$4.7M HQ for the Pension Board?

[MIRepublic]

I don't know the specific section, but across the river in downtown Windsor I own an apartment building several years newer than 1001 Woodward with a main floor parking garage that I wanted to turn into a commercial store and apartments. The Planning Department told me absolutely not and gave me a copy of the bylaw which stated I needed one parking spot per apartment unless it was a grandfathered in like you'd with a much older building that never had parking. They had a by-law on office/retail space, but I forget what it was. I asked if I could could buy a vacant lot half a block down the street and use that as parking for it. Again, they told me absolutely not, it has to be a parking lot adjacent or I can't convert the garage. Now, I'm sure a much larger city like Detroit has a similar by-law on the books and I'm guessing that that attached garage to 1001 Woodward was required by the planning department before they issued a building permit for 1001 Woodward. Those parking garages and spots are a package deal with the building and I doubt they would get built if the city didn't require it.

Windsor doesn't have any residential zoning classifications that preclude a parking requirement? I'm surprised. There are a lot of cities [[and the club is growing) with residential zoning classifications where there is no parking requirement.

[davewindsor]

Windsor doesn't have any residential zoning classifications that preclude a parking requirement? I'm surprised. There are a lot of cities [[and the club is growing) with residential zoning classifications where there is no parking requirement.

What you said makes no sense. Who's gonna build and maintain the parking garages then? The city? I can rent out a parking spot in the garage in downtown for $35 a month. Based on the units above, I can turn every two parking spots into a one-bedroom apt. and rent it out for $600 a month. Why would anyone build a parking garage in downtown then? Parking garages are always money losers. No one would build them if it wasn't required.

[DetroitDad]

What you said makes no sense. Who's gonna build and maintain the parking garages then? The city? I can rent out a parking spot in the garage in downtown for $35 a month. Based on the units above, I can turn every two parking spots into a one-bedroom apt. and rent it out for $600 a month. Why would anyone build a parking garage in downtown then? Parking garages are always money losers. No one would build them if it wasn't required.

Sadly true. This is one of the problems that really makes our society as a whole unsustainable. Good urbanism is basically impossible through bad policies and poor decisions.

Anyway, this decision is appalling. The Riverwalk needs residential. These guys belong Downtown.