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Downtown Detroit’s Central Business District Rides the Rebound Rollercoaster

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Downtown Detroit’s restaurants and businesses continue to ride the return-to-office rollercoaster. While they eagerly welcome the return of office workers and the business they bring, the situation still isn’t stable. GM announced that its salaried workforce would return to the office three days a week by the end of the year. When workers called the company out for the abrupt decision, the company changed its tune, saying its policy wouldn’t be adjusted before 2023. To add to the instability, Meridian Health wants to shed more than 300,000 square feet in One Campus Martius and One Kennedy Square. Detroit’s downtown restaurants and businesses aren’t rebounding in leaps and bounds.

 

Macomb County’s Big Red Orchard For Sale

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The Big Red Orchard in Washington Township is on its way out. The site includes 11 buildings-a main barn, a market, a pair of residences, a retail shop, a cold storage building, a feed bar and a garage. Owner Ryan Moore is auctioning off the farm equipment and selling the property in November. Four years ago, Moore purchased the property known for apples, cider and doughnuts in order to supply the restaurants he had bought. Moore wants to divide the property into small sections for single-family home development.

 

 

Cities Rethink Parking Rules

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The city of Ann Arbor recently voted to remove all minimum off-street parking requirements. Detroit is reviewing its zoning code, possibly implementing new rules regarding how many parking spaces are needed for uses like housing, retail and industrial. Both examples are part of a growing trend in Michigan and around the U.S. as cities rethink their parking rules. Complying with Detroit’s parking requirements is a pain and poses a threat to business growth. Some Detroit-area businesses and organizations think the parking minimums are old-fashioned and block the development of vibrant neighborhoods. Others remain skeptical of entirely scrapping all parking minimums.

 

 

The Gillespie Group to Transform Lansing’s Former Sears Location

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The Gillespie Group is looking to transform a major business corridor in Lansing, Michigan by developing a former Sears location. Located at 3131 E. Michigan Ave., the property is being marketed as ROECO as a tribute to Sears Roebuck.  Gillespie Group’s project aims to transform the property into a mixed-use entertainment destination. It has already hooked the attention of local and national investors. The new development would come to be as thousands of new housing units are being built across the Lansing area. ROECO is situated in the heart of the region and across the street from new dining, housing and hotel rooms. The timeline and and final product of the project will be in flux as the Gillespie Group continues to find new partners.

 

Ann Arbor’s Former Lucky’s Market Is Repurposed

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The company, Venue, is bringing a 15-minute neighborhood concept to the former Lucky’s Market space in Ann Arbor. Located at 1919 S. Industrial Highway, Venue is the sister location to Prentice4M, a coworking and co-living space. Venue is slated to open on Friday, August 26, but its coworking space will open on September 1. The 30,000-square-foot location will feature five menus, shared coworking space, a bar, a coffee shop, a market and private office rental space. Venue also hosts a podcast studio, telephone booths and conference rooms. It has partnered with an autonomous vehicle ride-sharing system, as a drop-off and pick-up location for May Mobility’s  A2GO service.

Pilot Program Pays Storefront Owners to Renovate Upstairs Apartments

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Southwest Detroit Business Association’s pilot program grants $8,500 per unit to renovate apartments above commercial spaces. In an effort to expand the number of affordable homes and apartments for city residents, empty and derelict second-floor units are an untapped market. According to Elaina Peterson, a program analyst on the policy and implementation team for the city’s housing and revitalization department, there could be as many as 12,000 unoccupied apartments above stores and restaurants in Detroit. If they were updated and made livable, they would make a huge impact on the number of affordable apartments as rents and sale prices continue to increase. The program is one part of a $203 million housing plan that intends to create new rental housing, help renters to become homeowners, and improve the quality of existing rental units.

 

 

Blake’s Orchard & Cider Mill Takes Over Erwin Orchards

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Blake’s Orchard & Cider Mill owners will take over operations at Erwin Orchards. They hope to maintain the integrity of Erwin’s but with a Blake spin on it. Orchard Crossing, a 181-acre development at Silver Lake and Kent Lake roads will be positively impacted by the deal.  The Orchard Crossing development will leave 104 acres for preservation of orchards, the cider mill and other new enterprises. Blake’s is planning a 20,000-square-foot tasting room with a full-service restaurant, bar service and cidery/beer brewing. The year-round facility will be located on the northeast corner of Silver Lake and Ken Lake roads.  The north side orchard operations area will also include a 20,000-square-foot venue with a 400-person capacity and an outdoor patio. On the south side of Silver Lake, the existing cider mill will be expanded with a cider press, cafe, retail sales and office.

 

 

 

David Whitney Building Hotel Builds On And Rebrands

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The David Whitney Building will soon be renovated and rebranded. It will become an Autograph Collection hotel and expand to 160 rooms. According The Roxbury Group, the building will lose 24 of the apartments but leave 80 residences on the top seven floors. The hotel rooms will be renovated, along with the lobby bar, atrium lounge and outdoor seating. The building’s event space will become restaurant space. Renovations will being this summer. The project’s budget is undisclosed.

 

 

Up-North Brewing Company Buys Inn To House Employees

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A lack of affordable housing in northern Michigan is cramping the style of northern Michigan’s businesses. Short’s Brewing Company needs to hire summer workers, but future employees have nowhere to live.  In a creative problem-solving move, the brewery bought the Bellaire Inn and is converting and updating the 26 units as space for its incoming hires. They’ll offer local businesses an opportunity at the remaining units.  Each unit will be fully furnished with a bathroom, fridge and microwave. All utilities will be included. The brewery will hire a full-time, on-site inn keeper.

Ann Arbor Nine-Story Development Breaks Ground

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The construction of The Glen, a mixed-use development on the corner of Glen Avenue and Ann Street has finally broken ground after several years of delays. It was approved in 2017 and was scheduled to open in 2018. Technical changes were made in 2019, and construction was to begin in 2020 when the pandemic delayed it further. It’s now expected to open in 2024. The building will house 164 hotel rooms and suites and 24 apartment suites. It will also include a fine dining restaurant, meeting and event spaces, retail shops and 241 parking spots.