The $14M bus terminal may encourage more people to take public buses to Detroit's downtown area, mass transit advocates say.
Detroit bus station work set to start
Economic group awards $10.8M construction contract to build 25,000-square-foot facility.
Construction on a new $14 million public bus station in downtown Detroit, the Rosa Parks Transit Center, could begin as early as next month, city public transportation officials said Tuesday.
The board of directors for the city's Economic Development Corp. awarded a $10.8 million construction contract to DeMaria Building Co. of Detroit to build the 25,000 square-foot facility covering two city blocks, including a corner of Michigan and Cass avenues. Barring any last-minute snags, construction of the bus terminal named for the late civil rights pioneer will start in three weeks and could be completed by the second half of 2008, according to DeMaria officials.
The new terminal is being hailed by both mass transit advocates and developers because it may encourage more people to take the bus to the city's downtown and it replaces a temporary outdoor facility long considered inadequate.
Many developers contend the area surrounding the current bus center in Capitol Park can be revived into upscale lofts and retail.
"The Rosa Parks facility has long been considered a key goal," said George Jackson, president of the Detroit Economic Growth Corp., a quasi-public agency promoting development in the city, in a recent interview about downtown development goals.
"It's an attractive facility and hopefully that makes the idea of using public transportation more attractive. And there is interest in the development community to utilize Capitol Park. You literally have the Westin Book-Cadillac right on the corner of it," Jackson said, referring to the historic hotel undergoing a $180 million restoration project.
Capitol Park is near Griswold and Shelby streets and Grand River Avenue. The bus center was always intended to be temporary. The city moved the facility there in December 2001 after the old center, also an outdoor area, was razed to make way for the building of Campus Martius Park.
The new transit center named after the civil rights icon will be several blocks away, bounded by Grand River on the north, Michigan Avenue on the south, Park Place on the east and Cass Avenue on the west. The station will be at the former site of a building that housed the Lindell A.C., a well-known Detroit sports bar.
The project will be funded by federal and state dollars. No city funds are required for the project. There will be a climate-controlled waiting area, taxi stands, retail services and transit-police offices.
Mass transit advocates hope that ridership will significantly increase with the new Rosa Parks facility.
An average of 30,000 passengers use one of the 17 bus routes on an average weekday at the Capitol Park location, city officials said.
"It's is very much an improvement," said Megan Owen of Transportation Riders United, a Detroit nonprofit advocating for more mass transit in the region.
what's up with detroit and the white tensile roof? the new pavillions on the east riverwalk are the same thing, and they already look cheap and dated. this looks a bit more elegant, but it's still just a glorified bus shelter.
in my view, many of the design problems here go back to the in-bred nature of contracting in the city and a lack of a strong design culture. we used to have saarinen, birkerts, and kessler. now who is there to guide the city?
This project is actually taking place right across the street from my office. Work started on Monday. Everyone here was upset to see Lindell A.C. go last year, and since that time the lot has been infilled with sand, creating a nice mess on a dry, windy day. The block to the north is currently a park area that plays home to many homeless and addicts, who can be caught napping on one of the few benches at any hour of the day. There are also 2 people mover stations adjacent to this site, one to the northeast and one to the southeast, which should encourage people in the suburbs to take a bus to the transit center, and the people mover to events in the downtown area. It's always nice to see new work going on in Detroit.
I get excited when I hear of projects happening in Detroit City, especially renovations and non-normative projects. The rendering makes the structure look nice but I'm wary of permanent, tensile structures- especially in cities that may not have a lot of funds to regularly clean it.
Does anyone know what will be of the new Ambassador Bridge?
haha. i worked on this project when i was at pb's detroit office during grad school. the main designer was actually out of the san francisco office. ftl design engineering studio was the consultant on the fabric structure, and they were really amazing people. construction was supposed to be completed for the super bowl, only dte didn't tell us that there were utility ducts running directly thru the proposed basement. i'm curious to how they solved that problem. it probably has two basements.
i'm actually really, really suprised that they are going through with this project at all now that they have obviously missed the superbowl deadline. there were plenty of rumors going on about detroit scrapping their bus system all together due to a lack of funding, and to me this project seemed like yet another "renaissance" project which detroit has had plenty of. this was definitely a $20m dollar project last i heard; i always wondered why they shouldn't use that money to clean up their schools. i however excited to see them going through with it, perhaps this will help some of the good things that are happening on the campus martius extend over to michigan and cass.
