They r going to build low income housing in Midtown! Great step to build up the area!

**Newdetroit** · September-28-10, 11:13 PM

Part of the article is below....I have nothing against the poor, but don't we need to bring in more upscale housing for urban professionals in Midtown????

Last week, ground broke on Cornerstone Estates, a low-rise housing development that will be situated east of the Lodge Freeway and south of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, at the site of the former Jeffries East Projects. The Detroit Housing Commission project will be completed in 2012 and will include four one-bedroom, 88 two-bedroom, 68 three-bedroom and 20 four-bedroom units; landscaped open space; and a community building.

Developer for Cornerstone Estates is Scripps Park Associates, LLC, a team comprised of Herbert J. Strather of Detroit , the Slavik Company of Bingham Farms, the Rosenberg Housing Group, Inc. of New York City and Washington, D.C., and Premier Property Management of Detroit. The units will be constructed under the HUD-sponsored HOPE VI revitalization program, administered by the Detroit Housing Commission.

**RickBeall** · September-28-10, 11:50 PM

... replace one failed housing project with another? !! That's not very creative.

**EastsideAl** · September-29-10, 09:00 AM

Yes, what the hell did we tear the projects down for if it wasn't to make all those poor people leave?

I think they should just all be moved to Sterling Heights.

**Danny** · September-29-10, 11:50 AM

Originally Posted by RickBeall

... replace one failed housing project with another? !! That's not very creative.

I agree, that area should have been reserved for fancy housing and condos for those who have MONEY! Not for those who don't have the money like those who are sitting on welfare checks. Plus its a bad place to put low income housing next to MOTOR CITY CASINOS plus MGM GRAND CASINO!

DetroitDad · September-29-10, 07:46 PM

Originally Posted by Danny

I agree, that area should have been reserved for fancy housing and condos for those who have MONEY! Not for those who don't have the money like those who are sitting on welfare checks. Plus its a bad place to put low income housing next to MOTOR CITY CASINOS plus MGM GRAND CASINO!

What are you talking about Danny? That sounds like a great way to help out Motor City Casino!

**tallboy66** · September-29-10, 07:52 PM

I thought they had that planned as mixed use when they tore down half the projects? Did they tear down the rest?

Chicago, NYC and probably other large cities have mixed income housing this might work for Detroit , besides all the richies can just drive right into the garage and not even have to deal with "those" people hanging out on the sidewalk.

**Newdetroit** · September-29-10, 07:57 PM

No, people will just avoid the area..It's the sad truth. What is all this talk about mixed use...The city of Detroit has enough areas of poverty...Should we not try to have a two mile area in the city that is middle class to up scale living...Or is this too repugnant of an idea for social activitists???

**Danny** · September-30-10, 10:08 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitDad

What are you talking about Danny? That sounds like a great way to help out Motor City Casino!

Yeah, to exploit the poor!

gdogslim · September-29-10, 09:55 AM

everyone would be better off if they just wrote a check and gave it to them for housing. let the free market handle it, not da guvmint.

**DetroitPlanner** · September-29-10, 10:22 AM

This is terrible!!! We need more upscale housing that remains vacant like the Elington Lofts.

Presonally I think it is should be up a law that all developers set aside a small percentage of thier development for low income housing. Ideally this would help solve many of the social issues that keep people in proverty. I can't mention stuff like this without hearing cries of "social engineering", "property rights", or "socialist commie". I would hope people would do this because it is the right thing to do, but people never do the right thing, they do the most profitable thing.

**bailey** · September-29-10, 10:30 AM

This is terrible!!! We need more upscale housing that remains vacant like the Elington Lofts.

yeah, I mean look at Chicago... They have section 8 housing all up and down Lakshore and Michigan. It's awesome how they put the poor folks in the most valuable realestate.

Presonally I think it is should be up a law that all developers set aside a small percentage of thier development for low income housing. Ideally this would help solve many of the social issues that keep people in proverty. I can't mention stuff like this without hearing cries of "social engineering", "property rights", or "socialist commie". I would hope people would do this because it is the right thing to do, but people never do the right thing, they do the most profitable thing.

Well, why aren't you out building a housing development for the poor? I bet you are working at a job somewhere, making a profit for yourself... as in getting a paycheck and saving for your future. Why do you hate the poor so much that you are not letting a family live in your house for free. Or not purchasing a home for them with your 401k for them to live in for free?

**fryar** · September-29-10, 10:41 AM

Make it vouchers and such. That's better than forcing low-cost units on landlords, because those units end up not getting renovated. My 2 cents, anyway.

You can have a project amongst the yuppies and still have that work if it's not too intimidating a project.

lincoln8740 · September-29-10, 10:44 AM

So they had to tear down the previous development because the Detroit Housing Authority ran it into the ground. Now they are building a brand new development and giving it right back into the hands of the same people!!

This place will be dope central within a year and will be destroyed within two years.

The only positive is that maybe it will get the dope boys in the area to become centrally located within the project and maybe Peterboro will no longer be the hot spot that it currently is.

Fingers crossed!

