Detroit canals

[expatriate]

It seems to me that if a paltry scrap of land near the river can be sold for this much money Detroit could well profit by creating many more canals along the waterfront. A better investment than the zillions of dollars being squandered to widen I-94 which will just create more traffic.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1...zpid/?mmlb=g,0

[Lowell]

That's next to the Coriander Kitchen and Farm, a very cool concept restaurant. [Excellent BTW, and I recommend it]. I wonder if that drove the price. I've been of the opinion that the whole canal area has been waiting to happen forever. Besides the waterways to the Great Lakes, it is adjacent to the Grosse Pointes, so it has good nearby shopping.

The elephant in the room, of course, is the water levels. I have couple of friends with houses on Harbor Island. When the water level were at record highs a couple of years ago, a lot of the properties were hopeless. Their basements were continually flooded [why would they ever build basements there?] and waters were barely dammed off from their lawns. Until that is $olved, the area will continue to languish.

[Richard]

It looks like it is across the street from the large marina,there are big corporations with deep pockets buying up all of the marinas across the country,if they buy the property next door that looks like a private residence and combine it all they are in a good position.

I do not think the sale price on its own is indicative of value,in the bigger picture and the target for that whole corner would be marina expansion.

Looks like the canal needs to be dredged there is just a small channel in the middle which would also increase water levels in people basements.

For some reason slip rentals up north are insanely expensive- up to $6000 per year put 15 slips that is 90k a year buy the property and put the 15 slips it’s a 10-15 year payback.

[401don]

Did they give up trying to complete that subdivision? Does the city or a developer own the lots? It seems so strange with the new houses and so many adjacent empty parcels ready to build on.

[Richard]

Is the large vacant parcel across the street where there used to be a mobile home park? Or was that in another area ? That would be the prime one.

[CassTechGrad]

I used to work at the old Chrysler/Briggs Mack Ave stamping plant in the 1970's and old timers used to tell me that they remember when the Conner Creek still ran next to the building.

[Jimaz]

...[why would they ever build basements there?]...

Call them cisterns instead of basements. Then we can say "That's not a bug. That's a feature."

[MikeM]

This is a perennial listing. The single home to the east is for sale as well. Looks like a package deal: Home and this lot for $1.19M or buy separately - house for $699k or lot for $540k.

[Smirnoff]

Surrounding waterfront area was beautiful before the 60's, know the grandson of the marina prior to being sold/named Tommy's Boat Livery sometime in the late 40's/early 50's. Still have friends that live on a canal on Ashland. . . ...

[Lowell]

Is the large vacant parcel across the street where there used to be a mobile home park? Or was that in another area ? That would be the prime one.

Indeed it was. Click/Tap Here to tour the mobile home park in 2005 ->>
Click the pictures to go through the tour.

[Richard]

Indeed it was. Click/Tap Here to tour the mobile home park in 2005 ->>
Click the pictures to go through the tour.

Thanks for that,I read that before which was how I knew it was A mobile home park,I just never could figure out where it was in the bigger picture,lots of good memories there.

After it was cleared it was listed in Trulia for $450,000 and sat there for years,having direct river access it has a lot more value verses the canals which looks to have bridge height restrictions,if the one in the OT sells for its asking ot would be a good indicator of how much property values have increased in the last 10 years.

Being waterfront I am surprised that it has not received more attention in the past.

[K-slice]

If they renamed Jefferson Chalmers "Grosse Pointe Something" these properties would all be developed in a second.

[Richard]

Put a drawbridge in and dredge the canal it would change everything in the case of the pictures,who is going to spend a million if you cannot have the proper toys in order to make full use of river excess.

In Florida there are miles of canal’s like that,dug back in the day to float harvested lumber,they all lead to deep water but the difference in price with bridge restrictions verses direct unrestricted excess is $600k to $1 million.

Location location location

Interesting enough for what they are asking for both parcels I could buy a new 4000sqft house that is on ocean front,walk down to my private dock and jump on my $600k to 2 million dollar fishing boat.Not that I plan on winning the lottery anytime soon.

They have another city called Mt Dora that has miles of those canals and it is a part of the draw,tree canopy along most,jump in any small water craft and it is a day long natural experience.

Two totally different reasons why one would purchase on water,that one is only for the ability to excess the river due to its shortness of length but then going a step further by restricting that excess.

If they could connect all of those canals together it would be a different picture because the canals would be a experience within themselves.

[MikeM]

The canals are connected and there are accessible without passingunder bridges, however the canals are shallow and narrow, limiting vessel size.

[Richard]

In the photos provided there are 2 bridges leading to the river,notice the difference in the boats parked at the marina verses the boats parked in the canals.

My boat is 28’ 15,000 lbs with a 36” draft but needs 15’ bridge clearance,not counting radar dome,8’ beam.

Miami canals people park parallel to the shore up to 70’ boats,it’s a tight squeeze navigation wise but the canals are lined with multi million dollar homes.

To live in the water you are doing so because it is a lifestyle,verses how those are,it is just convenient to have your fishing boat in the back yard,but not million dollar convenient.