Thanks- the Ambassador looked so good in it's appearances in Eminem and Kid Rock videos. I hope it will have a modern look.
Michigan is combating it's transportation bashing critics by building sleek, new bus terminals, they just finished one in Kalamazoo too. It sounds good in theory, but Detroit really needs a light rail from the city to Oakland County and to the airport..
I can't tell you how many times I sit in traffic in the morning on I-75 heading into downtown, wishing I could instead be sitting on a subway or train, catching up on some reading or email or just listening to some MP3s. It sickens me to see the hundreds of cars grinding to a hault on the expressway every morning. If it were have the commute I'd bike it, but 18 miles each way is quite a ride.
You're right, silverlake, a pretty bus terminal isn't the answer, but an important step in the revitalization of the downtown area. Couple new transit facilities with new event facilities like Ford Field, Comerica Park, and possibly a new ice arena, as well as a stong central business district complimented by Campus Martius Park, and retail and dining investments in the downtown area, and it can become a desireable place to live again. This can be witnessed already by the relative popularity of new townhome and loft developments, and the opening of new bars and restaurants in the downtown area.
well, grand rapids actually has a great transit system, i believe it won a bunch of national awards. their transit center was actually used as a case study for this one, and was actually chosen for its location along a rail easement, assuming in the next 20 years they go to light rail. personally i don't thing this hub is going to be that big of a deal long term. there are lots of studies being done on a passenger rail system to connect aa, ypsi, dtw, and detroit. think chicago metra line, but it won't connect to this station which is somewhat isolated from rail service (and there are no serious plans for extending the people mover at this time). i actually wouldn't doubt it if west michigan got a real light rail system before the detroit-area does, as they are way ahead on transit. this transit center serves only dtowns bus system, with a somewhat tenuous connection to the pm, which actually was somewhat of an afterthought. i don't think it's going to really change how people think about transit in detroit. you need to find a way to connect the suburbs to the city for that. that is why the people mover was such a waste, since the 5 pronged metro transit system it was supposed to be the centerpiece of was never completed, it is just a fun choo-choo that goes nowhere. what would be great is if detroit would operate a park and ride bus from the suburbs (like windsor does) to the city, but as far as i know they don't have one.
Chili, I haven't been to detroit in 5 years or so. When I was there, there were naysayers saying its been close to turning around for about twenty years (impying it never would). But there seemed to be a real critical mass in the works with new lofts, Compuware, etc...
It was so depressing seeing money being pissed away on such short-sighted quick fix solutions, like demoing the Madison (I think?) and other abandoned historical buildings because they were in eyeshot of the superbowl-goers.
Yes, the Madison-Lennox was demo'ed pre-superbowl and is now an Ilitch Holdings surface parking lot. Unfortunate given its great location. It was actually the site of my studio project last semester. I have hope for the downtown area and I can see the positive things going on. I've been working here for about a year now, and can already see changes. I think this is a great location for the Transit Center and once the Westin Book-Cadillac renovation is completed, it should breath new life into the Washington Ave. corridor.
i didn't know about this ambassador bridge thing. what are they doing with the old ambassador bridge? apparently i've been away from the hand too long.
I've been trying to find information on the intentions for the old bridge but haven't been able to come up with anything. It seems like a waste to take it down, but at the same time to leave it up and not in use seems like a waste too.
man, chili, you've been drinking the kool-aid. i love detroit, but for anyone waiting for the rebirth, i wouldn't count your breath. first, who is going to come live in the city? nationally most people, many who have never even been here, regard it as a dump. these people are not going to be buying up lofts. i go on loft tours around the city frequently. who's buying these places? generally young professionals from the suburbs, but there's also a number of people buying these places and not living in them, using them as party pads, or speculating that the value is going to skyrocket, very detroit. when the young professionals that actually do live in them eventually settle down with a family they will likely move to the burbs because the public schools are such a mess. the current development isn't sustainable without major changes to city infrastructure that there just isn't money for. most of the new commercial ventures are struggling to make it, even great places like oslo have closed. what businesses are surviving? anything related to the casinos or the stadiums, i.e. places for suburbanites, not city residents.
so why is this city worth living in? because there are nearly 1 million people still here who are for the most part completely forgotten about. as burned out as the neighborhoods are, they are very lively places. neighborhood associations are strong. there are hidden gems buried all over the place. elmwood cemetery was designed by olmsted. restaurants like roma in eastern market have been around for 100 years and refuse to die. it's a very cool place, but it takes a hell of a lot of patience.
waiting for the renaissance, i believe, is why so many people burn out and leave.
