Rosa Parks Transit Center, Downtown Detroit (U/C)

[RustTown 60]

*Repost from SkyscraperPage*

While searching the the Detroit Department of Transportation's website, I came across renderings of the Rosa Parks Transit Center, which brokeground in November of last year with scheduled completion either very late this year or very early next year. The architect and engineer is Parsons Brinckerhoff, an international design and engineering firm that specializes in transportation-related facilities. According to the site the station will include:

- retail and dinning/food service space

- arrival/deparature LED signage

- state of the art security systems (DDOT transit police will be headquarterd here)

And more. The canopy will be composed of 50,000 sq. ft. of teflon-coated fabric.

Anyway, here are the renderings and models:

Looking north

Canopy

The Center by night

Site Plan

Architectural Model

I like it.

[Allan 0]

Wait, this thing broke ground? Because I haven't seen any construction! Maybe I just haven't been paying attention?

[RustTown 60]

It supposedly broke ground in November, and I remember reading about the ground breaking in the newspaper, here, as long as seeing it on the news. It was probably a ceremonial groundbreaking, but I thought it was under construction. Can someone get a pic of the site?

[Jin Kim 0]

There's no construction going on at the site. Just the ceremonial ground breaking past Nov.

It looks like from the overhead view that they're not going to be keeping any of the Time Square park as I had hoped.

[tapezord 0]

looks terrific to me, and as far as I am concerned, any substantial investment in transit is a good one!

My next question is will this also serve SMART bus lines? (my guess is no)

I can report that on new years eve, there did not appear to be any construction whatsoever (no pavement removal, staking or pavement removal markings).

[Jin Kim 0]

My next question is will this also serve SMART bus lines? (my guess is no)

Actually, I believe that it will service SMART buses.

[Zissou 0]

I think it looks fantastic. They did a good job with it and now the western portion of downtown will have some modern architecture to brighten it up. I think the city nailed this one perfectly.

[rbdetsport 0]

If the AA-Detroit Commuter Rail is ever built..... Will this be a station? If they could eventually add in a station for the commuter rail, this transit station would be amazing. In the future I can see the city expanding the station so that it can hold a transfer line for other transit, if we ever get any.

[jsmyers 0]

Absolutely the worse idea I've seen for Downtown in the last few years.

I like the architecture. I'm talking about the site plan.

Say goodbye to the park. Say goodbye to State Street. Say goodbye to ParkPlace.

Do we say goodbye to any parking lots? NO. Apparently buses are more important than streets to walk on, as well as grass and trees, but not parking.

Take a look at google maps.

maps.google.com

And see what I'm talking about. there are many ways this could have been designed better.

I've suspected the design was this insensitive to what came before and the needs of the city today, but now it is confirmed.

[baldy 0]

The park doesn't touch Michigan Ave so I don't think this is going in where the park is, which is believe is on the right side of the overhead view.

[detroitfan 0]

It's going to be built on the park and the block to the south which touches Michigan. But Park Place isn't being closed only State. I'm not sure how this could been designed better IMO it the logical location for a transit center.

[tapezord 0]

If the AA-Detroit Commuter Rail is ever built..... Will this be a station? If they could eventually add in a station for the commuter rail, this transit station would be amazing. In the future I can see the city expanding the station so that it can hold a transfer line for other transit, if we ever get any.

getting heavy rail to this location is near impossible. If they end up chosing a hybrid with say light rail and/or bus, I think you can bet on there being a connection here.

[RustTown 60]

It would be different if people actually used Times Square Park, and they can easily put in another slice of green-space somewhere in the area. The loss of the park isn't that big of a deal, IMO. It's definitely not like losing Capitol or Harmonie Park.

[Zissou 0]

This is a much better use of the space and with all of the extra foot traffic that will be drawn to this location the need for a park or green space might arrise. Im hoping that this helps to spur development in this location.

[rbdetsport 0]

It doesn't look like there will be a connection to the People Mover like I thought there would be.

[Zissou 0]

Its adjacent to a people mover station.

[Aaron 0]

Of all the empty lots within only two blocks of the site, I see no reason to bulldoze Times Square Park and slice off State Street in another blow to Woodward's plan, while ripe surface lots remain.

Nice design, though.

[detroitfan 0]

How many of those empty lots are next to People Mover or border Michigan which allow possible light rail/rapid bus connection logistically this is great location. Not all empty lots are created equal

[Aaron 0]

How many of those empty lots are next to People Mover or border Michigan which allow possible light rail/rapid bus connection logistically this is great location. Not all empty lots are created equal

Yeah, wouldn't wanna have to walk a block.

[RustTown 60]

Once again, it would be different in people actually used Times Square Park. It might as well be a concrete lot seeing as how people treat it. It's not that big of a loss, IMO. It seems people don't care about something until it's threatened.

[detroitfan 0]

Yeah, wouldn't wanna have to walk a block.

Please you can't honestly say that those other lots are better from a planning standpoint

[Jin Kim 0]

Once again, it would be different in people actually used Times Square Park.

To me Time Square Park was left to rot over the years. It wasn't well kept - more or less like the Capitol Park. Just look at the American Flag that looks like it's been through many battle zones. Also, another reason why it goes unused is b/c of all the bus traffic around it. It's no fun sitting in a small park surrounded by loud/poluting buses. If it was better kept and wasn't unpleasant due to buses, etc. I think there'd be enough people in the surrounding buildings who'd make use of it regularly. I certainly would. But I should have known that the park would die when the piper stopped playing.

I do hope that this new transit center is a positive step towards improved public transit in the city and not just an anomaly that'll lead to no real improvement. For that I welcome it, despite my wanting to keep the park.

[Zissou 0]

I thought the point of the transit center was so people wouldnt have to walk a distance from their buses to the people mover. Its makes it much easier for those who take the bus downtown to work.

[jsmyers 0]

How many of those empty lots are next to People Mover or border Michigan which allow possible light rail/rapid bus connection logistically this is great location. Not all empty lots are created equal

Virtually the whole lot north of the park is parking, much more land than is needed anyway. In addition, there is the lot fronting Michigan (with the former Lindell AC). The terminal could be placed in either or both of these spaces. The park could be incorporated into the terminal, keeping the green space.

Once again, it would be different in people actually used Times Square Park. It might as well be a concrete lot seeing as how people treat it. It's not that big of a loss, IMO. It seems people don't care about something until it's threatened.

The park isn't used because it is surrounded by service entrances (east), vacant lot (south), and surface parking (north). The West is the AT&T building, except that it is on the other side of a pedestrian unfriendly Cass. It is a big loss because constructing the terminal as proposed basically permanently destroys that part of the Woodward plan, and it cuts the south part of Washington Blvd off from the west part of downtown.

If it were built carefully surrounding the park on the vacant and parking lots, it would provide all of the same short-term benefits, while none of the long-term detriments.

[Jin Kim 0]

I thought the point of the transit center was so people wouldnt have to walk a distance from their buses to the people mover. Its makes it much easier for those who take the bus downtown to work.

Buses actually stop at various locations in downtown before getting to the transit center. Those commuting via buses would probably get off (near their work) before the bus gets to the transit center - unless their work is by the transit center like mine. So value of having People Mover near by is well.. none - particularly b/c People Mover is virtually useless IMO.