Corktown residents battle developer that seeks to raze historic building

**masterblaster** · May-08-21, 06:39 AM

https://www.bridgedetroit.com/corkto...oric-building/

A significant portion of Corktown residents are opposed to the demolition of a warehouse building, part of which dates to 1894.

These residents also object to the building of parking garage on the corner of Church and Trumbull.

Resident also have the following concern:

...the new buildings will clog several residential streets with traffic, raise the level of noise and light pollution and further gentrify the area.

They also object to the 7-story height of the hotel and the high rental costs of the apartment units that most Detroit residents couldn't afford, even the "affordable units"

**Seven&wyo** · May-08-21, 06:51 AM

Originally Posted by masterblaster

https://www.bridgedetroit.com/corkto...oric-building/

A significant portion of Corktown residents are opposed to the demolition of a warehouse building, part of which dates to 1894.

These residents also object to the building of parking garage on the corner of Church and Trumbull.

Resident also have the following concern:

They also object to the 7-story height of the hotel and the high rental costs of the apartment units that most Detroit residents couldn't afford, even the "affordable units"

I think the warehouse should be preserved, but everything else theyÂ’re asking for makes no sense and, in my opinion, theyÂ’re over stepping their bounds. Corktown is one the most expensive places in Detroit to buy and rent and they think this is going to do anything to help that?

**royce** · May-08-21, 08:23 AM

I think residential traffic increasing is a price of development. Given the location of this parking garage, I don't see how traffic will affect residents on Church or streets south of Church.

Also, the complaint that the seven story apartment complex will block light is a non-issue. Now, if I know how the sun rises and sets, houses facing north don't get the morning sun, and houses facing south get all of that southern-exposure. The houses facing north should not be affected by the apartment blocking the setting sun. Houses there may already get a blocked setting sun due to trees and houses on the north side.

Regarding the old warehouse building, I would think that the ground floor could offer parking and the second floor could be loft apartments, if the second floor is set up that way. The Checker Cab Building on Trumbull uses the former first two floors for parking. It was redeveloped, not torn down. I don't know the condition of the building, however. So, my two cents are just that. Moving on.

**Satiricalivory** · May-08-21, 09:53 AM

The developer released documents recently of the warehouse being left standing and the parking garage made significantly smaller. This "battle" is already over. Now the Corktown people are just being annoying NIMBYs and they need to sit down.

**Satiricalivory** · May-08-21, 10:00 AM

Originally Posted by masterblaster

They also object to the 7-story height of the hotel and the high rental costs of the apartment units that most Detroit residents couldn't afford, even the "affordable units"

Traffic! Oh wow! It's almost like they live in the center of a major city. They have no grounds to object to the height or the units and no chance to change it, so they're just punching the air here.

The gentrification part is funny, Corktown is already wealthy/middle class and white. And there's about to be thousands of 6 figure jobs in the area, it's a little too late for gentrification crying to say the least.

**masterblaster** · May-08-21, 11:28 AM

Originally Posted by Satiricalivory

Traffic! Oh wow! It's almost like they live in the center of a major city. They have no grounds to object to the height or the units and no chance to change it, so they're just punching the air here.

These guys want to complain about noise and traffic... I wonder what they would have thought about the noise and traffic resulting from 81 Detroit Tiger baseball games being played a block away every year from 1912-1999. Noise and traffic from Tigers games was probably way more considerable than what this development will bring.

**Danny** · May-08-21, 01:15 PM

Let's say to that developer. Leave that building alone!

**bust** · May-08-21, 01:41 PM

Anyone have a link to the modified design?

Corktown is not all white, but I agree besides their reasonable desire to preserve at least the best part of the old building their complaints have little merit.

Masterblaster, not just noise and traffic-- remember how Corktown residents let people park on their yards for a few bucks on game days? What a mess! I'd bet not a single Corktown resident complaining lived there then.

ADDITION: I don't like parking garages, but they're better than surface lots, or occupying limited street parking {legally or not}. The proposed design tries hard not to be ugly.

Wouldn't Corktown be better served were the many QL surface lots replaced by low-rise condos, retail, small hotels, and a not-ugly garage or two? I don't know, I don't live there.

**Satiricalivory** · May-09-21, 12:50 PM

Originally Posted by bust

Anyone have a link to the modified design?

Go to page 42

https://detroitmi.gov/sites/detroitm...2004-26-21.pdf

**Eber Brock Ward** · May-10-21, 05:23 AM

Holy shit, people who moved to Corktown for access to the hustle/bustle and cool stuff started having kids and went all NIMBY. Lol.

**K-slice** · May-10-21, 08:44 AM

Total non-issue. Sounds more like a few vocal opponents voices are being amplified by this article and spun to make it sound like the entire neighborhood is up in arms.

Just stirring the gentrification pot with a clikbait article.

**K-slice** · May-10-21, 08:52 AM

Originally Posted by bust

Wouldn't Corktown be better served were the many QL surface lots replaced by low-rise condos, retail, small hotels, and a not-ugly garage or two? I don't know, I don't live there.

