Detroit's Midtown district is on a roll

**Boy Named Sue** · January-25-10, 11:47 AM

From today's detroit news:

http://www.detnews.com/article/20100...t-is-on-a-roll

**Detroitnerd** · January-25-10, 11:51 AM

Tear all that schitt down and run a freeway through it! Nobody wants small development! Detroit is old! We need that money out in Troy!

**Danny** · January-25-10, 12:18 PM

Midtown is growing and the WSU police is kicking the DEAD [[C) KRAK HEADS, squatters, schizos and a man with a dirty dress out. Buildings are being fixed and ghettohoods and in the process of gentrification. Apts are being turned from cheap drug shacks into yuppified high rent luxury condos. And new mom and pop retail are popping up everywhere. Folks down there love thr atmosphere and the excitement of Midtown, its a community on the grow than SW Detroit.

**kryptonite** · January-25-10, 01:10 PM

I drove down Cass Ave. Saturday night and continue to be amazed at the changes going on in the Cass Corridor. it's nice to see so much positive development happening after decades of deterioration.

**cman710** · January-25-10, 01:19 PM

It was refreshing to read this article. We can see how important the area's anchor institutions have become. It is great to see development and positive news somewhere, despite the awful economy.

**Detroitnerd** · January-25-10, 01:21 PM

Originally Posted by kryptonite

I drove down Cass Ave. Saturday night and continue to be amazed at the changes going on in the Cass Corridor. it's nice to see so much positive development happening after decades of deterioration.

Don't you understand? That development there isn't really happening. It's because Detroit is not what businessmen want! They want lots of parking! Big freeways! Huge parcels! Detroit is all burned down and the taxes have chased away all the business! Crime! Scary! How many times do we have to tell you: Detroit is hopeless!

**Gsgeorge** · January-25-10, 01:32 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

Don't you understand? That development there isn't really happening. It's because Detroit is not what businessmen want! They want lots of parking! Big freeways! Huge parcels! Detroit is all burned down and the taxes have chased away all the business! Crime! Scary! How many times do we have to tell you: Detroit is hopeless!

We get it, dude.

"Midtown" is the heart of Detroit's resurgence. Despite the efforts downtown, Midtown has proven to be more livable than the cold streets of the CBD. I am looking forward to Slow's carry-out location at Alexandrine & Cass, the renovation of Chinatown, and the restoration of Sugar Hill Arts District & the opening of the Garden Block. Bravo!

**kryptonite** · January-25-10, 03:16 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

Don't you understand? That development there isn't really happening. It's because Detroit is not what businessmen want! They want lots of parking! Big freeways! Huge parcels! Detroit is all burned down and the taxes have chased away all the business! Crime! Scary! How many times do we have to tell you: Detroit is hopeless!

Au contraire, Saturday three of us did quite a bit of driving around Midtown, along Brush, Piquette, John R, Woodward, etc. We visited Sweetest Heart of Mary for mass, Z's for dinner, then drove around WSU and along Cass Ave.

My college background was urban planning. I have noticed a definite trend. There are many new businesses and many new housing units. Redevelopment is going on basically from the Lodge to I-75 from Downtown to New Center. Many buildings that were dark a few years ago are now lit up at night. there are definitely areas that are still in terrible shape but it appears obvious to me that the downward spiral is over, the area is improving noticeably. People, businesses, housing are all starting to return to the corridor.

**Detroitnerd** · January-25-10, 03:31 PM

Originally Posted by kryptonite

Au contraire, Saturday three of us did quite a bit of driving around Midtown, along Brush, Piquette, John R, Woodward, etc. We visited Sweetest Heart of Mary for mass, Z's for dinner, then drove around WSU and along Cass Ave.

My college background was urban planning. I have noticed a definite trend. There are many new businesses and many new housing units. Redevelopment is going on basically from the Lodge to I-75 from Downtown to New Center. Many buildings that were dark a few years ago are now lit up at night. there are definitely areas that are still in terrible shape but it appears obvious to me that the downward spiral is over, the area is improving noticeably. People, businesses, housing are all starting to return to the corridor.

Grrrr! *head explodes*

Bearinabox · January-25-10, 03:47 PM

Originally Posted by kryptonite

My college background was urban planning.

Really? I had you pegged for a Sarcasm Recognition major...

**iheartthed** · January-25-10, 03:59 PM

Originally Posted by Bearinabox

Really? I had you pegged for a Sarcasm Recognition major...

SarcMark FTW.

**bigtown** · October-26-11, 03:28 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

Don't you understand? That development there isn't really happening. It's because Detroit is not what businessmen want! They want lots of parking! Big freeways! Huge parcels! Detroit is all burned down and the taxes have chased away all the business! Crime! Scary! How many times do we have to tell you: Detroit is hopeless!

Ok we get it, you don't like Detroit. It sure would be nice if you people could hate Detroit in silence though, it's gotten really old. Bye now.

**j to the jeremy** · October-26-11, 03:30 PM

Originally Posted by bigtown

Ok we get it, you don't like Detroit. It sure would be nice if you people could hate Detroit in silence though, it's gotten really old. Bye now.

Once again, responding to a year old thread and not knowing sarcasm when you see it.......classy

**texorama** · January-25-10, 01:41 PM

I have to think that somewhere in the metro area, yea, perhaps even in Troy, there are some Chinese developers with fond memories of that old corner who would kick in for a small redevelopment effort.

