Looking Back...and Forward!
The best of 2023, and the best to look forward to in 2024
I’ve tried to post a write up at least once a month that recounts some of the announcements and openings of the past 30 days. I decided to switch it up a bit for January and do a write up about both 2023 and 2024, looking back at some of the best openings of 2023, and looking forward to some of my most anticipated announcements and plans for 2024. It’s been an exciting couple of years for Detroit Developments, so I had to limit my picks to just a few for each year, but below are some of the best things to happen in 2023, along with what I think will be some exciting announcements in 2024.
Best Openings of 2023
Book Tower
The Book Tower was, for years, a perfect symbol of neglect and abandonment in downtown Detroit and beyond. The copper roof was rusted, the stone was dirty, and it looked like something out of a vampire movie. The Louis Kamper designed building from 1928 sports an Italian-Renaissance style that makes it stand out among the skyline, contrasting the Modern and Art Deco building. Completely vacant for the last decade, the building was brought back to life over the past few years by Bedrock.
With a grand opening this year, the Book Tower, and neighboring Book Building, have been fully renovated to immaculate condition. The outside has been cleaned and all the stonework as been rejuvenated. Along with a full interior renovation of lobby spaces and added residential, there’s already a wide range of tenants including a Roost Apartment Hotel, multiple dining options, a rooftop bar, office, event space, and retail. Restaurants Le Suprême, Kampers, and Bar Rotunda are open and serving Detroiters, with Sakazuki opening soon.
The revitalization of the Book Tower certainly helps bring Washington Boulevard back to life, along with the new City Club Apartments, the Book Tower, and new restaurants along the east side. While the hospitality and restaurants will certainly attract visitors, it will be great to see Bedrock fill the over 30,000 square feet of office space with workers who will be downtown on a regular basis.
Book Depository
The first building of Ford’s Michigan Central Campus opened this year and gave us a peak into how transformative the entire project may be. Originally a postal building built in 1936, the building next to Michigan Central Station served as Detroit Public Schools Book Depository starting in 1961. After a 1987 fire, the building was abandoned and untouched by anyone for decades, other than photographers and urban explorers. The much fanfare, Ford bought both the train station and accompanying book depository in 2018 and undertook a massive renovation effort.
Last summer, the Book Depository was official opened and renamed to the Newly at Michigan Central Building. Newlab is the main tenant of the building, operating a tech incubator focused on mobility innovation. This is only Newlab’s second location, with the first being their original location in Brooklyn, New York. Upon its opening, Newlab already is hosting 25 companies in the Book Depository, with start-ups working on electric bikes, robotic tire repair, and air traffic control systems.
While it’s great that Ford is moving employees into the train station and into Corktown, the Book Depository has a chance to be something that continues to grow and expand, potentially turning Corktown into a hotbed for tech and start-ups. The hope would be that companies get their start within Newlab and continue to grow until they need to move to their own space, potentially renovating more buildings or building new in the surrounding area. The fact that Newlab chose Detroit to expand to speaks volumes, and hopefully Detroit continues to capture the mobility sector of tech.
Riverwalk Extension
While buildings being renovated and more businesses in Detroit are great for the city’s growth and prosperity, it would mean nothing if the city does not continue to improve itself for its residents. Coming off three years of being voted the Best Riverwalk in America, the Detroit Riverwalk Conservancy opened up another section of the riverwalk connecting the existing portions to the Belle Isle Bridge. The area where the new section stretches is known as the Uniroyal Promenade, named after the Uniroyal Tire factory that used to sit on that section of the riverfront. While the plot remains undeveloped, the riverwalk helps solidify it as a prime piece of real estate that will certainly attract attention in the coming years.
With the opening of the Uniroyal Promenade, I think the discussion may shift to how the Riverwalk can better connect to Belle Isle. I do think reworking the MacArthur Bridge a bit to give more right of way to pedestrians and cyclists would be a good start, and work is already being done to make Belle Isle more pedestrian oriented and safer. On the other end of the Riverwalk, look for more announcements regarding the opening of the promenade in front of the Riverfront Towers as the new Ralph Wilson Centennial Park moves forward. I also think the Riverfront Conservancy needs to work towards more partnerships with property owners along the Riverfront, but behind the Riverwalk, to develop more housing and business/hospitality that will attract people to not only visit the riverfront but make it a mainstay of the visit to Detroit.
Looking Forward to in 2024
As we look into 2024, here are a few of the stories in Detroit that I have my eye on. I expect these projects or areas to be in the news frequently and look forward to seeing what the new year brings for them.
Joe Louis Arena Site
With a 25-story apartment building nearing completion, and a hotel just announced, the site which used to house the Joe Louis Area appears to be on its way to quite the transformation. I’m expecting the details about the hotel to flesh out early this, as the CBO process got kicked off this week. Construction on the hotel should be underway this year at some point, and with it, potential changes to the overall makeup of the area beside Huntington Place.
