21-unit townhome development coming to Virginia Park

[Airforceguy]

I found this project on the 2/12/25 agenda for the historic district commission meeting agenda. Virginia Park Townes is a 21-unit townhome development that will be built at the corner of Virginia Park and Third. This will be a nice addition to the neighborhood.










https://detroitmi.gov/government/may...-park-02122025

[Danny]

Is that the spot where a house on the corner once stood where a couple of white hippies were attack and killed the Detroit branch of the Black Panther Party?

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

This proposal has been voted down by the Historic District Commission. The developer said they will come back [[again) with a revised proposal.

I agree with the decision that the current proposal doesn’t blend well with the neighborhood. It can be appropriate to have modern design in a historic area, but it’s tricky.

https://www.freep.com/story/money/bu...l/79083460007/

[Danny]

The structure is way too modern. It has to match with the historical value to Virginia Park or forget it.

[Satiricalivory]

The problem here seems to be the concrete panels. Give the whole thing a brick veneer and it would work.

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

The problem here seems to be the concrete panels. Give the whole thing a brick veneer and it would work.

I agree that those panels are the most out of place. It will be interesting to see how they modify the project. The overall scale seems fine to me.

[NigelT8]

I wouldn't be surprised if the developers come back with something that looks similar to some other more "traditional" looking condo communities in the metro area, such as these ones at Providence & Greenfield in Southfield, or these ones on Garrison St in West Dearborn, or maybe these ones in Shelby Twp, just north of Hall Rd near the former Lakeside Mall. While I don't think an exact ripoff of these designs would be carried out, I wouldn't be surprised if whatever proposal is adopted looks more like one of these developments than what is currently on the table, given that it should "fit in better" within the architectural context of the neighborhood.

[royce]

That site and the hospital site are perfect locations for either townhomes or apartments. If I was the developer I would move on. The homes in Virginia Park are huge and old and you're not going to get a lot of people, especially young twenty-somethings, buying them. If the community doesn't like these townhomes, then they should wait for individuals who are willing to build similar homes on the properties.

Now, the townhomes that are being proposed would be built on a corner, and if you look just north along 2nd Avenue, there are old apartments being renovated that are at the corners of 2nd Avenue [[2nd and Pingree and 2nd and Blaine). There are two occupied apartments at 2nd and Hazelwood. Also, a new townhome development is being built at 2nd and Gladstone.

The point I want to make to the residents in Virginia Park is that houses don't usually line the corner of a residential street and a busy thoroughfare [[2nd and 3rd Avenues are somewhat busy thoroughfares). Either you'll find an apartment, some commercial/retail, or some townhomes at the corners [[see 2nd and Gladstone NW corner).

If it's an apartment it will have many stories and a flat roof. It usually comes right up to the sidewalk so it won't have the same setback as the houses. So, how are these proposed townhomes that different? Now, if they wanted to build them in the middle of the block, I could understand why residents wouldn't want them there, but at a corner it really shouldn't be a big deal because houses are not usually built at the corner of a residential street and a busy thoroughfare. Virginia Park now has that opportunity.

[K-slice]

The point I want to make to the residents in Virginia Park is that houses don't usually line the corner of a residential street and a busy thoroughfare [[2nd and 3rd Avenues are somewhat busy thoroughfares). Either you'll find an apartment, some commercial/retail, or some townhomes at the corners [[see 2nd and Gladstone NW corner).

I agree with your assesment but this point made me laugh. As someone who lives int he area, I constantly comment on how Second and Third are far too wide and virtually unused. Weekday rushhour, it's not uncommon to not see only one or two cars on either of them between Boston Edison and New Center. Busy these two streets are not.

I really do hope that these get built. Piety Hill is still very slept on when it comes to great neighborhoods to develop and bring in new residents.

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

Would it make sense to restore 2nd and 3rd to two-way traffic?

[hybridy]

I wouldn't be surprised if the developers come back with something that looks similar to some other more "traditional" looking condo communities in the metro area, such as these ones at Providence & Greenfield in Southfield, or these ones on Garrison St in West Dearborn, or maybe these ones in Shelby Twp, just north of Hall Rd near the former Lakeside Mall. While I don't think an exact ripoff of these designs would be carried out, I wouldn't be surprised if whatever proposal is adopted looks more like one of these developments than what is currently on the table, given that it should "fit in better" within the architectural context of the neighborhood.

Meh, those look a bit cheap and ticky tacky. Fake historic styles always come off badly. Rather we should reinterpret and enhance the urban context. We don't need more crosswinds-esque crap and today's buyers don't want that type of product if it isn't done well.

Better precedents might be these or even these.

[Zacha341]

^ The dark window facings of that second photo IS very nice.

[Gistok]

Meh, those look a bit cheap and ticky tacky. Fake historic styles always come off badly. Rather we should reinterpret and enhance the urban context. We don't need more crosswinds-esque crap and today's buyers don't want that type of product if it isn't done well.

Better precedents might be these or even these.

The East Ferry Historic District had gaps in the 3 block long historic street filled in with these, looks nice as infill with a historic feel....

[Satiricalivory]

Nobody builds those faux-traditional 2000's era townhomes anymore so there's no chance it will look like that.

For the better anyway, they look cheap and remind me of Novi. We have way better development today that actually looks like it belongs in a big city.

[Gistok]

^ Reminds me of the 50s when they removed the ornate plasterwork from old theaters and replaced it with plain drywall and sheet rock The owner would boast "look at all the trouble we went to, so that you won't have to look at all that old stuff any more!"

[K-slice]

Nobody builds those faux-traditional 2000's era townhomes anymore so there's no chance it will look like that.

For the better anyway, they look cheap and remind me of Novi. We have way better development today that actually looks like it belongs in a big city.

I mean, they do still have the architectural plans, so they could still build something like that. Whatever it takes to get these built. It's exactly the kind of development we need in that area.

And if we attract people who are also shopping in Novi all the better. Those are the resident we want moving in.