r/Detroit • u/Content-Main-3094 • 13d ago
News NIMBYs against apartments in Boston Edison
At tomorrow's Historic District Commission, a group of residents from Boston-Edison are going to speak against a new apartment building which is going to rehabilitate an abandoned building. We should do something about this and have people who support the project go speak as well.
https://www.freep.com/story/money/business/2025/02/01/controversy-apartments-boston-edison-detroit/77936686007/
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u/midwestern2afault 13d ago
WTF. It’s inconceivable to me that anyone would be opposed to this. A developer is reusing/rehabbing an abandoned eyesore into apartments with ground floor retail. Nothing is being torn down. No public money is being used. We’re adding residents to a depopulated, blighted area (I understand BE itself is not blighted but the surrounding area has its issues).
Guess these snobs would rather live next to a crumbling abandoned building or weedy lot than allow “the poors” who can only afford to spend $1,100/month on a one bedroom to live near them.
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u/Outside-Degree1247 13d ago
The entire premise of people opposing growth in a city that’s lost 2/3 of its population is batshit.
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u/KaiserSosai Boston-Edison 13d ago
Thanks for the heads up! I’ll show up tomorrow as a member of the HBEA in full support of this development.
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u/Clear-Flan8861 13d ago
I won't be showing up, but I'm on Boston Blvd and fully support the development
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u/another-altaccount Former Detroiter 13d ago
What is this building even being used for currently? Is it just sitting vacant?
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u/Content-Main-3094 13d ago
Yes, it’s currently vacant.
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u/another-altaccount Former Detroiter 13d ago
Then they have no leg to stand on IMO. You could make the argument about the building being a historic and valuable part of the community if it were actually being used for something beneficial, but it is not. This just seems like a bunch of NIMBYs not liking any kind of change. If Detroit wants to avoid the eventual fates that have befallen cities like New York, LA, and San Francisco you need to build more housing.
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u/Plenty_Advance7513 13d ago
They used to rent office space I believe, catholic charity services used to be there, but they've moved to the old cvs on woodward & Calvert, 3 blocks east of their old location.
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u/HistoryOver6530 13d ago
FYI, According to the Detroit Neighborhood map this is in Gateway Community and Not BE. If the developer has $$$ and a solid plan there’s no way Duggan and the city council will not let them proceed unless they have the property promised to someone else. They could give a shit less what some yuppie from BE thinks. It really sounds like it’s someone who moved to BE and didn’t know the area and they actually think they have some influence…
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u/JunimoJam 13d ago
I read the staff review of their application. The meeting is to review a parking lot and trash enclosure and the only recommendation was to use a different kind of block for the enclosure. Unless the residents are really wanting that different block enclosure they are wasting their time.
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u/modularpeak2552 Metro Detroit 13d ago
I hate when people act like there is a shortage of “community spaces” when there really isn’t, obviously it’s just a BS excuse but still.
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u/Otiskuhn11 13d ago
This isnt really “community space” though, its packing as many people into a housing complex as possible to maximize profit for the developers.
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u/jett1964 13d ago
“Speak your peace”?
Can’t stop progress. As a group, the neighbors ought to buy it them selves. That’s the only way to stop the flip.
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u/DetroitZamboniMI 13d ago
This looms like it’ll be torn down based on the massive print.
But the smaller print tells the real story.
NIMBYs really are bothersome, aren’t they?
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u/BlatantFalsehood transplanted 13d ago
Ezra Klein's new book, Abundance, puts a lot the blame for homelessness and unaffordable housing in general on liberal NIMBYs. It's an interesting read.
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u/Sufficient_Idea_5810 13d ago
Damn how fast do you read that came out like last week
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u/BlatantFalsehood transplanted 13d ago
It's not a long book and I set myself an aggressive reading goal this year. I've also already read John Green's Everything Is Tuberculosis, which I also highly recommend.
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u/Sufficient_Idea_5810 13d ago
It's probably got a lot of overlap, but if you liked abundance I think you may like paved paradise about parking and key to the city is great about zoning.
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u/Sufficient_Idea_5810 13d ago
Are we the same person? I have abundance waiting on my kindle and I'm on a couple hold lists for everything is tuberculosis. What should we read next?
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u/BlatantFalsehood transplanted 13d ago
I just got first in line hold on Paved Paradise based on your recommendation!
These ones are old and fiction, but have you read The Parable of the Sower and The Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler? I read them years ago and just reread them. I had forgotten they begin in 2024 and so much feels prescient now. Especially the Talents - where the candidate's slogan is Make America Great Again, Christian Nationalists are terrorizing the populace, and we're at war with Canada.
Oh, and sticking with non-fiction, I just finished Careless People, the memoir that Zuckerberg is trying to get banned. Much is what you would expect, entitled rich people constantly breaking the law and lying about it. But I was in corporate America when "Lean In" came out and it was required reading for women. I always thought the book was bullshit, and it was icky but satisfying to find out that Sheryl Sandberg is just as creepy as Zuck.
Edit to add: if you're tired of Kindle, bookshop.org sells ebooks and turn-the-page books, but you're supporting indie booksellers. Libro.fm works just like Audible and also supports indie booksellers.
