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  1. #1

    Default Warren resurrects plans to develop a downtown


    City leaders are breathing life into former plans for an expanse of 30 acres of empty land that separates a cluster of Warren's city government buildings, court and library from commuter-congested Van Dyke Road and the General Motors Technical Center. The Warren Town Center project initially sought to develop the property into a bustling downtown-like space with a hotel, grocery store, restaurants and community areas; but contention between the former city council, mayor and administration halted the project.


    Now, city leaders are seeking out community input in an effort to put the project in gear.
    https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-e...velop-downtown

  2. #2

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    That city was trying to that for 60 years. In the meantime, Van Dyke Rd from 8 Mile Rd to pass 9 Mile Rd is the original Downtown Warren.

  3. #3

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    This plan is for an astetically pleasing outdoor strip mall, nothing more.

    Downtowns have transit, dense residential, connecting street grid, etc. This won't have anything of the sort.

  4. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by K-slice View Post
    This plan is for an astetically pleasing outdoor strip mall, nothing more.

    Downtowns have transit, dense residential, connecting street grid, etc. This won't have anything of the sort.
    You can maybe create a walkable area with a park, some service business, etc. but to resemble a real downtown you need a "main street" with retail shops lining both sides and build the rest from there. With the lack of demand for bricks and mortar retail, especially in a burb like Warren, that's next to impossible.

  5. #5

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    The city should focus on the abandoned fast food locations on Van Dyke between 8 Mile and 10 Mile.

  6. #6

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    The Cadillac Headquarters is in that area.


  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by MichaelAnthonyVideos View Post
    The city should focus on the abandoned fast food locations on Van Dyke between 8 Mile and 10 Mile.
    I am not singling out just you because many do it in these threads. City Government doesn’t have a magic wand that they can wave at abandoned or vacant buildings that are privately owned and make whatever changes they desire. A free market society does not work like that.

    If you actually want change to abandoned or vacant commercial or residential properties the issue lies directly in the hands of Michigan State Government. They are the ones that write the laws that favor and protect private property owners that let buildings become eyesores because the laws are in the owners favor. If you want something to be done the answer is in Lansing not local municipalities. Personally I find it astounding that something that has financial teeth hasn’t been brought to the table in this state for several decades now because the problem is so pervasive here.
    Last edited by ABetterDetroit; February-06-25 at 03:18 PM.

  8. #8

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    A faux downtown, brilliant idea. Drive behind Costco on Hall Rd between Hayes and Schnoherr and you'll see what that looks like. A failed, sterile looking collection of strip mall like buildings.

    Downtown's need to happen organically. Any successful "downtown" setting that I can think of in the area [[Rochester/Lake Orion/Port Huron/Royal Oak/Romeo/etc) was set in motion a hundred years ago and developed over time as the areas around them grew, on a Main Street. People don't want a fake town center. This will fail.

  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by mikeg19 View Post
    ... Drive behind Costco on Hall Rd between Hayes and Schnoherr and you'll see what that looks like....
    This needs a visual. StreetView

  10. #10

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    Maybe they can get a Sheetz. The new suburban dept. store anchor.

  11. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jimaz View Post
    This needs a visual. StreetView
    You got it lol

    Look at that BEAUTIFUL streetwall downtown street there. Looks like it's been there since the time of the Macomb County settlers.......

  12. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jimaz View Post
    This needs a visual. StreetView
    Honestly, this wouldn't have been terrible if they added more variety [[height and width of some of the buildings) to the design other than brick color. An actual street grid with some variation in design wouldn't have been too much more money.

  13. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by mikeg19 View Post
    You got it lol

    Look at that BEAUTIFUL streetwall downtown street there. Looks like it's been there since the time of the Macomb County settlers.......

    It kind of fits the part as a hybrid definition of a warren.

    The Merriam Webster has a number of definitions for warren, of which:
    a warren can be an area [[as of) uncultivated ground where rabbits breed, or a highly populated tenement, or district.




    a[[1): an area [[as of uncultivated ground) where rabbits breed

    [[2): a structure where rabbits are kept or bred




    b: the rabbits of a warren





    3
    a: a crowded tenement or district


    b: a maze of passageways or small rooms




  14. #14

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    So, Warren means 'Land of Rabbits where crowded tenements going through a maze of passageways or small rooms.'

  15. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by Danny View Post
    So, Warren means 'Land of Rabbits where crowded tenements going through a maze of passageways or small rooms.'

    Yes, a hybrid of all these forms.

  16. #16

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    Several problems with this development. First, the store fronts don't look like storefronts. Windows should be bigger. Second, the doors look like residential doors. They should have larger windows. I agree with Gumby that their should be more variety with the heights and widths of the buildings.

    BTW, do the owners live above or are those separate apartments that you have to enter from the back?

  17. #17

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    Just to be clear, the above streetview link for the development north of Hall Rd. between Hayes & Schoenherr is in Shelby Twp, about 6 miles north of Warren. I think it was mentioned here as an example of a new downtown created after the development of the surrounding area.

    I don't judge whether it's good or bad but it's undeniably distinct from its surroundings which makes it that much more memorable. It seems to contradict the idea that new architecture should blend with the old. Maybe someone thought of it as a seed that would spread that architecture out from there. Time will tell.

    It's aggravating that there isn't more information about it. Aside from real estate listings, I haven't found any information about it. I'd like to find a description of its history and purpose. It doesn't seem to be promoted on any website.

    There is a storefront there labeled "Model TOWN CENTER shelby" with a real estate sign in the window. Maybe that's what it's called but Googling even that doesn't find it.

  18. #18

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jimaz View Post
    Just to be clear, the above streetview link for the development north of Hall Rd. between Hayes & Schoenherr is in Shelby Twp, about 6 miles north of Warren. I think it was mentioned here as an example of a new downtown created after the development of the surrounding area.

    I don't judge whether it's good or bad but it's undeniably distinct from its surroundings which makes it that much more memorable. It seems to contradict the idea that new architecture should blend with the old. Maybe someone thought of it as a seed that would spread that architecture out from there. Time will tell.

    It's aggravating that there isn't more information about it. Aside from real estate listings, I haven't found any information about it. I'd like to find a description of its history and purpose. It doesn't seem to be promoted on any website.

    There is a storefront there labeled "Model TOWN CENTER shelby" with a real estate sign in the window. Maybe that's what it's called but Googling even that doesn't find it.

    It seems to me that it shouldn't be that difficult to take cues from small towns in Michigan that have the good bones and copy that. There are so many beautiful downtowns of small to medium size that developers and planners could emulate, just copy paste type thing. don't need a brain surgeon to do that. the same uninspired stuff happens in Canada unfortunately.

  19. #19

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    When I once drove thru that stretch behind Hall Rd., I like the buildings themselves, just not where they were placed... and especially not just a single street surrounded by emptiness. Although it was likely not finished.

    It reminded me of England's POUNDBURY... the little historic looking town, that was a pet project of King Charles, when he was still Prince of Wales. The British architectural community hated it as pastiche... but the people loved it. There's a waiting list of people wanting to move in...

    https://www.google.com/maps/@50.7148...UzSAFQAw%3D%3D

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