  Shiva Member Username: Shiva Post Number: 2 Registered: 10-2007 |
I saw this on channel 4's web site: Kmart Headquarters Gets Go Ahead For Plans Over $200 million in new investments. Hopefully metro Detroit is turning around. | ||
Digitalvision Member Username: Digitalvision Post Number: 417 Registered: 11-2003 |
Mmm. Tasty Instant Urban! (tm). As described to me, urban living without the urban problems. "Loft" condos for 300-400k, and stores right there to create a walkable area - this also is to try to address one of the problems of the business centre there is that there is no atmosphere for traveling or international clients in Troy; and they won't be sending them to downtown Detroit. | ||
Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 6682 Registered: 02-2004 |
For Troy YES for Detroit NO! Troy gets a pseudo Downtown while Downtown Detroit still struggling to find attractable fancy retail. | ||
Iheartthed Member Username: Iheartthed Post Number: 1877 Registered: 04-2006 |
"Loft" condos for 300-400k Is that a realistic estimate or more of a guestimate? I'm curious of who'd pay that much for a condo in Troy... | ||
Quinn Member Username: Quinn Post Number: 1507 Registered: 01-2005 |
Hooray that they're building a disney-downtown in troy? Puke. I'm putting my house up for sale...the tone of this video makes me sick. We're surrounded by imbeciles and idiots. I hate SE Michigan. | ||
Sirrealone Member Username: Sirrealone Post Number: 38 Registered: 01-2007 |
Then why don't you leave? | ||
Jt1 Member Username: Jt1 Post Number: 10505 Registered: 10-2003 |
quote: Depends entirely on the size and the ameneties. The aging population may want the convenience of condo while still staying close to their family. quote: Agreed. quote: Family | ||
Thejesus Member Username: Thejesus Post Number: 2420 Registered: 06-2006 |
"Is that a realistic estimate or more of a guestimate? I'm curious of who'd pay that much for a condo in Troy.." that seems pretty low for a condo in Troy, especially given the fact that its across the street from the Somerset mall... They must not be very nice condos if they're only anticipated to sell for 300-400k | ||
Thejesus Member Username: Thejesus Post Number: 2422 Registered: 06-2006 |
"the tone of this video makes me sick. We're surrounded by imbeciles and idiots. I hate SE Michigan." what tone? do you think it a better idea to leave the former K-mart headquarters vacant...or even worse, re-lease it to another huge commercial tenant? Housing and shopping is about the best thing they could have done for that site for everyone in the region... what could they possibly have done with it that would have been better? | ||
Gsgeorge Member Username: Gsgeorge Post Number: 242 Registered: 08-2006 |
Are you guys crazy? This is the same thing with the West Bloomfield "downtown". Once again-- AT LEAST THEY ARE TRYING. Instead of a giant vacant office building, what do you want? More office buildings? A big box store, maybe? The effort to create pockets of "urbanity" in suburbia may not be your idea of reality but at least they are bringing some kind of cohesion to these sprawling regions. Yes--this is not in Detroit. But the whole region is suffering, and if this will bring some people into Troy, and therefore more people into Metro Detroit, that means there will eventually be more people coming to the CoD as well. Don't be so pessimistic. | ||
Rb336 Member Username: Rb336 Post Number: 2921 Registered: 02-2007 |
considering the much more modest Monarch project is being down-scaled, i really don't see this succeeding at this level, especially in a town as dull as Troy | ||
Track75 Member Username: Track75 Post Number: 2645 Registered: 10-2003 |
Second TJ's 2422. The video started with a dumb "The Promise Land" caption but after that it was a straight forward explanation of what what going to happen with the parcel and the reactions of a few residents. Was the "bad" part where they talked about all the new jobs? What should Troy do, refuse to approve anything for former K-Mart HQ until the whole CBD is built out? | ||
Iheartthed Member Username: Iheartthed Post Number: 1879 Registered: 04-2006 |
But the whole region is suffering, and if this will bring some people into Troy, and therefore more people into Metro Detroit, that means there will eventually be more people coming to the CoD as well. Don't be so pessimistic. Wait, so a new condo development in Troy makes the region more attractive? | ||
Deandub11 Member Username: Deandub11 Post Number: 157 Registered: 05-2006 |
yea I dont get all this hate. I agree obviously i'd much rather have all the retail and development go downtown, but what are these outlying communities supposed to do in the meantime? Just sit around and not develop anything or attempt to make their city more attractive? This is a free market (supposedly). The consumers will dictate what is feasible. Right? | ||
Track75 Member Username: Track75 Post Number: 2646 Registered: 10-2003 |
BTW, there were some single family homes built near Big Beaver and John R a few years back. Terribly bland design, even by suburban subdivision standards. Basically a box with windows. Not huge square footage. Half had backyards facing the busy road. They sold quickly for $300K+. Selling the proposed condos shouldn't be a problem. Close to retail and restaurants, close to many workplaces, close to 75 and Somerset, excellent school system, low crime and low taxes. | ||
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul Post Number: 1831 Registered: 10-2006 |
Jeez, channel 4 makes this project sound like the hero that is going to save SE Michigan! | ||
Iheartthed Member Username: Iheartthed Post Number: 1880 Registered: 04-2006 |
Not huge square footage. Half had backyards facing the busy road. They sold quickly for $300K+. Selling the proposed condos shouldn't be a problem. Close to retail and restaurants, close to many workplaces, close to 75 and Somerset, excellent school system, low crime and low taxes. I'm guessing those houses were marketed to a totally different clientele than someone who'd be interested in a loft/condo. | ||
