  Detroit313 Member Username: Detroit313 Post Number: 373 Registered: 02-2006 |
http://www.flickr.com/photos/b ohemianrobot/602054254/in/phot ostream/ Courtesy of Bohemianrobot: This is the subject of Detroit's expanding riverfront. I light of the opening of the eastriver. I now turn my attention on the huge potential of the westriver bank. Please give ideas, input and information! Thankx <313> | ||
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan Post Number: 5695 Registered: 10-2003 |
The potential is significantly less, IMO, for the simple fact of the less friendly layout, but the outcome will be much the same, and that's loads better than what's their now. The west won't have an anchor and tie like the RenCen to tie the trail into downtown the same way (who'd ever thought you'd hear the RenCen used as a tie to downtown? lol), but it should offer Corktowners a better connection to the river. I just hope they creatively weave connections to Corktown into the west riverfront plan. | ||
Rbdetsport Member Username: Rbdetsport Post Number: 293 Registered: 11-2005 |
I believe that if Joe Louis is Demolished, and an Expanded Cobo happens, that there can be just a good of a connection to Hart Plaza. By putting great developments along the way, they will easily tie it in with Downtown and expand the skyline. Although, I must agree that the Riverfront Towers do not do much to help with "Connection." I think another street would have to be put in between the river and Jefferson when you get closer to the Ambassador Bridge. If this is planned well, this could complete the revitalization of the immediate areas of the riverfront and the city could start focusing on more inland things. Redevelopment would be spurred into Corktown and Mexicantown. | ||
Urbanoutdoors Member Username: Urbanoutdoors Post Number: 359 Registered: 11-2005 |
What about the train lines that used to run in close to the area. I know it crosses at Rosa Parks and lafayette and is still running south east... Another dequindre cut? | ||
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan Post Number: 5700 Registered: 10-2003 |
Actually, the Corktown website has a link showing what the West Riverfront was to look like (siteplan) with 'fingers' coming off the river extending northward into Corktown to provide for better connection, because of how the industrial area kind of creates a barrier. http://www.corktowndetroit.org/images/Green%20Corktown/greenlink.pdf (Message edited by lmichigan on June 24, 2007) | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 3085 Registered: 02-2005 |
The DEGC and Riverfront Conservancy people seem to believe that the West Riverfront could be bigger and better (at least in terms of possible development) than the E. Riverfront. Patience will be the key, though, if we want our riverfront to become the Miami of the north. What we are looking at is primarily just empty riverfront lots, not so much a large district for neighborhood-building, as Lmich alludes to. Still, the potential is there for something BIG, and there is no telling what could happen to some of the properties along W. Jefferson and Lafayette. There's a lot of low-rise, warehouse-type stuff there that could be improved upon, and maybe even the post office could be moved. Anything that's developed there will be totally plugged into downtown thanks to the Riverwalk, which would inevitably be extended west of the JLA...in addition, there are all the implications associated with a new convention center in that area. I certainly got the sense that the W. Riverfront is a future frontier when DRC and DEGC reps spoke to the Detroit Project here at UM. | ||
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan Post Number: 5701 Registered: 10-2003 |
Bigger and better than the East? IMO, it will be a completely different feel, and decidedly more low-key and laid-back. You don't have an historic Rivertown, or neighborhood for that matter, to tap into. Nor do you have the interesting high-bluffed topography to play off of, or the tight, village-like street layout to build on. As for it being 'totally plugged into downtown' it takes more than just the riverwalk to do that. Since the freeways cut off both the near east and west riverfronts, you need an additional structure/center to tie in, totally, the neighboring district to downtown proper. The Near-East Riverfront now has the RenCen. Even if you tear down the Joe, you still have the relative physical and mental obstruction of the gated-off Riverfront Towers and its giant parking garage. It definitely needs to be developed, but it will have a different feel with a different purpose than the vibrant, entertainment and neighborhood-oriented Near-East Riverfront. It will be much more connected to the neighborhood north of it than it will to the neighborhood to the east of it. I'm not quite sure how anyone can think that this will be similar to the redevelopment of the much different Near-East Riverfront. It will be a much less conventionally exciting redevelopment, though, just as necessary. (Message edited by lmichigan on June 24, 2007) | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 3086 Registered: 02-2005 |
My guts says we will have major high-rises on the empty waterfront lots. That's all. The neighborhood itself, on the ground, will suck compared to the East because of its disjointed nature like you say. | ||
Ramcharger Member Username: Ramcharger Post Number: 334 Registered: 05-2006 |