It most certainly would, unfortunately Bedrock only rents parking there currently, and that practice is unlikely to continue with work from home being the new world order. They're probably asking way too much for the buildings though..
http://www.1200sixthstreet.com/

**royce** · May-10-21, 04:00 PM

Originally Posted by K-slice

It most certainly would, unfortunately Bedrock only rents parking there currently, and that practice is unlikely to continue with work from home being the new world order. They're probably asking way too much for the buildings though..
http://www.1200sixthstreet.com/

This is a complex that needs to be demolished and rebuilt from scratch. Perhaps the ugliest building in Detroit, in my humble opinion. Brutalist-style is what it advertises. My vision for the site would be to have those buildings torn down for parking and a park for Most Holy Trinity Church. Who would want to live that close to a freeway anyway? Now, developing the 900 car parking lot would be where you would build residential with ground floor retail at least at the corners of Howard and Sixth and Sixth and Porter. It would be a coup if they could reopen Brooklyn Street between Porter and Howard. That's my two cents.

**Joseph C. Krause** · May-10-21, 07:19 PM

I live a few blocks from the brutalist site in question and I can see your vision for the neighborhood portion as well as the opening Brooklyn, but I would like to see the two office buildings renovated and used. Brutalism isn't my favorite, but it's definitely unique and worth preserving, or modifying if it's an improvement. I've often imagined the entire facade of the shorter building being affixed with hanging gardens, which would make it a landmark, beautify the neighborhood and clean some of that freeway-offramp air.

The next time you walk there, stop and listen to the expressway from Sixth in front of an open area and compare it to the sound when standing in the center of those buildings. They are *excellent* sound barriers. I live next to The Lodge and wish there was a building in the way to baffle sound from running down the rest of the block.

Once a neighborhood was established around these buildings, the ground floors could be renovated into retail space, which the neighborhood will need. Consider the Main Post Office, WCCCD, John King and Mudgie's/Playlot/DeanSavage, Greyhound and these two towers as the anchors of a residential neighborhood that doesn't exist yet.

I was also inspired by postmodern residential architecture I saw at the outskirts of Amsterdam, so I'd invite dense yet relaxed style I saw there, and would also welcome limiting cars and creating new smaller blocks and narrower streets, with standard streets kept as well to place car needs at the edges of the core.

Opening Brooklyn should coordinate with future greenway plans set to connect to the new section of Riverwalk South of the Post Office.

**Gistok** · May-10-21, 09:49 PM

I view these 2 connected buildings as I did the Hammer & Nail Building. Not much to look at, from a architecturally bland era... however as with the Hammer & Nail Building adaptive reuse can make for some wonderful residential units with stunning views.

At one point the FBI was going to buy those 5 blocks containing the 2 buildings and surrounding parking lot, and put in a few low rise buiildings with a walled fortress surrounding the complex. An idea that mercifully never took off.

Those 2 buildings could have a new skin added to cover up the brutalist style, much cheaper than demolishing the site for that most God awful of reasons... a parking lot...

I look at those buildings as a continuation of downtown, but just across the freeway.

**Satiricalivory** · May-10-21, 10:27 PM

Originally Posted by royce

This is a complex that needs to be demolished and rebuilt from scratch. Perhaps the ugliest building in Detroit, in my humble opinion.

That's a little dramatic. The taller black building is just an international style box. The smaller portion is actually a pretty nice example of brutalism. Nothing like some of the truly ugly ones you see out there.

**LongGone06** · May-11-21, 08:30 AM

Originally Posted by Satiricalivory

That's a little dramatic. The taller black building is just an international style box.

I was in the tower portion several times each week in the late 90's, early 2000's. As you might imagine, it had sweeping views of downtown. As someone else mentioned, I don't ever recall hearing traffic on the Lodge.

Most memorable visit: Watching the television coverage of September 11 in a 13th floor office.

**Satiricalivory** · May-15-21, 02:28 PM

NAC voted unanimously to approve the developments the other day, they also got approval from the historic district commission. This will be going forward now.

**JTburner** · June-17-21, 10:45 AM

Bucharest Grill, which sits in the footprint of the apartment complex facing Mich Ave, is already closed in anticipation of its demolition. Groundbreaking must be soon?

https://detroit.eater.com/2021/6/15/...atisserie-open

**royce** · June-23-21, 12:53 AM

Originally Posted by JTburner

Bucharest Grill, which sits in the footprint of the apartment complex facing Mich Ave, is already closed in anticipation of its demolition. Groundbreaking must be soon?

https://detroit.eater.com/2021/6/15/...atisserie-open

So, how does the deal work financially for Bucharest Grill? Does the developer pay Bucharest the average profits per month or year at that location until the new location opens up? Does Bucharest get free rent at the new location equal to those average profits per month or year? How does this work? I'm not business savvy so someone help me out. Thx.

**Richard** · June-23-21, 11:25 AM

Those are details that we may never know but a lot of the National chains expand under Build To Suit,where the parcel owner builds the building move in ready with a long term lease for the tenant,while retaining ownership of both the land and building.

If they owned the building they were in,they could cash out and free up that for other uses.

There is probably 100 different ways it could have been negotiated out.