This lot in Midtown between Woodward and John R by the Whole Foods has been empty for years. There is a lot of really old construction materials there and it has been fenced off for as long as I can remember. Does anyone know the story behind it? And are there an future plans for it?
Perfect! This explains a lot. Right before quarentine, they looked like they we about to start construction (new fencing covers, bringing in steal rebar). But nothing since.
This explains a lot.
Get out.
Its so easy being rich. I feel so warm knowing our politicians are paying 10 million dollars to keep Detroit bare.
Oh yes. The Mid.
Your future “meh” home in Midtown!
According to public records it’s owned by Woodward Offices LLC
Used to be a little strip mall place with a couple restaurants and offices. You can see it if you go to Google street view and dial back to 2013 or so. They tore it down around 10 years ago.
They had the best Chinese restaurant in there!
Top China One! They are still open. They moved to a spot south of there on Woodward, a couple blocks south of Mack/MLK.
I know but it isn’t the same 😩 I miss dining in
Probably held by a land speculator until someone coughs up enough cash to build on it
It’s owned by a developer who’s been struggling
Land Value Tax would solve this. Instead he gets targeted tax breaks so he has zero incentive to actually do anything productive with the land right now
Bingo
It’s progressive reps who are holding this up remember.
I don’t wanna be a dick but do you have a source? Id be interested to learn more about it
It’s called The Mid. It’s been in all the local media numerous times through the years.
It's allegedly under development as The Mid, but it hasn't seen much progress in years.
the group would have to stop taking credits and pay back the state an amount equal to the credits claimed so far
If the extension were not granted, the state would pay about $10 million less in credits to principal Mohammad Qazi, who owns the Southfield-based skilled nursing facility company, Ciena Healthcare.
"The developer got caught up with his other business, which is healthcare and they’re just asking for another extension," Rep. Abraham Aiyash
So Qazi has collected more than $10 million without putting a penny into the project?
Interesting.
WTH does "caught up with his other business" even mean? Either you develop it, or you don't. This is the second extension so ... 6 years worth of "woe is me, I'm so busy I forgot I own a giant piece of land across from Orchestra Hall." No... It's 6+ years of "golly, these politicians are idiots, they're paying me to do nothing, I'll ride this money train until it runs out."
And who TF is Aiyash, a state rep from HAMTRAMCK to sponsor a bill concerning DETROIT development? It would be one thing if maybe this property bordered his district in some way but it's near downtown ... FAR from any border with Hamtramck. I'd bet a "campaign donation" or two helped that along.
I'll add here that I think for it's part, Detroit leadership is impotent on the issue. Maybe they're afraid of sending a "bad message" to development projects in the city but that absolutely needs to be the point: no more free money for squatting. Either shit or get off the plot.
Qazi is a tiny player, comparatively. Just imagine the sweetheart deals the Ilitches get, only to eventually (when the tax credits run out) bulldoze the property for yet another, parking lot.
Then again, the strip of land across from Ilitch biz school (Woodward , Alfred and Edmund) better get developed or it will BE a parking lot.
My stomach literally turns inside out every time I drive past that. Only in Detroit can you have the newest stadium in the NHL and NBA, costing over a billion dollars, and across the street from it, vacant lots and boarded up apartment buildings.
In this case, I don't really think it's anything to do with the "business case" of developing the land. I think those apartments would be full if they were leasable. The problem is that local leadership lacks the clarity of vision or force of will to get these things done.
When are they going to bring back the hammer hammer nail sign on the big building adjacent to this lot?
Never. Those signs are now a permanent fixture at a local bar.
Which bar?
I'm about to blow your mind... but it's called the "Hammer & Nail Bar"
Was literally going to say the same thing 🤣
Too fancy for me
I promise you, it's really not
And it's inside the same building
The hotel portion is supposed to be the Thompson Midtown (Hyatt brand) 225 rooms, but I’ve been hearing about this hotel for years.
That’s where Arnold and Gerald played stick ball.
