Downtown Flint construction,projects & Photo post

[dnast]

There's no demolition coming that I can think of, except possibly the parking garage behind the county's McCree building. I don't want Genesee Towers torn down until there's a definite proposal for the site other than a parking garage - and I believe there are long term plans that include going just that (the garage, that is)...

[dnast]

I should have asked to clarify but either the Brown Sugar Cafe or the whole Economy building is supposed to open next month. I saw the building today and it looks like they are going to be installing windows pretty soon. I hope they do some more facade work, though. The building looks better than it used to, but I'm hoping they get rid of the black (or is it a very dark brown) paint.

I also heard that whatsupdowntown.com recently got a grant for the website. Even though it could be competition, hopefully it'll be kept more up to date. It's run by Uptown, so it'll always be able to have exclusive information.

I saw a guy putting a fresh coat of paint on the ground level of the Dryden, but only below the height of the canopies. I'd like to see some real renovation going on. It's been months since the building was approved for condos.

[VeeFan]

I'm hoping they get rid of the dark brown paint also, it'll help to brighten up that area of the block.

At the McCree building, they're only tearing the parking structure down to rebuild it, correct?

[Pachuco]

Dnast, Veefan have you heard of the woman Helen Gonzales ? I attended the vigil lead by my parish fatherand councilman Freeman's wife , there was so many people who attende they had to block the roads, any ways can you guys keep her in your prayers she was such a sweet, generous and community woman.

[VeeFan]

I haven't heard of her, but I definitely will keep her and her family in my thoughts and prayers.

[dnast]

At the McCree building, they're only tearing the parking structure down to rebuild it, correct?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Dnast, Veefan have you heard of the woman Helen Gonzales ? I attended the vigil lead  by my parish fatherand councilman Freeman's wife , there was so many people who attende they had to block the roads, any ways can you guys keep her in your prayers she was such a sweet, generous and community woman.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Definately. What happened to her was terrible. I hope they catch the guy and give him a life sentence. In a rare time when you hear so much good news coming from the area, somebody has to come and sour the mood.

[dnast]

VeeFan, it's the lady in this story. I didn't realize the guy was caught. He was caught on camera so hopefully it's a speedy trial.

[VeeFan]

That's terrible. I hope she is able to get through this.

[Pachuco]

I got a question: the office workers and residents who live on floors above the ground level,will the be getting to their homes/workstations through a staircasee within the ground level, or throgh the back. If through the back is the case I hopethe replace the rusted metal stair with some king of cement or some other material because that is so un- attractive.

[dnast]

There's usually an extra door in the front for residents - at least when only the first floor is occupied by a non-resident. With some of these coming mixed-use buildings I'm not sure how they'll get in and out.

The metal staircases on the exteriors of buildings are fire escapes, though. When well-kept, they look good in my opinion. I don't mind them as long as they aren't overabundant.

[Allan]

Code requires that the entrances for commerical & residential tenants be separate, i.e. forcing the tenants on the upper floors to walk through a store on the ground floor to get to their apartments would not be allowed. Most likely there will be a small residential lobby with stairs leading up to the upper floors.

[dnast]

That's what I was thinking, but look at some of these small projects in Flint. For instance, in the Economy building there will be a coffe shop on the first floor, offices for another company on the second floor, and apartments on the third.

Do you build separate staircases for the office floor and residential floor? Or do office workers and residential tenants share a stairwell?

[Allan]

Now that I am not sure about. It is general practice to separate commerical & residential tenants, but space here is an issue, so I don't know what they'd do in this particular case.

[RustTown]

I'm not sure which building you guys are talking about in specific, but I know most lofts here in Lansing have an extra door for the upper residential floor(s) like this one on East Michigan Avenue (you can see the resident door to the left):

The address is also usually marked as a "half address" such as the one above where the loft is 619 1/2 East Michigan Avenue. This one also has a cool, roof top garden and deck with skyline and stadium views!

Edited March 30, 2005 by Lmichigan

[VeeFan]

I know it's not quite the same, but Flushing has staircases around the back and doors on the side for corner buildings, to allow residents to get up to the second floor.

[dnast]

Hmm...that might clarify things. Personally, I'd like to do my stair climbing indoors. This isn't Florida, you know!

[VeeFan]

I guess the only difference is that the buildings are only two-stories in downtown Flushing. There are a couple that are three-stories, but I'm not sure about the staircases for those. I think they're around the back also, but it's a door in the back so the stairs are inside.

[Pachuco]

Dnast hows your site coming along ? Is it almost done ?

Edited March 30, 2005 by Pachuco

[dnast]

I've been busy taking pictures for the past few days, but it's coming along. It won't be finished for a long time since I have so much stuff planned for it, but I should have it usable in a week or so.

Right now there's a bug where the page doesn't show up correctly in Internet Explorer. It's weird because it shows up correctly in every other browser I've tried.

The temporary address is http://dtflint.ws4f.us

If you or anybody else can help out by just adding some businesses to the listing (you just enter the info into a form) I'd appreciate it.

[dnast]

A couple shots of the Land Bank Center construction taken today.

Note the a$$hat walking down the middle of the street in the first pic. I ended up having to dodge him when cars started coming from behind him. Some people try too hard to look cool.

[Pachuco]

I hope some work is down on the roofs and sides of these building they look hideous.

[dnast]

I never noticed the staircase shape of LSEM's roof. That part could use a fresh coat of paint for sure.

And now that I think of it, has anybody heard anything new about First St. Lofts? I know they're probably just doing interior work, but I rarely even see a truck by the building.

[dnast]

http://www.wnem.com/Global/story.asp?S=3144062&nav=7k76Y4rW

Sadly, Helen Gonzales didn't make it through

[Pachuco]

I know Downtown Flint has many forgotten treausures but I honestly hope they demolish many out- of - date building and start fresh, new and recreate downtown flint.The twotruck shops downtown, demolish th em they take up too much space and replace them with new buildings.

[dnast]

Which truck shops? I think the former Discount Tire building should be torn down, but not the shop on King. They just spent money renovating the place a few years ago and it actually blends in with the area. Or is there another shop I'm not thinking of.

I wouldn't mind if all of the lowrise buildings on the Mott Foundation block were torn down. Those buildings are embarrasing.