Woodbridge Neighborhood Development & Design Guidelines, Detroit, MI

NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT & DESIGN GUIDELINES

WOODBRIDGE

Neighborhood Development & Design Guidelines April 2020 | Detroit, Michigan

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Project Team Angie Gaabo Executive Director Woodbridge Neighborhood Development Ed Potas Manager, Real Estate Development Cinnaire Liliana Gonzalez Development Design Specialist Cinnaire Graig Donnelly President Proxy

Consultant Team MKSK Quinn Evans Architects

LandUseUSA | Urban Strategies

Financial support for this project provided by the Kresge Innovative Projects in Detroit (KIP:D) initiative of The Kresge Foundation

2

CONTENTS This document provides a vision for future growth in Woodbridge.

Executive Summary

4

Section 1: Introduction

8

Process & Timeline

10

Purpose of the Project

History of the Sites & Neighborhood Vacant Sites and Neighborhood Context

9 11

15

Section 2: Community & Stakeholder Feedback

18

Summary of What We Heard

20

Section 3: Market Analysis

28

Summary of Findings

29

Section 4: Site Concepts

32

Overview of Engagement Activities

Former Hancock School Site

9-Acre Vacant Site North and South of Canfield Street Development Guidelines Open Space Types Streets & Connectivity

19

33

36 50 62 64

Design Guidelines for Vacant Sites

65

Section 5: Neighborhood Design Guidelines for Infill Housing

70

Neighborhood Design Guidelines

71

Section 6: Implementation

80

Implementation and Next Steps

81

3

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Woodbridge is a hidden gem, boasting a strong housing stock, history, and an active and diverse community.

Preserving the history of Woodbridge is important to its residents. This document will help ensure that the Woodbridge neighborhood is not compromised by new development, but rather enhanced by it. New development will need to fit in with the character and qualities of the neighborhood that have made it so special and unique.

In early 2019, Woodbridge Neighborhood Development Corporation (WND) partnered with Cinnaire Solutions to redevelop two former Detroit School properties in Woodbridge. As a result, WND and Cinnaire hired a consultant team to engage the neighborhood, determine marketable uses, concepts, and development guidelines for the vacant sites, as well as create design guidelines for the rest of the neighborhood. Through three public meetings, two online surveys, and various small gatherings, Woodbridge residents guided this plan and its ideas.

A market study was conducted to ground this vision with sound market realities, revealing a market potential of 285 attached units per year within the entire neighborhood and an opportunity for 65,000 square feet of retail along Grand River Avenue.

This study layered information with what we heard from the community to craft concepts for vacant sites that are uniquely Woodbridge.

4

The former Hancock School building can be re-imagined through adaptive-reuse that anchors a new high-quality green space for Woodbridge.

The vision for the 9-acre vacant site re-imagines this part of the neighborhood as a walkable and vibrant destination with mixed-use development along Grand River Avenue that steps down in density and height as it approaches the heart of the neighborhood. These concepts are complemented by development guidelines that provide a set of standards to address how the vacant sites should be built out, supplementing the Detroit Zoning Ordinance.

3

119

PUBLIC WORKSHOPS

MEETING PARTICIPANTS

2

87

ONLINE SURVEYS

SURVEY RESPONSES

Market Study Findings NEAR TERM MARKET POTENTIAL RETAIL, RESTAURANTS, ENTERTAINMENT VENUES

RESIDENTIAL MARKET TIMELINE

WOODBRIDGE RESIDENTIAL MARKET POTENTIAL OVER 5-YEAR PERIOD Year 1

285 Total Units

Year 2

570 Total Units

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5

Woodbridge’s Untapped Annual Retail Expenditure Potential

Annual Absorption: 285 Units Annual Absorption: 285 Units

855 Total Units

Annual Absorption: 285 Units

1,140 Total Units

Annual Absorption: 285 Units

1,425 Total Units

Annual Absorption: 285 Units

Hancock Concept 1: View looking South

Hancock Concept 1 Hancock Street Rosa Parks Blvd.

Ro s ark

P sa .

d Blv

Hancock Concept 2 Hancock Street Rosa Parks Blvd.

reet

ock St

Hanc

Wright Concept 1A

Wright Concept 1B

Forest Avenue

Forest Avenue

d

an

Gr

d

an

Gr

d

an

Gr

er

er

ue

en

Av

ue

en

Av

ue

en

Av

SUGGESTED USES

Wright School Concept 1: View from Grand River Avenue

BUILDING RE-USE

sa

Michigan Veterans Foundation

d.

lv

sB

rk

Pa

MULTIFAMILY

enue

st Av

Fore

Ro

MIXED-USE

SHARED STREET PARKING GARAGE

C

Gr

an

dR

ive

rA

ve

et

tre

dS

el anfi

TOWNHOMES RETAIL/RESTAURANT

Canfield Street

Riv

Canfield Street

Riv

er

Riv

Canfield Street

Michigan Veterans Foundation

Rosa Parks Blvd.

