Brush Park: Why Has Work Stalled?

[Gsgeorge]

I think we all know that the economic & real estate crises have slowed development overall across the city. But city leaders made a huge push for Brush Park in the years before the Superbowl. Many of the slated renovations are still waiting to be completed while other structures are falling to the elements. I remember lots of positive writeups and news reports coming out of BP from 2002-2006. For instance, what is happening with the Brush Park Music Conservatory [[the banner still advertises "Coming Soon"), and Hip City Living which boasted of its many future renovations on now-tattered and vandalized signs in front of once-stately homes.

Why has work seemingly come to a total halt at Brush Park? What developments are still going? What is the future of Brush Park, with its proximity to downtown and approx. 3 future light rail stops? Will farms fill the vacant land, or homes? Or, will nothing change?

[wolverine]

Expensive homes to renovate with very low returns

[Zacha341]

Yeah, and I'd not relish the idea of living in a nicely refurbished house, filled with cherished belongings with vacant land all around... it would be a "break-in" magnet! With thieves slippin into the darkness or worse. I'd not feel safe..... Not that densely populated area don't have b&e's, but it is really creepy around there at night. Too many houses have fallen, it may be too desolate to save, sadly...... there is a nice apartment that was renovated in thru there, but I cannot recall the name..........

Expensive homes to renovate with very low returns

[mikeg19]

Expensive homes to renovate with very low returns

You would think that the returns would be better on historic homes like some that have been rehabilitated in Brush Park. Some of the most incredibly beautiful and ornate houses you'll see around.

[Traveller1]

I've seen more demolition in Brush Park then renovation or building. All of those mansions that were supposed to be renovated look as if that is never going to happen, especially the ones that were never started to begin with. Some are actually completely renovated and ready to move into, but there are no buyers. Brush Park is an extremely hard area to market to anyone. For one, only 25-30% of the neighborhood is probably filled with houses, many of those don't even have people living in them. Otherwise, it's just a bunch of vacant unmowed lots in the summer. I don't understand to this day why they put in brand new roads and lighting throughout Brush Park just to complement unmowed lots.

Michigan builders, at this point, are just trying to keep their businesses alive in this economy, if they still can. They have no interest in trying to rebuild areas of the city like Brush Park if they are just going to take huge losses on it, as many renovaters have already.

Many visitors to Detroit are stunned when they see Brush Park, beautiful mansions that would go for millions in other cities, that are standing vacant and wide open to the elements. Many people say to me that they are very surprised how Brush Park looks, with it's proximity to downtown. The truth is, the money that should have stayed there left for Indian Village, Boston-Edison, and then onto the suburbs long ago.

[EastsideAl]

An opportunity missed, over and over again. While other cities rebuild, renovate, infill, incentivize, and market areas like Brush Park, we "improve" it by putting in nice new streets and then just leaving all of the houses sitting in unmowed vacant lots, open to trespass and crumbling into piles of bricks like a scene out of some end of the world movie. Hooray for the greening of Detroit!

[DetroitTitan]

It is like living in a half finished neighborhood in the suburbs. People only do live in half finished subs. when they are assured further development will happen. A single developer/builder or consortium would have to go into Brush Park and develop the entire district. But this isn't feasible at the time because of the facts: Detroit's real estate is not exactly "hot" and so the profit is there, like some people said already.

[wolverine]

You would think that the returns would be better on historic homes like some that have been rehabilitated in Brush Park. Some of the most incredibly beautiful and ornate houses you'll see around.

But beyond that, what else you got to sell me? The house with a history benefit is just a major selling point for one small slice of customers looking to buy a condo. For the rest its a nice benefit, only after they factor in their proximity to shopping, restaurants, bars, ....... neighbors, low crime, good schools, etc....

If you were right, there'd at least be one person in a metro of 5.5 million willing to pick up one of those houses since Superbowl XL. Each of them would be more marketable if they were somewhere else.

[Zacha341]

"No buyers"... Exactly, you'd have to be a real pioneer to live there isolated [[with obvious means - otherwise how are you there?), with your lights on, curtains drawn or not, alone [[in terms of others homes in proximity), car in the drive way. Forget about it.

Beautiful architecture aside, I'd need a sense of community and less desolation to feel connected, not just own my fortunate, unique house as a "neon" sign for negative attention ala thieves, etc. I think this area may be done... the door of opportunity closed.................

I've seen more demolition in Brush Park then renovation or building. All of those mansions that were supposed to be renovated look as if that is never going to happen, especially the ones that were never started to begin with. Some are actually completely renovated and ready to move into, but there are no buyers. Brush Park is an extremely hard area to market to anyone. For one, only 25-30% of the neighborhood is probably filled with houses, many of those don't even have people living in them. Otherwise, it's just a bunch of vacant unmowed lots in the summer. I don't understand to this day why they put in brand new roads and lighting throughout Brush Park just to complement unmowed lots.