Yes, a majority of loft buyers are young professionals, but there are a handfull of families living in these places as well. And while the Detroit Public School System is a mess, there are a number of alternatives to public school, even within the city. Hopefully Detroit will be able to fix the problem that is the school system in time for some of these young professionals to raise a family within the city. And while these lofts may not be the best place to live economically, Lafayette Park provides an alternative to living within the Central Business District, yet still maintaining the downtown lifestyle. Perhaps more tax breaks should be given to local owned and operated businesses to ensure that the money being spent in Detroit stays in Detroit, otherwise we may see an overpopulation of Hard Rocks and Starbucks.
Yes, Detroit's reputation preceeds it, but you are right about the hidden gems. Mexican Town is fantastic, as well as Eastern Market, and I am still hopefull that the suburbanites that come to Detroit for its stadiums and casinos will eventually open their eyes and witness some of these hidden treasures.
Oh, and jafidler, you should know in Detroit we drink Mickey's, not kool-aid.
Is that transit hub near Greektown? That's another little gem. I once saw design schemes by a firm in Chicago for the new Ambassador Bridge. They look very fake-warehouse-normative-like and not modern just 'bricky'.
I've always had a fascination with Detroit they need a mayor like Daly in Chicago.
there would still be a public trans system if the auto industry didnt buy it out back in the day in order to force people to buy cars....
schools are closing and the city is building up downtown....where is all the casino money going that was supposed to keep the schools running..... i can understand people saying they were in detroit when they where actually just downtown...... it's a whole nother story outside of 75/lodge/375/jefferson
When we were looking for houses, I was interested in living downtown. When I was a kid, we had a big house with a big yard, so it would have been a dramatic change for me. My fiance, however, was 100% opposed to living downtown. I think part of this stems from not spending time down there, while the other stems from the legitimate fear of being a young woman out at night in a big city, be it Detroit or New York or anywhere. We decided on a moderate house with a small but nice yard (we do have 2 dogs) close to the downtown in a young, hip suburb. We won't stay here forever, though, and there is still a chance of us moving downtown someday, if school or work doesn't lead us in a different direction.
Also, on the economy side, a year or two ago I remember hearing talk of merging Detroit with some of its nearest suburbs in some aspects to improve the school system and public transit. I haven't heard anything of this lately, though.
who needs oslo as long as the vets hall is still there?
downtown has come along ways over the past 15 years. and mayor kilpatrick with his "deal team" has definitely made a good habit of getting some things done. they've done an excellent job of maintaining momentum after the superbowl & wrestlemania.
i'm not too familiar with the bus service in the city, but I can tell you that one of the funnest ways to get around downtown detroit (and windsor too) is to participate in the detroit marathon.
the present amtrak station is pathetic and they should really consider re-opening the central train statio to rail service...even if they kept most of its decay and just ran the trains into it...what an awesome way to enter the city
there's another bridge being built to be used for the commercial import/export of items.... it's goin next to the existing bridge...prolly not too far down near southwest detroit.....
oslo's was closed but then was bought out and reopened... it too small for me to hang there... the basemet has bad ventilation and is tight....
some ambassador bridge info...i should probably know more about it, but i haven't really done any research other than reading the occasional metrotimes
i'm probably applying to UMich for next year... if we came up there, my wife would probably be working in downtown detroit... would living in downtown detroit and commuting to UMich be feasible? i would be at TCAUP for a Ph.D. so late night studioing wouldn't be an issue... google maps says it's about a 45min drive... is that about right? is there any place decent to live between ann arbor and detroit? thanks.