But Libby and my libraries is my typical go to.
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u/Sufficient_Idea_5810 13d ago
I love Octavia butler and was thinking about reading careless people but I’d already read some adjacent books (meme wars and another I can’t recall) about all the bad shit Facebook has done around the world. I read lean in for a class in college and already thought it was pretty bullshit. Luckily it was a womens studies class focused on the undervaluation of “women’s work” globally so our reading was more critical than the typical “girl power, play the men’s game” vibe that people were approaching that book with when it dropped.
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u/ballastboy1 13d ago
It's one of the main points of the book and Klein has summarized this issue in all of its press releases and his interviews.
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u/match9561 12d ago
After reading the article the people opposing this sound like they don't want any redevelopment in their area.
You live near empty buildings and older ones were already torn down. Your streets were busier back in the day, you will live.
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u/BigODetroit 13d ago
Im in support of this and the businesses in the neighborhood that will benefit from the influx of new residents.
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u/ElectricalMacaroon00 13d ago
Their first complaint was that it would take away parking. No parking? On Chicago Blvd????
I live just north of here and will absolutely be at the meeting and lending support.
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u/I_Keepz_ITz_100 13d ago
I mean personally I’d prefer to keep the old building, the new ones look like ass. If the building could be renovated that would be ideal. It shouldn’t be torn down.
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u/heftybalzac 13d ago
It's not at risk of being torn down, the person who posted it is AGAINST the plan to convert it to housing. Their language is purposely trying to trick you.
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u/I_Keepz_ITz_100 13d ago
I mean I guess that’s fine, if it can keep its architecture while being renovated then that’s much better then tearing it down
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u/bttrcp8890 13d ago
I personally know this developer and he keeps the building characteristics the same and remodels the inside as little as possible into apartments. They have several other beautiful buildings and the rent isn’t outrageous.
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u/WildAmsonia 13d ago
Cost of the renovation could be more than just razing and building new.
Sucks, but if there's development, I can't be too upset.
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u/I_Keepz_ITz_100 13d ago
See I don’t know, one of the better things about Detroit that it can truly hold over other more wealthy and populous cities is the architecture or what is left of it, this building could be truly worth a lot of money to keep it upright, to destroy it for yet another ugly ass geometric abstract shape with windows that looks the part of an eyesore would make an otherwise really classically beautiful area look kind of odd placing. Like it shouldn’t be there
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u/peanutbutter1236 13d ago
You would rather have an abandoned building than new development and more housing to grow the city?
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u/Kalium Sherwood Forest 13d ago
No, like many people they prefer the world of abstract possibility where every building can be trivially reworked into arbitrary alternative uses because the current structure matches their aesthetic preferences.
This is, in fact, the exact kind of logic that leads people to conclude that a vacant building slowly decaying could become "community space" instead of housing.
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u/TooMuchShantae Farmington 13d ago
Do you need to be a Detroit resident to attend this?
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u/Content-Main-3094 13d ago
I am not sure, but I think if you live/work/do business in Detroit/Boston Edison, your voice should be heard.
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u/booyahbooyah9271 13d ago
You might be able to skate if you work in the area daily.
But it certainly isn't the business of say [Westland Resident] to show up and chime in on what that area should or should not do.
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u/Stephhh3 12d ago
i’m sure i’m going to get chewed out here but did you guys even read the article? the resident who mentioned “transient populations” didn’t seem to be talking about low income people.. it seems that he’s referring to the potential for short term tenants that wont be around long enough to become a part of the neighborhood community
i used to live on glynn, in a building owned by this developer, and there’s a decent amount of young people living in their apartment buildings (they have 4 apt buildings within a 2 block radius from the hamilton building) young people typically don’t stay in one place for long.. i know i haven’t. im not saying i agree with every single reason people may be opposed to this development but i think it’s false to assume that the major issue is that people don’t want low income folks on the block. have you been to this area? there’s already lower income residents right around the corner on glynn
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13d ago
[deleted]
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u/tiabgood 13d ago
You don't want new housing/businesses in your neighborhood = NIMBY.
Your false narrative is false.
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u/garfieldsam Piety Hill 12d ago
I literally emailed the developer asking how I could help and they didn’t reply! Thank you! Fuck these NIMBY dipshits!
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u/acarnacchi 11d ago
What email did you use?
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u/garfieldsam Piety Hill 11d ago
Hey Andrew! Really big fan of how you guys manage all your properties! Makes me feel like I'm stepping back into the early 20th Century when I walk past them!
Pretty sure I sent a message using the contact form at https://www.timelesspropertiesdetroit.com/#Contact
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u/acarnacchi 10d ago
I'll have to take a look and see where that contact portal ends up. Appreciate the kind words and support. We try to do right by our buildings and our residents in all phases of our ownership and operation.
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u/garfieldsam Piety Hill 11d ago
Also if you know of people who want to comment to the HDC, I emailed [hdc@detroitmi.gov](mailto:hdc@detroitmi.gov) in support of this development and got a response confirming they received it.
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u/jus256 13d ago edited 13d ago
Turning an abandoned building into an apartment complex is a problem?