The Dirt: Detroit plans for future by preserving its past

It was another relatively quiet week in development news as people take stock of the NFL draft, gauging its economic impact and how the region’s public transit held up under the strain of record ridership. Elsewhere, the city is looking to better identify and preserve its historic sites, and an enormous 1920s mansion heads to auction after failing to sell on the open market.

Preservation plan

The City of Detroit is creating a plan to preserve its historic sites and is seeking qualified firms to help. The Citywide Historic Preservation Plan — announced as the first of its kind in Detroit — will identify historic resources and ways to preserve them through policy.

A request for proposals for firms released by the city outlines the plan and identifies some historic areas that have been overlooked for preservation. There are 145 historic districts in the city, which help protect the areas’ historic integrity. But certain parts of the city, including industrial areas, have not been well surveyed. The document identifies neighborhoods like Detroit’s Old West Side, where many African Americans moved to in the 1910s, as an area that could use further study. (BridgeDetroit, City of Detroit)

System strained

Metro Detroit transit saw some of its highest ridership in years (paywalled) — or in some cases, its highest ever — during the NFL draft. Record numbers of riders took the QLine, SMART park-and-ride shuttles, new Detroit Air Xpress shuttle and D2A2 bus from Ann Arbor, which sold out for the first time since launching last month. The Detroit People Mover had its busiest April since 2013.

The crowds strained and sometimes overwhelmed the system . Over the three-day draft, about 9% of all attendees took the QLine for an average of almost 23,000 a day. Normally the streetcar averages about 3,300 riders a day. During peak hours, passengers had to wait at stations as full streetcars passed. The president of QLine’s nonprofit operator called some of the delays “inevitable” given the size of the crowds. The situation led one opinion writer to remind the region that adequate transit remains “the great unfinished challenge for Detroit’s revival.” (Crain’s Detroit Business, Outlier Media, Axios Detroit, Detroit Free Press)

Expanding musical horizons

Music Hall’s expansion plan is clear to move forward following approval from City Council. The downtown venue will fund its $125 million project in large part through an $80 million bond issued through the city’s Economic Development Corp. The remaining funds will be privately financed.

The modern expansion will be adjacent to the nonprofit’s original Art Deco building and feature a number of amenities, including a performance venue, music academy, rooftop club and street-level restaurant. (Freep)

Auction house

Palmer Woods’ Bishop Mansion is heading to auction (paywalled) after languishing nearly a year on the market .

The more than 31,000-square-foot residence, believed to be Detroit’s largest, initially listed in May last year for about $9 million. It went through a number of price drops, eventually coming down to $6 million in March. Interested buyers have until June 10 to submit their sealed bids. (Crain’s, Outlier)

The Dirt: Detroit plans for future by preserving its past · Outlier Media