Michigan Real Estate News

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Detroit’s Revitalization Could Have A New Focus

The global pandemic has turned many things upside down. The office markets around the U.S. are one of those things. Congress may offer developers incentives to repurpose old office buildings into residential, institutional, hotel or mixed-use spaces. While Mayor Mike Duggan has come out in support of the Revitalizing Downtowns Act, area developers do not have active plans to utilize it should the law be passed. The number of Detroit’s residential units lags behind other downtown areas. The legislation isn’t limited to downtown redevelopments but could be used to convert old office properties in the suburban locations into new uses as well.

 

Duggan Predicts Office to Residential Shift

According to Detroit mayor, Mike Duggan, downtown Detroit is in for a dramatic shift in the next 2-3 years. He predicts that Detroit’s office buildings will be repurposed from offices into housing. He believes that this shift will be a national trend. He points to a 16-story apartment building near Greektown as an example. With more construction going on than in the last 50 years, the majority of it is residential, manufacturing and distribution.

 

 

Reusing Old Mall Sites Takes a Creative Turn

Redeveloping dead shopping mall sites in the metro Detroit area isn’t about attracting the big box stores. The hottest concepts for reusing old mall sites include warehouses, distribution centers, storage units and middle-income housing. For example, Livonia and Wonderland mall sites have become Livonia Marketplace and Wonderland Village. Experts say that retail-focused approaches are less effective now due to the prevalence of online shopping.