Medical Mile/Michigan Street Developments

[sparky05]

This is interesting:

Holy crap! When did they pour all of that?!?

[sparky05]

Well, it turns out they didn't pour that at all - it's blocks. And it now has a precast concrete roof:

Sidewalk? Driveway?

Pilings being pounded in along division:

It was pretty cool to see this today. For whatever reason, I got that feeling that I used to get when I was putting together a big lego set and didn't understand what the instructions were calling for, and then suddenly some piece falls into place and you understand where it's all going. I love that feeling.

[wayneoh]

Well, it turns out they didn't pour that at all - it's blocks. And it now has a precast concrete roof:

Sidewalk? Driveway?

Pilings being pounded in along division:

*cough**cough* Temporary loading dock*cough**cough*

[sparky05]

*cough**cough* Temporary loading dock*cough**cough*

Yeah, that would make sense...

[sparky05]

Even more:

[numstead]

I'm not sure I understand the concept behind the "cultured stone" look in an urban environment. I mean, yeah it looks great on a ski lodge or on the front of your home in some subdivision called ForestViewCrestRidgeBluffs.

[bwindi25]

I wonder where they will put the sign that says, "Welcome to the Grand Canyon"

Maybe we can rent mules at the top of the hill and have them take us down to Monroe. Or they can invest in a glass floor sky walk on the 12th floor so people can venture out over the edge...

OK, the wall isn't that bad, but it's not great either.

[joeDowntown]

I like all of the terraces. I'm keen on this building. Cultured stone is an interesting choice, but it is so drastically different than anything else in the neighborhood that I think it will really stand out (in a nice way). Cancer centers seem to be more zen like, with trees, waterfalls, healing gardens. I think it is nice (and will have some amazing views of downtown!).

Joe

[AvtpeasK]

My guess is extending the ramp not quite into a destination lane, but just longer to support higher traffic volume to the off ramp and increase safety. When I did work out on that stretch of highway it seemed like that was one of the busiest off ramps and backed up a bit.

Edit: I just looked a little closer, you can see the stakes in the ground. Those represent the edge of the pavement and you can see that it tapers off from where they started work on the shoulder all the way up to the ramp currently starts.

Edit 2: I look closer yet again and see the other side. It looks like they are lengthening the on ramp over there. The roller is packing the sand down (unless it is roller compacted concrete, but I doubt they used that).

I read on some website i was looking up 196 news, they are expanding the highway to 3 lanes from I-96 to US-131 (about time thank god), also a neat proposal was to make a junction from 196 to I-96 WEST which currently there is no junction.

[Time]

Wood radio is reporting today that one of these buidlings will have a hotel at the top of it. Is that new news or has this always been in the plans?

[GRDadof3]

Wood radio is reporting today that one of these buidlings will have a hotel at the top of it. Is that new news or has this always been in the plans?

The Business Journal Street Talk is saying the same thing. 90 room hotel, owned and operated by RDV, similar to Renucci House (which provides lodging for extended stay patient families).

It's probably going to go where Towers Medical building is now, as those tenants will move into 25 Michigan (under construction now) when finished. designcritic?

[numstead]

Doesn't surprise me. We just finished a "hotel" over at Mary Free Bed.

[twoshort]

The Business Journal Street Talk is saying the same thing. 90 room hotel, owned and operated by RDV, similar to Renucci House (which provides lodging for extended stay patient families).

You're kidding me.

some subdivision called ForestViewCrestRidgeBluffs.

[hombre_de_ciudad]

I read on some website i was looking up 196 news, they are expanding the highway to 3 lanes from I-96 to US-131 (about time thank god), also a neat proposal was to make a junction from 196 to I-96 WEST which currently there is no junction.

Those are MDOT's long-term (5+ years) plans, but there is no funding in place to complete all that work at the moment. The good news is that the work that is being done on I-196 now will support those long-term plans. For example, the bridges being replaced will enable 3+ lanes in both directions.

[GRDadof3]

You're kidding me.

Would I kid a kidder?

What's surprising to me though, is that this RDV/Christman development is being touted as a life-sciences/biotech venture, yet one anchor is MSU, one is a general medical office building for the current Towers people, one is now apparently a hotel, and one is the Lemmen-Holton Cancer Center. I was hoping for a little more space devoted toward research and business incubator space.

[woz]

URS and Christman are being very tight-fisted when it comes to this. I hear there may be a hotel as part of this project? I can't find any renderings on-line other than the ones that WOODTV8 had to SCAN

The only thing I can tell is that in addition the Cancer Center (which we do have a rendering of), there will be three towers, similar in style to the Meijer Heart Center, sort of in the shape of an upside down "U" (looking down with North at the top), with some sort of open plaza in the middle facing Michigan. Clear as mud?

Evidently GRDad knew about this hotel component back in September 2005, but it feels like news to me.

[mpchicago]

Would I kid a kidder?

What's surprising to me though, is that this RDV/Christman development is being touted as a life-sciences/biotech venture, yet one anchor is MSU, one is a general medical office building for the current Towers people, one is now apparently a hotel, and one is the Lemmen-Holton Cancer Center. I was hoping for a little more space devoted toward research and business incubator space.

Would they really use an entire tower for the hotel? Wouldn't that be a pretty big lodging facility? Just asking.

[GRDadof3]

Would they really use an entire tower for the hotel? Wouldn't that be a pretty big lodging facility? Just asking.

Top three floors of Tower 25...apparently. That's great, because that leaves Tower 35 (?) where the current Towers Bldg is for perhaps some more innovative tenants to compliment MSU and VAI.

Wow Woz, reading that post is like looking back in time.

[joeDowntown]

GRDad is either a soothsayer, or he just holds back info from the rest of us. Which is it?

Top three floors of Tower 25...apparently. That's great, because that leaves Tower 35 (?) where the current Towers Bldg is for perhaps some more innovative tenants to compliment MSU and VAI.

Wow Woz, reading that post is like looking back in time.

[Prankster]

GRDad is either a soothsayer, or he just holds back info from the rest of us. Which is it?

Didn't you know, his last name is Van Andel-Devos.

[Rizzo]

I guess you can say he's King Of The Hill.

[GRDadof3]

Didn't you know, his last name is Van Andel-Devos.

Haha, yeah right John! (I'm Irish BTW) Sometimes I'm given information that I'm asked not to share publicly. It's a cross some of us have to bear.

[GRguy]

Oh dear, now GRD3 has this Messiah thing going on...."I bear this cross for UP..."

[woz]

Oh dear, now GRD3 has this Messiah thing going on...."I bear this cross for UP..."

He's tight-lipped because he probably thinks there are mainstream media-types lurking around here ...

[joeDowntown]

So it sounds like this won't be part of a chain? Just a niche for the hospital?

Joe