Does anyone know who purchased the, now closed, Detroit Free Press printing plant on the west riverfront at W. Jefferson and Rosa Parks Blvd.? I believe the sale included all the property between W. Jefferson and the river and Rosa Parks Blvd. and 8th St. In addition, does anyone know if the city or the riverfront conservancy has tried to negotiate with Riverfront Towers for access along their marina similar to what was worked out with the Harbortown complex? Since there is already a riverfront walk between Rosa Parks Blvd. and 8th St. if they connected that 700, or so, yards between 8th St. and 3rd St. There would be an unbroken two mile stretch of the Riverwalk from Rosa Parks Blvd. to Rivard Plaza. (Message edited by Ramcharger on June 24, 2007) | ||
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan Post Number: 5702 Registered: 10-2003 |
Mackinaw, I agree. I think high-rises will take off along the west riverfront, that's just not all that exciting to me. I mean, it's great, but the street level is going to have a significantly less vibrant feel in that area, I predict. Ram, Look at the link I posted. It shows the Riverwalk crossing the marina. Whether that is just a wish/proposal, or if it's already been negotiated, I have no idea. BTW, to find out about the printing press, since you're a city resident, for free, you can check the online assessing program. Just find the address of the plant, and it should show a recent record of the current and former owners and such. EDIT: I just did some quick research to find out that Detroit Newspapers chose Grubb & Ellis in 2005 to market the site. It's still unsold, apparently: For the property: http://www.loopnet.com/xNet/MainSite/Flash/Profile.aspx?LID=14195129 For the land: http://www.loopnet.com/xNet/MainSite/Flash/Profile.aspx?LID=14188376 It is most definitely a prime riverfront site. That is a heck of a lot of valuable land, right there. (Message edited by lmichigan on June 24, 2007) | ||
Ramcharger Member Username: Ramcharger Post Number: 335 Registered: 05-2006 |
Thanks for the info. The City of Detroit Property tax lookup system has started charging a convenience fee of $2.00 for data retrievals on all property except that which you own. I guess nothing is free any more. $20,000,000 seems reasonable for over 26 acres of prime riverfront land. I often wondered why Mayor Archer didn’t try to locate his casino district along the west riverfront instead of the east. It seems as if the land would have been much easier to acquire. I know that for some time the city has wanted to run the Riverwalk along the Riverfront Towers marina but, in the past, Riverfront Towers has refused. I was just wondering if their position has changed. | ||
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan Post Number: 5703 Registered: 10-2003 |
I sure hope they've changed their mind, too, with their new ownership and management and all. It seems like the new management sees the property in the context of the greater downtown, whereas when they were originally built the owners saw their property as an island. Let us just hope that means they are willing to open up their riverfront partially to the public, as well. So, the city is charging $2 for everyone, now? I thought the original plan was portrayed as charging only non-residents for its usage? Regardless, wow. lol I don't know of any city that charges its residents the usage of their property look-up system. | ||
Scottr Member Username: Scottr Post Number: 532 Registered: 07-2006 |
Does anyone know who purchased the, now closed, Detroit Free Press printing plant on the west riverfront at W. Jefferson and Rosa Parks Blvd.? The riverfront conservancy has a purchase agreement, set to close later this year. http://www.crainsdetroit.com/a pps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/2007 0618/SUB/706150318/-1/toc | ||
Ramcharger Member Username: Ramcharger Post Number: 336 Registered: 05-2006 |
quote: Excellent news! | ||
Dan Member Username: Dan Post Number: 1416 Registered: 10-2003 |
I think the west has tremendous potential. Drive down Fort St. and look at the buildings that are there. Many would be ripe for loft development, and they range in size from single store fronts to mammoth cubes, smaller developers could create a very eclectic neighborhood there, which would be a nice contrast to the mega projects on the Eastside. There are also a great number of buildable empty lots for bigger projects. Connect those to a vibrant Corktown and Mexicantown and it suddenly becomes a very interesting spot. It seems like it will naturally have a more human scale, which would give it a very different feel. The West could be just as grand as the East. Both are really exciting! | ||
56packman Member Username: 56packman Post Number: 1448 Registered: 12-2005 |
The building I used to work at located at 1915 W. Fort (SW corner of Fort and 12th) was purchased, sandblasted, demo'ed all interior walls in the back, all new windows, new paint on the inside--and there it sits, with a Farbman sign but no action. Wonder what is going to happen there? | ||
Ray Member Username: Ray Post Number: 916 Registered: 06-2004 |
That Habitral area by Joe Louis (with the parking structures, freeway interchange and little silos and tubes for the people) needs to have an atomic bomb dropped on it. One look at that, and you can assure yourself that the people in charge of the city when this was built had no idea of what makes a successful urban area. | ||
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan Post Number: 5708 Registered: 10-2003 |
It's "urban renewal", and it happened to almost every city in the country in some form. That area is a particularly bad example (or is it good example?) of "urban renewal." | ||
Rbdetsport Member Username: Rbdetsport Post Number: 297 Registered: 11-2005 |
That is another reason why I want Joe Louis demolished. *"Urban Renewal" Tubes and such *Opens up for an expanded Cobo *Opens up parking garage for West Riverfront Projects *Riverfront Condos will have a better connection to downtown. And Im sure there are many other benefits including the benefits to the new area of the arena. |
