Corktown booms with new condos, apartments as Ford campus takes shape

**Airforceguy** · May-09-23, 02:08 PM

The growth of Corktown seems to be on steroids these days, and much of it is happening right in the shadow of Ford's massive investment in Michigan Central Station and some adjacent properties. That includes a $6 million makeover of Roosevelt Park into a public plaza in front of the former train station, which had previously been largely unkempt green space.

And while the renovation of the train station stands as perhaps the most visible rehab project underway in the neighborhood known for its smaller single-family homes largely dating back more than a century, more in-fill condo and apartment projects are dotting Corktown's blocks. Also, more large-scale projects along Michigan Avenue, such as the $93 million, seven-story housing and retail development dubbed the Michigan and Church Street project are nearing completion. Since Ford's announcement nearly five years ago that it was buying the long-vacant train station for an innovation campus, there has been approaching $500 million in private investment in various projects in the Corktown area, according to an estimate by city of Detroit officials. Additionally, city and state investments in infrastructure in the area total about $27.5 million.

That's all in addition to the roughly $950 million that Ford has invested in its projects in the neighborhood. Real estate experts in the area are quick to note that the development boom happening in Corktown is occurring before the Dearborn automaker has even begun to fully occupy the buildings in which it has invested.

"We still haven't seen the full of impact of Ford hit yet," said James Tumey, a real estate agent with O'Connor Real Estate, a residential and commercial brokerage firm with its offices on Michigan Avenue in Corktown, and which has worked on several of the condo projects in the area. "It's exciting to surf the wave and build more projects. I don't know if Corktown will be ready for it."

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-e...us-takes-shape

**gratiotfaced** · May-09-23, 03:13 PM

I'm hoping we start to see some of the industrial blocks between Corktown and the coming Wilson Park redevelop. Reconstruct the old, denser street grid as well. I could see that area being full mixed-use low and mid-rises in a decade or so.

I don't think many of those buildings are even vacant, but it's still a poor use of land so close to prime central real estate.

**K-slice** · May-10-23, 09:33 AM

Anyone know what's going on with the old cold storage building? Crains reported that the city is trying to knock it down, but Kefallinos has been removing the exterior walls in preparation for something. I'd assume it will be an industrial loft conversion.

**Satiricalivory** · May-10-23, 11:36 AM

Originally Posted by gratiotfaced

I'm hoping we start to see some of the industrial blocks between Corktown and the coming Wilson Park redevelop. Reconstruct the old, denser street grid as well. I could see that area being full mixed-use low and mid-rises in a decade or so.

I don't think many of those buildings are even vacant, but it's still a poor use of land so close to prime central real estate.

Fucking insane that they zoned a residential area industrial. Why are the past generations so stupid?

**K-slice** · May-11-23, 02:14 PM

Originally Posted by Satiricalivory

Fucking insane that they zoned a residential area industrial. Why are the past generations so stupid?

Detroit went through decades with a "something is better than nothing" mindset. Industrial is all they could attract to the area so that's what they did. Hard to imagine now.

**401don** · May-11-23, 04:22 PM

Originally Posted by K-slice

Detroit went through decades with a "something is better than nothing" mindset. Industrial is all they could attract to the area so that's what they did. Hard to imagine now.

In many cases something was better than nothing. Gov't didn't buy every business opening like these days and the city was competing against greenfields in the burbs. Nice some people are so young and so smart they can disparage entire generations.

**Danny** · May-11-23, 09:13 PM

Corktown Lives Today since Ford is coming to the area. The community may lost the Tigers, but at least the Ford in the MCS which means more condos and apts.

**royce** · May-12-23, 02:58 AM

"Also, more large-scale projects along Michigan Avenue, such as the $93 million, seven-story housing and retail development dubbed the Michigan and Church Street project are nearing completion."

Is this the Perennial development? Also, there's a large vacant area directly east from the former book depository building that would be great for residential developments. Making 14th Street a two-way will also improve that area.

**angry_fred** · May-12-23, 07:02 AM

Originally Posted by royce

"Also, more large-scale projects along Michigan Avenue, such as the $93 million, seven-story housing and retail development dubbed the Michigan and Church Street project are nearing completion."