Gsgeorge Member Username: Gsgeorge Post Number: 243 Registered: 08-2006 |
Whatever Iheartthed, this is not just a condo development and you know it. Retail, an outdoor market, walkable streets with shopping, condos, "lofts", etc. | ||
Gsgeorge Member Username: Gsgeorge Post Number: 244 Registered: 08-2006 |
PS - I know plenty of people who live in the suburbs who yearn for some kind of urban living. Just spoke to the parents of my friends yesterday. They're conservative and they live in a huge house out in sprawling Commerce Twp. They're talking about buying a loft in Royal Oak or Detroit (you heard right!) because they want an urban life once the kids move away to college. There's plenty of demand for this type of thing. | ||
Iheartthed Member Username: Iheartthed Post Number: 1882 Registered: 04-2006 |
They're talking about buying a loft in Royal Oak or Detroit (you heard right!) because they want an urban life once the kids move away to college. There's plenty of demand for this type of thing. Exactly my point! If they want high density, urban lifestyle they will move to Royal Oak, Ann Arbor or Detroit, not Troy. Troy has made a niche as a single family unit community, and it needs to keep working at that. There will always be a market for that and Troy fits the bill for it nicely. | ||
Jt1 Member Username: Jt1 Post Number: 10506 Registered: 10-2003 |
quote: The real estate market here is vastly different than it was 2,3, 4 years ago. | ||
Track75 Member Username: Track75 Post Number: 2648 Registered: 10-2003 |
quote:Perhaps, perhaps not. My point was that I was surprised how easily a crappy development in Troy sold out. The proposed condos at the former KMart HQ should be a much easier sell. quote:Yes, think empty-nester baby-boomers with lots of disposable income. It's a nationwide trend, not just here. | ||
Higgs1634 Member Username: Higgs1634 Post Number: 206 Registered: 10-2005 |
The problem, of course, is that those new empty nesters have to sell the nest before they can downsize. (Message edited by higgs1634 on October 16, 2007) | ||
Track75 Member Username: Track75 Post Number: 2649 Registered: 10-2003 |
quote:Very true, but the point is that the market for real estate in Troy was/is pretty strong relative to other areas. The overall market is down in SE MI but some areas remain more attractive than others. Troy is one of those. Maybe not for many on this site, but there are plenty of other folks out there in the housing market. | ||
Crawford Member Username: Crawford Post Number: 137 Registered: 10-2006 |
Troy is a suburban wasteland. There is nothing remotely urban about traffic-choked, strip-malled Big Beaver Road. For 300-400K, you could buy a nice house in Birmingham, a huge house in Royal Oak, or the best lofts in Royal Oak or Detroit. Can you imagine someone bragging about their new loft on Big Beaver Road of all places? Screw NYC, London, Paris, I'm getting my urban fix down on the Beav. Next up, Soho-style lofts on "urban chic" Hall Road. | ||
Jt1 Member Username: Jt1 Post Number: 10508 Registered: 10-2003 |
I disagree about Troy remaining more attractive than others. I think that Troy is now facing much more competition from other neighborhoods with as much or more to offer. Troy has seen little to no population growth since 2000 (granted they are close to built out) but there are many areas like Novi, Macomb Township, etc that are seeing a lot of growth. Troy is competing with those areas and will lose to a decent number of people making the choice. Before you attack I am not saying Troy is not appealing to many(nor am I comparing it to Detroit), I am just saying that it is losing it's luster on a comparative basis. It seems to me that Troy has some catching up to do to keep people around when they are deciding between Troy and other growth suburbs in the region. According to SEMCOG Troy's household occupancy percentage went up from 2.8% to 3.9%. | ||
Focusonthed Member Username: Focusonthed Post Number: 1372 Registered: 02-2006 |
Yes, for 400k, I could own a house in Troy or Royal Oak. Why would I buy a fake-urban parking-lot condo at Big Beaver and Coolidge for the same price as a nice colonial on 4th St in R.O.? | ||
Gsgeorge Member Username: Gsgeorge Post Number: 245 Registered: 08-2006 |
I guess the point is that many of us here--myself included--would not want to buy a condo or loft in a faux-urban environment like the one coming on Big Beaver Rd. But suburbanites might like the idea, especially those not willing to make the leap to the D and want to stay close to Somerset or other major high-end amenities. | ||
Spacemonkey Member Username: Spacemonkey Post Number: 231 Registered: 03-2006 |
I like it. I think I will move there. | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 4352 Registered: 10-2004 |
So what if Troy's population isn't the same as it was seven years ago? Detroit has probably lost 150,000 or more residents since 2000. Why should anybody expect any Michigan city's population to stay the same or increase? The fact that the population of the burbs are decreasing somewhat should come as no surprise after considering that the youth are abandoning Michigan for employment elsewhere. Furthermore, why should Michigan taxpayers keep having to pay more for college educations of its kids who will become economic refugees and live elsewhere? Just to keep to colleges open for its profs/employees in continuing to train workers for other states? After a decade or two, though, expect large decreases in K-12 and college students when the missing youth generation leaving now become middle-aged in other states, but not here. How many empty schools will the teachers' unions insist not be closed and that the pupil/teacher ratios be decreased to ridiculously low, unsustainable numbers? |