hey architphil, there are plenty of people that make the 45 minute commute (that's about accurate; maybe a little longer to your specific destination). you have to be careful though to avoid morning and afternoon rush hour which could add 15-20 minutes. i personally would have a hard time doing it, just losing two hours a day to driving, and i do think it wears on people, but if you're used to driving and enjoy it, i imagine it's fine.
between ann arbor and detroit are ypsilanti, canton, and dearborn. ypsi and dearborn are cool, blue-collar towns, not a lot going on, but still decent downtowns and you can find a nice place without spending a ton (unlike ann arbor). canton has more of a suburban feel, more family-friendly. but not a lot going on there in terms of night life (maybe not an issue if you're getting your phd). i spent ten years in ann arbor and moved to detroit last year. at this point i couldn't imagine not living in detroit, but that commute is daunting.
thanks jafidler... i would definitely prefer to not have the commute... there are definitely better things to do than spend 2 hours in the car... ideally, my wife could find a job (as a lawyer) in ann arbor... but we'll see... we would definitely be looking for a more urban location... doesn't have to have lots of clubs/nightlife... just walkable with restaurants and stuff...
it's all speculation at this point, but we'd either have to live somewhere in the middle and both commute... or flip a coin to see who will be driving a lot...
Yes, Chili does live in Royal Oak. Architphil, I am also considering grad school at TCAUP and the 45 minute commute. Traffic right now is awful with M-10 being closed, so I imagine it would be more like an hour to an hour and a half, but a year from now that shouldn't be an issue. As far as cities between A2 and the D, check out Northville. I will most likely try to find a job in Ann Arbor as well, to save me from driving all over southeast Michigan. The commute really isn't that bad, when you concider it takes me 45 minutes to an hour to go 18 miles from Royal Oak to Detroit (depending on traffic).
We had an intern in my office a few years ago who lived in Dearborn while he commuted here (Ann Arbor) and then went to grad school at U of M. He had some family in the area, which may have helped, but it seemed to be workable.
one more thing... i'm assuming based on the thread above that there are no mass transit options from detroit to ann arbor... is that correct? i was on the ann arbor bus system site last night and it looks like they go as far as ypsi...
no, there are currently no options. semcog is currently researching several options for a light rail system to connect to the suburbs, including possibly ypsi/aa.
I have great memories of my time in Detroit, as I think it is one of the most amazing, yet tragic places in the world.
However from my experience, the coming renaissance will never come as long as there is a corrupt political system and the "us and them" social dynamic between the Detroit and the suburbs. Detroit could have been at the same level as present-day Chicago if it wasn't for the government's Cold War de-centralization of the auto industry. The city and its people are stubborn car folk, so good luck in trying to persuade them to diversity its economy, think out of the box, or even hold hands at Rosa Parks parade.
Detroit is unfortunately a corpse. No casino, no Super Bowl, no Wrestlemania, no Compuware monstrocity, no new Mustang or Camaro design, nor any bus tent is going to change that.
bryden, dude, you're not one of those "fire millen" guys that posts at freep.com, are you? those people are as psycho as mdlerweed.
kwame is actually very progressive and has done a lot of good for detroit. he's very popular in the city, but not so much in the burbs, basically because he's not going to be brooks patterson's or anyone else's pawn. the people that rail against corruption in the city are usually the one's who have no idea what his administration is actually doing.
New Transit Center for Downtown Detroit
The $14M bus terminal may encourage more people to take public buses to Detroit's downtown area, mass transit advocates say.
Detroit bus station work set to start
Economic group awards $10.8M construction contract to build 25,000-square-foot facility.
Construction on a new $14 million public bus station in downtown Detroit, the Rosa Parks Transit Center, could begin as early as next month, city public transportation officials said Tuesday.
The board of directors for the city's Economic Development Corp. awarded a $10.8 million construction contract to DeMaria Building Co. of Detroit to build the 25,000 square-foot facility covering two city blocks, including a corner of Michigan and Cass avenues. Barring any last-minute snags, construction of the bus terminal named for the late civil rights pioneer will start in three weeks and could be completed by the second half of 2008, according to DeMaria officials.
The new terminal is being hailed by both mass transit advocates and developers because it may encourage more people to take the bus to the city's downtown and it replaces a temporary outdoor facility long considered inadequate.
Many developers contend the area surrounding the current bus center in Capitol Park can be revived into upscale lofts and retail.
