Details Revealed For Detroit Affordable Housing Plan

Plans for a new 83-unit apartment building near the Masonic Temple and Little Caesars Arena were shared with the public during a virtual community meeting.  3rd & Charlotte, the name of the development, is a joint project between developer Stephen Ross’ Related Cos. and the development firm The Platform. The apartments would be leased at below-market rents to tenants making 60% of area median incomes. To go forward, the project must be awarded Low-Income Housing Tax Credits from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority. If developers can meet the requirements, construction could begin in the 4th quarter of 2022.

 

 

Residential Sale Prices Continue Upward Trend

Prospective buyers in Michigan’s housing market placed higher bids in 2021. A lack of inventory caused a 13.8% increase in residential sale prices in 2021 compared to the same period in 2020. There was a 3% increase in total sales. Branch County, Detroit, Bay County, Sanilac County and Mason, Oceana and Manistee counties reported higher than 20% increases in housing prices. Gratiot, Isabella, St. Joseph, Greater Shiawassee and Hillsdale counties reported less than 7% housing price increases. Antrim, Charlevoix and Kalkaska were the only to counties to report a decrease in home prices (-0.7%).

 

Home Sales Predicted to Continue Surging in December

According to RE/MAX of Southeastern Michigan and the Home Builders Association of Southeastern Michigan, November was a robust month for home sales and new home starts. December promises even stronger home sales than last year’s figures. New single-family home permits were above 300 in Macomb, Oakland, St. Clair and Wayne counties for 18 months running. Even with the supply chain issues, new-home permits helped to make the year successful. However, no new multifamily permits were issued in November. The number of pending sales in November indicates that December will be a good month.

 

 

Lafayette West Development Secures Loans

Bedrock Purchases Former UAW-GM Site

Dan Gilbert, billionaire founder and chairman of Rocket Companies Inc. has purchased the former UAW-GM Center for Human Resource building for an undisclosed price. Developers Dominic Moceri and Christos Moisides bought it a little more than a year ago, paying $34 million for it in November 2020. The purchase adds almost 1 million square feet of office space, in excess of 25 acres of land and 1,600 parking spots to his Detroit-area holdings. Earlier this year, Gilbert purchased the former Stroh family portfolio which gave him over 8.7 acres of developable land, 735 parking spaces and approximately 500,000 square feet of office building.

 

 

Adrian Mall Proposal Includes Mixed-Use Redevelopment

An Adrian Mall proposal aims to redesign the mall into a mixed-use facility that will include multifamily residential housing, anchor business tenants, and different options for retail and dining establishments. A church and self-storage units are also planned. The Adrian Planning Commission hasn’t voted on the proposal yet, but they’ve entered into discussion about the pre-application presentation. Some commissioners expressed optimism toward the presented ideas. An important part of the project is to demolish the water-damaged and mold-laden portion of the mall. Both conditions caused the mall to be condemned two years ago.

 

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City of Novi Purchases Land for Conservation Efforts

The city of Novi is purchasing 8 acres of vacant property with the aim to preserve woodlands and make improvements on Beck Road. According to City Manager Pete Auger, the city will continue to purchase property to maintain wetlands and woodlands using tree fund dollars. However, the $249,000 purchase of the two parcels on Edinborough Lane will come from the general fund. A public meeting regarding Beck Road is expected to take place in January. The road has capacity issues, and improvements have been discussed for years.

 

Ann Arbor’s Plans for Blighted Site Take Shape

Ann Arbor’s plans for the transformation of a blighted site across from the YMCA are in the works. The SmithGroup presented new drawings to the Planning Commission that show how the Treeline urban trail for pedestrians and cyclists could run through the east side of the site along the railroad tracks. They include a new housing building and courtyard on the west side of the site that would provide a mix of affordable and market-rate housing. The city is trying address many different public interests with this site. The site plans have been changed multiple times. The newest drawings are still not the plan’s final draft.

 

 

Historic Detroit Hotel Sold

Hotel developer Oxford Capital Group LLC and hedge fund Taconic Capital Advisors LP purchased the Westin Book Cadillac hotel in downtown Detroit. They assumed the $77 million in commercial mortgage-backed securities debt owed by the Ferchill Group. They’ll complete the $16.5 million tower renovations over the next two years. The property will remain open throughout the renovation. According to the Detroit Economic Growth Corp., the PA 255 tax abatement is critical the project. It freezes the property taxes at pre-improvement levels after the building has been renovated. Without it, the project would not have gone through.

 

 

 

The Mid Project Faces Another Delay

The Mid project, a four-acre development in Midtown, was scheduled to begin in the third quarter this year. The project is now expected to begin in the second quarter of 2022. A spokesperson for the project said that the delays are due to the impact of the pandemic on the industries and components that support the project. The proposal aims to bring two high-rise buildings and other mixed-use development to the north of Detroit’s Whole Foods Inc. store. The project’s two planned phases will both begin in the second quarter. They will include about 300 co-living units, multifamily residential housing, retail space, and a hotel.