  Greatlakes Member Username: Greatlakes Post Number: 31 Registered: 07-2007 |
http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll /article?AID=/20071014/NEWS03/ 710140728/1001 quote: Hahaha...remind anyone of Novi's main street? | ||
Detroitduo Member Username: Detroitduo Post Number: 877 Registered: 06-2005 |
Not even. At least Novi's "main street" doesn't have 6 lanes.... this is dumb. | ||
Hpgrmln Member Username: Hpgrmln Post Number: 217 Registered: 06-2007 |
Take a tired strip mall on an overpopulated highway and call it a "downtown." What a scam. If they go through with it, it will be the biggest disaster in the townships history. They can come up with a better idea. As a side note, I can't think of an actual township with a defined "downtown", usually its cities and villages.Anyone have an example? | ||
Thejesus Member Username: Thejesus Post Number: 2398 Registered: 06-2006 |
I disagree with you guys...this idea is much better than the strip malls | ||
Gsgeorge Member Username: Gsgeorge Post Number: 237 Registered: 08-2006 |
at least they're trying, people. there's only so much you can do in these areas. trying to utilize the existing strip malls and converting them into more of a 'streetscape' is one of many options. | ||
East_detroit Member Username: East_detroit Post Number: 1223 Registered: 11-2003 |
Downtown? Head south on Northwestern Hwy, it becomes the Lodge.... keep going, get off at the East Jefferson exit. Feel free to stroll. | ||
Ericdetfan Member Username: Ericdetfan Post Number: 202 Registered: 02-2007 |
Hpgrmln, Dundee and Plymouth come to mind. | ||
Ericdetfan Member Username: Ericdetfan Post Number: 203 Registered: 02-2007 |
oops dundee might be a village, but plymouth is a township. | ||
Detroitrise Member Username: Detroitrise Post Number: 247 Registered: 09-2007 |
They already have a Downtown to call it's own (as all of SE Michigan), Downtown Detroit. | ||
Ericdetfan Member Username: Ericdetfan Post Number: 204 Registered: 02-2007 |
They aren't talking about a regional downtown, but one of those lil small town downtowns. It would be nice if Detroit was everones downtown, but some ppl prefer a small piece of the downtown life which is acheived by these small downtowns. They typically have one or 2 streets with dense retail and food service in buildings that have between 1 and 3 floors. The streets are usually very walkable and full of ppl with only one or 2 lanes of traffic going in either direction. Some of the best examples in the detroit area are in: Plymouth Royal Oak West Dearborn Didn't Warren want to create one of these lil fake downtowns a few years back? What ever happened with that? You can't instantly create a sense of community, it has to be something that is built up over time. | ||
Digitalvision Member Username: Digitalvision Post Number: 415 Registered: 11-2003 |
I love all you guys - and really do understand the emotional feeling behind "there is a downtown" - but you gotta remember there are lots of folks who don't have any connection with downtown Detroit for a generation or two. It simply doesn't exist on the daily radar. This is going to be another little downtown to try to rev up interest in the place and prop up property values a bit by being cute. Nothing to worry about. Save for this board, the sorry fact is that this region doesn't have the identification with it's downtown that other areas do - for a litany of reasons. Remember, West Bloomfield is 30 miles (approx) from downtown - not really close or practical to go to on a regular basis for dinner (the argument that such a well-populated area shouldn't be 30 miles away is for another day, another thread). We are a region, (despite what the fiefdoms such as Troy want to tell you) as one of my politician friends says, "with no centre" - as for me, I'm all for making downtown/midtown that centre, but the reality is right now we are a region scattered to the exhaust winds of the freeways with very little that truly ties us together on a regular basis. p.s.- I think Warren's still pulling it together... I'm not impressed with the renderings, but they seem to like it. I'm so a fish out of water in some areas... I'll never understand Warren, hates Detroit, yet in so many ways, acts like it in their politics. Probably, in my cursory conversations, because you have so many people who "fled" there during the white flight and still have that burden in their mind. | ||
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul Post Number: 1812 Registered: 10-2006 |
Definitely a scam all around. Paraphrasing the article with its own quotations, one can see the scam: "West Bloomfield politicians [are]...hoping to create that downtown feel...with a façade that at least looks like the building has a second story." In the world of architecture this is the most ANNOYING SCAM of all let alone for the people that actually have to shop there. "at least they're trying, people. there's only so much you can do in these areas. trying to utilize the existing strip malls and converting them into more of a 'streetscape' is one of many options." Well maybe if they hadn't zoned the TWP as 'suburban' to begin with, they wouldn't have the problem of needing to create artificial facades. They have no one to blame but themselves for the crapiness of the appearances of their strip malls. The TWP got what it wanted! "You can't instantly create a sense of community, it has to be something that is built up over time." Then what the hell is West Bloomfield doing here at this point? It's too late; we lost a generation (the baby boomers) to the suburbs! In the long run however, I am glad to see new generations' attitudes changing back to the urbane, but nonetheless West Bloomfield has already lost and BEEN lost in the battle. | ||