Michigan Veterans Foundation

Forest Avenue

Rosa Parks Blvd.

Rosa Parks Blvd.

Michigan Veterans Foundation

Wright Concept 2

nu

e

5

ROOF

SETBACK

Design guidelines for infill development encourage new construction that is appropriate for a historic neighborhood like Woodbridge.

The goal of the Neighborhood Design Guidelines is to ensure that new buildings complement and support the overall architectural character of Woodbridge. The guidelines are not intended to restrict creativity, but rather provide direction to encourage appropriate new construction in a historic neighborhood.

Use of the guidelines by individual builders and developers is voluntary. However, they will be taken into consideration during the City of Detroit’s design review process. WND’s support for a proposed project will primarily be based on the project’s compatibility with the guidelines.

There are a wide variety of building types, including detached single-family, duplexes, townhomes, and apartments. As new infill is considered, it should be designed with this same diversity in mind.

Infill should be an urban response; one grappling with the realities of designing an urban-historical environment. Because of the neighborhood’s history of diverse styles and typologies, new infill is free to take either a more traditional or contemporary housing design, insofar as it respects and responds to the existing fabric. Design should acknowledge and engage historic architecture, but not directly copy it.

6

Precedent: pitched roofs

PREFERRED: Aligned setback

Precedent: flat roofs PREFERRED: Average setback

x New Construction: pitched roof

NOT PREFERRED: Setback out of context

New Construction: flat roof

MATERIALS

siding brick

glass wood stone

1. SETBACK

2. FRONT YARD

Encourage and facilitate an inviting pedestrian experience through consistent setbacks and streetfacing façades.

Front yards in the neighborhood encourage a welcoming and friendly pedestrian environment currently seen throughout the existing neighborhood.

3. ENTRANCES AND PORCHES Raised front porches are encouraged to maintain a consistent architectural pattern and promote social interaction.

5. WINDOWS AND DOORS

4. LANDSCAPING AND TREES Landscaping should complement the existing architecture and should encourage the use of and livability of residential structures.

6. ROOF

Encourage visibility while taking visual cues from its neighbors as to how to arrange them.

New infill should respond to the character of the roof profiles within the immediate block as well as seen throughout the rest of the neighborhood.

7. PARKING

8. MASSING & SCALE

Strike a balance between providing parking appropriate for the type of housing, while blending it into the design to maintain the historic character.

Be consistent with the surrounding neighborhood and exhibit the same level of dimensionality seen in existing residential and non-residential buildings.

9. MATERIALS Reflect current standards of quality, but used in a way that is compatible with and complements the neighborhood’s existing historic character.

10. NON-RESIDENTIAL DESIGNS Any infill proposed with a non-residential use should maintain the same goal of design compatibility with existing buildings in the neighborhood.

7

01

INTRODUCTION

8

PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT NW GOLDBERG

WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY

10 94

JO HN E

O O RE

LL

ST

ET

AV

ET

F IE L D

STRE

UME

RE T ST

ET

TR L IS S

EET

ET

BL VD

RE

ST

ET

RE ET

UE

S

ST

LN

R AV EN

LE

N

O

SO

NC

ND R IVE

AC

STRE

IB

GRA

R IN E

LI

CORE CITY

Former Wilbur Wright School/ Detroit School of the Arts

AND

G

EX W AL

IR

W IL

M

CAL

ET

UE

AN WC

EN

AV

BU

H

RE

EST

MIDTOWN

UM

LT

ST

R W FO

E ENU

TR

EA

Y

ET

ER

NW

AV

VD

M

Y

M

BL

RE

NUE

FW

C

S

ET

ET

RE

RE

ST

ST

RK

NT

H

ST

AVE

DG

PA

O

AS

TH

REN

LO

SA

RM

AB

14

AR WW

C

RO

VE

W

Former Hancock School

MAR

TIN

ER LUTH

KING

LVD JR B

Woodbridge Neighborhood boundaries and location of vacant sites

Background and Purpose of the Project In early 2019, Woodbridge Neighborhood Development Corporation (WND) partnered with Cinnaire Solutions to redevelop two former Detroit Public School properties and additional vacant land near the western boundary of the neighborhood. The goal of obtaining these vacant properties of approximately 10.5 acres was to put them back to viable use and in turn address the priorities and needs of the rest of the neighborhood.

While this area has untapped potential, there should be a distinctive plan and guidelines in place to ensure that future development is respectful of the historic character and qualities of the rest of the neighborhood.

Future development should be thoughtfully planned and could include new housing, retail,

office, community space, and open space opportunities in the neighborhood. Additionally, Woodbridge has seen a recent upswing in new development and rehabilitation in the rest of the neighborhood (mostly with residential properties).

As a result, WND and Cinnaire Solutions partnered with a consultant team to engage the neighborhood, determine marketable and viable uses for the vacant school properties, and ultimately create development and design guidelines that can be utilized and referred to by the neighborhood and prospective developers.