Is this the Perennial development? .

Yes

**LongGone06** · May-12-23, 11:12 AM

Originally Posted by K-slice

Detroit went through decades with a "something is better than nothing" mindset. Industrial is all they could attract to the area so that's what they did. Hard to imagine now.

It was never "something is better than nothing." Detroit was built on industry that, in the early 20th Century, was always located along waterways here and in other cities around the country and world. Warehouses and factories lined urban waterways accessible to ships before the rise of over the road trucking. The generations who lived and worked during that time valued jobs and thought little of the riverfront being a place for leisure.

**Satiricalivory** · May-12-23, 11:47 AM

Originally Posted by LongGone06

It was never "something is better than nothing." Detroit was built on industry that, in the early 20th Century, was always located along waterways here and in other cities around the country and world. Warehouses and factories lined urban waterways accessible to ships before the rise of over the road trucking. The generations who lived and worked during that time valued jobs and thought little of the riverfront being a place for leisure.

It's not really about the riverfront. It was an already established built up residential area with people living there. Direct water access was long irrelevant by the time of the zoning change. Those warehouses could have easily gone anywhere else.

**masterblaster** · May-15-23, 03:31 PM

Originally Posted by K-slice

Detroit went through decades with a "something is better than nothing" mindset. Industrial is all they could attract to the area so that's what they did. Hard to imagine now.

I think SatiricalIvory was referring to the demolition of 2/3rds of Corktown in the late 1950's for a light industrial district, now called the West Side Industrial. The Riverfront adjacent to Corktown was already heavy industrial before Corktown's demolition

https://www.freep.com/story/money/bu...ory/745668002/

**Gistok** · May-15-23, 04:22 PM

I know the Tiger Stadium fans on this Forum will be appalled with this, but one of the best things to happen to Corktown was the Tigers moving to Comerica Park. I used to attend Tigers game in Corktown, and I remember all the houses that were razed in the neighborhood so that property owners could squeeze 15 cars into the weed choked unkempt empty lots on game days. And there were a LOT of empty lots. Since the departure of the Tigers, those lots are now infill housing, really improving Corktown's residential appeal.

**401don** · May-15-23, 05:06 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

I know the Tiger Stadium fans on this Forum will be appalled with this, but one of the best things to happen to Corktown was the Tigers moving to Comerica Park. I used to attend Tigers game in Corktown, and I remember all the houses that were razed in the neighborhood so that property owners could squeeze 15 cars into the weed choked unkempt empty lots on game days. And there were a LOT of empty lots. Since the departure of the Tigers, those lots are now infill housing, really improving Corktown's residential appeal.

True but I remember they said what an opportunity the stadium's closing was for Corktown right after it closed. It has taken over 20 years for the infill to gain any traction and had Ford not bought the Depot it still might not be much.

**Gistok** · May-15-23, 05:10 PM

^ The area near former Tiger Stadium seems to have a lot of the empty lots filled with housing... but the area around MCS certainly has a lot of open fields.

**gratiotfaced** · May-15-23, 08:21 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

I know the Tiger Stadium fans on this Forum will be appalled with this, but one of the best things to happen to Corktown was the Tigers moving to Comerica Park. I used to attend Tigers game in Corktown, and I remember all the houses that were razed in the neighborhood so that property owners could squeeze 15 cars into the weed choked unkempt empty lots on game days. And there were a LOT of empty lots. Since the departure of the Tigers, those lots are now infill housing, really improving Corktown's residential appeal.

The Corktown parking desert had more to do with the city's failure to build rapid transit than the stadium's physical presence in the neighborhood.

Chicago's Wrigleyville is a dense, walkable area with minimal parking. The difference is they built an elevated rail network with 3 lines/stations nearby.

**Gistok** · May-15-23, 09:10 PM

^ You also have to factor in home values, and housing density. There are many multi-residential buildings in Wrigleyville and a vibrant commercial district, while Corktown was mainly single homes and lesser commercial space. The values of homes around Wrigley Field are astronomical compared to the values around Tiger Stadium back in the day. So homes in Corktown were cheaper to buy and to knock down. I believe that in Wrigleyville single family homes were knocked down for denser multifamily property... where many have stadium type seating on the rooftop of residences near the stadium.

