  Leland_palmer Member Username: Leland_palmer Post Number: 320 Registered: 08-2004 |
Has anyone noticed that the deterioration of the some of the properties that HCL own seem to have hastened over the past couple months. Here are a couple of examples. http://fadeddetroit.blogspot.c om/2007/05/rebirth-or-impendin g-doom.html http://fadeddetroit.blogspot.c om/2007/01/all-fall-down.html It would be nice if they did more to stabilize these buildings so we don't end up with another Slumpy. I hope they don't end up being another case of demolition by neglect so that they can put new construction on these lots. | ||
Gdub Member Username: Gdub Post Number: 1107 Registered: 10-2003 |
"Hip City Living." Man, what a dumb name. | ||
Mdoyle Member Username: Mdoyle Post Number: 94 Registered: 10-2006 |
They seem to be in more of the slash and burn market. Buy up property and eventually demo and build disposable prefab structures that have all of that old feel without any of that rehabilitation inconvenience. | ||
Innercitydoc Member Username: Innercitydoc Post Number: 47 Registered: 09-2006 |
Historic structures in Brush Park can't be demoed so they must rehab them one way or another. Probably the reason Old Slumpy hasn't been torn down amongst others. | ||
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul Post Number: 1042 Registered: 10-2006 |
"Historic structures in Brush Park can't be demoed" Why can't they be? | ||
Jfried Member Username: Jfried Post Number: 973 Registered: 11-2003 |
Any RFP the City has recently released for land they have assembled in Brush park has had the stipulation that existing structures are rehabilitated as part of the new developmemnt. In the last few years we have lost many structures that could have easily been renovated, but at least now we are probably at the point that anything left standing in Brush Park at this time will be rehabbed, or incorporated into some sort of adaptive reuse. That said, with the right proposal, and enough money I wouldn't be surprised to see the city easily slipping on this policy. | ||
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul Post Number: 1044 Registered: 10-2006 |
Certainly. However, if you own the property as may be the case with HCL, you could do whatever you want with it, no? | ||
Yooper Member Username: Yooper Post Number: 43 Registered: 12-2006 |
Yeah, they can probably do whatever they want with it. They should turn it into a grocery store or a bar. | ||
Jfried Member Username: Jfried Post Number: 975 Registered: 11-2003 |
Hip City Living owns the property through the award of an RFP from the City. In addition, these homes are located in the Brush Park Historic District, so no, they can't just do what they want. They haven't owned the homes very long so I would hardly call it demolition by neglect. It takes a long time to get incentives, tax credits, and not to mention skilled craftsmen to work on these projects. Give them a break. They are moving forward. | ||
Karl Member Username: Karl Post Number: 7747 Registered: 09-2005 |
Things never stand still - they are either moving forward, or backward. Perhaps a few pics of progress and/or forward movement in Brush Park would be helpful to keep things in perspective. | ||
6nois Member Username: 6nois Post Number: 273 Registered: 11-2006 |
When I went down there in the fall none of the signs were there in front of those buildings. So I assumed that the placement of the signs was a sign that construction would start soon. Not really sure though. I do have to say though that Jfried is right, as far as I know in a historic context like that you can't tear the buildings down. | ||
Suburbia Member Username: Suburbia Post Number: 8 Registered: 03-2007 |
The buildings have been preliminarily reviewed by the Historic District Commission. The goal is to restore the buildings to their original facade and create multiple living spaces within the homes/duplexes. As it was mentioned, it takes time to move forward on the older homes - there's a lot of infrastructure to analyze with architects/engineers. In the meantime, they're organizing a clean-up effort to remove some of the debris that has fallen. They are also focussing their efforts on their new homes on the corner of John R/Erskine - a nine unit building is currently going up. | ||
Rfrankt Member Username: Rfrankt Post Number: 3 Registered: 03-2007 |
Hip City Living is not in the slash and burn business as some "uninformed" may be speculating. Hip City Living has a development agreement w/ Brush Park Development Corp. to rehab 240 and 248 Mack, across from the DMC. | ||
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul Post Number: 1058 Registered: 10-2006 |
Makes more sense now to me to know that there is an agreement in the RFP between the city and HCL that they more or less signed a contract to rehab the buildings. However Jfried, keep in mind that being designated a historic building or being in an historic district on any level (national, state or local) does not in any way prevent a building from being demolished. |