Guiding Values

maximize the potential and quality of design of these properties.

These guiding values include: •

Involve community throughout the planning process and implementation

•

Promote social cohesion

•

Pursue innovative and new approaches to meet existing housing needs to help address what is currently missing in the neighborhood

•

Focus on sustainability through multiple open space opportunities, emphasizing walkability, and encouraging green stormwater infrastructure

As these Neighborhood Development and Design Guidelines were created, there were guiding values kept at the forefront of the project to help

9

INTRODUCTION

PROCESS & TIMELINE 1: September 2019 & Ongoing

2: October-November 2019

3: December 2019-January 2020

Engage & Understand

Market Study

develop concepts

4: January -April 2020

design guidelines

Social Media (Ongoing)

Online Surveys Kickoff Meeting

Planning Team Mtg. (Biweekly) Developer Interviews Public Workshops and Open House (3 Total) Community Gatherings

South Woodbridge Block Club

Pop-up Planning and Pizza!

Woodbridge Citizens’ Council (Regular public meetings)

PROJECT GOALS

10

SERVE AS A GUIDE FOR FUTURE MIXED-USE, RENTAL AND HOMEOWNERSHIP OPTIONS

ADDRESS MULTI-MODAL OPTIONS AND CREATIVE PARKING SOLUTIONS

INTEGRATE OPEN SPACES

INCORPORATE GREEN STORMWATER STRATEGIES

HISTORY OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD Woodbridge has a rich history spanning three centuries. To put new development into context, it is important to understand the neighborhood’s past.

Woodbridge History STARTING POINT: WOODBRIDGE FARM The Woodbridge neighborhood has its origins among the early French settlers of Detroit, who in the mid-eighteenth century divided the land to either side of downtown into narrow strips fronting the Detroit River and extending inland two to three miles. In 1819, William Woodbridge, the territorial governor of Michigan, purchased two adjacent “ribbon farms” to create the Woodbridge Farm. Most of the area was annexed into the City of Detroit in 1857, and developers began breaking up the old ribbon farms, platting them into subdivisions and selling off the lots for the construction of houses.

Developed as a “streetcar suburb” in a pre-automobile age, there were no driveways between houses; lots were instead narrow and deep, resulting in a dense urban streetscape where service vehicles were relegated to tight alleys backing up to the rear lot lines. Over the next several decades, the neighborhood began to fill in with a mixture of workingclass and middle-class houses, and a few large houses such as the James Scripps mansion at Trumbull and Grand River Avenues

The Scripps Mansion, originally built around 1876, was located in the historic Woodbridge Farms.

(since demolished) and the Châteauesque mansion at the corner of Grand River and Rosa Parks Boulevard that housed the Eighth Precinct Police Station.

WOODBRIDGE AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY The greatest period of growth for Woodbridge took place between 1900 and 1915. Many areas of the city experienced phenomenal growth during this period, driven in large part by the development of the automobile industry.

Woodbridge was easily accessible from downtown by its proximity to Grand River Avenue, which formed the southwest boundary of the neighborhood.

Residential lots that had been vacant in 1900 were largely built out by 1920, and a thriving commercial district had developed along Grand River Avenue. Scattered around the neighborhood were multiple family dwellings, including twofamily flats, terrace houses, and some small-scale apartment buildings, as well as schools, libraries, and churches to serve the neighborhood population.

At the north end of the neighborhood, near the Grand Trunk and Michigan Central Railroad tracks, were pockets of industrial development including

lumber yards and factories.

WOODBRIDGE IN THE 1920s The 1920s were arguably the height and maturity of the Woodbridge neighborhood.

Woodbridge was positioned within the city as a welldeveloped, upper middle-class neighborhood. Although some of the wealthier residents moved into more exclusive districts such as Boston-Edison, where they could build larger houses, they were easily replaced by middle-class residents looking for an established neighborhood relatively close to downtown and major transportation routes.

As a response to the general growth of Detroit and increased demand for housing, a number of larger apartment buildings were constructed in the district, particularly along Commonwealth and Lincoln Streets.

WOODBRIDGE IN THE 1940s AND BEYOND During World War II, the neighborhood’s density increased as homeowners took in boarders, including many defense industry workers. Most of the houses returned to single-family occupancy following the end of the war.

11

INTRODUCTION

Although the city itself experienced a post-war economic boom, many of Woodbridge’s residents, who at this time were mostly white, began moving to the growing suburbs. In their wake, African American Detroiters who had until this time been segregated into a few black enclaves began moving into the neighborhood. These residents, who were generally working class, inherited an aging housing stock that was in many cases allowed to deteriorate by absentee landlords, while blacks were unable to purchase homes due to discrimination in lending.