Bearinabox · September-29-10, 11:37 AM

Originally Posted by bailey

yeah, I mean look at Chicago... They have section 8 housing all up and down Lakshore and Michigan. It's awesome how they put the poor folks in the most valuable realestate.

You think MLK and the Lodge is valuable real estate? On one side, you have that NSO where cracked-out schizophrenic homeless people sit around on discarded car seats all day and talk to themselves, and on the other side you have a six-lane expressway. Why would any "urban professionals" or whatever even want to live there, when they could just move into the Park Shelton or something?

**detroitdoc** · September-29-10, 07:36 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

This is terrible!!! We need more upscale housing that remains vacant like the Elington Lofts.

Presonally I think it is should be up a law that all developers set aside a small percentage of thier development for low income housing. Ideally this would help solve many of the social issues that keep people in proverty. I can't mention stuff like this without hearing cries of "social engineering", "property rights", or "socialist commie". I would hope people would do this because it is the right thing to do, but people never do the right thing, they do the most profitable thing.

Actually, the Ellington has 2 units left. And Willy's Lofts are selling like hotcakes.

**wolverine** · September-29-10, 10:59 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

Presonally I think it is should be up a law that all developers set aside a small percentage of thier development for low income housing.

I thought there already was. I've even seen it where large scale high end housing with hundreds of units have met the requirements by constructing a smaller building with low income units nearby

9mile&seneca · September-30-10, 10:37 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

This is terrible!!! We need more upscale housing that remains vacant like the Elington Lofts.

Presonally I think it is should be up a law that all developers set aside a small percentage of thier development for low income housing. Ideally this would help solve many of the social issues that keep people in proverty. I can't mention stuff like this without hearing cries of "social engineering", "property rights", or "socialist commie". I would hope people would do this because it is the right thing to do, but people never do the right thing, they do the most profitable thing.

Why can't people such as yourself just adopt a family and give them your all? Why do you want to enslave others to do your socialist bidding?

**Hermod** · September-30-10, 11:24 AM

Originally Posted by 9mile&seneca

Why can't people such as yourself just adopt a family and give them your all? Why do you want to enslave others to do your socialist bidding?

Corporations [[all of them eeeeeeevulllllllllllllll) are cows for the politicians to milk so that they can buy votes. Didn't you know that?

**rhythmc** · September-29-10, 11:57 AM

It's always interesting to hear of new development in Detroit. When the development is market rate or upscale, everybody starts the whole "who would pay for that in Detroit?" thing. Now that it's low income, the comments are "why would they build low income housing in a popular, viable area?" Detroit, like every other major city, needs housing for low income people. Given the loss of units for Woodbridge Estates [[or whatever it's called), I'm surprised this wasn't the case sooner.

I am a proponent of mixed income development. I believe it is really the only means for building viable communities for everyone. The lack of this type of development is why Detroit is in the shape that it is. Implementing it properly has benefits for everyone and would alleviate many of the problems associated with many of the regions jobs being located well outside of the city whether they are custodians, retail associates, or office.

**RickBeall** · September-29-10, 07:51 PM

DetroitPlanner wrote:
>>Presonally I think it is should be up a law that all developers set aside a small percentage of thier development for low income housing.

And we should set aside some cash for healthcare and food for them too. You would not want them to suffer.

**RickBeall** · September-29-10, 08:12 PM

Imagine if you fixed up those towers overlooking the two stadiums and sold the apartments in them to sports lovers who had jobs. It would be a success.

**Rocko** · September-29-10, 10:25 PM

I'm not at all familiar with this project...is this at all similar to the Woodbridge Estates project across the Lodge?

**BVos** · September-29-10, 10:46 PM

Cornerstone is the former Jeffries East homes, part of the former Jeffries homes that are now called Woodbridge Estates. The development is mixed income, just like all Detroit Housing Commission redevelopments being built. It will be a mix of public housing, affordable housing and market rate. It will have a very high quality design to it, not at all like "typical" public housing. In fact most folks would be of the opinion that the design is way better than most suburban apartment crap built these days. It will be privately managed.

Woodbridge has several homes and condos that sold for over $200k, of course back during the hey days of real estate. Woodbridge continues to have occupancy at or above 95%, the same occupancy level it's had for the past several years since the first units opened. In fact, nearly all DHC properties are at or above 95% occupancy. That's almost unheard of in this economy anywhere in the country.

The NSO building is being closed and the services offered there moved to another location.

**Rocko** · September-29-10, 10:54 PM

Thanks for the info BVos. I've heard good things about Woodbridge Estates' redevelopment and hopefully the same can be said for this new development across the freeway once it is complete. I'm not opposed to development like this, since hopefully it'll be a draw for some new residents into the city to help stem the outward flow of population. If they are smart they'll build off the existing street pattern in this development and keep things in line with the grid pattern of the surrounding streets. A close tie with the school [[Malcolm X) across the street could be mutually beneficial. If only they could carry on the momentum or development toward the east toward Woodward....and this might also be a positive influence on cleaning up Cass Park, too!