But yes... mass transit also benefitted Wrigleyville, with a reduced need for parking spaces.

**stasu1213** · May-16-23, 07:39 AM

Originally Posted by K-slice

Anyone know what's going on with the old cold storage building? Crains reported that the city is trying to knock it down, but Kefallinos has been removing the exterior walls in preparation for something. I'd assume it will be an industrial loft conversion.

Kefallinos is the slumlord version of Dan Gilbert. For 10 + years Kefallinos had been purchasing prime properties throughout Detroit with great promises of helping bring back the building's and the city to their glory only to do botched cheesy renovations to them.

**K-slice** · May-16-23, 12:11 PM

Originally Posted by LongGone06

It was never "something is better than nothing." Detroit was built on industry that, in the early 20th Century, was always located along waterways here and in other cities around the country and world. Warehouses and factories lined urban waterways accessible to ships before the rise of over the road trucking. The generations who lived and worked during that time valued jobs and thought little of the riverfront being a place for leisure.

The thought was very much "something is better than nothing" in the middle of the 20th century when the southern part of Corktown was demolished for industrial. Yes, the river front was always industrial but streets like Labrosse, Porter, Abbott, and Howard were mostly residential of one kind or another until they were all demolished for the singe story light industrial buildings we see there today. It's no different than the destruction of Poletown for "Factory Zero" as it's now called.

**gratiotfaced** · May-16-23, 03:04 PM

I asked this in another thread, but does anyone know the status of the Clement Kerns redevelopment? I know they secured HUD funding a couple of years ago, and the Left Field development has started from that same pipeline.

**LongGone06** · May-17-23, 09:59 AM

Originally Posted by K-slice

The thought was very much "something is better than nothing" in the middle of the 20th century when the southern part of Corktown was demolished for industrial. Yes, the river front was always industrial but streets like Labrosse, Porter, Abbott, and Howard were mostly residential of one kind or another until they were all demolished for the singe story light industrial buildings we see there today. It's no different than the destruction of Poletown for "Factory Zero" as it's now called.

A thousand pardons. I misunderstood your and Satiricalivory's posts. I thought you were referring to the riverfront.

**royce** · June-25-23, 03:25 AM

A few announcements. First, 14th Street south of Michigan Avenue is now a two-way. Second, Roosevelt Park is now open. Third, did you know that Roosevelt Park is named for Theodore Roosevelt, not Franklin? It says it on a new park sign. Things are shaping up nicely in that part of the woods. Now, if they can just redevelop the Roosevelt [[Teddy?) Hotel and the C.P.A Building, then that immediate area around the park is going to be jumping.

**stasu1213** · June-25-23, 05:04 AM

Originally Posted by royce

A few announcements. First, 14th Street south of Michigan Avenue is now a two-way. Second, Roosevelt Park is now open. Third, did you know that Roosevelt Park is named for Theodore Roosevelt, not Franklin? It says it on a new park sign. Things are shaping up nicely in that part of the woods. Now, if they can just redevelop the Roosevelt [[Teddy?) Hotel and the C.P.A Building, then that immediate area around the park is going to be jumping.

Is the part of Roosevelt Park that is facing Michigan is open?

**stasu1213** · June-25-23, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by royce

A few announcements. First, 14th Street south of Michigan Avenue is now a two-way. Second, Roosevelt Park is now open. Third, did you know that Roosevelt Park is named for Theodore Roosevelt, not Franklin? It says it on a new park sign. Things are shaping up nicely in that part of the woods. Now, if they can just redevelop the Roosevelt [[Teddy?) Hotel and the C.P.A Building, then that immediate area around the park is going to be jumping.

Mis information everyone! Roosevelt Park is not open. The security had said that it is not and the fence is still up.

**royce** · June-25-23, 09:20 PM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

Mis information everyone! Roosevelt Park is not open. The security had said that it is not and the fence is still up.

There were several people in the park on the day mentioned. Some of the fencing was taken down. I don't know if there will be an official opening. Sorry for jumping the gun. Well, at least 14th Street, as a two-way, is open.