More Parking Opportunities Arise in "Wildcat Corner"

A second parking garage rises on Montcalm Street between St. Johns’ Episcopal Church and the current Detroit Tigers’ garage.

Deconstructing Detroit: Bates Garage

May, 2013

October, 2013

April, 2014

The Griswold 3.0

The Roxbury Group is finally moving ahead with plans it first developed in 2007 to build housing above a city owned parking garage constructed for the renovated Book Cadillac Hotel.

The Detroit Commerce Building was demolished in 2007 to make way for a garage/condo development on the site. However, due to the economic crisis that year, only the garage was built.

The project has undergone some changes over that time. Now, Instead of condos, $22 million will be spent constructing 80 apartments in a less aesthetically pleasing style.

2014 Rendering (Click on Detroit)

Bates Garage Demolition

The Bates Garage located at the corner of Monroe and Randolph was demolished in October. Here is a look at its final days.

Andreas Apostolopoulos Tries Again to Demolish the State Savings Bank

Andreas Apostolopoulos of Triple Properties has applied to the Historic District Commission for permission to demolish the State Savings Bank on Fort Streetin order to build a parking garage.

This is the same Triple Properties that let the Pontiac Silverdome's roof collapse this past winter and has let the stadium rot ever since. This is also the same Triple Properties that also wants to buy the Wayne County jail site from the county in order to build a mixed-use development. That development would include a 25,000 seat soccer stadium because MLS does not want a team in Pontiac.

A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday August 14, 2013

Preservation Detroit - Save the State Savings Bank

Line to be drawn over State Savings Bank?

Z-Shots

Dan Gilbert's first new build within the city of Detroit is showing noticeable progress along the site's Broadway frontage. Curbed Detroit has speculated that Iron Chef Michael Symon has been targeted to open up a B Spot burger joint inside the Z.

Line to be drawn over State Savings Bank?

Expect a new property fight in Downtown Detroit.  Andreas Apostolopoulos, the new owner of the Penobscot Building, purchased the neighboring State Savings Bank earlier this month for $700,000 with the intent on demolishing it for parking.

Apostolopoulos claims in an interview with the Detroit Free Press that:

 “Detroit needs parking, If we don’t have parking people won’t come downtown… We tried to bring some tenants downtown and the people are not coming because there is no parking.”

Yes! The one thing Downtown Detroit lacks is parking.

If the building can not be demolished, Apostolopoulos would look into maintaining the facade and incorporating it into the $20 million garage.

Fortunately, any demolition plans would face stiff opposition.  The 112 year old Beaux-Arts style bank is listed on the federal, state, and city registers of historic places.  Therefore, Apostolopoulos would have to demonstrate financial hardship and would have to try to sell the structure for a year before the city could grant permission for demolition. He could also argue that the building is blocking a major project that would benefit the community.

I would expect Preservation Detroit to get involved in this one.

Joe Louis Arena Garage Complex

Inward Towards Infinity

The Griswold

The Roxbury Group unveiled this Kraemer Design Group rendering of the parking garage/condo development that is replacing the Detroit Commerce Building. If this rendering is anything close to the final product, it will definitely mitigate the loss of the Commerce Building.