Development notes: Gilbert going for Uniroyal site, Ilitches snag Cass Corridor land, and more

Could Dan Gilbert be making his way down the Riverfront? Crain’s reports that Gilbert’s Bedrock has been working on a deal for the 43-acre Uniroyal site along the east Riverfront next to Belle Isle. This would be far outside their usual downtown properties. Gilbert has also shown interest in Riverfront land next to the Renaissance Center downtown.

The Detroit RiverFront Conservancy has plans in the upcoming years to extend the bike path from Mt. Elliott Park to Belle Isle, connecting a huge piece of the Riverwalk. As a reminder, the DRFC’s plans for the East Riverfront include keeping the land closest to the water open to the public.

The Uniroyal site has been heavily polluted in the past and undergone some remediation. Development group The Platform recently purchased land across the street on Jefferson and East Grand Boulevard and plans to renovate large old mansions and possibly build new mixed-use structures.

The Detroit News reports that the Ilitches and Olympia have bought another big plot of Cass Corridor land. Fences have gone up in lots at the 3400 block of Third Street near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, and the land included in the deal would include the Neighborhood Service Organization’s Tumaini Center. The area has been a large gathering spot for the homeless population in Detroit, and the Tumaini Center plans on opening a location on the east side soon. No word on what may happen to the land in Cass Corridor in the near future.

We’ve received some tips over the past week telling us that activity is starting at the Statler Hotel site at Grand Circus Park. The current plan is to build a 288-unit apartment building at the site, which is being led by City Club Apartments LLC. We have an inquiry out to the company and will let you know more as soon as we do.

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