Lowell Board Administrator Username: Lowell
Post Number: 4012 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2007 - 12:26 pm: | |
View from the Cass Cafe Parking Lot. This is going to be big and big boost to the Cultural Center area community. |
Kid_dynamite Member Username: Kid_dynamite
Post Number: 164 Registered: 06-2007
| Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2007 - 12:33 pm: | |
This looks like such a cool development. It will really improve that strip of Woodward and the desirability of Midtown. |
Goat Member Username: Goat
Post Number: 9607 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2007 - 12:44 pm: | |
Now if only the morons in Windsor council can start the urban village they promised over 5 years ago! Good development for the city and area. |
Jdkeepsmiling Member Username: Jdkeepsmiling
Post Number: 288 Registered: 01-2006
| Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2007 - 1:08 pm: | |
It is great to see a project moving so quickly. Usually things are announced and it takes sooooo long for them to start moving earth. This looks like they already have some footers in the ground. I do have to admit that the typical slowness with which developments take around here is slowly going away, which is definitely a good sign. |
Andylinn Member Username: Andylinn
Post Number: 459 Registered: 04-2006
| Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2007 - 1:11 pm: | |
if you had just moved the camera a little to the right you would have gotten a nice peek at MOCAD! ; ) |
Emu_steve Member Username: Emu_steve
Post Number: 420 Registered: 11-2006
| Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2007 - 1:15 pm: | |
I always felt the sense of urgency in how Wayne handled this project. I never had the feeling that this project was a lot of spin. Very nice! Now WSU needs to get a sense of urgency and get the new school of business building built. Curious if they will wait for a few other ongoing projects to be completed before getting another project started? That would actually seem to make sense. |
Dannaroo Member Username: Dannaroo
Post Number: 100 Registered: 05-2006
| Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2007 - 1:22 pm: | |
Damn this construction! The demolished the parking lot I like to use that was never full in the evenings and a convenient walk to both Old Main and the Cass Cafe! Ok.... I actually look forward to seeing this development take shape! Maybe the area will someday actually feel like a college town. |
Detroit_stylin Member Username: Detroit_stylin
Post Number: 4466 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2007 - 1:23 pm: | |
Speaking of which, what do they have planned for what will soon become a vacant lot once they finish the demolition of the old Dorms on Forest? |
Johnlodge Member Username: Johnlodge
Post Number: 1328 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2007 - 1:26 pm: | |
Dannaroo, I feel your pain. I cried a little when they tore down Z's Place. One less place for me to get some delicious jumbalaya. All in all, positive though! |
Dougw Member Username: Dougw
Post Number: 1823 Registered: 11-2003
| Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2007 - 2:22 pm: | |
See this article for a rendering of University Village: http://www.detnews.com/apps/pb cs.dll/article?AID=/20070716/M ETRO/707160308/1003 |
Detroit313 Member Username: Detroit313
Post Number: 405 Registered: 02-2006
| Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2007 - 4:27 pm: | |
This is a great development. WSU is really going in the right direction. No more commuter-university. <313> |
Ferndaleguy76 Member Username: Ferndaleguy76
Post Number: 60 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2007 - 4:33 pm: | |
Johnlodge, didn't Z's reopen on Piquette? Or am I confusing the two? |
Johnlodge Member Username: Johnlodge
Post Number: 1351 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2007 - 4:37 pm: | |
^ I'm not sure. Did it? Anybody know? |
Mdoyle Member Username: Mdoyle
Post Number: 151 Registered: 10-2006
| Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2007 - 5:33 pm: | |
While they were diging they hit the basement walls of the vernors plant. Im sure that delayed it a bit but the footings are going in really quickly and I expect to see steel by the fall. I think this will be put up much like The Towers dorms were which were all prefab concrete. I used to see trucks lined up down 94 west loaded with prefab. Detroit_stylin refer to this thread. https://www.atdetroit.net/forum/mes sages/5/107134.html?1184446788 |
Thejesus Member Username: Thejesus
Post Number: 1697 Registered: 06-2006
| Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2007 - 5:34 pm: | |
"This is a great development. WSU is really going in the right direction. No more commuter-university." They aren't actually marketing this one to students...the developer is mainly going after professionals working downtown as well as a handful of graduate students, which seems to fit given the style, size and price of these units... |
Tompage Member Username: Tompage
Post Number: 33 Registered: 01-2005
| Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2007 - 5:36 pm: | |
Z's Villa is on Piquette Street, just east of Woodward, on the north side of the street. Just down the street from the Model T Heritage complex. |
Tompage Member Username: Tompage
Post Number: 34 Registered: 01-2005
| Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2007 - 5:39 pm: | |
Correction - Z's Villa is on the south side of Piquette. (I moved back here from Los Angeles a few years ago. I still get confused with directions here - Canada being to the south of the D.) |
Detroit313 Member Username: Detroit313
Post Number: 406 Registered: 02-2006
| Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2007 - 5:41 pm: | |
Of course, but the general term "Commuter-University" is coined because everyone, students and staff alike, have to drive. It's the overall aspect. I like to look at WSU's larger picture and compare it to NYU in Manhattan, and Depaul in Chicago. <313> |
