That's really good news, those projects should prove really beneficial for their respective neighborhoods. I was wondering about the Allen Neighborhood Center project in particular, it's good to see that it's moving forward. I think the Kalamazoo corridor has some potential in the future to compliment a much more developed Michigan Ave, it could really use this to kick that trend off.
In a building site tour, I noticed the Red Cedar site has grown up a lot. It looks taller and more densely spaced than had expected. So far so good, at least it is going up! The new hospital looks impressive on its spot out there in the fields, bit further down the road the new housing complex looks like the first set of buildings next to Collins Road is nearly finished they were paving the roads, there are new landscaping and advertising for the model apartments. For this type of housing and in this location I think this development looks great. Downtown I am trying to get the big picture at the 600-block, there are many pluses and minuses, I noticed they were putting up some that corrugated metal siding on the apartments, I really do not like that stuff but I guess they think it looks modern and contemporary. It was in 2007. On the plus side, it is being built! The new Lake Trust building on S.Washington has a two-story steel frame standing, they are putting this one together pretty fast. And they were filling the fountain at Rutter park today!
This months planning board meeting next month doesn't have much on it. Namely, Sparrow is requesting the city vacate Jerome between Penn and Holmes and Holmes between Jerome and Michigan. The city is conditioning this on maintenancing various permanent easements, and that non-motorized access continues to be accessible along the block, though they admit the route could change.
It's not exactly made clear why Sparrow is requesting the vacation, though it obviously makes sense now that they own the old Eastern and Pattengill sites in full. I imagine that at least this section of Jerome will also keep its vehical access since it's a major ambulance entrance. Though I also imagine that both vacated streets will essentially be turned into driveways for the hospital. Glad the city is making sure they keep part of it public, though, for non-motorized access.
I noticed work seems to be beginning at the Temple Building in Old Town. It will be interesting to see how this building is redeveloped.
Over on Hosmer, the "The Wing"/ grow house building has had it's first-floor windows bricked over and they are installing barred metal siding that looks like hurricane shutters over the bricks. It looks OK if a bit prison-like, better than just cinderblock bricks. I can not tell if they are going to take out all of the windows, there are huge windowed spaces on the north side of the building.
The new Lake Trust building is looking larger than I was expecting, and it is in a more urban position being built next to the sidewalks with parking in the back.
I was wrong about the corrugated metal siding being used at the 600 Block, that has been covered over with light to dark grey to black rectangle tiles simular to the green tiles on the Market Place building. The hotel facade is looking pretty good, I guess I am liking the building but there is a lot going on for one building. I wonder if they have had any dates set for the supermarket? It will nice to have a store so near me and to have a reason to visit a new building.
When originally announced, the schedule was the market would open at the end of 2020. Then last year Gillespie announced that Meijer wanted to get in sooner, so that the Meijer would be open by this summer. The pandemic happened, and they lost three months of construction, so I'm guessing that pushes the opening back to this fall. I would not be surprised to see the store open before the rest of the complex is finished given how quickly Meijer has wanted to open.
The building is turning out better than I expected, aesthetically, and looks very close to the latest renderings, which is kind of rare.
In fact, I'd say that parts of it (the metal finishes) look better than the renderings. I guess I'm just happy it's turning out better than Marketplace or the Outfield.
I've been holding my thoughts on this until it's finished, but as I see it now I agree with you. The materials/ construction quality on the first floor is genuinely good with proper brick and stone work along with good quality storefront windows, the wood ceilings in outdoor areas and glass railing visible in that rendering are nice touches also. The paneling on the upper facade is looking better than expected (except in the back, which I'll forgive), it looks a lot cleaner and more well put together than what's on Marketplace or Midtown.
I'm still holding out for my final opinion on this one but it looks promising.
I saw the blue colored walls being installed on the balconies for the easternmost apartments, I see them now in the drawing, it is interesting that the design is again using many different colors on the facade, as opposed to the new Metro Place which is basically monotones of the same color on each side. The color treatments do look more successful for this building, real bricks, and nice big windows so far so good! Maybe the hotel will have a good restaurant which could be another reason to visit this building.
- Not sure how long it's been like this - but I don't remember seeing it some months ago - but 125 W Washtenaw (the building at the southeast corner of Washtenaw and Capitol behind the Knapp Center) seems to be undergoing some kind of change? I don't want to call it a renovation, because no projects/permits show up for it on the city website. But it almost looks like its facade was partially destroyed? I don't know. Years ago it was to be renovated into ground floor commercial space and apartments on the upper floor. The Eydes also appear to have purchased this one from Cooley two years ago. Before then, Accident Fund which used to be headquarted kitty-corner owned the building. It was built in 1917, but has been altered quite a bit since then. Realistically, this and the surface lot across the street to the north seem like natural places for towers to me.
- The elevator core for the Michigan Realtors HQ on Durant Park looks to be completed or near completed. Going to make quite an impact on the local skyline of the area since it's at the top of a hill.
I believe the building on the corner of Washtenaw and Capitol was part of Knapp's Department Store in the '60s and you can still see some of the sidings that look like the main building. I can not remember what departments were in that building, but you'd cross into a small alley from the main store to enter the expanded departments in different buildings. The building across from the library was the sporting goods department, I do remember that. I think it is kind of a shame that they built a Washington Ave, street fronting parking lot on this block next to Knapps as that area should be good sites for development. I have put out this idea before, I think a modern tower connected to the Masonic Temple building would make a very cool hotel/residential development, or even possibly a new city hall/police/courthouse development on both side of that corner. Anything but a parking ramp. There was an "Eye Sore" in the City Pulse about this building, saying the Eydes were considering what to do with the building but something like it was not a priority at this time.
Comments
It's not exactly made clear why Sparrow is requesting the vacation, though it obviously makes sense now that they own the old Eastern and Pattengill sites in full. I imagine that at least this section of Jerome will also keep its vehical access since it's a major ambulance entrance. Though I also imagine that both vacated streets will essentially be turned into driveways for the hospital. Glad the city is making sure they keep part of it public, though, for non-motorized access.
Over on Hosmer, the "The Wing"/ grow house building has had it's first-floor windows bricked over and they are installing barred metal siding that looks like hurricane shutters over the bricks. It looks OK if a bit prison-like, better than just cinderblock bricks. I can not tell if they are going to take out all of the windows, there are huge windowed spaces on the north side of the building.
The new Lake Trust building is looking larger than I was expecting, and it is in a more urban position being built next to the sidewalks with parking in the back.
I was wrong about the corrugated metal siding being used at the 600 Block, that has been covered over with light to dark grey to black rectangle tiles simular to the green tiles on the Market Place building. The hotel facade is looking pretty good, I guess I am liking the building but there is a lot going on for one building. I wonder if they have had any dates set for the supermarket? It will nice to have a store so near me and to have a reason to visit a new building.
The building is turning out better than I expected, aesthetically, and looks very close to the latest renderings, which is kind of rare.
In fact, I'd say that parts of it (the metal finishes) look better than the renderings. I guess I'm just happy it's turning out better than Marketplace or the Outfield.
I'm still holding out for my final opinion on this one but it looks promising.
- The elevator core for the Michigan Realtors HQ on Durant Park looks to be completed or near completed. Going to make quite an impact on the local skyline of the area since it's at the top of a hill.