Discuss Detroit » Archives - January 2008 » BC/BS's Golden Development Opportunity « Previous Next »
Top of pageBottom of page

Royce
Member
Username: Royce

Post Number: 2445
Registered: 07-2004
Posted on Monday, December 10, 2007 - 2:57 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I've noticed that a fence is surrounding the old Blue Cross/Blue Shield's parking garage on Beaubien and Congress. It has been scheduled to be torn down since the new structure along I-375
was built. Renditions of what would go there indicated a simple surface parking lot.

I think Blue Cross/Blue Shield has a golden opportunity to do more with that property than to simply turn it into a surface parking lot. Given the location, I think that corner of Beaubien and Congress would be ideal for residential living, specifically some townhomes. Residents would be within walking distances of everything downtown. Also, residences at that corner would create much needed foot traffic, since the garage and the Edison power station across the street make that area a dead zone.

Blue Cross/Blue Shield had a golden opportunity years ago to take the land immediately east of Beaubien between Fort and Lafayette and develop it into townhomes, but instead developed and built their extention center, which could have been built in the area next to the new parking structure, had they given it some thought.

Shortsightedness on their part years ago can't make up for what happened, but at least now BC/BS has an opportunity to rectify a blown opportunity and develop something worthwhile on the corner of Beaubien and Congress. I only hope that they are aware of the climate for residential living downtown and realize that they have a great location for it to occur. Two blown opportunities would be a tragedy.
Top of pageBottom of page

Gsgeorge
Member
Username: Gsgeorge

Post Number: 409
Registered: 08-2006
Posted on Monday, December 10, 2007 - 3:11 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Problem is lack of money, obviously, but it's an excellent suggestion. Proximity to downtown and Greektown is a huge plus. Write them a letter... you never know...
Top of pageBottom of page

Buddyinrichmond
Member
Username: Buddyinrichmond

Post Number: 255
Registered: 02-2004
Posted on Monday, December 10, 2007 - 6:33 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I was thinking that part of town could use some single family detached or maybe a couple of hobby farms.
Top of pageBottom of page

Mackinaw
Member
Username: Mackinaw

Post Number: 4131
Registered: 02-2005
Posted on Monday, December 10, 2007 - 9:05 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I didn't know that was coming down. A surface lot would be tragic. They also need to re-open St. Antoine Street.
Top of pageBottom of page

Charlottepaul
Member
Username: Charlottepaul

Post Number: 2112
Registered: 10-2006
Posted on Monday, December 10, 2007 - 9:40 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

"They also need to re-open St. Antoine Street."

...and Fort St. (the only reason why those two blocks of Lafayette are of the weird two-way).
Top of pageBottom of page

Royce
Member
Username: Royce

Post Number: 2447
Registered: 07-2004
Posted on Monday, December 10, 2007 - 11:30 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

You know, Gsgeorge, I might just write that letter. Thanks for the suggestion.
Top of pageBottom of page

Gsgeorge
Member
Username: Gsgeorge

Post Number: 427
Registered: 08-2006
Posted on Monday, December 10, 2007 - 11:38 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Royce, Bricktown needs it. It has the potential to be one of the most thriving areas of the city... in-between Greektown and RenCen, great entertainment and music clubs, restaurants, new primo casino, people mover access, close to freeway. The only thing its lacking is some type of housing, apartments, lofts, whatever. It's because most of those types of buildings have been leveled to make way for surface parking. With the trend towards infill and revitalization, BC/BS could really cash in.
Top of pageBottom of page

Reetz12
Member
Username: Reetz12

Post Number: 201
Registered: 09-2005
Posted on Tuesday, December 11, 2007 - 11:06 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

They are only tearing down half of the existing structure. The part that is along congress will be town down. The other half will remain standing and in full use after repairs and provisions are made. After the portion is torn down there will be a surface lot in its place.
Top of pageBottom of page

E_hemingway
Member
Username: E_hemingway

Post Number: 1451
Registered: 11-2004
Posted on Tuesday, December 11, 2007 - 11:29 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I like the idea of residential there, but townhomes aren't a good fit. That's for more of a residential neighborhood, think Woodbridge, and not a downtown district. Whatever is built there should be denser, about the size of the Ellington if not bigger. You need to build up in major city centers and two-story townhomes just aren't cutting it.

Density, density, density. We need much more of it inside the greater Grand Blvd loop, especially in the central business district.
Top of pageBottom of page

Detroitrise
Member
Username: Detroitrise

Post Number: 1056
Registered: 09-2007
Posted on Tuesday, December 11, 2007 - 12:56 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I think a Residential tower would work nice. We need to fill in our skyline in that portion of downtown. However, with the region's economy, there wouldn't be a huge demand for any huge development in that part of downtown, despite how desirable the land is.

