Here are a few of the stories we're reading this week.
What's next for a familiar Midtown building
The one-story, red brick building at the corner of Forest and Second Avenue in Midtown has been vacant for a long time, with work happening on it sporadically. Finally, there's a plan. The team behind Chartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails and Freya are opening a new bar - Dirty Shake. They hope it will be a regular spot for neighbors to stop in. The former owner of Third Street Bar had started renovated the building and was going to open a bar in it, but then moved out of the country. The new owners heard about it by word of mouth. It should open in November. Eater Detroit
Free Press, News need a new address
The Detroit Free Press and the Detroit News will need to find a new building to call home by the end of 2024. Bedrock, who owns the building at 160 W. Fort St., has different plans for the former Federal Reserve building and will not extend the lease for the newspapers. Maru Sushi also recently closed in the building. No word on the plans for the eight-story building or where the Free Press or News might move. Detroit Free Press
The emptiness of the RenCen
We know that offices have had a hard time bouncing back from the pandemic, with many people opting to work from home. Combine that with an uncertain future for the RenCen, and we can see just how bad it's gotten. Crain's reports that the average number of daily workers in the buildings are at 20% of their pre-2020 levels. The rest of downtown fares better, at about 60%. Foot traffic is down as well, from 4over .7 million in 2019 to over 1.6 million in 2023. With GM moving out next year, officials and Bedrock are determining what to do with the towers; a partial demolition is likely. Crain's Detroit Business
Design recognition for Detroit redevelopments
Two Detroit projects were recently recognized for their revitalization. On 8 Mile, the Jason Hargrove Transit Center at the old State Fairgrounds opened earlier this year. The adaptive reuse of the old Dairy Cattle Building now serves as a hub for DDOT and SMART buses. The Engineering News-Record awarded the project with a Regional Best Project Award. And in Corktown, the magnificent rehab of Michigan Central gets a lot of attention, but the redo of Roosevelt Park in front of it is also worthy of appreciation. Keep Michigan Beautiful's 2024 President’s Award was given to the city's General Services Department for the revitalization of the 13-acre park. Model D