As a consequence of this disinvestment, much of the housing stock began to deteriorate. Urban renewal posed another threat to the

Aerial, Woodbridge, 1949

neighborhood. In the 1950’s and 60’s, portions of the neighborhood were demolished for the construction of the Lodge Freeway and the Jefferies Homes public housing development. The Federal Housing Act provided funding for land acquisition and clearance, which Wayne State University and the City of Detroit planned to use to expand campus into Woodbridge. Neighborhood residents formed the Woodbridge Citizens District Council to advocate in the fight against the proposed expansion and redevelopment by Wayne State.

While some property was lost to the Wayne State expansion, the WCDC stopped most of the proposed development. In 1980, a large portion of the neighborhood was designated as a State and

National Historic District in order to further protect if from further government actions.

Aerial, Woodbridge, 1952

Aerial, 1956

Additional housing stock was lost in the 1980’s to neglect. However, enamored by the extremely low costs of homeownership along with remarkable architecture, enterprising individuals began a long road to recovery for the neighborhood. Abandoned homes were purchased and renovated by individuals and families alike. Many apartment buildings, duplexes, and singlefamily homes were purchased an renovated. These efforts reflected in Woodbridge’s current status as one of the city’s most cohesive and stable neighborhoods in the face of the city’s changing fortunes. Today, housing and

Progression of the Woodbridge neighborhood, 1949 - 1981. With the creation of various highways and special developments, some significant portions of Woodbridge and connecting neighborhoods were demolished. Despite this, Woodbridge still remained as one of the oldest neighborhoods with much of its building stock intact.

Aerial, Woodbridge, 1961 12

Aerial, Woodbridge, 1981

vacant lots in Woodbridge continue to be highly sought after.

History of Grand River Avenue Grand River was one of the first roads incorporated into Michigan Territory, dating back to its establishment by Congress in 1832.

In the late 1800s, some of the first streetcar lines ran along Grand River Avenue, making the Woodbridge neighborhood easily accessible to commuters from downtown and beyond. It also spurred the development of commercial businesses along Grand River that catered to neighborhood residents and other citizens of Detroit.

In 1908, Grand River Avenue was converted from a toll road to a public road. Over the next decades, as the city grew and the automobile took over from horse-

1937 - GRAND RIVER AVENUE

drawn vehicles and streetcars, the road was periodically improved to accommodate the increased traffic, including separation of the railroad grades from the street level. As the city expanded, Grand River Avenue became one of its longest streets, and an important connector to the northwest side of the city and the suburbs beyond.

It also serves as the southwest boundary of the Woodbridge neighborhood, and its main commercial thoroughfare.

Original location of Hancock Elementary School

Hancock Elementary School The original Hancock School, opened in 1887, was located on Hancock Street between 14th and Wabash Avenues, on a site that is the track and playing field what is now Frederick Douglass Academy for Young Men. The 1887 Hancock school was demolished in 1969 and a new school was constructed three blocks east in the early 1970’s.

The current building is situated in a former residential block adjacent to Rosa Parks Boulevard (formerly Twelfth Street). Although several houses were removed to create room for the new school, its proximity to the residential neighborhood was likely deliberate, as many students would have walked to the school.

The current 17,900 square foot school building was most recently used as a combined grade school and middle school. In its last full school year of operation (2010-2011) it had 42 K-8th grade students and seven full time teachers. In 2012, it officially closed

Present-day location of Hancock Elementary School

due to low enrollment and low test scores.

Wilbur Wright School Opened in 1930 on 12th Street (now Rosa Parks Boulevard) between Calumet and Canfield Streets, Wilbur Wright High School (also known as Wilbur Wright Cooperative High School) was built in response to Detroit’s growing reputation as an industrial city. The city’s Board of Education wanted to create a high school to help supplement the workforce with skilled tradespeople. The school’s model allowed for students to spend two weeks in the classroom and two weeks in the field in their respective trades. Students from all over the City attended with the hopes of having a job in their trade upon graduation. Wilbur

13

INTRODUCTION

Wright merged with the all-girls Philip Murray High School to create Murray-Wright High School (currently operating as Frederick Douglass Academy) in the 1960’s just to the north along Rosa Parks Boulevard between West Forest and Warren Avenues. The Detroit School of Arts (DSA) eventually operated in the building between 1992 and 2005 before relocating to its new building at Cass and Selden Avenues. Detroit Public Schools demolished Wilbur Wright HIgh School in 2009, leaving approximately 1.9 acres of vacant land on the west side of Woodbridge.

1970: HANCOCK ELEMENTARY

2019

DPS Regional Sports Facility & Michigan Veterans Foundation Originally part of the residential neighborhood fabric, the Detroit Public Schools cleared all of the land located between Rosa Parks Boulevard to the east, West Forest Avenue to the north, Grand River Avenue to the west and Canfield Street to the south in the 1970’s to form a superblock that was to be the site of a regional facility for high school sports serving a large portion of the City’s near west side.