Dan_the_man Member Username: Dan_the_man
Post Number: 20 Registered: 07-2006
| Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2007 - 6:01 pm: | |
Is the building going to go all the way to forest or is there going to be a gap? I was really hoping it would go all the way, but driving by yesterday I noticed that the gas station is still there and open. It's hard to tell in the renderings because none of them seem to have Forest in them. |
Mbr Member Username: Mbr
Post Number: 221 Registered: 03-2005
| Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2007 - 6:34 pm: | |
The gas station will remain. |
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw
Post Number: 3363 Registered: 02-2005
| Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2007 - 6:38 pm: | |
That is kind of a letdown for street aesthetics. |
Detroit313 Member Username: Detroit313
Post Number: 407 Registered: 02-2006
| Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2007 - 7:59 pm: | |
CAR IS KING! <313> |
Mdoyle Member Username: Mdoyle
Post Number: 152 Registered: 10-2006
| Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2007 - 8:26 pm: | |
yeah the development plus the parking structure will be built up all around the gas station leaving an ugly little notch right on the corner. Bleh. Tear it down along with McDonalds and Churchs |
Rocket_city Member Username: Rocket_city
Post Number: 338 Registered: 04-2006
| Posted on Friday, July 27, 2007 - 9:07 am: | |
I have a feeling that in time those auto-oriented establishments will go. I think the planning department should regard them as nonconforming uses (although I am not familiar with the city's attitude toward Woodward design standards)...if I was in charge, there'd be a complete overhaul! ;) I have a great bird's eye view from my perch at Cathedral Tower, so I'll post some photos later. I think the Ellington-style concept is good for Woodward, with the 0-setback and the curb cut driveway bisecting the building to access the parking in the rear. I just wish there would be more regard to greenery and landscaping like you would see in Chicago, NY, or Boston developments of this nature. There are large trees throughout, where the most we might get here is are a few half-dead street trees. I see it headed in the right direction though. |
Johnlodge Member Username: Johnlodge
Post Number: 1363 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Friday, July 27, 2007 - 9:12 am: | |
Geez, all these years before all the new development, that gas station and those fast food joints managed to scrape a living in that area, where nobody else could or wanted to, giving students (like me, back in the day) a place to get gas and lunch. Now that there is some activity in the area, you demand they be torn down? |
Rocket_city Member Username: Rocket_city
Post Number: 340 Registered: 04-2006
| Posted on Friday, July 27, 2007 - 9:22 am: | |
Yep. Who needs gas when your focus is dense, urban, walkable, transit-oriented community building? With all due respect to the automobile (which should be planned for as well)...I can get my gas from the concentrations of them strategically placed at the major freeway access ramps at Warren and Mack/MLK and I-75/Lodge. Places that, due to their nature are more suited for automobile service. Also, Church's, McD's and all other fast food joints that take up gobs of space can lease retail space in a mixed use building like South Univ. Village or the Ellington, Willy's Overland, MidMed, etc... (Message edited by Rocket City on July 27, 2007) |
Dialh4hipster Member Username: Dialh4hipster
Post Number: 2126 Registered: 11-2004
| Posted on Friday, July 27, 2007 - 10:10 am: | |
LOL |
Gwyrah Member Username: Gwyrah
Post Number: 29 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Friday, July 27, 2007 - 10:35 am: | |
There's a union picketing the site right now. I think I saw their signs say "Local Jobs /Local workers". |
Thejesus Member Username: Thejesus
Post Number: 1699 Registered: 06-2006
| Posted on Friday, July 27, 2007 - 10:42 am: | |
^funny how these union people claim to be all about community and what's fair and what's best for "us", but when they aren't the ones benefiting, we get, "Fuck those scab workers!" |
Tuere Member Username: Tuere
Post Number: 20 Registered: 11-2003
| Posted on Friday, July 27, 2007 - 1:37 pm: | |
Am i missing something? From the rendering it looks like the buildings are being developed right on Woodward. If the gas station remains while other portions of the development actaully come up to the sidewalk on Woodward, that doesn't seem to hurt too much. |
Dougw Member Username: Dougw
Post Number: 1827 Registered: 11-2003
| Posted on Friday, July 27, 2007 - 2:02 pm: | |
Yes, the buildings will be right up on Woodward, and so will the gas station, so they'll basically be next to each other on Woodward (with the gas station just to the north). So yeah, not the end of the world, but eventually it would be nice if the land became valuable enough that the gas station could sell out and move somewhere else away from Woodward. |
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw
Post Number: 3375 Registered: 02-2005
| Posted on Friday, July 27, 2007 - 2:30 pm: | |
It is a standard gas station with a major setback, surrounded by unneccesary pavement. You said it will be right up to the street. Are they rebuilding? |
Detroit_stylin Member Username: Detroit_stylin
Post Number: 4484 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Friday, July 27, 2007 - 2:33 pm: | |
I just noticed according to that rendering...the IS no gas station on the corner... |
Johnlodge Member Username: Johnlodge
Post Number: 1390 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Friday, July 27, 2007 - 2:49 pm: | |
Renderings can often stretch the truth about things like that. |
Mbr Member Username: Mbr
Post Number: 224 Registered: 03-2005
| Posted on Friday, July 27, 2007 - 3:19 pm: | |
http://www.studio1apartments.c om/retail.php The white void on the right hand side of the drawing is the gas station. |