New Developments in Lafayette Park, DowntownCity Council Votes on Redevelopment for Third Property

Rendering via McIntosh Poris Associates

Three Detroit developments began construction this week. DuCharme Place near Lafayette Park finally got going after a year or so in limbo. The luxury development, a 185-unit, high-end complex, is visible to the east of the Mies van der Rohe-designed Lafayette Tower. Southfield's Arco Construction will head up the build for the new housing development, using plans by McIntosh Poris architects. Sachse Construction is also involved. Construction is expected to last til late 2016.

When we reported on the initial plan for DuCharme this spring, our intel was that the development would offer 107 two-bedroom, 66 one-bedroom and 12 studio apartments scattered amongst four medium-ruse buildings with indoor parking and lavishly landscaped grounds. Not to mention a "sky terrace", a "resort-style" pool a zen garden (per the developer).

The Griswold:

Last week, residents of the apartments at the Book Cadillac Hotel received a letter, a copy of which was forwarded to Curbed, outlining construction plans for the building next door, a mid-rise parking structure on Michigan Avenue. The letter told residents that an 8-story apartment stack would be built atop the neighboring garage, and was necessary because construction will close some parking to Book Cadillac residents. Not to mention they need to be aware of the massive construction crane that will be on their street for the next few weeks. The building's been a possibility since the Detroit Economic Growth Commission (DEGC) built the garage in 2006. The new apartment complex on the garage will be called "The Griswold."

Upcoming: Redevelopment Announced for Herman Kiefer Hospital

Tuesday, Detroit City Council votes on redevelopment plans for the Virginia Park hospital, an Albert Kahn building vacant since 2013. The former hospital offers a staggering 526,000-square-foot of space. The vote centers of a land deal to permit redevelopment by a group called the Herman Kiefer Development LLC. That group told the Detroit News that it has a plan to spend eight years and $75-million making the derelict hospital and its whopping 18-acres of grounds into a mixed-use community center. The group's goal is to help Virginia Park remedy its blight problem. The project's director, Hazel Balaban, told the News "The project will continue to evolve as we further engage the community and other partners in the process."

We had a great story on the Herman Kiefer complex in 2013, written by former Curbed editor Paul Beshouri, that provided a tour of the vacant hospital via a lovely selection of Curbed exclusive photographs by Chris and Michelle Gerard.

·Construction begins on DuCharme Place project [Detroit Free Press]
·Construction Starting on Apartments Atop Downtown Garage [Curbed Detroit]
·Herman Kiefer hospital area in Detroit to get redo [Detroit News]
·Tiptoe Through Detroit's Giant, Empty Medical Complex [Curbed Detroit]
·$42M 'DuCharme Place' Sets a Date With Lafayette Park [Curbed Detroit]