Director of Planning and Development Engages Neighborhoods in Revitalization Efforts
/in Detroit /by Tracy WillisThe director of Detroit Planning and Development, Antoine Bryant, thinks of Detroit as a “city of neighborhoods.” He has reached out to residents to talk about blight, flight and a lack of investment in neighborhoods that have felt left behind while Detroit’s downtown and community corridors have gained attention. Bryant has intentions to grow Detroit with projects that preserver architectural history and value the input of neighbors. In an effort to avoid building up downtown commercial sectors first, Bryant intends to engage neighborhoods as part of the revitalization process. His primary goal is to connect with residents in all of Detroit’s 200 neighborhoods while working through challenges with food deserts, vacant land and safety.
Partnership Looks to Grow Greenspace
/in Grand Rapids /by Tracy WillisA partnership between the city of Grand Rapids and Kent County Drain Commissioner Ken Yonker is focused on developing some much needed greenspace on the city’s Southeast Side. Located at 1516 S Division Ave., the property and an adjacent parcel are two of 11 properties the Grand Rapids City Commission will move forward on. The other nine properties are along Carrier Creek on the city’s Northeast Side. The city plans to turn them into park spaces, while maintaining the storm water management functions that are in place. The parks will focus on recreation opportunities like walking trails, overlooks and benches.
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Metro Detroit Housing Market Still Heated
/in Detroit, SE Michigan /by Tracy WillisMetro Detroit’s housing market is still hot for sellers and confounding for buyers, although not as intense as in spring and early summer. The median sales price for houses and condos was up over 7% in October from a year earlier, according to Realcomp multiple-listing service. That figure includes Oakland, Wayne, Macomb and Livingston counties. The amount of on-market listings was down almost 13%, and the average days on the market decreased by 7 days when compared with October 2020. The numbers show that sellers are still benefitting, even though the market has cooled a bit from earlier in the year.
Northville Psychiatric Hospital Site Slated For Demolition
/in SE Michigan /by Tracy WillisThe state psychiatric hospital site in Northville Township will be demolished as early as the summer of 2022. The hospital has been closed since 2003. The Northville Township Board of Trustees approved a $12 million bond sale to fund the clearing of the site. Previously in 2018, the site’s nine-story structure was demolished in 2018. The property will be developed into hiking and biking trails, with over 96% of the 332 acre site returned to a natural state. The township’s general fund will not be used to pay for the clearing.
Book Mansion Hits Market Soon
/in Detroit, SE Michigan /by Tracy WillisThe James Burgess Book Jr. mansion on East Jefferson Avenue will most likely hit the market for sale in the very near future. The property has been taken back by a foreclosing lender. The 1911, 12,000-square-foot building had been owned by Historic Book House LLC. The approximate $1.245 million mortgage is from December 2016. Soaring Pine Capital Real Estate and Debt Fund II are the lenders. The deadline to redeem the property by paying $937,006 plus interest is January 29. According to a Soaring Pine representative, that is unlikely to happen. The occupants had planned to hold orchestral concerts for the Ars Poetica Chamber Orchestra and give music lessons to pay back the loan. Unfortunately, those plans went by the wayside with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Walbridge Fills Up Warehouse and Begins Work on a Second
/in SE Michigan /by Tracy WillisWith Detroit-based Walbridge Group’s new warehouse in Lyon Township utilized by a German auto supplier, the construction company has begun putting up another warehouse. Webasto Roof Systems Inc. has leased the Lyon Distribution Center I. Distribution Center II is under construction with 150,000 square feet of building space to be complete in the next 12 months. Walbridge owns the 515-acre property that encompasses both sites. Of that 7.6 million square feet under construction, 86 percent is bulk warehouse and distribution space.