I wasn't able to get out there until late in the evening, but it looks like it was just a ceremonial groundbreaking, as it's still being used as parking. There is a tiny plot of land near Michigan Avenue right in the middle where they've taken out the pavement and threw up some dirt.
I suspect it will be too long before they cordone it off.
I think I saw them doing some site prep work, today. It's kind of hard to tell if it was just related to the CSO construction right out front on Michigan. But, it appeared the lights along the perimeter of the parking were being taken down.
I was informed, today, that construction fencing is due to go up next Monday, and that the follow Monday construction will begin. Pat informed me that he had run into some more (but small) roadblocks with MDOT (again).
This sound a bit more reliable than the last dates we heard. Can you use your contact with him to find out what kind of structure this will be? From the cost and size (especially with the second floor office space) I would think it will be steel, but I'm still curious. Anyhow, I would expect the actual structure to begin rising no later than December, probably early December. Keeping my fingers crossed...
I've learned living in Michigan to be very patient with these kind of things. With few exceptions, almost anything major urban project that goes up in this state is behind schedule. I'm really waiting to hear about the new wave of developments to come next year to get excited.
Yeah, but seeing the Stadium District get underway would ease tention. I'm not going to get too hung up on this unless Friday comes and nothing is going on yet.
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I suspect it will be too long before they cordone it off.