The sports facility was never built, and the land was eventually sold to a private developer along with the Wilbur Wright School site. A portion of the land at the corner of West Forest and Grand River Avenues was subsequently sold to the Michigan Veterans Foundation, which opened its Detroit Veterans transitional housing facility on the site in 2017. What remains is approximately 7 acres of vacant land on the west side of Woodbridge.

14

1956: WILBUR WRIGHT SCHOOL BUILDING

2009

NEIGHBORHOOD CONTEXT EXISTING ZONING

Low Density Residential

WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY

Two-Family Residential

Single Family Residential Two-Family Residential Medium Density Residential

NW GOLDBERG

High Density Residential

SA RO

General Business Restricted Business Special Development: Mixed-Use

KS

R PA

94

AN

96

DR

D BLV

GR

IVE

RA

VE

NU

E

TA

RES

O WF

D

IEL

NF

A WC

Planned Development

UE

VEN

General Industrial Intensive Industrial

T

EE STR

MIDTOWN

General Business

CORE CITY Low Density Residential

K

ML

D

AR

LEV

U BO

Zoning Zoning was analyzed to determine what types of development on the vacant sites could occur without changing the zoning.

Unfortunately, the current zoning does not provide much flexibility.

The vacant sites contain three different zoning districts: low density residential, two-family residential, and general business (along a small portion of Grand River Avenue and at the corner of Rosa Parks and Forest Avenue).

With this in mind, mixed uses are currently not permitted on these sites, parking requirements would be arduous, and the limited heights of buildings would result in a very low density development.

Due to the restrictive zoning of the sites, a zoning change would be required to move forward with denser development, such as the concepts that are presented later in this document.

15

INTRODUCTION

NEIGHBORHOOD CONTEXT EXISTING NEIGHBORHOOD TRANSIT ACCESS

WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY NW GOLDBERG

94

RO

OR

WF

SA

Vacant Site Boundaries

IVE

RA

VE

NU

E

D IEL

F

AN

WC

LVD

96

DR

SB

AN

RK

PA

GR

UE

VEN

A EST

EET

STR

MIDTOWN

CORE CITY KB

Bus Routes

ML

Bus Stops

RD

VA

LE OU

Streets and Connectivity

W

R WA

RE

V NA

EN

UE

Former Hancock School

5’ W

HA

O NC

CK

ST

RE

ET

6’ CO

6’

MM ON WE

ET

RI

VE

RA V

6’ EN

CA

IE NF

LD

ST

RE

10’ 5-11’

UE

W

8’ Former Wilbur Wright School/ Detroit School of the Arts

C

6’

ET

One-Way Street

8’

D

On-Street Parking

LV SB

Existing Sidewalk

D

RE

RE

ST

T RS

RK

Vacant Site Boundaries

AN

TH

DE

ET

PA

LY

N SA

RE

5’

SA

GR

AL

AV

T YS

ST

RO

8’

RE

5’

E

ER

EET

W

FO

U EN

AV

TR HS

16

VACANT SITES: CONNECTIVITY

14T

The Woodbridge neighborhood is situated in a prime location, with quick highway access and multimodal connections to Downtown via Grand River and Trumbull Avenues. Surrounding the vacant sites, there are multiple one-way streets (Rosa Parks Boulevard, 14th Street, and Forest Avenue) which places limitations on what types of uses can survive along those streets and also limits connectivity into and around the neighborhood.

Recently, the City of Detroit has committed to converting Rosa Parks Boulevard and 14th Street into two-way streets which will help with providing better traffic flow and connectivity to and from the neighborhood. While sidewalks are present along the vacant sites, they vary in condition and widths - some are in poor condition and quite narrow. Additionally, there is a lack of available on-street parking, especially surrounding the 9-acre site north and south of Canfield Street.

U AL

ME

ET

T TS

LL WI

RE

IS

ET

ST

RE

ET

EXISTING OPEN SPACE & BIKE LANES

WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY TRU

94

KS

UE

EN

R PA

AV

SA RO

ULL MB

NW GOLDBERG

AN

Bryant Vermont Park

DR

IVE

RA

VE

NU

E

UE

EN

V TA

ES

OR

WF

W

96

Vacant Site Boundaries

D BLV

GR

LD

FIE

N CA

MIDTOWN

ET

E STR

CORE CITY

Bike Lanes Parks

Open Space Scripps Park, located at Trumbull and Grand River Avenues, is the primary green space within the Woodbridge neighborhood. In 2018, the City of Detroit funded the cleanup and redesign of the park, installing new playground equipment, walkways and landscaping. That same year, WND won the 2018 Detroit Community Development Award for “Distinction in Placemaking” for its summer programming and park activation efforts at Scripps. The northwest corner of the neighborhood is home to Bryant Vermont Park. Previously, a relatively under utilized pocket park, the park was adopted by the Detroit Audubon Society and will be converted to a bird habitat in the summer of 2020.