Michigan builders, at this point, are just trying to keep their businesses alive in this economy, if they still can. They have no interest in trying to rebuild areas of the city like Brush Park if they are just going to take huge losses on it, as many renovaters have already.

Many visitors to Detroit are stunned when they see Brush Park, beautiful mansions that would go for millions in other cities, that are standing vacant and wide open to the elements. Many people say to me that they are very surprised how Brush Park looks, with it's proximity to downtown. The truth is, the money that should have stayed there left for Indian Village, Boston-Edison, and then onto the suburbs long ago.

[cman710]

From the demand side, I agree with many of the previous posters. I think one of the biggest obstacles to Brush Park's revitalization is that there is really no neighborhood. Even using DetroitYes! traffic as one indicator, we occasionally see posters who are interested in purchasing a home in neighborhoods like Indian Village, Boston Edison, and East English village. When was the last time we saw anyone interested in moving into Brush Park?

Originally, I think some had visions of Crosswinds-like developments providing in-fill for much of the area, with the renovated historic mansions peppered throughout. Even in the best economic times, I think that such an idea would have been a challenge. Given the sharp economic downturn, it now seems nearly impossible. A quick look at zillow.com shows 32 homes for sale in the square block bounded by Woodward, Adelaide, John R, and Winder. Given such a high vacancy rate, I do not see further development anytime soon.

As some have said, living in Brush Park really requires a "pioneer" attitude, and not many people with the means to be pioneers have shown a desire to do so.

[royce]

Crosswinds is sitting on homes that could be renovated if put on the market. There is one that I would love to renovate and call home. Crosswinds tried to put too many residents on one plot of land. Their condos that face the old alleys might sell better if they actually made them streets instead of walking paths.

I know a lot of folks on here want Brush Park to be dense like a New York City neighborhood. I think it should be rebuilt similar to how it was built over 100 years ago. Offer McMansion type housing or housing similar to those found in Cherry Hill in Canton. Put garages in the back and have narrow driveways to get to them. Maybe if homes are offered instead of condos, people with families might be more inclined to have a home built there.

What Crosswinds has done for the most part is awful. A different strategy needs to be implemented. I know, how about trying the one I just suggested? Living in Brush Park and the close proximity to downtown should make all the sense in the world. Why it's not is due to poor planning and poor marking. Also, the city shouldn't even try to rebuild the Brewster Projects. Demolish it and offer market rate homes in its place. That might improve Brush Park's chances.

[Hermod]

It is like living in a half finished neighborhood in the suburbs. People only do live in half finished subs. when they are assured further development will happen. A single developer/builder or consortium would have to go into Brush Park and develop the entire district. But this isn't feasible at the time because of the facts: Detroit's real estate is not exactly "hot" and so the profit is there, like some people said already.

Residential construction hs been pretty much halted all over the country. In the case of suburban subs, most developers construct them in "phases" so that if they have to halt for monetary reasons, the parts already built don't have too many vacant lots and a house here and a house there.

[Danny]

Whay work has stopped in Brush Park?

simple: RECESSION!

[Hermod]

Whay work has stopped in Brush Park?

simple: RECESSION!

and the auto industry woes
and the collapse of the housing bubble

[Danny]

and its all part of RECESSION.

Let's face it folks. Our government is BROKEN! even in Detroit and the rest of Michigan. How can we fix our government?

simple: DON'T VOTE REPUBLICAN THAT FORCES DEMOCRATS TO RAISE TAXES.

[casscorridor]

Once the light-rail tracks go in, I think we'll start to see this area begin to redevelop, once again. If the line begins operation in 2013, it means three years of smart developers getting in early.

There has been discussion on this thread about how living in Brush Park you feel isolated and alone. I think this is only true if you live in the blocks east of John R. I think this will continue to be true until all the blocks between Woodward and John R are filled in. Then the development will probably move to the next block, between John R and Brush, which right now is pretty barren... I wouldn't want to live there. But I'd defiantly live in the first block. Maybe a problem is how expensive the crosswinds condos are. Some of the apartments in the are are also expensive, the cheapest being ones by Loftplace.net, corner of Watson and John R.

I think the new grocery store on the corner of Watson and Woodward [[Ye Olde Butcher Shoppe) will help for sure. Hopefully it will attract new residents. I think the biggest market for residents is Wayne State U. graduate students, faculty and alumni as well as workers at the DMC and office workers downtown. That is over a hundred thousand people to market to. Once there is a light-rail, I really think things in Brush Park will begin to turn around.

In the mean time, most of the rest of Midtown will continue to develop. The fastest near WSU, the slowest near Downtown [[Cass Park/Brush Park).

[bailey]

Once the light-rail tracks go in, I think we'll start to see this area begin to redevelop, once again. If the line begins operation in 2013, it means three years of smart developers getting in early.

