Detroit's Campus Martius

[Allan]

Campus Martius is the heart of Detroit's redevelopment plan. It will include a new park, which is at the center of the 5 block development. The Compuware Building is the only building that has been completed so far, but hopefully construction on at least one of the other buildings will start by the time the Super Bowl comes to town...although I'm not going to hold my breath, since development in Detroit moves VERY slowly.

I've never seen this rendering for the Monroe Block.

[LexusLS430]

I like it I like it

[G W North]

Do Virgin Megastore and Banana Republic actually have downtown Detroit plans, or is that just wishful thinking?

[Allan]

Do Virgin Megastore and Banana Republic actually have downtown Detroit plans, or is that just wishful thinking?

I honestly don't know. I havent heard anything about Virgin Megastore or Banana Republic considering opening any stores downtown. Retail in downtown Detroit is practically non-existant, but that is changing very fast. We are getting all kinds of new restaurants & stores downtown. I'm inclined to say that Virgin Megastore & Banana Republic are about 5 years away, but you never know...after all, this is Detroit. And Detroit needs businesses like this downtown. I do know that Magic Johnson is strongly considering bringing a Starbucks and a TFIG's to downtown Detroit though .

[bobliocatt]

The renderings look pretty nice. If the city focuses on enhancing Wooward from Jefferson to the New Center area, I can see a retail atmosphere similar to Chicago's 5th Avenue, developing along that corridor within 10-15 years. The super bowl will give the city a boost, but the key is what will the city do to keep the momentum moving.

[Allan]

Yea, I really think a retail atmosphere would be great. But I heard about this new city plan which calls for buldozing every vacant building on Woodward & Washington prior to the Super Bowl. That would mean approximately 60% of the buildings along these 2 streets would be buldozed . This is not official - I heard it at the fab ruins forums - but if it is, Detroit is in trouble. Will they ever learn? We already have enough vacant land downtown as it is...we don't need any more. I understand that Detroit wants to look good for the Super Bowl, but are a bunch of open prairies downtown any more attractive than abandoned buildings? I'd rather see boarded up buildings than a bunch of open fields downtown, and I think many others would agree. Also, once the buildings are gone, they're gone....they have details than simply cannot be replicated on new buildings today. The city should definately think twice before going forward with any plans like this. It is a BIG MISTAKE. I'm starting to get sick of hearing of the Super Bowl as a development deadline. What about after the Super Bowl? They haven't thought about that much at all.

Check out the thread on the demolition plan here.

[G W North]

I honestly don't know. I havent heard anything about Virgin Megastore or Banana Republic considering opening any stores downtown. Retail in downtown Detroit is practically non-existant, but that is changing very fast. We are getting all kinds of new restaurants & stores downtown. I'm inclined to say that Virgin Megastore & Banana Republic are about 5 years away, but you never know...after all, this is Detroit. And Detroit needs businesses like this downtown. I do know that Magic Johnson is strongly considering bringing a Starbucks and a TFIG's to downtown Detroit though .

You can have a few of downtown Toronto's Starbucks. I remember using their store locator to figure out the number of Starbucks in downtown Toronto, and it was around 30 (give or take, depending on how you define "downtown"), and this was a couple years ago. We've just gotten two brand-new Starbucks within the last 2 weeks. I wouldn't be surprised if there was close to 35 now.

This shows how prevalent they are - there is one at the southeast corner of Queen and Bay, and another at the southeast corner of Richmond and Bay. This is a distance of probably about 200 feet!

[Guest donaltopablo]

Very impressive renderings. I'm with lakelander that Detriot needs to build on the energy created not only by the Superbowl, but some of these DT redevelopments. If I had a major investor like Johnson was planning to build something in the DT of my city (i.e. any city that desperately needed development), I would certainly be on the phone trying to cut him a deal to make it happen.

[Allan]

You can have a few of downtown Toronto's Starbucks. I remember using their store locator to figure out the number of Starbucks in downtown Toronto, and it was around 30 (give or take, depending on how you define "downtown"), and this was a couple years ago. We've just gotten two brand-new Starbucks within the last 2 weeks. I wouldn't be surprised if there was close to 35 now.

LOL. We'll take some of your Starbucks...we don't have very many around here. Michigan seems to be lacking in the variety of retail & restaurant chains when compared to other parts of the country.

[ClevelandNO!]

expanding upon the rumor empire:

virgin megastore: never heard a rumor

Banana Republic: not them specifically, but their parent company has been looking into it for over a year now

Kennedy Block: 12-15 story building....stay tuned

[Allan]

YEAH!! More Rumors! LOL.

Kennedy Block: 12-15 story building....stay tuned

I heard that they want a 15-20 story building, but there doesn't seem to be any specifics yet.

Do you think we could see the construction of the Kennedy Block by the time the Super Bowl comes to Detroit? I think it would really do the city some good if people could see some more construction activity when they come here for the game. After all, that is what will help change Detroit's image.

[Allan]

Apparently they are in the middle of a major deal with some company to move into the Kennedy Block, and that a major announcement will come in the 3-4 months. The building will supposedly be either 12 or 15 floors, and will be more architecturally interesting than Compuaware. It sounds like this could begin construction within the next 6 months or so. That is being bery optimistic though, as development in Detroit seems to take forever to start. But it is still good news for Detroit .

Also, they have concrete plans for the Hudson's Block, although development is still quite a long time away. The entire block will have 2 floors of retail, and then 3 18 story towers: a hotel tower, a residential tower, & a office tower.

Here is the Campus Martius Park as of yesterday:

They are just about done installing the brick around the park, and the Soldiers & Sailors Monument is being reassembled at its new location.