183 replies to this topic

[haydenth]

I don't know if anyone has posted this yet or not, but JC Beal sent this email out to people inquiring about living in the Broderick Towers

An update for the curious.

JC Beal Construction Inc. does have a contract to renovate the Broderick
Tower Building, and while progress is being made this is a slow process.
There is design and engineering [with Kraemer Design Group ( They did
Merchants Row design ) doing design] to perform, tax credits and loans to
negotiate (there is a national bank on board), and City boards and
commissions to satisfy. This "preconstruction process" will take several
additional months, with a 15-18 month construction period to start sometime
next summer after that.

The product will be rental for a minimum of 5 years for tax credit reasons.
With all that completion will be late 2007 to mid 2008. As such it seems a
little early to respond to the "when can I move in and how much can I buy it
for emails?"

As for Hines; they were involved in this project for 4 years without
accomplishing much. They will not be invited back, though a couple of their
more historic restoration oriented staff may ultimately be involved.

Fred J. Beal, President
JC Beal Construction Inc.

[statedude3]

I'm so incredibly frustrated at how long it takes to get stuff done in this city.  I know why things are this way, but can anyone tell me what it would take to change it?

[Allan]

I was pleasantly surprised to find this in my inbox.  

It is rather frustrating somethimes.  It does take forever to get anything done in the city.  The whole approval process is full of a lot of red tape.  The only real way to eliminate it is to completely restructure the city government.

[wolverine]

Allan, tell me where to ship the floor plans for the Broderick tower, I would pm you this, but for some reason, I get an error when I try to send it.

[Allan]

Try now.  Sorry, my inbox was full.  200 PMs is not enough space!

[rbdetsport]

Sounds great, I wish it was sooner though.

[Allan]

Look for work to start on the lower 5 floors & the Church Building next door in the coming weeks.  The plans for the tower interior are still not finalized...next summer sounds like a reasonable start date to me, given the amount of work that has to occur between now & then.

[rbdetsport]

Allan, on Oct 22 2005, 01:46 PM, said:

Look for work to start on the lower 5 floors & the Church Building next door in the coming weeks.  The plans for the tower interior are still not finalized...next summer sounds like a reasonable start date to me, given the amount of work that has to occur between now & then.

So the ground floor retail can be ready for the superbowl?

[DetroitBazaar]

Let's work to make this last.

[rbdetsport]

I can't wait to be able to look up at the Broderick at the Tigers game and say, "I remember looking up at that building and seeing blackness. The David Whitney is next for a renovation, u watch"

[Allan]

rbdetsport, on Oct 22 2005, 07:34 PM, said:

So the ground floor retail can be ready for the superbowl?

The goal is to have the ground floor of the Broderick open for Super Bowl.  Facade work can start on the lower floors as soon as it gets the ok from the historic commission.  Then they can pull the proper permits & work can begin.

[hudkina]

If they can really get this done by 2007 or 2008, I'd say that's pretty quick!  Sure It'd be great if we could have a completely renovated Broderick tomorrow, but I can easily wait two or three years.

[ClevelandNO!]

so the mural historical? or just a crappy advertisement for a crappy artist from madison heights? (whales? great lakes? how about a mural of zebra muscles?)

[Allan]

The mural is not historical.  The artist claims it is art, but to me it is a gigantic public advertisement for his gallery.  He loves his hometown so much that he packed up and moved to Laguna Beach.

[Zissou]

I still dont see the mural as a giant advertisement.  The man has no galleries in Michigan last time i checked, so im guessing that hes banking on Detroits booming tourism to promote himself.  And if your in the market for a poster or print of whales you are most likely gonna come across him on the internet anyway.  And if his purpose was to advertise he did a really crappy job because it wasnt until 2 years ago that i learned who did the mural and ive had an interest in the city for a long time.

Oh and Allan you obviously dont watch MTV because Laguna Beach is where its all happening.

[Allan]

Zissou, on Oct 24 2005, 10:36 PM, said:

Oh and Allan you obviously dont watch MTV because Laguna Beach is where its all happening.

I don't watch tv at all.  I'm down to 20 credits, but still my life is all homework.  And if I did have time I still wouldn't watch tv...when I watch tv I feel like I'm wasting my life.

[detroitfan]

The artist and mural without doubt is crappy. What's more amazing is the HDC wouldn't even allow to covered to help generated revenue for renovations think they were supposed get 600K/yr for 3 years which is a nice chuck of change. You'd think the HDC knowing that financing these projects in this city is no easy task would've approved, but they choose a 10 year old mural over a building that's 70+

[Zissou]

Allan, on Oct 24 2005, 10:58 PM, said:

I don't watch tv at all.  I'm down to 20 credits, but still my life is all homework.  And if I did have time I still wouldn't watch tv...when I watch tv I feel like I'm wasting my life.

I was being completely sarcastic with that.  I cant stand MTV so i figured i would poke fun at it.  If I had your access to Detroit I probably wouldnt watch TV either.

[Jin Kim]

Ask the folks coming down for a Tiger game what the whale's mural is about and I bet 90% of people wouldn't have a clue or who painted it.

[Allan]

Quote

I was being completely sarcastic with that. I cant stand MTV so i figured i would poke fun at it. If I had your access to Detroit I probably wouldnt watch TV either.

Yeah, living 2 miles from Detroit has its advantages.  I actually make it a point to do my shopping there.  Now I just have to get a place there, which will be happening in May.  I haven't quite decided on my living arrangements yet though.  A couple friends are looking to buy a house in Boston-Edison or the University District, so I may rent from them (the houses they are looking at are 3000-5500 square feet, so they are certainly large enough).  The other option is getting an apartment with a friend in downtown, midtown, New Center, or Woodbridge.  Either way I need to find something, since in all likelihood my parents and my little brother will be moving down south next summer, and I'm not going with them...basically if I don't find something I will be living in my car.  I would prefer to get an apartment, since I really don't want to have to put in my share of yardwork and whatnot at a house.  So now the challenge is finding someone who is willing to shell out $300-$400/mo. for an apartment in Detroit....