 
Scooter2k7
Member
Username: Scooter2k7
Post Number: 6
Registered: 10-2007
| | Posted on Friday, November 02, 2007 - 9:42 pm: |    |
CHESTERFIELD TOWNSHIP -- Ground was broken Thursday for a convention and retail center that developers say will be among the largest of its kind in Metro Detroit.
Developers and county and township officials attended the groundbreaking on a 188-acre parcel along the east side of the I-94 between Hall Road and 21 Mile.
The $100 million to $150 million project is expected to include a 150,000-square-foot convention center, hotels, retail space and a medical facility.
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"With the increase in population we have seen in Macomb County, I think that this is a wonderful place for this type of development," said Chesterfield Township Supervisor Jim Ellis. "The township wants to see development like this because it brings in revenue."
Ellis said that when the project was proposed, he even approached developers about including a casino, but lobbying officials in Lansing was unsuccessful.
The convention center will be one of the largest in the suburbs.
Rock Financial Showplace in Novi is bigger with 215,000 square feet of space, but the new Macomb development will be bigger than Laurel Manor in Livonia, which has 23,000 square feet of meeting space, and the Macomb Sports & Expo Center, which has more than 61,000 square feet.
The Clinton Township-based developers -- including Aragona Properties LLC, GTR Builders and John Carlo Inc. -- estimate the entire project will be built out in seven to 10 years, with hotels to be among the first structures built. The convention center is to go up within two years.
The entire development is expected to bring about 1,500 jobs and will have about 900,000 square feet of space.
"All of these projects are moving at different rates," said Paul Aragona, president of Aragona Properties.
This is the latest high-profile project to be unveiled, or opened, in the recent weeks in Macomb County.
On Oct. 18, the upscale, $155 million open-air Mall at Partridge Creek opened in Clinton Township with about 90 stores and restaurants.
Waterside Marketplace, a $75 million shopping center that will feature 25 national retailers -- including JC Penney, TJ Maxx and Dick's Sporting Goods -- had its grand opening Tuesday. The 500,000-square-foot center is at 23 Mile and I-94 in Chesterfield Township.
Standing on a road that will run through the center of the development, township trustee Brian DeMuynck waxed nostalgic about the project, which is being built on property that used to include his grandparents' farm.
"It has sentimental value," DeMuynck said, adding: "Chesterfield is moving in the right direction."
First the opening of Partridge Creek and now this. Hall Road should really be Hall Boulevard. I think this shows that Northern Macomb county is starting to change their image. Not even 10 years ago Chesterfield, Macomb, Shelby those were orchards and cider mills. I am not sure what conventions would come to Chesterfield Township. Seems to me that this development is 10 years too late with all the redevelopment of hotels downtown. |
Detroitrise
Member
Username: Detroitrise
Post Number: 408
Registered: 09-2007
| | Posted on Friday, November 02, 2007 - 9:46 pm: | |
Well, it's good for Oakland County and SE Michigan. Not good for Metro Detroit. |
Bearinabox
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Username: Bearinabox
Post Number: 323
Registered: 04-2006
| | Posted on Friday, November 02, 2007 - 9:48 pm: | |
^That comment makes absolutely no sense. |
Detroitrise
Member
Username: Detroitrise
Post Number: 409
Registered: 09-2007
| | Posted on Friday, November 02, 2007 - 10:10 pm: | |
I'd rather see Cobo hall renovated and expanded is what I'm saying. |
Fareastsider
Member
Username: Fareastsider
Post Number: 661
Registered: 08-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, November 03, 2007 - 10:22 pm: | |
I miss the old Chesterfield without all of the large parking lots, big box stores, and more open space. It would be more justified if there was not such an emptying out of population south of I94, but that is not the case. |
Charlottepaul
Member
Username: Charlottepaul
Post Number: 1949
Registered: 10-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, November 03, 2007 - 10:31 pm: | |
"With the increase in population we have seen..."
