  Eric Member Username: Eric Post Number: 582 Registered: 11-2004 |
Looks like work may have finally started, two yellow garbage chutes along the building are visible from eastbound E Jefferson. The parking lot in front was completely torn up. Pic of building for those not familiar with it http://detroit1701.org/Whittie r%20Hotel.html | ||
Apbest Member Username: Apbest Post Number: 260 Registered: 03-2006 |
Condos perhaps? There hasnt been a public development announcement as far as I can remember...but that would bring east jefferson corridor strides farther, making it one of the most developed in the city | ||
Spiritofdetroit Member Username: Spiritofdetroit Post Number: 34 Registered: 11-2006 |
There was a public announcement, and there has been a large sign announcing the development with Kwame's name and all of the city council plastered on it. Its been there for about a year | ||
Swingline Member Username: Swingline Post Number: 622 Registered: 11-2003 |
This project has been percolating for a long time. It is a combination of market rate condos and rental units that qualify for low/mod income tax credits through MSHDA. I'm pretty sure that the condos received an NEZ designation as well. The final phase includes some retail frontage on E. Jefferson. It's good to see progress. | ||
Cartoonguy Member Username: Cartoonguy Post Number: 91 Registered: 10-2003 |
My great-grandmother lived there until she was evicted to make way for condos, that was in 2000, she was 98. When we moved her in there in the late 1980's it was classy place and gorgeous. When she moved out it seemed at if most of the buildings interior was being held together with Duct Tape. It used to be a great building and it still has a ton of history. It will make splendid place for condos and has a pretty good location right across they street from Indian Village. Too Bad my great grandma never got to see why she was evicted. She died in March of 2004, four years after she was evicted. | ||
Apbest Member Username: Apbest Post Number: 261 Registered: 03-2006 |
102yrs old...quite a life | ||
Huggybear Member Username: Huggybear Post Number: 269 Registered: 08-2005 |
The tall brick building just to the north of the Whittier (toward Jefferson - is this also part of the complex?) has trash chutes up and it looks like something is going on there. | ||
Chow Member Username: Chow Post Number: 319 Registered: 10-2003 |
^ yes. | ||
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan Post Number: 4691 Registered: 10-2003 |
Yeah, the two other towers are part of the complex. Does anyone know who the renovation architect and construction company/general contractor is for this renovation? | ||
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul Post Number: 34 Registered: 10-2006 |
is this the building that had its elevator shafts extended higher for a future restaurant to be on top of the building? | ||
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan Post Number: 4692 Registered: 10-2003 |
Yes, and it looks very strange, too, and not in a good way. BTW, I did a little rearching to jog my memory on this one and found that the two north towers (brown brick buildings) are being renovated for market-rate, senior, loft apartments + retail. The existing parking lot will be developed into a 60-unit loft building with retail. This one is being done by River Park Village Senior Apartments Limited Dividend Housing Association L.P. The tower will be renovated into 80 large, market-rate apartments, and another 80-unit residential development will be constructed on a lot adjacent to the hotel. This one is being done by Phoenix Communities of Detroit. This project's tax credits were approved way back in December of 2004. I assume what's holding this up is that the developers for at least the tower haven't been able to put together the financing? Preliminary website for the tower: http://www.whittierpark.com/ Website of the redevelopers: http://www.phoenixdevgrp.com/ (Message edited by lmichigan on November 12, 2006) | ||
Eric Member Username: Eric Post Number: 590 Registered: 11-2004 |
If anything was the hold up it'd be the new construction. I wouldn't be suprised if this was scaled back. Phoenix Communities will use a tax credit valued at nearly $6.6 million to help convert the 15-story Italian Renaissance-style hotel into 80 residential apartments. An additional mid-rise 80-unit apartment building will be constructed on a lot adjacent to the hotel tower. Phoenix will invest nearly $66 million in the project which will create 40 new jobs. • River Park Village Senior Apartments LDHA LP, Detroit will invest $29.8 million to execute the second project in the Whittier redevelopment using an SBT credit valued at nearly $3 million. Two eight-story towers will be renovated to accommodate 140 senior apartments. The existing parking lot will be redeveloped into 60 loft-style residential units with 25,000 square feet of retail space. An existing parking structure will be demolished and a new one built. The riverfront site is located next to Erma Henderson Park and Marina. The project is expected to create 10 new jobs | ||