K

Scripps Park

ML

D

AR

LEV

U BO

More open space and parks have been a long-standing desire of neighborhood residents. This was kept in mind throughout the planning process to ensure activated open spaces were integrated as part of the development concepts.

Scripps Park

Bryant Vermont Park

17

02

COMMUNITY & STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK

18

OVERVIEW OF ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES

Crafting the Development and Design Guidelines for Woodbridge required extensive engagement with the community and stakeholders.

Listening to the community and stakeholders throughout the planning process was an integral component to creating guidelines that were based on a foundation of engagement and trust. Understanding Woodbridge began with conversations with residents and local business owners to learn about the neighborhood’s rich history and diversity, to test ideas, and ultimately build momentum for the project. Given the short time frame of the planning process, it was critical to start engagement early on to ensure that the neighborhood was aware of and vested in the project. To capture

as much input as possible and to have valuable conversations, larger public workshops were scheduled along with smaller, more intimate meetings, doorto-door interviews, and online surveys. The following section elaborates on the key pieces of feedback that were received during the planning process which helped provide focus and priorities for creating the Development and Design Guidelines.

COMMUNITY & STAKEHOLDER EVENTS Public Workshop #1 October 10, 2019 South Woodbridge Block Club November 19, 2019 Woodbridge Citizens’ Council (regular public meetings) November 14, 2019, December 12, 2019, and January 9, 2020 Pop-up Planning and Pizza!

(For parents and school aged kids) November 16, 2019 Designing Woodbridge: A Morning with Coffee, Donuts, and Ideas November 23, 2019 Developer Interviews December 16, 2019 Designing Woodbridge Open House February 1, 2020

19

COMMUNITY & STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK

SUMMARY OF WHAT WE HEARD Visual Preference Survey Results The preference surveys asked the Woodbridge community what they would most like to see in their neighborhood and in future development of the vacant sites, from uses to building types, to site design. The summary on these pages highlights the top priorities from the survey responses.

MIXED-USE BUILDINGS

OUTDOOR GATHERING SPACES

COMMUNITY SPACE When asked about what type of open space and recreational activities they would like to see, the Woodbridge community thought outdoor gathering spaces were the best use for future outdoor spaces. After-school programs, event spaces and environmental learning opportunities were also top responses.

The Woodbridge community would like to see the vacant Hancock School building repurposed as a community space, day care/early childhood center or indoor recreation facility.

Ensure there are amenities that makes the neighborhood walkable

The entire neighborhood is historic homes and should remain so.

Large vacant parcel could be turned into a big park with native plantings

Diversity

20

When considering housing types for future residential opportunities in the neighborhood, the community preferred mixeduse buildings with a residential component in the upper floors, duplexes, and single-family homes.

New housing types should be a mixture of unit sizes, scale, and number of bedrooms, as well as rental & owner-occupied

LOW MAINTENANCE NATIVE PLANTINGS & STREET TREES

WALKABLE

Top site design choices included low maintenance native plantings and street trees, beautiful buildings (high-quality materials and good architecture), and locating parking behind buildings so that development can be closer to the street, creating a more walkable environment.

When asked about the spirit of future businesses in the neighborhood, Woodbridge residents wanted a business environment that is walkable, local in ownership and hiring employees, and reasonably/fairly priced.

MEDIUM DENSITY DEVELOPMENT More than half of the Woodbridge participants would prefer to see medium density development when imagining the redeveloped vacant sites.

LOW DENSITY DEVELOPMENT

Our solution needs to be creative and push developers on design and quality of materials Vacant school site could be a combination of uses that would benefit multiple age groups and encourage social interaction

HIGH DENSITY DEVELOPMENT

How our neighborhood was primarily mixed, history of families living in this neighborhood Maintain a streetwall along Grand River Avenue

21

COMMUNITY & STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK

SUMMARY OF WHAT WE HEARD Character: What Do You Like About . . .

HISTORIC BUILDINGS IN WOODBRIDGE

• Unique, quality material • Variety of building stock in the neighborhood • Historic details are hard to replicate

The Community’s Impressions of Design Several important design considerations emerged from the dialogue which took place at the community meetings.

Residents expressed a deep love for historic structures within their neighborhood and how architecture adds to the character of the community. Throughout the sessions, residents communicated that they were interested in new and innovative design solutions, especially with regard to sustainability and accessibility concerns for an aging population.

22

NEW CONSTRUCTION

• Addition of accessibility • Sensitive response to existing buildings & cues in the built environment • Non-uniform development that is diverse

Many residents were resistant to the suburban-style developments, such as unremarkable architecture and lack of connectivity. Many of the residents referenced local and international housing developments, indicating an openness to outside ideas and solutions. As residents reflected on what new development should look like, they shared that they want the new and old to be cohesive, and to not feel like two different neighborhoods.

Some residents spoke positively about the Woodbridge Estates development, citing its diverse housing typology designed

for mixed-incomes and age ranges. There was a lot interest outside of single-family dwellings, such as duplexes, apartments, and townhomes.