Surely any phrase such as this coming from the mouth of someone that lives in Metro Detroit is confused. Pretty certain that there is no substantial increase in metro population. |
Detroitrise
Member
Username: Detroitrise
Post Number: 421
Registered: 09-2007
| | Posted on Saturday, November 03, 2007 - 10:34 pm: | |
I think he was just speaking of the Corporate, Black and White Flighters moving into Macomb County (not all of Metro Detroit or any migration from another region). |
Charlottepaul
Member
Username: Charlottepaul
Post Number: 1950
Registered: 10-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, November 03, 2007 - 10:36 pm: | |
Well I bet that it isn't as much as he thinks that it is. All of the growth is prob. more likely people simply spreading out over more land.
Same number of people + more land = growth? |
Fareastsider
Member
Username: Fareastsider
Post Number: 662
Registered: 08-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, November 03, 2007 - 10:41 pm: | |
The supervisor had a quote in another paper the said "Without growth communities die" While growth has its advantages it is not the end all of whether a community is prospering. What about a stable community? I also have hear the Mayor of Las Vegas say that growth does not mean more money and a better and more improved city.
(Message edited by fareastsider on November 03, 2007) |
Detroitrise
Member
Username: Detroitrise
Post Number: 422
Registered: 09-2007
| | Posted on Saturday, November 03, 2007 - 10:46 pm: | |
^^^That's very true Fareastsider. The thing about SE Michigan is that it's pretty stable. We haven't had a big issue in the past 30 years in terms of untame population shifts.
On the other hand, growth usually is good in the long run no matter what way you put it because that means that your region or whatever is doing something that people like. |
Miesfan
Member
Username: Miesfan
Post Number: 7
Registered: 11-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, November 04, 2007 - 8:06 am: | |
Detroitrise, how is something in Macomb County good for Oakland County but bad for metro Detroit? |
Detroitrise
Member
Username: Detroitrise
Post Number: 423
Registered: 09-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, November 04, 2007 - 9:50 am: | |
"Detroitrise, how is something in Macomb County good for Oakland County but bad for metro Detroit?"
???? I never said that is was good for Oakland County. However, I said it's bad for Metro Detroit because it further decentralize the region. |
Carm
Member
Username: Carm
Post Number: 66
Registered: 01-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, November 04, 2007 - 9:56 am: | |
Detroitrise, look at your first post in this thread. You said it is good for Oakland County and SE Michigan. |
Detroitrise
Member
Username: Detroitrise
Post Number: 424
Registered: 09-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, November 04, 2007 - 10:07 am: | |
I meant to say Macomb County. |
Schulzte1
Member
Username: Schulzte1
Post Number: 93
Registered: 01-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, November 04, 2007 - 10:30 am: | |
A 150,000 sq. ft. building is not nearly large enough to take a major convention away from Cobo Hall. 150,000 sq. ft. barely qualifies as a Convention Center. Cobo is around 700,000, and many other cities have convention centers larger than 1,000,000 sq. ft. Cobo Hall should be competing with the Indiana Convention Center, McCormick Place in Chicago, etc., not worrying about boat shows and hunting expos like the Rock showplace.
The hotels coming into downtown will help tremendously, as to this point, there has not been a good selection of nearby hotels in downtown Detroit to attract the 3 and 4 day trade shows most convention center rely on. Indianapolis has 5 large hotels directly adjacent to their convention center, and probably 6 more within walking distance. It's a great set up, and hopefully Detroit can move in that direction. |
Danny
Member
Username: Danny
Post Number: 6757
Registered: 02-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, November 04, 2007 - 10:46 am: | |
More big box junk, and a convention center. Suburban sprawl with your property tax dollars at work. |
321brian
Member
Username: 321brian
Post Number: 494
Registered: 02-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, November 04, 2007 - 10:54 am: | |
All you Detroit lovers and suburb haters need to realize that if Detroit had its act together this would not be happening.
Spraw like this is dumb.
Detroit need to do more to attract homeowners (not condo dwellers) and businesses back to the neighborhoods. |
Detroitrise
Member
Username: Detroitrise
Post Number: 425
Registered: 09-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, November 04, 2007 - 11:01 am: | |
I've been saying that all along, and yet all the people on this site want this Downtown development to flourish and expecting it to spread into the neighborhoods. That will never happen in Detroit. |
Miesfan
Member
Username: Miesfan
Post Number: 8
Registered: 11-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, November 04, 2007 - 11:02 am: | |
quote:Detroitrise
Member
Username: Detroitrise
Post Number: 408
Registered: 09-2007
Posted on Friday, November 02, 2007 - 9:46 pm: Edit PostDelete Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)
Well, it's good for Oakland County and SE Michigan. Not good for Metro Detroit.