Isn’t that where that one girl went missing and there were semi trucks and her phone was later traced in the middle Middle East? Edit: had to fix autocorrect
Wait what
Homeless people love charging me to park here
It used to be that mixed use setback building that had a subway, top China 1, and WSU physician group. It was a brutalist building similar looking to the apartment tower next door. They tore down this office / mixed use building back in 2013/14 and it was supposed to be a five story mixed use development with Wayne state physician group anchoring it and essentially renting out the entire building. They actually laid the foundation and had construction going. Then the developer ended up being a crook and they abandoned the site. The foundation of the front half of the building is still there, along with those construction materials you mention.
Few years back right before Covid was supposed to get started on development of “The Mid”. A much grander development including a public plaza and Hyatt hotel. Med school dorms, etc. Covid hit and that development has been stalled for a long while. Who knows when it comes to fruition if ever
Ask an illitch
Wasn’t this supposed to be part of Wayne state medical school/physicians group but bc of the fallout a few years back this was put on hold?
A few years back it was rumored that target was negotiating to get the land for a small cvs size like location. It's said they backed out because target got scared out of Detroit. Now again, this was only a rumor I read somewhere. Probably here on reddit! A few years ago
Didn't that used to be where that Comerica and Chinese place were
A comerica bank branch and a wayne state university physicians group subway and a Chinese restaurantstreet view
Wrong spot. This is a vacant stalled development site.
It’s literally not - it’s the Woodward side of this outline from OP
It literally is.
Yeah now it is, but the question was asking what it was before. We’re literally posting the same location 10 years apart
Lol come on man...
Cool! Didn't know we could check Google Street view from 10 yrs ago. What was on the John R side though?
Parking lot but paved
Turn it into a paid parking lot
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot?
I was being sarcastic. There’s so many empty lots that are used as paid parking lots. Lol
Thousands of vacant houses were torn down.
Thousands? Are you sure.
Since Mayor Duggan took office in 2014, around 20,000. Needed to happen all vacant.
We’re talking about this particular site. Not throughout the city.
Does it bother you or anything as far as your property? Cuz gentrifiers will see that, and think "that's something I could use". If there are empty lots, it keeps mortgage values down, which keeps rent values down. Please don't bring attention to shit like this when most of us barely survive...
“don’t make my city nice or move here or build anything”
Ya know, using quotes like that really doesn't work unless you actually say you're paraphrasing. Beyond that, I don't have a problem with the city improving, in fact I've loved it. It's just that with everything in the city increasing in price, while pay barely is, it's getting harder to live with in. 1000 a month for a single studio is just stupid when it's on the outskirts of detroit, yet everyone is charging shit like that. I know it's a shifty thing to say, but if by cleaning up random parts of the city, it causes rent to increase 500-1000+, I'd rather leave it messy, because that would ruin a lot of people's lives, including my own. Not everyone is getting paid 1000+ a week, a lot of us are barely surviving
I'm a renter, not an owner. But there is no sidewalk on the John R side so people have to walk in the road. But it is essentially a trash collection in its current state.
Then that's one thing, kinda forgot where that was at first ngl, then realized again. No we could do more than just more park garages or office buildings, or high end appartment buildings. I'm sorry if my thoughts were misconveyed(s?). We could turn it into a park, or a wide scale garden for anyone, or a homeless refuge. But instead it's probably gonna be a parking lot long term. Please forgive me for not having the most hope, but if we could turn that space into something awesome and usable for the people, I'd love to help
Actually yeah, a community garden or just a simple park would be beautiful there. I was just throwing straws at first, but that'd be nice since I can't think of too many nature things along Woodward. Probably won't happen tho, since there's no money to make, but who knows
It’s hard out here.
It really is. The more things get cleaned up, the higher property values go up, the higher rent and prices of necessities go up. People can be mad at what I say, but quite literally, they're pushing out people who have been living here for 10/20/30+ years just to make more money. Used to pay 500 for multi bedroom apartment, now it's 1000 for a small studio appartment....everyone can blame whatever race or group they want, but no, it's just some people are greedy af
A nice green space for all you green spacers.
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/2023/09/06/house-extends-13-year-old-tax-credit-another-three-years-for-delayed-detroit-development/70774992007/