The Dirt: A proposed federal law for land contracts and a pricey riverfront hotel

This week in Detroit development: Is beautifying a parking lot like putting lipstick on a pig? Should we hide them behind tiny houses instead? How about using our cars less? That might get easier in the city (emphasis on “might”) if the Detroit Department of Transportation sticks to its newly finalized recommendations for upgrading the system. And just when you thought it would never happen, land contracts could get some much-needed regulations.

A land contract crackdown?

Democratic U.S. Sen. Tina Smith has introduced a bill that would require all states to enact additional safeguards for people buying homes on land contracts . Smith was spurred by investigative reporting in her home state of Minnesota that found unscrupulous sellers were using land contracts to take advantage of people . The bill would require sellers to file land contracts with local offices that record deeds (for us, that would be the Wayne County Register of Deeds). It would also prohibit contract owners from evicting people who fall behind on their land contracts, making them use the foreclosure process instead. Detroiters have been complaining about scam land contracts for years , and reporters and even the City of Detroit itself have tried to draw attention to the problem. At least Minnesota was listening. (If you’re thinking about buying this way, first read our guide on how to buy a house on a land contract in Detroit .) (U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, ProPublica, Outlier Media, City of Detroit)

That’s quite the hotel bill

Details have emerged through the community benefits process on how much public money developers want for the proposed Hotel at Water Square near Huntington Place downtown. Developers expect the project to cost just shy of $400 million but want incentives that could cover more than one-third of the project costs with different tax break programs over 30 years. Most of those breaks would come from a Renaissance Zone designation from the city that the developers are hoping for. (The state would reimburse the city for $48.5 million of those subsidies.) A Renaissance Zone designation would keep developers from having to pay city and state income tax, a utility users tax and county property taxes. In nearby development news, The Residences at Water Square just opened, and even the studio apartments cost a pretty penny . (City of Detroit, Outlier, Crain’s Detroit Business, WXYZ)

How beautiful can a parking lot be?

It’s a fair question when about $828,000 in tax-financed improvements are coming to privately owned parking lots downtown in the name of “beautifying” them before visitors show up in April for the NFL Draft. Among the parking lot owners getting a discount on improvements? The founder of the Greektown Casino-Hotel (now Hollywood Casino at Greektown) and the developers of the Capitol Park Lofts. (Outlier)

Parking lot gatekeeping

If the Downtown Development Authority is trying to pretty up parking lots with fencing and flower planters, a Midtown developer would like to up the ante with a whole house. Crain’s reports a business owned by developer Robert Slattery is looking to get permission from the city’s Historic District Commission to build a four-unit apartment building and “gatehouse.” The development on West Alexandrine Street between Cass and Second avenues would put a fancier face on a 19-spot parking lot behind it. The area is getting busier as more upscale restaurants, like Mad Nice, have moved in . (Crain’s, Outlier)

Imagination station

The Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) has released its final blueprint for improving transit after three years of strategic planning. The plan hits some recommendations we’ve seen before, like more frequent service and an increased focus on “ Bus Rapid Transit -lite” (with no mention of dedicated lanes or signal prioritization) along some of the city’s busiest corridors. There are also recommendations that were noticeably absent in previous versions of the plan, like building more bus shelters and improving safety at bus stops. Carrying out the full “reimagining” of DDOT’s bus service would more than double DDOT’s weekly miles and the required number of drivers on staff. The plan is projected to take 7-10 years to implement. (DDOT, New York Times, Detroit Free Press)

Mind your miles

And hey, for those of us doing more driving than bus-riding, the Michigan Department of Transportation has a survey it’d like you to take. Sound off about road usage charges , which would replace state gas taxes with charges based on how much you drive. (State of Michigan)

The post The Dirt: A proposed federal law for land contracts and a pricey riverfront hotel appeared first on Outlier Media .