"The Rosa Parks facility has long been considered a key goal," said George Jackson, president of the Detroit Economic Growth Corp., a quasi-public agency promoting development in the city, in a recent interview about downtown development goals.
"It's an attractive facility and hopefully that makes the idea of using public transportation more attractive. And there is interest in the development community to utilize Capitol Park. You literally have the Westin Book-Cadillac right on the corner of it," Jackson said, referring to the historic hotel undergoing a $180 million restoration project.
Capitol Park is near Griswold and Shelby streets and Grand River Avenue. The bus center was always intended to be temporary. The city moved the facility there in December 2001 after the old center, also an outdoor area, was razed to make way for the building of Campus Martius Park.
The new transit center named after the civil rights icon will be several blocks away, bounded by Grand River on the north, Michigan Avenue on the south, Park Place on the east and Cass Avenue on the west. The station will be at the former site of a building that housed the Lindell A.C., a well-known Detroit sports bar.
The project will be funded by federal and state dollars. No city funds are required for the project. There will be a climate-controlled waiting area, taxi stands, retail services and transit-police offices.
Mass transit advocates hope that ridership will significantly increase with the new Rosa Parks facility.
An average of 30,000 passengers use one of the 17 bus routes on an average weekday at the Capitol Park location, city officials said.
"It's is very much an improvement," said Megan Owen of Transportation Riders United, a Detroit nonprofit advocating for more mass transit in the region.
Louis Aguilar / The Detroit News
eventscape?
what's up with detroit and the white tensile roof? the new pavillions on the east riverwalk are the same thing, and they already look cheap and dated. this looks a bit more elegant, but it's still just a glorified bus shelter.
in my view, many of the design problems here go back to the in-bred nature of contracting in the city and a lack of a strong design culture. we used to have saarinen, birkerts, and kessler. now who is there to guide the city?
This project is actually taking place right across the street from my office. Work started on Monday. Everyone here was upset to see Lindell A.C. go last year, and since that time the lot has been infilled with sand, creating a nice mess on a dry, windy day. The block to the north is currently a park area that plays home to many homeless and addicts, who can be caught napping on one of the few benches at any hour of the day. There are also 2 people mover stations adjacent to this site, one to the northeast and one to the southeast, which should encourage people in the suburbs to take a bus to the transit center, and the people mover to events in the downtown area. It's always nice to see new work going on in Detroit.
I get excited when I hear of projects happening in Detroit City, especially renovations and non-normative projects. The rendering makes the structure look nice but I'm wary of permanent, tensile structures- especially in cities that may not have a lot of funds to regularly clean it.
Does anyone know what will be of the new Ambassador Bridge?
"It's an attractive facility and hopefully that makes the idea of using public transportation more attractive" wow! problem solved!
somebody finally found the solution to the public transit issue.
its detroit..so what does rosa p... you know what, i'm not even gonna bother typing the rest of that..
From what I understant, work on that project should start this summer as well.
haha. i worked on this project when i was at pb's detroit office during grad school. the main designer was actually out of the san francisco office. ftl design engineering studio was the consultant on the fabric structure, and they were really amazing people. construction was supposed to be completed for the super bowl, only dte didn't tell us that there were utility ducts running directly thru the proposed basement. i'm curious to how they solved that problem. it probably has two basements.
i'm actually really, really suprised that they are going through with this project at all now that they have obviously missed the superbowl deadline. there were plenty of rumors going on about detroit scrapping their bus system all together due to a lack of funding, and to me this project seemed like yet another "renaissance" project which detroit has had plenty of. this was definitely a $20m dollar project last i heard; i always wondered why they shouldn't use that money to clean up their schools. i however excited to see them going through with it, perhaps this will help some of the good things that are happening on the campus martius extend over to michigan and cass.
Thanks- the Ambassador looked so good in it's appearances in Eminem and Kid Rock videos. I hope it will have a modern look.
Michigan is combating it's transportation bashing critics by building sleek, new bus terminals, they just finished one in Kalamazoo too. It sounds good in theory, but Detroit really needs a light rail from the city to Oakland County and to the airport..