Some shared concern about the neighborhood’s capacity for multi-family buildings and more residents with its current parking infrastructure. There was also concern about design requirements leading to higher costs of development that is out of reach to current residents., sparking questions about affordability, feasibility, and good design.

Design Guidelines Preference Survey Results In addition to in-person meetings, a survey was distributed online and in person to gauge neighbors’ preferences on architectural character, housing types, and styles, and design elements that should be reflected in future construction in the neighborhood. The summary below highlights the top priorities and preferences from the survey responses.

SINGLE FAMILY HOMES

FOURPLEX

DUPLEX

The Woodbridge community was most interested in fourplexes, carriage houses/ADU’s, and supportive housing as future housing types.

REAR PARKING

BRICK

For building materials, the Woodbridge community prefers brick with other materials used as an accent, followed by wood and stone.

For those that chose 2-3 stories, they noted that it is the historical precedent in the residential area.

5

4

When thinking about historic housing, single-family homes and duplexes were the most popular housing types among the Woodbridge community.

MIXED-USE

3

2

1

When envisioning future design elements, the Woodbridge community would prefer to see rear parking that takes advantage of alleyways, pitched roofs that relate to nearby buildings, and front porches.

For maximum building heights, 3 stories was overwhelmingly the most desired option.

5

4

3

2

For those that chose 4-5 stories, they agreed that this building height is appropriate along the former Wilbur Wright site (on Grand River Avenue).

1

5

When thinking about new construction in the neighborhood, mixed-use development was the most popular new housing type, followed by duplexes and apartments.

4

3

2

1

23

COMMUNITY & STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK

SUMMARY OF WHAT WE HEARD Development Concepts Activity

61

PARTICIPANTS

12

UNIQUE CONCEPTS DEVELOPED

As part of the Designing Woodbridge Workshop that took place in November, participants were asked to engage with interactive concept boards where they could design and build out the vacant sites. The activity allowed participants to see how density, open space and the orientation of uses can be arranged to provide a mixture of uses and still be cohesive with the existing neighborhood.

FORMER HANCOCK SCHOOL SITE CONCEPT 4

MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL WITH PARKING BELOW

OPEN SPACE

RETAIL/ REST. WITH PARKING

Douglass College Preparatory Academy

Hancock Street Rosa Parks Boulevard

Rosa Parks Boulevard

Hancock Street

RETAIL/ REST.

OPEN SPACE WITH PAVILION AND PLAZA SURFACE PARKING

RETAIL/ REST.

RE-USE OF BUILDING AS COMMUNITY

Avery Street

24

FORMER HANCOCK SCHOOL SITE CONCEPT 5

Avery Street

Douglass College Preparatory Academy

priority to help activate corners and interior courtyard spaces.

Some of the workshop concepts broke up the site by providing new streets to connect to the rest of the neighborhood. And finally, mixed-use and high density development was placed along or closer to Grand River Avenue, with lower density development stepping down adjacent to Rosa Parks Boulevard.

From this exercise, a total of 12 concepts were developed (between the Hancock site and Wilbur Wright site). Key takeways revealed that open space and reusing the existing building on the Hancock site are top priorities. Any new infill on the site should be lower in density and be respectful of the immediate adjacent neighborhood. In terms of the former Wilbur Wright School site, open space was also a top

FORMER WRIGHT SCHOOL SITE CONCEPT 1 West Forest Avenue SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL

a Gr

Michigan Veterans Foundation

MIXED-USE RESIDENTIAL

nd

TOWNHOMES

ve Ri rA

Lysander Street

ve e

nu

14th Street

SURFACE PARKING

MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL

MIXED-USE RESIDENTIAL WITH COMMERCIAL & PARKING

OPEN SPACE

Canfield Street MIXED-USE OFFICE

TOWN HOMES

MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL

OPEN SPACE

Buchanan Street

SURFACE PARKING

OPEN SPACE

FORMER WRIGHT SCHOOL SITE CONCEPT 2 West Forest Avenue MIXED-USE RESIDENTIAL WITH PARKING

MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL

DUPLEX HOMES

an

Gr

Michigan Veterans Foundation

d

OPEN SPACE

v Ri er

DUPLEX HOMES

PARKING GARAGE

TOWNHOMES OPEN SPACE

MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL WITH PARKING MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL

ue

en Av

14th Street

MIXED-USE RESIDENTIAL WITH SOME OFFICE

DUPLEX HOMES

Buchanan Street

Lysander Street

MIXED-USE OFFICE WITH SOME RESIDENTIAL

Canfield Street

TOWN HOMES

25

COMMUNITY & STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK

SUMMARY OF WHAT WE HEARD Designing Woodbridge: A Blueprint for Future Development The final open house was held in February 2020, with a large crowd gathered to see the results of their engagement and how that was translated into design concepts and guidelines for the neighborhood.

