Merit Park
While new office, residential, and commercial buildings are great, a city that is going to thrive needs more than an economic engine, it needs to offer things to its residents for recreation, education, and relaxation. While the city does have a few top-class parks and rec centers, there’s always room for more, which is why the addition of Merit Park is such a welcome announcement.
Located at on Grand River and I-96, non-profit “Give Merit” intends to build a park and community center for young people in Detroit to play, learn, and connect. The co-founder of Give Merit is former University of Michigan basketball player, David Merritt. The facility will have a recreational attraction such as a basketball court, splash pad, climbing wall, and obstacle course, while also hosting a production studio and podcast studio, with additional food and retail vendors. The $15 million, 60,000 square foot project hopes to open next summer and has received backing from the Kresge Foundation, Ally Bank, and Mullick Foundation, as well as the State of Michigan.
It might be a little bit cliche to say things like “kids need something to do or they will turn to making trouble”, but I do think it’s true that have activities for kids and youth helps maintain and attract families to live in certain areas. If a family is looking to locate somewhere, they are obviously going to look at the school district, but they are also going to look at local parks, athletic facilities, and recreation centers to ensure their kids will be able to pursue the activities that they want. Being near something like a YMCA, a recreational center, or a library makes a neighborhood a lot more attractive, and Merit Park will definitely help the Oakman Boulevard and surrounding communities.
Single Family Homes in East Village
Nearly every project I highlight and talk about in this newsletter, and on Twitter, is a commercial development of some kind, whether it’s apartments, industrial, parks, whatever. I think the city really needs to continue to focus on these commercial corridors, encouraging density and walkability by way of mixed-use and high-density apartment buildings. However, Detroit is almost 75% single family homes compared to just 17% in cities like New York, so clearly there’s a demand for them. If you’re in the market for a new home, you’ll find new condos, townhomes, and lofts coming online every month, but if you want a single-family detached home, your options are a bit different. The city says it only issued 18 building permits for new single-family homes in 2023.
From doing a little shopping of my own, there’s a lot of great old homes in Detroit that just need a little TLC, but not everyone has the desire to fix something up. There’s also plenty of homes that have been recently redone, but not everyone wants to buy a flip because there can be some unknowns. Given the lack of development in the last 20-30 years, there’s not a lot of starter homes that are not at least 40-50 years old. New development, while often more expensive, can be an attractive choice for some people, but it’s a choice that has few options in Detroit.
Greatwater Opportunity Capital is trying to fill that void with a small development of single-family homes in East Village, ranging from 900 square feet to over 1,800 square feet. The homes sit on small lots with detached garages with entrances off the alley, more similar to something you’d see in Hamtramck but with a modern look. The price may seem a bit higher than what you can find elsewhere in the city, but they do come with a 15 NEZ abatement, plus modern amenities like central air, more modern appliances, and customizable options.
Greatwater says that these first couple of homes are just the first of a larger 23 home development and given how fast a few of them have already sold, I wouldn’t be surprised to see that number increase. Greatwater has previously said they could meet demand up to nearly 200 homes, so it’s definitely looking good. While I’m a high on more density and mixed-use spaces, there’s a way to accomplish that and also include some single-family homes. Ideally those single-family homes would be on smaller lots, be a bit smaller size, have an entrance off the alley to keep sidewalks safe, and be mixed in with some other types of residential such as small apartment buildings or townhomes. These new builds from Greatwater check most of those boxes and the East Village area has some outstanding new amenities that should make these an attractive buy and a great place to live.
Fisher Body 21 Conversion Underway
As you take the exit ramp off I-75 north to I-94 west, you get a great angle of the long-abandoned Fisher Body 21 Plant. Originally built in 1908 for the Fisher Body Company, the plant made vehicle bodies until 1984 at which time it was converted to industrial paint operations, and then left vacant in 1993. Perhaps one of the top 5 examples of ruin porn and a symbol of the city’s downturn, the plant’s redevelopment has been floated many times in the past. Perhaps most uniquely by the owner of famed Berlin techno club, Tresor, back inn 2014 that obviously did not come to fruition.
Plans were announced a few years back and I think everyone was skeptical, because plans to revitalize Detroit’s old factories often come and go (i.e. Packard Plant). However, it seems that the team of Richard Hosey and Gregory Jackson have started to make some progress on the building and have shown that they are serious about this plan. They spent the past few years getting together a complicated capital stack, but recently work has started on the building and construction lights can be seen throughout, especially at night or early morning. Much of the work is likely remediation and there’s still a lot to be done before it’s even close to resembling housing, but a start is better than nothing.
I think just like Michigan Central Station, this project is important for people that have been in the city for a while because it’s such a stark reminded of bad times, seemingly staring at you as your drive along the highway. So many buildings like this have failed to see any viable path forward and have ultimately been torn down, and while I understand the desire to start over and look for a new use for some areas, there are some projects that almost feel like they need to be conquered as a sense of pride for the community. We were able to see what restoring a building can bring out in people with Michigan Central, and the celebration that went along with it. And while I don’t think Fisher 21 will be quite that theatrically, it will feel nice if this does end up coming to fruition.