As a SFR that lot at $450k by the time you put a decent house on it you are close to that million mark and nobody is going to spend that kind of cash just to be able to step out into a bass boat 5 months out of the year.

That shows the property line extending out into the water,you could put a sea wall and dredge,re-route traffic and take one of those bridges out.

You want to be able to step on to your yacht with some good drinks and friends and hit the river cruising for the day,maybe even check out that one otter for prosperity.

By me you can go from million dollar river front homes to lock your doors as you drive through the hood one block away.

That why I am kinda surprised that the old mobile home park lot has not been built out as condos or multiple homes in a gated community setting.

I bet those were primo spots back in the rum running days.

With Detroits flooding issues I wonder what reopening the dried creek that used to run through it,tie that to the canals and it might divert the flood waters directly out to the river,in its natural state that’s what it used to do but it would create a lot desirable lots along the way.

[MikeM]

Sigh...again: you can get anywhere in the canals without going under a bridge. Those who live here actually know that.

The mobile home park land is contaminated.

The dried creek was an open sewer and provided little flow before it was turned into an actual sewer.

[jcole]

All one has to do is open a Google map and you can follow the canals like one of those puzzles where you find the blocked route. You can get from the mouth of Fox Creek all the way around the canals and out to the river without going under a bridge.

Sigh...again: you can get anywhere in the canals without going under a bridge. Those who live here actually know that.

The mobile home park land is contaminated.

The dried creek was an open sewer and provided little flow before it was turned into an actual sewer.

[Lowell]

Very true. My friends on Harbor Island are sailboat sailors with high masts. No problem.

All one has to do is open a Google map and you can follow the canals like one of those puzzles where you find the blocked route. You can get from the mouth of Fox Creek all the way around the canals and out to the river without going under a bridge.

[Richard]

All one has to do is open a Google map and you can follow the canals like one of those puzzles where you find the blocked route. You can get from the mouth of Fox Creek all the way around the canals and out to the river without going under a bridge.

When you look at Google maps,without bridges and with the listed property you would have to go back towards Harbor Island st then left towards Lakewood st then go to the river from there.

Because there are houses along the side with water craft it would be considered a No Wake Zone,which is pretty much idling in a boat,with canals the time it takes you to get to deep water or in this case the river plays a direct role on values.

It is convenient to be able to park your boat at a dock in your back yard but you still cannot just jump in and go,so if you spend 20 minutes in prep,20 minutes in motoring at idle in order to get to the river,that is 40 minutes,so if you want to hit the water for some fishing before the sun goes down,that is almost 2 hours of time you lose just to be able to spend 1 hour on the water before the sun goes down.

You have to think how people that actually own boats do,and the multiple things that come into play.

Lots of canals in Florida,the value of the property is determined by the time it takes to get to deep water and bridge restrictions along the way.

It’s a difference of $100s of thousands of dollars.

Its not based on if you can or not,it is based on the time it takes and the restrictions along the way.

Get in your car and see how long it takes you to go 8-10 blocks by just idling.

It is different with sailboats,because when not under sail they putter about anyways because they have small power sources,so they are used to getting somewhere not quick verses a power boat,totally different user mindsets.

At any rate this property is listed as being zoned B4 and as mentioned is available with 5 other parcels,so the target is not SFR.

[Zacha341]

Do not most of these properties flood out [their basements] when we have those heavy rains? How will that/ can that be resolved?

[Richard]

Figure out what the highest ground water table is during the heavy rains and do not build below that.

It depends though,is the river rising during that time so the canals cannot drain into it causing the water table to rise,if that is the case they can dredge the canals so they move water faster to the river so the ground water table does not rise.

Also what was it like in its natural state,In Florida you would be hard pressed to find a basement and septic systems have to be raised some cases you will see a 5’ tall hill next to a house with septic.

They will take a swamp and fill it in with dirt and build a subdivision on it then wonder why in the rainy season it floods.

The joke used to be it was a scam to sell swampland in Florida,people are making serious bank in that swampland that nobody wanted.

Mostly because years ago Mother Nature said,this is how I want it and people think they can fool Mother Nature,

I guess New Orleans is the easiest example of why you do not build below the surrounding water table.

With technology today,you can pull up a 3D topography map of Detroit and it will tell you where it is most likely to flood.

Anytime you have a body of water the surrounding area is tapered so the water from everywhere else naturally drains into that body of water,we have a problem with trying to alter that natural flow instead of working with it,unnecessary flooding is the result.

[manualshift]

This neighborhood Jefferson Chalmers is now a designated FEMA flood zone. Insurance costs have jumped with this new designation. Not surprised to see people selling.

[MikeM]

This is a perennial listing. The single home to the east is for sale as well. Looks like a package deal: Home and this lot for $1.19M or buy separately - house for $699k or lot for $540k.

Made the Detroit News' Michigan Dream Home column: 'One-of-a-kind' Arts and Crafts bungalow on Detroit river offers private boat launch

[jcole]

Pay Wall

Made the Detroit News' Michigan Dream Home column: 'One-of-a-kind' Arts and Crafts bungalow on Detroit river offers private boat launch

[MikeM]

Pay Wall

I posted it for those who pay for their news.