I can't tell you how many times I sit in traffic in the morning on I-75 heading into downtown, wishing I could instead be sitting on a subway or train, catching up on some reading or email or just listening to some MP3s. It sickens me to see the hundreds of cars grinding to a hault on the expressway every morning. If it were have the commute I'd bike it, but 18 miles each way is quite a ride.
Hmm, I think its going to take far far more than a pretty bus terminal to get crackers from the suburbs to come into downtown...
yeah, like three new casinos and three new sports stadiums.
yikes, i am getting cynical.
if it wasnt for cars, detroit wouldnt be the glorius city that it is. riding a bus in detroit is like going to church in las vegas.
The RenCen was supposed to do about 30 years ago.
Three short years living in downtown Detroit made me awful cynical...
You're right, silverlake, a pretty bus terminal isn't the answer, but an important step in the revitalization of the downtown area. Couple new transit facilities with new event facilities like Ford Field, Comerica Park, and possibly a new ice arena, as well as a stong central business district complimented by Campus Martius Park, and retail and dining investments in the downtown area, and it can become a desireable place to live again. This can be witnessed already by the relative popularity of new townhome and loft developments, and the opening of new bars and restaurants in the downtown area.
well, grand rapids actually has a great transit system, i believe it won a bunch of national awards. their transit center was actually used as a case study for this one, and was actually chosen for its location along a rail easement, assuming in the next 20 years they go to light rail. personally i don't thing this hub is going to be that big of a deal long term. there are lots of studies being done on a passenger rail system to connect aa, ypsi, dtw, and detroit. think chicago metra line, but it won't connect to this station which is somewhat isolated from rail service (and there are no serious plans for extending the people mover at this time). i actually wouldn't doubt it if west michigan got a real light rail system before the detroit-area does, as they are way ahead on transit. this transit center serves only dtowns bus system, with a somewhat tenuous connection to the pm, which actually was somewhat of an afterthought. i don't think it's going to really change how people think about transit in detroit. you need to find a way to connect the suburbs to the city for that. that is why the people mover was such a waste, since the 5 pronged metro transit system it was supposed to be the centerpiece of was never completed, it is just a fun choo-choo that goes nowhere. what would be great is if detroit would operate a park and ride bus from the suburbs (like windsor does) to the city, but as far as i know they don't have one.
Actually Vado, Detroit was quite vibrant pre-Henry Ford days.
Chili, I haven't been to detroit in 5 years or so. When I was there, there were naysayers saying its been close to turning around for about twenty years (impying it never would). But there seemed to be a real critical mass in the works with new lofts, Compuware, etc...
It was so depressing seeing money being pissed away on such short-sighted quick fix solutions, like demoing the Madison (I think?) and other abandoned historical buildings because they were in eyeshot of the superbowl-goers.
I hope it comes around...
Yes, the Madison-Lennox was demo'ed pre-superbowl and is now an Ilitch Holdings surface parking lot. Unfortunate given its great location. It was actually the site of my studio project last semester. I have hope for the downtown area and I can see the positive things going on. I've been working here for about a year now, and can already see changes. I think this is a great location for the Transit Center and once the Westin Book-Cadillac renovation is completed, it should breath new life into the Washington Ave. corridor.
i didn't know about this ambassador bridge thing. what are they doing with the old ambassador bridge? apparently i've been away from the hand too long.
I've been trying to find information on the intentions for the old bridge but haven't been able to come up with anything. It seems like a waste to take it down, but at the same time to leave it up and not in use seems like a waste too.
man, chili, you've been drinking the kool-aid. i love detroit, but for anyone waiting for the rebirth, i wouldn't count your breath. first, who is going to come live in the city? nationally most people, many who have never even been here, regard it as a dump. these people are not going to be buying up lofts. i go on loft tours around the city frequently. who's buying these places? generally young professionals from the suburbs, but there's also a number of people buying these places and not living in them, using them as party pads, or speculating that the value is going to skyrocket, very detroit. when the young professionals that actually do live in them eventually settle down with a family they will likely move to the burbs because the public schools are such a mess. the current development isn't sustainable without major changes to city infrastructure that there just isn't money for. most of the new commercial ventures are struggling to make it, even great places like oslo have closed. what businesses are surviving? anything related to the casinos or the stadiums, i.e. places for suburbanites, not city residents.
so why is this city worth living in? because there are nearly 1 million people still here who are for the most part completely forgotten about. as burned out as the neighborhoods are, they are very lively places. neighborhood associations are strong. there are hidden gems buried all over the place. elmwood cemetery was designed by olmsted. restaurants like roma in eastern market have been around for 100 years and refuse to die. it's a very cool place, but it takes a hell of a lot of patience.
waiting for the renaissance, i believe, is why so many people burn out and leave.