You may have meant to say Macomb County but you said Oakland County. Then you tried to deny it. That's just stupid. |
Detroitrise
Member
Username: Detroitrise
Post Number: 426
Registered: 09-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, November 04, 2007 - 11:05 am: | |
"You may have meant to say Macomb County but you said Oakland County. Then you tried to deny it. That's just stupid."
No, it's stupid that Metro Detroit is suffering from so much sprawl. |
Miesfan
Member
Username: Miesfan
Post Number: 9
Registered: 11-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, November 04, 2007 - 11:21 am: | |
Well I'm sure bright young minds like you will right the ship. |
Detroitrise
Member
Username: Detroitrise
Post Number: 427
Registered: 09-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, November 04, 2007 - 11:24 am: | |
Only if geniuses like you steer it in the right direction. |
3rdworldcity
Member
Username: 3rdworldcity
Post Number: 967
Registered: 01-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, November 04, 2007 - 11:26 am: | |
How long before Danindc joins his knockoff Danny and tells us how dumb this project is because it conflicts with his pie-in-the-sky, ivory tower, academic -v- practical common sense approach to "Urban Planning" (whatever that is.)
Detroitrise says it's bad for Detroit be cause it further "decentralizes the region" (whatever that means.) I presume that DR wants the area "centralized" with Detroit as the center. Well, I'll tell you how that goal can be accomplished:
1. Come up with a functional form of Govt that does not involve a Council, and if that can't be accomplished, elect people to the Council who are smart, have common sense, are honest, and are not racist. That up to all you Detroit folks.
2. Downsize city govt bureaucracy by 1/2; take a stand against the unions.
3. CUT TAXES.
4. Implement a functioning public school system with a powerful Director of public education and an advisory school board with no power to abuse. Put the responsibility for public education with the chief executive/mayor.
5. #4 is never going to happen, so go into Charter Schools heavily.
6. Tear down every abandoned, vandalized and eyesore house and office building in the City; there are many areas in the city that look worse than Iraq. That includes downtown office buildings. Convert the vacant spaces to parks (and keep them up) or urban farm plots.
7. Stop howling at the moon by criticizing other communities which are promoting development and thriving. Stop second guessing the electorate in other communities who are more than capable of guiding their own destinies (what Detroiters appear incapable of doing.)
8. Kill all the "urban planners."
Make the place most people would seriously consider moving back to. |
Miesfan
Member
Username: Miesfan
Post Number: 10
Registered: 11-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, November 04, 2007 - 11:44 am: | |
Oh Detroitrise I could never rise to your level of insight and sophistication. I'll leave all this tough stuff to wise men like you, Mackinaw, Danindc, and this 3rdworldcity chap. |
Perfectgentleman
Member
Username: Perfectgentleman
Post Number: 4799
Registered: 03-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, November 04, 2007 - 11:48 am: | |
Another pathetic and predictable thread. It is a familiar pattern, starting with a thread about <insert> and then the usual suspects come out to complain about sprawl and the usual nonsense that anything built in the burbs is done so at the "expense" of Detroit.
Of course these same people rarely if ever are honest enough to admit why there isn't development in Detroit, and anyone who does bring those reasons to light is called a racist in due time.
It seems that many people have not learned that complaining about what others are doing is not the path to success. Success in Detroit has to come from within the community there, starting with the residents and the leaders they elect. Get serious about public safety and crack down on the dead-enders that are ruining the city and maybe private investors will be willing to take a chance, there is no other way back.
Until then, expect to see these kind of developments in he suburbs and not Detroit. |
Rocket_city
Member
Username: Rocket_city
Post Number: 457
Registered: 04-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, November 04, 2007 - 5:01 pm: | |
3rdworldcity, you forgot that adding another 4 much needed convention centers in the suburbs would also help the region recentralize. Maybe the first one can go in southern Lapeer County because when Chesterfield starts shrinking, you know for sure they'll be "growing". |