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Park and Trail Projects Promise Increased Value and Developments

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The Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park on the west Detroit riverfront will feature a bear slide, an otter slide, and a slide in the form of a beaver. The park will include swings, trails, a treehouse, a replica of Fort Wayne and an outdoor classroom. The park broke ground on Tuesday afternoon, a month after ground was broken on the Southwest Greenway, a trail being built to connect southwest Detroit neighborhoods to the riverfront. These amenities that come with these projects will help property values, based on many studies that show that the proximity of a public park increases a home’s value. They should also be a catalyst for development in the area.

Renaissance Center Faces More Loss

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Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan is vacating the RenCen and consolidating its Health Plan Business employees from that location into the high-rise it owns at 600 E. Lafayette Blvd. Last month, the complex lost Deloitte LLP, its third-largest tenant. At this time, the exact number of BCBSM employees the move impacts is unknown. BCBSM has stated that the move is a result of reintegrating remote workers back into the office environment. It holds a long-term lease through 2026.

 

 

Star Southfield Theater To Be Repurposed

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The Triumph Church is expecting to repurpose the shuttered Star Southfield movie theater into a new campus. The site will include a worship center, a children’s area, a student area and a community space. The church site will also provide assistance with transportation, medical, financial and rental assistance, employment skills training, a pregnancy center and counseling center.  Converting movie theater sites is often difficult due to their sloped floors and layout. The plan includes a 1,600-seat worship center, a 350-seat chapel, and a fellowship hall in the main lobby area.  In other areas of the country, repurposing of theaters has taken on many forms like medical offices, a department of motor vehicles and self-storage.

 

 

Birmingham’s Downtown Transformation Continues

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Birmingham’s downtown transformation continues with the four-story building planned at 294 E. Brown. Part of the development will house a new, multi-story RH showroom. The building with include office and residential space, underground parking, and rooftop use that will include a pool. The Birmingham planning board reviewed and recommended the final site plan for approval at its April 27 meeting. Some residents are concerned about the development’s spread into their residential neighborhood.

 

Townhouse Plymouth Township Development Approved by Trustees

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On April 26, the Plymouth Township Board of Trustees voted 4-2 to approve the Toll Brothers’ and Pomeroy Living’s Plymouth Walk planned 369-unit townhouse/apartment development, despite the concerns of residents.  Neighbors expressed concerns about increased traffic issues in the area and the elimination of green space.  The developers agreed to spend $1.8 million to pave the dirt roads and add sidewalks to the Eastlawn subdivision north of the development.  That willingness swayed the decision of at least two of the trustees.

 

 

Buick City Site Development To Create Thousands of Jobs

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A possible development for the Flint’s former Buick City site could be a game changer for the city, potentially creating thousands of jobs. Real estate developer Ashely Capital has the site under contract. The $300 million construction plans are dependent on financing environmental remediation for the site. The funding gap is $15-$20 million. The city of Flint is working with the state and county to come up with the needed funding. If the deal is finalized, construction could start as early as next year.

 

Metro Detroit’s Home Prices Highest in Decades

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Metro Detroit home prices have increased, up 14.6 percent in February when compared to last year. The increase is the highest they’ve been in decades. The managing director for S&P Dow Jones Indices has gone on record saying they’re in the top decile of growth for Detroit over 30 years of tracking. The country is also showing the highest increases on record, up 19.8 percent. Detroit metro’s median increase is 5.1 percent, higher than the 4.7 percent national median. Read estate brokers agree that home ownership is becoming out of reach for new buyers and people of color.

 

 

The Future of Office Space is Changing

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There has been big movement in office space leasing. The Bank of America building in Troy will no longer house the Bank of America! Deloitte consulting firm confirmed its plans to leave the Renaissance Center. GM’s COVID-era “work appropriately” policy has contributed to the Ren Cen’s quieter-than-usual atmosphere. With Deloitte’s departure, the Renaissance Center will be only 53.5 percent leased. Businesses continue to adapt with post-pandemic in-person work plans.

 

 

Eastland Center Mall Demolition Begins in Harper Woods

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The demolition of the former J.L. Hudson Company department store began this week. Facebook posts show the Harper Woods site in the closed Eastland Shopping Center. Large excavators have removed the outer walls and exposed three stores of the department store and mall. NorthPoint Development purchased the property in 2021. The mall closed in early 2022. Development plans include warehouses and a possibly industrial distribution center.

 

Office Space Continues Its Radical Metamorphosis

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Detroit consulting firm Deloitte confirmed that it’s vacating the Renaissance Center for a 35,000 square foot WeWork space at 1001 Woodward Avenue. GM’s COVID-era policy, along with Deloitte’s departure will increase challenges for the Renaissance Center, a building that’s only 53.5 percent leased. Troy’s Bank of America is giving up its regional headquarters and relocating employees to locations in Bloomfield Hills, Auburn Hills and Farmington Hills. The headquarters’ prominence, location and amenities may interest prospective tenants.