Yes, a majority of loft buyers are young professionals, but there are a handfull of families living in these places as well. And while the Detroit Public School System is a mess, there are a number of alternatives to public school, even within the city. Hopefully Detroit will be able to fix the problem that is the school system in time for some of these young professionals to raise a family within the city. And while these lofts may not be the best place to live economically, Lafayette Park provides an alternative to living within the Central Business District, yet still maintaining the downtown lifestyle. Perhaps more tax breaks should be given to local owned and operated businesses to ensure that the money being spent in Detroit stays in Detroit, otherwise we may see an overpopulation of Hard Rocks and Starbucks.
Yes, Detroit's reputation preceeds it, but you are right about the hidden gems. Mexican Town is fantastic, as well as Eastern Market, and I am still hopefull that the suburbanites that come to Detroit for its stadiums and casinos will eventually open their eyes and witness some of these hidden treasures.
Oh, and jafidler, you should know in Detroit we drink Mickey's, not kool-aid.
i didn't realize they closed oslo. this is unfortunate because i never even went there in the first place.
Is that transit hub near Greektown? That's another little gem. I once saw design schemes by a firm in Chicago for the new Ambassador Bridge. They look very fake-warehouse-normative-like and not modern just 'bricky'.
I've always had a fascination with Detroit they need a mayor like Daly in Chicago.
its kindof to the northwest if i remember correctly. chili would be able to tell you better than i would.
Chili, how come you don't live downtown? Esp. if you hate the traffic so much.
Not tryin' to start a fight or nothin', just curious.
has anyone realized the economy in michigan......
there would still be a public trans system if the auto industry didnt buy it out back in the day in order to force people to buy cars....
schools are closing and the city is building up downtown....where is all the casino money going that was supposed to keep the schools running..... i can understand people saying they were in detroit when they where actually just downtown...... it's a whole nother story outside of 75/lodge/375/jefferson
b
greektown is to the southeast of the transit center or about six peoplemover stops.
thanks jafidler
Yea, I went on a cruise up Woodward and around the Fisher Building in HS. The city has so much territory and it is sparsley dense.
When we were looking for houses, I was interested in living downtown. When I was a kid, we had a big house with a big yard, so it would have been a dramatic change for me. My fiance, however, was 100% opposed to living downtown. I think part of this stems from not spending time down there, while the other stems from the legitimate fear of being a young woman out at night in a big city, be it Detroit or New York or anywhere. We decided on a moderate house with a small but nice yard (we do have 2 dogs) close to the downtown in a young, hip suburb. We won't stay here forever, though, and there is still a chance of us moving downtown someday, if school or work doesn't lead us in a different direction.
Also, on the economy side, a year or two ago I remember hearing talk of merging Detroit with some of its nearest suburbs in some aspects to improve the school system and public transit. I haven't heard anything of this lately, though.
who needs oslo as long as the vets hall is still there?
downtown has come along ways over the past 15 years. and mayor kilpatrick with his "deal team" has definitely made a good habit of getting some things done. they've done an excellent job of maintaining momentum after the superbowl & wrestlemania.
i'm not too familiar with the bus service in the city, but I can tell you that one of the funnest ways to get around downtown detroit (and windsor too) is to participate in the detroit marathon.
the present amtrak station is pathetic and they should really consider re-opening the central train statio to rail service...even if they kept most of its decay and just ran the trains into it...what an awesome way to enter the city
there's another bridge being built to be used for the commercial import/export of items.... it's goin next to the existing bridge...prolly not too far down near southwest detroit.....
oslo's was closed but then was bought out and reopened... it too small for me to hang there... the basemet has bad ventilation and is tight....
b
detroit needs a majordomo with the hotlicks and dancemoves of
WaYnEkRaMeR!!!
Detroit is probably the only city in the country to try to use a Wrestlemania event as a catalyst for downtown growth.
