than the riverwalk area near the TCF center). I imagine if a mix-use with retail strip was to open there that it would be fairly successful, but of course won't happen in the near future [[or ever) due the pandemic.

Attachment 40996

[JonWylie]

Another area that is the worst for surface parking lots would have to be along the Riverfront near the Ren Cen. That area already gets a good amount of pedestrian traffic despite having nothing but surfaces lots there [[also that section seems to get more pedestrian traffic than the riverwalk area near the TCF center). I imagine if a mix-use with retail strip was to open there that it would be fairly successful, but of course won't happen in the near future [[or ever) due the pandemic.

Attachment 40996

Maybe a bright spot for the city in the new WFH era is some of these lots will be able to be converted to parks or greenspace. This lot seems like a perfect candidate for the Riverfront Conservancy to buy up and turn into a park.

[Seven&wyo]

Maybe a bright spot for the city in the new WFH era is some of these lots will be able to be converted to parks or greenspace. This lot seems like a perfect candidate for the Riverfront Conservancy to buy up and turn into a park.

No no no I’m sick of parks we have enough of the damn things on the river. I want beautiful classic architecture and density, the river doesn’t need more flat green space. And tear up hart plaza while your at it

[ShadowSoarer]

No no no I’m sick of parks we have enough of the damn things on the river. I want beautiful classic architecture and density, the river doesn’t need more flat green space. And tear up hart plaza while your at it

I agree with this, in addition there is the West River Front Park [[Ralph C Wilson Centennial Park), area from William C. Milliken State Park all the way to the Atwater Beach, and all of Belle Isle as well. While parks are nice would like to see more variety along the riverfront. Also need more things for the long winter months.

[JonWylie]

I agree with this, in addition there is the West River Front Park [[Ralph C Wilson Centennial Park), area from William C. Milliken State Park all the way to the Atwater Beach, and all of Belle Isle as well. While parks are nice would like to see more variety along the riverfront. Also need more things for the long winter months.

North of Atwater would be great for some density, but I'd like to see south up to the river walk be some sort of public space or something that's not just a large development. Maybe a public/private campus martius type thing.

[bust]

No no no I’m sick of parks we have enough of the damn things on the river. I want beautiful classic architecture and density, the river doesn’t need more flat green space. And tear up hart plaza while your at it

I agree with the first part. I know historical charm can't convincingly be manufactured [[ok, except Warsaw) but Savannah offers just one of many possible examples of how commercial density can contribute to a city's riverfront.

But no, no, no the last part. At the risk of sending us further down that tangent, Hart Plaza should be restored, maintained, better programmed, and made much more accessible. Not everyone appreciates it, but it's by far the world's best example of Isamu Noguchi's large scale work. Detroit should capitalize on it. Some of us think it could be great [[finally fix the fountain!). I'm old enough to remember when despite the adverse conditions that surrounded it [[and the fountain never working) it almost was. Its biggest problem [[besides the programming / lack thereof) is foot traffic is discouraged or prevented from all sides. The riverwalk helps, but not as much as it could because the TCF center, the Ren Cen, and those ugly parking lots are pedestrian dead zones that offer nothing to draw people there [[the wintergarden helps just a teeny bit). Replacing the lots with mixed use density including significant retail as Shadow Soarer suggested would help a lot!

[401don]

Replacing those parking lots with mixed use density that includes significant retail as Shadow Soarer suggested would help a lot!

You want to open a store there? Remember Asian Village. That lasted about 6 months.

[bust]

Hahaha Asian Village, designed and run at the top by a bunch of non-Asians. Much harder than manufacturing historical charm is manufacturing ethnic authenticity, especially when all you serve is what people who are not of that ethnicity think people who are not of that ethnicity want.

Double haha: the first half-way exception I thought of is a Detroit original. Asian Boneless Chicken. Huge success, but "Authentic Cantonese Specialty" it is not.

The Mystery of Asian Boneless Chicken
https://www.tastecaliforniatravel.co...neless-chicken

The other one: sushi. Authentically Japanese, but not most of what's served in the US. And how often do you think people eat sushi in Japan? At least california rolls were made up by authentic Asian-Americans [[probably not Japanese) to appeal to what people who are not Asian want. But these are menu items, not entire neighborhoods.

EDIT: Alright, the world is full of exceptions. Here's a third, again by Asian-Americans for non-Asians: almost every Chinatown:

99% Invisible: It's Chinatown
https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/its-chinatown/

Check out photos of Detroit's old Chinatown. Chop suey everywhere. And for at least a half century La Choy has been selling it in a can. They used to challenge contestants to guess how much one cost on The Price Is Right. Maybe they still do. I like it too!

When we go to Canal / Mott let's realize what, with rare exception, we're getting. For something closer to the real thing, there's Flushing, Sunset Park, and one-offs interspersed through town. If in a pinch downtown is the only option pick the restaurant with the fewest non-Asians eating there, and ask for the red menu, refuse the gringo green.

[hybridy]

No no no I’m sick of parks we have enough of the damn things on the river. I want beautiful classic architecture and density, the river doesn’t need more flat green space. And tear up hart plaza while your at it

We almost had this for Compuware...glad it didn't come to fruition


GM + Hines once planned 'Renshore Condos'
https://www.atdetroit.net/forum/mess...tml?1182563790

We do have this:
https://www.som.com/projects/detroit...framework_plan

[detroitbob]

Been that way with gradual increases since the 1920's

[Satiricalivory]

Another parking lot about to bite the dust

https://www.freep.com/story/money/bu...ey/6186730002/