**kryptonite** · January-25-10, 04:06 PM

Uh oh, I didn't mean to sound like I was qualifying myself as an expert, but the urban planning background explains my interest in the Midtown area as well as Downtown. Personally I am quite happy to see all the development going on in the corridor.

Route29 · January-25-10, 04:11 PM

Midtown is definitely a vibrate, great place. I used to live there, and miss a lot of it, and it has even come a long way since I lived there.

I think the Forest Arms will be a big step forward as well - creating affordable housing for a lot of people in the heart of the district.

So Midtown really is on a roll - two things we must take from this:

The importance of an urban environment and how successful it can be. Even in this economy, in DETROIT, there is a pocket of prosperity, growth, diversity. It isn't happening in Troy. We need less that is Troyesqe, more that is Midtownesqe to turn this region and state around.

Now - how to spread this prosperity to the rest of the city. The rest of the city is suffering horribly, even the better neighborhoods. Better police protection [[provided in Midtown by WSUPD), and a vibrant, walkable environment. Detroit's other decrepit commercial strips could spur residential development, or vice versa. Strip malls don't promote growth, as we have seen in the rest of the city, and our malls are abandoned as quick as we can build them. Unique, independent businesses are needed. There is no Best Buy, Bed Bath and Beyond, or Wal-Mart in Midtown. There needn't be, and we don't need any more of that.

**RickBeall** · January-25-10, 04:19 PM

Hey DetroitNerd,
Allow with the expressway through it, lets sprinkle in a couple casinos, ideally one right next the the DIA. To be really tasteful, lets make it 3 times taller than the DIA, and surround it on at least 3 sides.

**Detroitnerd** · January-25-10, 04:30 PM

Originally Posted by RickBeall

Hey DetroitNerd,
Allow with the expressway through it, lets sprinkle in a couple casinos, ideally one right next the the DIA. To be really tasteful, lets make it 3 times taller than the DIA, and surround it on at least 3 sides.

The Biff Tannen school of urban design.

jflick3535 · January-25-10, 07:29 PM

93% occupancy really?

where did they get that number?

Is that like 90% of the book condos being sold?

oh and if you think Slattery is doing just fine with his morgue project--just check out the balconies when you drive by and look for any evidence of a tenant/owner's furniture.

Puff pieces are fine in model D but the freep, news and crains should be ashamed of themselves

Then the paper puts a picture of the Ellington lofts in the story as an example of "resurgence" of midtown but those are mostly empty as well!!

By the way--I wish the story was true but it just isn't

**6nois** · January-25-10, 08:34 PM

Jflick they said a 93% RENTAL occupancy rate, which I think is probably correct. With the credit crunch right now renting is the only option for many people, and Midtown with it high population of young college students who are largely transient are prime renters. Two years ago when I was renting in the area it was hard to find nice units because most had been taken up by people displaced when the Forest Arms burned. There is a huge difference between rental and buying. Everything you are talking about is buying which is hard right now. People can't move to midtown from other areas because 1. they can't sell their houses where they live, and 2. it is considerably harder to get financing on a development in the city than not because of red lining. But if you are renting it is a very stable area, and prices there have not dropped like they have in other areas because of the nature of the renting market.

The article may be a little overly positive but in all reality midtown has alot to be proud of right now, and in terms of new businesses and growth it is doing very well considering the economic conditions, and I expect that it will continue to be a bright spot for Detroit for some time.

**kryptonite** · January-26-10, 01:53 PM

As far as Midtown development goes, has anyone been in the CCS building on Milwaukee? how did the rehab into residential turn out? Are there also classrooms in the building now or offices?

**Rocko** · January-26-10, 02:12 PM

I don't think it's so bad that The News reported this positive story [[or fluff piece, or whatever you prefer to call it). So much of the news around here is depressing anyways, who can blame them for printing a more uplifting article...especially about something going on in the city! Midtown may be the most unique area of Detroit....it certainly is amongst the areas with the move investment at the present time.

As for the large abandoned apartment buildings Quonset Hut spoke of, well, yes, there are some around. The difference is, that many of these actually have a chance of being renovated and reused, whereas in some other parts of Detroit, they simply rot till fire demolishes them or the wreckers come....because no one wants to live there any more. If affordable apartments are built in Midtown, whether it be new construction or renovations of historic buildings, I think the people will come. There are many examples of such recently renovated historic apartment/loft structures in Midtown today.... not so much in other areas of the city.

I'm looking forward to watching the development of the Garden Block take shape on Woodward. It is going to be a great mix of historic preservation, renovation, and new infill which will really be a positive addition to the Woodward Corridor. Now, if we could just tie in Midtown with Downtown along the west side of Woodward..... Those empty lots are great for seeing how far you can kick a soccer ball.....but not much else.

**Detroitnerd** · October-26-11, 03:32 PM

Well, I usually try to alert to my sarcasm. On that one I really fell down.

But it is interesting that so many people feel that way that one would take it seriously...

**ismoakrack** · October-26-11, 08:26 PM

"Ok we get it, you don't like Detroit. It sure would be nice if you people could hate Detroit in silence though, it's gotten really old. Bye now."

LOL are you high??

**tangerine** · October-26-11, 10:00 PM

I was walking down Woodward in Midtown at 8:30 on a Tuesday night. There were not a lot of people out but I did notice one critical thing that I bet accounts for Midtown's relative success. During the span of my short three block walk, i saw 4 police cars drive by: 2 DMC police and 2 WSU police. That stands in marked contrast to the rest of the city where there seems to be no sign of law enforcment. Even though it was dark and the streets were empty, i felt comfortable because of that police presence.