The 5 Detroit neighborhoods everyone should be watching

2016 has been a crazy busy year in terms of development and construction in Detroit (and it’s only October!). Some projects are wrapping up, while many more plans have been announced. We’re looking at five neighborhoods that we feel could change drastically in the next few years. Why these neighborhoods? They all have different reasons. Some are adding quite a bit of density through new apartments and housing, while some will undergo urban planning initiatives. One is seeing added efforts into historic preservation, while others could greatly benefit from their location at the end of the line. We’re definitely seeing a lot of investment in each of these neighborhoods, which could mean increased property values, more community green space, and revitalization.

Brush Park

Michelle & Chris Gerard

We talk a lot about this highly visible and now highly sought after area. Located between downtown and Midtown, and just across the street from the new hockey arena, Brush Park is seeing one major project finish up (The Scott at Brush Park) while another much bigger project will fill vacant lots (City Modern and more). The neighborhood has an eclectic mix of beautiful Victorian mansions, townhouses, and apartment buildings. City Modern will add density and very different architecture to the area.

Jefferson Chalmers

Last month, Jefferson Chalmers was named Michigan’s first National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. What does this mean? More efforts and resources will go into restoring and preserving the historic, mainly art deco architecture of the neighborhood. The centerpiece of this is, of course, the Vanity Ballroom. The neighborhood has a rich variety of housing stock and architecture, along with protected bike lanes on Jefferson and new businesses filling storefronts. We look forward to seeing deserving buildings receive revitalization.

New Center/North End

We might be cheating a little by putting these two neighborhoods together, but we’ve definitely seen a lot of interest in these two areas on the northern part of the QLINE. Construction at Third & Grand started recently, adding more apartments to the New Center neighborhood. Develop Detroit has invested in apartment buildings along this corridor, and we’re seeing more apartments and houses up for sale every day. We’re looking forward to seeing more retail make its way into the area, especially at the intersection of Woodward and Grand Boulevard.

Fitzgerald

Photo courtesy of Reimagining the Civic Commons

Earlier this spring, Mayor Mike Duggan laid out his plan for 20-Minute walkable, bikeable neighborhoods in the city. He specified Fitzgerald, West Village, and Southwest as neighborhoods to start this program, and efforts in Fitzgerald are underway. The neighborhood near McNichols and Livernois recently received $4 million for neighborhood improvement projects. The plan will create a greenway through the Fitzgerald neighborhood, revitalize old, vacant commercial structures on Livernois, and increase civic engagement in the neighborhood.

The Riverfront

Robin Runyan

Two major construction projects near the Riverfront are closing in on the finish line — Orleans Landing and DuCharme Place. Many new residents will make their way to this area just east of downtown, and we’re looking forward to hearing about new businesses in Orleans Landing. The Riverfront is often busy, but could use more restaurants and retails for visitors. Could the boost in residents mean more of the old warehouses could be reused and repurposed? We hope so. There’s an awful lot of opportunity down there.

• Brush Park: A Visual Journey [Curbed Detroit]
• The Scott at Brush Park: Inside Detroit's new luxury apartments [Curbed Detroit]
• Dan Gilbert’s Brush Park Development Adds Modern Design to Historic Neighborhood [Curbed Detroit]
• Jefferson-Chalmers neighborhood named Michigan’s first National Treasure [Curbed Detroit]
• Development updates: Third & Grand, Gordie Howe Bridge, and more [Curbed Detroit]
• Develop Detroit acquires New Center and North End apartment buildings [Curbed Detroit]
• The Mayor’s Vision for 20-Minute Neighborhoods [Curbed Detroit]
• Fitzgerald Revitalization Project Aims to Improve Housing, Land Use [Curbed Detroit]
• Fitzgerald neighborhood to receive $4M grant through ‘Reimagining the Civic Commons’ [Curbed Detroit]