E_hrmingway, overall, density is fine within the Grand Blvd loop for our type of city. However, it could defintely be better than what it is now.
Top of pageBottom of page

Ray1936
Member
Username: Ray1936

Post Number: 2381
Registered: 01-2005
Posted on Tuesday, December 11, 2007 - 1:10 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I don't much care what they do as long as they quit raising my rates. :-(
Top of pageBottom of page

Mackinaw
Member
Username: Mackinaw

Post Number: 4142
Registered: 02-2005
Posted on Tuesday, December 11, 2007 - 1:17 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Reetz, that sounds like the perfect sized development parcel off of Congress, within sight of Greektown and Woodward.

You know who else in Bricktown needs to step up w/ development? UD Law School. Put a garage on half the massive parking lot between congress and larned and a condo/apartment building on the other half.
Top of pageBottom of page

Royce
Member
Username: Royce

Post Number: 2456
Registered: 07-2004
Posted on Sunday, December 16, 2007 - 11:49 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Reetz12, that's very disappointing. How much f'ing parking does BC/BS need? I thought the new parking structure would address the parking issue. Saving part of the old structure and putting a surface parking lot is a waste. Too bad that those in charge at BC/BS can't see that there is a potential for something much more. Clearly, Detroit's loss.
Top of pageBottom of page

Charlottepaul
Member
Username: Charlottepaul

Post Number: 2150
Registered: 10-2006
Posted on Monday, December 17, 2007 - 6:41 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

"You know who else in Bricktown needs to step up w/ development? UD Law School. Put a garage on half the massive parking lot between congress and larned and a condo/apartment building on the other half."

Word around UDM is that something like that is still in the plans. Now that the dental school location has been settled and many improvements have been made up at the McNichols campus, ideally UDM should be announcing more information about the law school plans soon (maybe still a few years off, but I think that is a part of the 2020 plan last I recall).
Top of pageBottom of page

Lefty2
Member
Username: Lefty2

Post Number: 775
Registered: 07-2007
Posted on Monday, December 17, 2007 - 10:20 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

BC/BS needs to raise rates dramatically now just to break even next year. I don't think they will do any developing soon unless someone offers them money to develop it for them.
Top of pageBottom of page

Mikeg
Member
Username: Mikeg

Post Number: 1326
Registered: 12-2005
Posted on Tuesday, December 18, 2007 - 10:05 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

quote:

BC/BS needs to raise rates dramatically now just to break even next year.



Yeah sure, breaking even while sitting on a $2.8 billion surplus, their highest ever.

According to AG Mike Cox in today's Detroit News, BC/BS of MI isn't satisfied with their current situation, they want to eliminate all State of Michigan oversight over their rates while still keeping their state tax benefits granted them in exchange for being "the insurer of last resort".

BCBS of MI
Top of pageBottom of page

Royce
Member
Username: Royce

Post Number: 2487
Registered: 07-2004
Posted on Wednesday, January 02, 2008 - 3:16 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

They started tearing down the structure just before Christmas. I still think some kind of residential would be great for that corner.
Top of pageBottom of page

E_hemingway
Member
Username: E_hemingway

Post Number: 1478
Registered: 11-2004
Posted on Wednesday, January 02, 2008 - 9:58 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Yeah, the old Soviet-style parking garage is nearly gone now. There is definitely a great opportunity to build something significant there. I don't know about residential right now in this market, but ideally a mixed-use building there would work just fine.
Top of pageBottom of page

Skulker
Member
Username: Skulker

Post Number: 3867
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Wednesday, January 02, 2008 - 2:30 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

quote:

They started tearing down the structure just before Christmas. I still think some kind of residential would be great for that corner.



In five years when the Detroit real estate market has recovered. You do realize there is a lot of softness in the market right now.

In the mean time, be happy they are not putting up something crappy like a drive thru Wendys and that the parcel will still be available for development in the future.
Top of pageBottom of page

Detroitrise
Member
Username: Detroitrise

Post Number: 1293
Registered: 09-2007
Posted on Wednesday, January 02, 2008 - 2:35 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

"In the mean time, be happy they are not putting up something crappy like a drive thru Wendys and that the parcel will still be available for development in the future."

Actually, a Wendy's (or several FF restaurants) in DD wouldn't be too bad, as long as it's storefront. The nearest one is on Jefferson by Belle Isle (that's too far to drive for a 30 minute lunch).

Add Your Message Here
Posting is currently disabled in this topic. Contact your discussion moderator for more information.