That was the same line they were using to sell condos back in 2003-04ish. At every one of those Illuminate Detroits, someone would run the spiel about how light rail was going to go in on Woodward "really soon" and once that happens the area would just EXPLODE! Ten years is a little long to be flogging that meme.

[Danny]

"Once the light-rail tracks go in, I think we'll start to see this area begin to redevelop, once again. If the line begins operation in 2013, it means three years of smart developers getting in early."

Not going to happen in 30 years. Too much bureaucratic talk and paperwork. There are talks about having DARTA for public transit years ago but it now its DEAD!

What other happy talk that polticians want for our American People? NOTHING, NO RESULTS! Citizens, start your own social government and leave the broken government of the Unites States alone and let it dissolve. Our result will be a new U.S. Government with a stronger anti-Republican, anti-Communist regime; filled with socialist reform, stricter rules and powerful union force that can strike. Democrats in both Houses of Congress and Representatives will be dominate force in U.S. Government that will cut global trade, provide American jobs to export more goods to foreign nations. Elimination of plutocracy made corporate franchises and restoration of family owned businesses. No one goes hungery and no one will go without proper medical and dental care. No one will be rich over million dollars. All resources will be produced by the state social proletariats of the people.

WORD FROM THE STREET PROPHET

Change this nation for Neda Soltani's sake.

[iheartthed]

Crosswinds is sitting on homes that could be renovated if put on the market. There is one that I would love to renovate and call home. Crosswinds tried to put too many residents on one plot of land. Their condos that face the old alleys might sell better if they actually made them streets instead of walking paths.

I know a lot of folks on here want Brush Park to be dense like a New York City neighborhood. I think it should be rebuilt similar to how it was built over 100 years ago. Offer McMansion type housing or housing similar to those found in Cherry Hill in Canton. Put garages in the back and have narrow driveways to get to them. Maybe if homes are offered instead of condos, people with families might be more inclined to have a home built there.

What Crosswinds has done for the most part is awful. A different strategy needs to be implemented. I know, how about trying the one I just suggested? Living in Brush Park and the close proximity to downtown should make all the sense in the world. Why it's not is due to poor planning and poor marking. Also, the city shouldn't even try to rebuild the Brewster Projects. Demolish it and offer market rate homes in its place. That might improve Brush Park's chances.

Brush Park will never be viable as a single family per structure neighborhood. As someone said above, it's too expensive to rehabilitate one of those structures for such a little return, which is what would happen if you try to sell them as individual dwellings.

[mikeg19]

"No buyers"... Exactly, you'd have to be a real pioneer to live there isolated [[with obvious means - otherwise how are you there?), with your lights on, curtains drawn or not, alone [[in terms of others homes in proximity), car in the drive way. Forget about it.

Beautiful architecture aside, I'd need a sense of community and less desolation to feel connected, not just own my fortunate, unique house as a "neon" sign for negative attention ala thieves, etc. I think this area may be done... the door of opportunity closed.................

I guess I didn't think of it that way. It's probably been 5 years since I actually drove through Brush Park. I have not actually seen how open it is.

[Gsgeorge]

I can see BP really capitalizing on its emptiness by converting the vacant land to pastures & farms. It would be a really unique urban-rural neighborhood just footsteps from downtown, peppered with historic mansions and top-notch rehabilitations. I don't think BP needs to necessarily attract more development, it just needs to market its 'state of decay' as an asset. I am thinking of the great farmer's mansion in the dreamlike Terrence Mallick film Days of Heaven...



Street lighting & regular patrols could prevent break-ins, and demolishing the Brewster Projects would help drive out the criminals, vagrants, and squatters.

[Hermod]

I can see BP really capitalizing on its emptiness by converting the vacant land to pastures & farms. It would be a really unique urban-rural neighborhood just footsteps from downtown, peppered with historic mansions and top-notch rehabilitations. I don't think BP needs to necessarily attract more development, it just needs to market its 'state of decay' as an asset. I am thinking of the great farmer's mansion in the dreamlike Terrence Mallick film Days of Heaven...

Street lighting & regular patrols could prevent break-ins, and demolishing the Brewster Projects would help drive out the criminals, vagrants, and squatters.

Yeah and demolish the bridges over the Chrysler and the Lodge and reserve the central city for the arts, music, and culture elites.

[Gsgeorge]

Yeah and demolish the bridges over the Chrysler and the Lodge and reserve the central city for the arts, music, and culture elites.

I never said anything about elites living there. Usually farmers are in the lower- to middle-income bracket anyway.

[casscorridor]

Yeah and demolish the bridges over the Chrysler and the Lodge and reserve the central city for the arts, music, and culture elites.

Better yet, close off the freeway loop around Midtown and fill it with water. Do the same for Downtown. Boom... moat!

[Goose]

and its all part of RECESSION.


simple: DON'T VOTE REPUBLICAN THAT FORCES DEMOCRATS TO RAISE TAXES.

i just spit diet mt. dew all over my laptop screen laughing!!!!!! [[actually, it came out of my nose!!!)