Does anyone know anything about U Detroit Mercy's Arch Program? I visited that school in H.S. during my college rounds
some ambassador bridge info...i should probably know more about it, but i haven't really done any research other than reading the occasional metrotimes
i bet chili lives in royal oak.
kick out the jams motherfucker.
hey detroit archinecters...
i'm probably applying to UMich for next year... if we came up there, my wife would probably be working in downtown detroit... would living in downtown detroit and commuting to UMich be feasible? i would be at TCAUP for a Ph.D. so late night studioing wouldn't be an issue... google maps says it's about a 45min drive... is that about right? is there any place decent to live between ann arbor and detroit? thanks.
hey architphil, there are plenty of people that make the 45 minute commute (that's about accurate; maybe a little longer to your specific destination). you have to be careful though to avoid morning and afternoon rush hour which could add 15-20 minutes. i personally would have a hard time doing it, just losing two hours a day to driving, and i do think it wears on people, but if you're used to driving and enjoy it, i imagine it's fine.
between ann arbor and detroit are ypsilanti, canton, and dearborn. ypsi and dearborn are cool, blue-collar towns, not a lot going on, but still decent downtowns and you can find a nice place without spending a ton (unlike ann arbor). canton has more of a suburban feel, more family-friendly. but not a lot going on there in terms of night life (maybe not an issue if you're getting your phd). i spent ten years in ann arbor and moved to detroit last year. at this point i couldn't imagine not living in detroit, but that commute is daunting.
thanks jafidler... i would definitely prefer to not have the commute... there are definitely better things to do than spend 2 hours in the car... ideally, my wife could find a job (as a lawyer) in ann arbor... but we'll see... we would definitely be looking for a more urban location... doesn't have to have lots of clubs/nightlife... just walkable with restaurants and stuff...
it's all speculation at this point, but we'd either have to live somewhere in the middle and both commute... or flip a coin to see who will be driving a lot...
Yes, Chili does live in Royal Oak. Architphil, I am also considering grad school at TCAUP and the 45 minute commute. Traffic right now is awful with M-10 being closed, so I imagine it would be more like an hour to an hour and a half, but a year from now that shouldn't be an issue. As far as cities between A2 and the D, check out Northville. I will most likely try to find a job in Ann Arbor as well, to save me from driving all over southeast Michigan. The commute really isn't that bad, when you concider it takes me 45 minutes to an hour to go 18 miles from Royal Oak to Detroit (depending on traffic).
We had an intern in my office a few years ago who lived in Dearborn while he commuted here (Ann Arbor) and then went to grad school at U of M. He had some family in the area, which may have helped, but it seemed to be workable.
one more thing... i'm assuming based on the thread above that there are no mass transit options from detroit to ann arbor... is that correct? i was on the ann arbor bus system site last night and it looks like they go as far as ypsi...
no, there are currently no options. semcog is currently researching several options for a light rail system to connect to the suburbs, including possibly ypsi/aa.
I would live in Ypsi
I have great memories of my time in Detroit, as I think it is one of the most amazing, yet tragic places in the world.
However from my experience, the coming renaissance will never come as long as there is a corrupt political system and the "us and them" social dynamic between the Detroit and the suburbs. Detroit could have been at the same level as present-day Chicago if it wasn't for the government's Cold War de-centralization of the auto industry. The city and its people are stubborn car folk, so good luck in trying to persuade them to diversity its economy, think out of the box, or even hold hands at Rosa Parks parade.
Detroit is unfortunately a corpse. No casino, no Super Bowl, no Wrestlemania, no Compuware monstrocity, no new Mustang or Camaro design, nor any bus tent is going to change that.
Oh yeah...Fire Millen, Fire Kwame!
Kwame and his HS football teamate bodygaurds need to go- Though he is better than Coleman Young? was
bryden, dude, you're not one of those "fire millen" guys that posts at freep.com, are you? those people are as psycho as mdlerweed.
kwame is actually very progressive and has done a lot of good for detroit. he's very popular in the city, but not so much in the burbs, basically because he's not going to be brooks patterson's or anyone else's pawn. the people that rail against corruption in the city are usually the one's who have no idea what his administration is actually doing.
c'mon now... you all need to embrace corruption,... like us in chicago!
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.