Renderings have shown there to be an interest in reconfiguring the roads, including the extension of 2nd street to the riverfront, and covering the loading docks of Huntington Place. This would likely take coordination between the Convention Center Authority, the City, the State, and the development team of the hotel. The long-term hope of this type of project is that the area west of Huntington Place continues to get redeveloped and reworked so that it is more walkable, lively, and inviting for people to visit and live there. As it stands, it’s a tangle of roads, parking lots, and elevated walkways. With direct access to the People Mover, there’s a great opportunity to reconnect this area with the greater downtown framework.
I do anticipate learning more about these plans as the hotel CBO process gets underway, and there are talks about more buildings go up on this plot. During the first meeting Tuesday night, there were talks about 2nd Avenue and upcoming developments that will span from the Joe Louis site up to DTE Headquarters. There were also more details about the number of restaurants and commercial spaces that will be in the development, with some great renderings of the plaza that will face the river. While the loss of the Joe was lamented by many, if it is replaced by hundreds of apartments and hotel rooms, as well as new business, it will be a great trade off.
North Corktown Developments
As developments role in within the Downtown, Midtown, and Corktown areas, there’s been a common ask as to when these improvements would spread to new neighborhoods. While close by growing neighborhoods, the North Corktown area has seemed fairly desolate over the past decade. However, over the past few years, there has been a number of announcements of new developments in area bounded by I-75, Grand River, MLK Boulevard, and I-96. I expect this to continue into 2024 and North Corktown to be a great neighborhood that is still near the action, while looking a bit more affordable than its counterparts.
One of the biggest things going for North Corktown is the announcement of the Choice Neighborhood Grant from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, which will be used for affordable housing throughout Corktown and North Corktown. One of the specific developments stemming from this grant is “The Preserve on Ash”, which is proposed to be 69 affordable housing units with commercial space. The Choice Neighborhood framework design could be an entire post on its own, so I encourage everyone to check out the plan that the city has come up with, but the highlights include new green spaces, traffic calming, and affordable housing.
North Corktown has also seen a number of small infill developments in the past year, and I expect more of those in the coming year. The first phase of the North Pine Street Townhomes and North Corktown 11 were recently completed, and the Harrison 12 seem to be wrapping up. It also looks like Sycamore Park just recently broke ground, and we should see that start to rise in 2024. Over the next year, I hope to see more from the North Pine Street Townhome development, with possibly another phase getting underway. Right across the MLK/Trumbull/Grand River intersection you have a large development started at Scripps Park. Many of these developments offer for-sale townhomes and condos at prices that, while still expensive, may be seen as more affordable for some residents compared to projects in Brush Park or Downtown. I anticipate seeing a continuation of these developments and more to come from the City Planning Department in 2024 with regards to the HUD grant and affordable housing.
East Side Main Streets
Similar to North Corktown, I am excited to see development continue to push out from the Downtown and Midtown areas into farther out neighborhoods. Two areas that have seen developments over the past years and I anticipate seeing more of in 2024 are the main streets of East Warren and Kercheval. The East Warren Development Corporation has done a fantastic job over the years drawing attention from the city and developers to their area, generally seen as the stretch of Warren Ave between Alter Drive and Mack. This area consists of the neighborhoods of Morningside, East English Village and Cornerstone Village.
Recently, a streetscaping project was done by the city which drastically improved the safety and conditions of E. Warren from 3 Mile Drive to Cadieux. Additionally, the area has seen developments, including new mixed-use projects such as the Ribbon, and which will add new residential and retail space, and redevelopment of old, abandoned buildings such as a former Pizza Hut. This area also sports a relatively strong and affordable housing stock that should attract people looking to enjoy the amenities of Grosse Pointe at a lower price. Just recently, the MEDC announced funding for two other projects in the area, the Deco and the Arthur Murray building, which will each bring additional apartments and businesses. Additionally, the city has supported new businesses in the area through Motor City Match and the Strategic Neighborhood Fund. Expect to see this area continue to thrive into the 2024 and beyond.
Another main street on the east side has seen strong development over the past few years, certainly helped along by another streetscape project by the City of Detroit, spanning Kercheval Ave near the neighborhoods of Islandview, West Village, and Indian Village. There is certainly a burgeoning dining, retail, and apartment stretch growing on the street, especially near the Van Dyke intersection with the completion of Parker Durand and the Townsend further down Kercheval. Newfound favorites such as Two Birds, Sister Pie, and Marrow have made the area a hot spot for a quieter night on the town. Recently additions such as Barkside and Encarnacion look to keep the momentum going.
Near the intersection of Kercheval and Van Dyke, you also have recent announcements like the Coe Phase II, and new additions in Yum Village, Metropolitan Bar + Kitchen, and Sedo Ice Cream. Further down Kercheval to the east there is plans for an art galley connected to the Library Street Collective. Similar to the East Warren area, I expect this area of Kercheval to continue to grow into 2024. While Indian Village is at the higher end price wise, there is plenty of housing stock available in West Village, and plenty of open space in Islandview for new developments.
Here’s to 2024
That got a little long winded, but thanks for taking a read through. I’ll keep posting if you keep reading.