Fareastsider Member Username: Fareastsider Post Number: 622 Registered: 08-2006 |
OFten the plans they want for a downtown never go through. I have seen something for Warrens downtown that covered the surrounding areas and it stressed street connectivity and walkability...the usual stuff. It even had recommendations for that large parcel which is now "Heritage" Village! None of the recommendations were followed. It said big box would be a bad idea and to interconnect streets with existing developments. none of which happened. I have not seen Warrens new town center anyone been there. How is it I know that no businesses have built there yet....Oh yea Dont people move out to West Bloomfield for large houses and lots...a bit of country if you will though it is suburban. Dont create a downtown there West Bloomfield is what it is and it is doing just fine as that now in my opinion. I also went to see Macomb Twps first residential development in their town center. Located nowhere! It is dead there are all the streets and parks but only like 6 houses! When it is built it should look nice I think. But that may be a while. Why do so many "new" urbanism subdivisions still feature curved short streets that lead no place? Bring back the grid! | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 5516 Registered: 08-2004 |
Fareastsider, are you talking about that "ring road development" north of M-59 (Hall Rd.)? I too found that interesting. Dead is a good way to describe it. Businesses on the first floor and residential above. And whoever said Plymouth was a township... you're half right. Plymouth, like Farmington and Rochester are all towns surrounded by townships of near or the same name. | ||
Fareastsider Member Username: Fareastsider Post Number: 623 Registered: 08-2006 |
Gistok I know what your talking about. I just saw that for the first time over the weekend. Very interesting it looks like Europe. It seemed dead but I wish it the best. I am refering to Macomb Twps town center bounded by 25 Mile, Luchtman(currently an unimproved roadway), 24 Mile Rd. and Broughton Rd. | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 5518 Registered: 08-2004 |
Gotcha... yes that does look like Europe! I've seen new downtowns built in smaller towns in Germany. Many of them follow the medieval style of narrow crooked pedestrian only lanes (but with buildings of modern architecture) surrounded by retail on the 1st floor and residential above. And of course there's a parking structure nearby, since cars are not allowed in these new downtown areas. | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 5519 Registered: 08-2004 |
Here's an example of part of a new downtown in Germany:  | ||
56packman Member Username: 56packman Post Number: 1824 Registered: 12-2005 |
I always think of the "Gaza strip mall" on Orchard lake (I think its real name is "the Boardwalk") as the official downtown of West Bloomfield, which was orchards and swamps when most established areas were building their downtown areas. | ||
Thejesus Member Username: Thejesus Post Number: 2408 Registered: 06-2006 |
lol @ Gaza strip mall...I've never heard that before | ||
Ccbatson Member Username: Ccbatson Post Number: 5291 Registered: 11-2006 |
WB has a long way to go (hundreds of millions of dollars). | ||
Atwater Member Username: Atwater Post Number: 30 Registered: 09-2007 |
Why the "Gaza strip mall"? Most of the stores in it are Jewish owned... Stage Deli, Dakota Bread, Rear Ends, Steven Franklin Optics, Stone Jeweler's, Hersh's... probably more as well. | ||
Gsgeorge Member Username: Gsgeorge Post Number: 238 Registered: 08-2006 |
Gaza Strip Mall? You guys are crazy. Have you even been to West Bloomfield lately? | ||
Crawford Member Username: Crawford Post Number: 136 Registered: 10-2006 |
FYI, the Gaza Strip is about the least Jewish place on the planet. There might not be a single Jew in the Gaza Strip (there were once a few small settlements, but they have been removed). Maybe W. Warren in Dearborn could use this reference, but definitely not Orchard Lake Road. This project is idiotic because it runs completely counter to the reasons anyone moves to W. Bloomfield. You move there to get a newish house on a large lot, for privacy and trees and for easy automobile access to stores and jobs. If you wanted a walkable area with sense of community, you could have moved to Birmingham or Royal Oak. The median price in W. Bloomfield is about the same as Bham and much higher than Royal Oak, so it isn't as if you couldn't afford such communities. |