Apbest Member Username: Apbest Post Number: 262 Registered: 03-2006 |
so the current classical Whittier hotel building will have no market rate non-senior lofts? | ||
Redetroit Member Username: Redetroit Post Number: 40 Registered: 04-2005 |
What is the deal with the vacant piece of property near Detroit Towers and Shoreline East? It looks as though it's been cleared for development. Any ideas? | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 3069 Registered: 08-2004 |
If it's the one I'm thinking about, it has been empty for decades... | ||
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan Post Number: 4695 Registered: 10-2003 |
Apbest, the actual tower will have market rate apartments, while the smaller towers will be reserved for market rate senior/age-restricted apartments. The tower has no age limit, the low/mid-rises do, but they will all be market rate, and I expect pretty pricey, too, given the location, and how large the apartments will be. | ||
Apbest Member Username: Apbest Post Number: 266 Registered: 03-2006 |
ok makes sense...then the new midrise building being built are the seperate senior residences your referring to? I thought that was to be done by a seperate developer...sorry Im not an eastsider yet, so Im trying to get my bearings | ||
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan Post Number: 4696 Registered: 10-2003 |
This complex currently consists of the 15-story Whittier Towers, as well as two smaller low-rise/mid-rise buildings on site. The new building planned by Phoenix will be another market-rate, residential mid-rise. River Park Village Senior Apartments LDHA LP is renovating the two low-rise/mid-rise buildings as well as adding another 60-unit building, which will probably be low-rise or maybe even townhomes. Who knows? Phoenix is renovating the 15-story tower and the developers of the proposed mid-rise addition. River Park Village Senior Apartments LDHA LP is renovating the two smaller towers, as well as building 60 additional units. Hope that clears everything up. In the end, if everything is renovated and built as planned (which seems unlikely to me), there will be 5 buildings on site. | ||
Bvos Member Username: Bvos Post Number: 2074 Registered: 10-2003 |
The reason there was a hold up is because the city was reluctant to grant the needed variances and tax breaks to the developer given his track record of very successful or very unsuccessful projects. They didn't want a gem of a property and more affordable housing getting wrecked by him. I guess a few folks stepped up to the plate to vouch for him and now things are moving forward. | ||
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan Post Number: 4698 Registered: 10-2003 |
Which developer is that, Phoenix Group of Companies/Communities, or the limited partnership (River Village Senior Apartments)? | ||
Supersport Member Username: Supersport Post Number: 10876 Registered: 10-2003 |
With few exceptions, such as Cheli's Chili Bar, I don't think I have EVER seen a project completed during it's initially announced time frame. You just have to learn to accept the fact that things are never completed on time, and I personally don't believe that is an exclusive to Detroit issue. There are always unforseen problems in the types of redevelopment we are seeing in Detroit. | ||
Goat Member Username: Goat Post Number: 8976 Registered: 10-2003 |
No Sport it is not exclusive to Detroit, Windsor is just as bad. But you do have admit that Detroit is probably the worst city in N. America for completing anything on time. Why that is, I don't know? When it comes to making decisions, Detroit and Windsor sit on the pot a hell of a lot longer than most cities do. When they do make a decision it sure takes a long time to complete. Other cities don't dither and plod along like these two cities do. | ||
French777 Member Username: French777 Post Number: 29 Registered: 10-2006 |
Are there going to be condo's | ||
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan Post Number: 4707 Registered: 10-2003 |
Withe the type of grants these uses, you have to wait something like 5 years before they can go condo (which many of them choose to do). | ||
Ndavies Member Username: Ndavies Post Number: 2320 Registered: 10-2003 |
The 5 year rental requirement only applies to federal historic tax credits. I wouldn't expect the Whittier to qualify for federal historic tax credits. | ||
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan Post Number: 4708 Registered: 10-2003 |
Really? It's my impression that redevelopers of historic properties try and go for as many credits and abatements as they possibly can. | ||
Spiritofdetroit Member Username: Spiritofdetroit Post Number: 61 Registered: 11-2006 |
Why do the tax credits stipulate that they be rentals for 5 years? | ||
Ndavies Member Username: Ndavies Post Number: 2324 Registered: 10-2003 |
Sorry, I didn't think the Whittier was registered. I checked last night and I was wrong. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. So it is eligible for Federal tax credits. |