26

A presentation was given by the consultants to provide an overview of the concept alternatives for the vacant sites and the design guidelines. Overall, there was enthusiasm and support from the residents.

Some questions came up regarding next steps and implementation, including how the vacant sites should be zoned to ensure that these concepts could become reality. Further conversations will need to take place with the City of Detroit regarding rezoning of the property - a process that can often be lengthy. This is a necessary next step to jump-start the development process.

58

PARTICIPANTS

27

03

MARKET ANALYSIS

28

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

A mixed-use market study identified opportunities for redevelopment in Woodbridge.

Introduction

A mixed-use market study was developed by LandUseUSA, and the analytic results have been triangulated to gauge the general feasibility for new commercial space and attached housing on the two vacant sites. The study included site assessments, commercial leakage and importexport analysis, real estate analysis, demographic forecasts, retail supply-demand analysis, and a target market analysis (TMA).

Site Assessments Site A (the vacant site north and south of Canfield Street) the larger of the two sites is about nine (9) acres of vacant land with frontage along Grand River Avenue. It has good visibility to traffic along Grand River Avenue. It is unusually large for the region, and it is vacant and assumed clean and ready for redevelopment.

The second and smaller Site B (the Hancock School site) located at 1780 W. Hancock Street and is about 1.5 acres. It includes an 18,000 square foot former school building that has been vacant since 2012. The site includes an internal courtyard, surface parking lots, and basketball court.

Locational Benefits Based solely on field observations, LandUseUSA has a positive and optimistic outlook for the future development of both sites and the future of the Woodbridge neighborhood overall. The neighborhood could benefit from high traffic volumes initially destined for Wayne

State, Midtown, Downtown, and Corktown. These neighborhoods all benefit from exceptionally high traffic volumes along Interstate 75 (90,000+ vehicles per day in 2017) and the Lodge Freeway (70,000+).

Other significant development projects, namely senior housing, were recently completed just a few blocks southeast of the sites.

The sites are also near several institutional campuses, including Frederick Douglass Academy, Michigan Veterans Foundation, and the Dauch Scout Center (Boy Scouts of America).

COMMERCIAL ANNUAL NET IMPORT AND EXPORT BY INDUSTRY SECTOR

Commercial Leakage Analysis Based on results of the leakage analysis, revenues among some of the existing businesses in the Woodbridge neighborhood are outpacing city-wide averages, but only in a few niche categories.

The neighborhood has industry strengths in the categories of education, retail (namely food, auto, and personal care), and real estate professions.

Perhaps more importantly, the leakage analysis indicates that the Woodbridge neighborhood is under-represented in nearly every other industry sector. Several of the under-represented categories could be ideal anchors for new mixed-use projects on the larger site. These include overnight accommodations (hotels, motels, bed & breakfasts); medical space for health care; office space for employers; venues for arts, sports, entertainment, and recreation; and retail shopping.

Education Retail - Home, Food, Auto, Personal Real Estate & Rental Information

Local strengths that could be leveraged with more investment

Local gaps that could be filled through reinvestment

Administrative Support Services Repair, Laundry, Personal Care Service Accommodations & Food Services Health Care & Social Services Public Administration Professional, Scientific, Technical Services Retail - Hobby, General Merchandise Banking, Finance, Insurance Arts, Sports, Entertainment, Recreation

29

MARKET ANALYSIS

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS Retail Market Potential Based on the population, households, and income of established residents living in the Woodbridge neighborhood, they have the combined capacity to generate $35 million in untapped retail potential. This figure has been adjusted upward for some future import by daytime workers, hotel patrons, and shoppers; but also adjusted downward to account for some of the established retailers.

With development of the larger site into a mixed-use project, at least one mid-sized anchor is recommended, such as a grocery store, pharmacy, or hardware store. Assuming that an anchor is included, then additional tenants could include a mix of restaurants and eateries, entertainment venues, some artisan galleries and studios, a general merchandise store, and specialty food stores.

A variety of amenities could also complement the anchors and mix of tenants. For example, a rental hall with a commercial kitchen, fitness center, dance studio, healthcare center, co-working space, and credit unions would all be realistic options and would help fill conveniences and services for residents, daytime workers, and visitors alike.

Residential Market Potential Lifestyle Cluster Analysis The TMA analysis involves a study of lifestyle clusters that are moving into the Woodbridge Neighborhood, plus existing households that are moving within the neighborhood. The lifestyle cluster data is used to study movership rates, tenure, income, and inclination to seek new urban

30

housing formats like townhouses, urban lofts, cottages, and accessory dwellings like studios attached to houses or above garages.

especially those that are newer and locally-owned, while also promoting a greater number and diversity of businesses opening in the neighborhood.

Conservative v. Aggressive Scenarios The TMA approach measures the annual market potential under a conservative scenario that reflects in-migration of new households; and an aggressive scenario that reflects both in-migration and internal movership among existing households. In general, the market potential under the aggressive scenario is twice that of the conservative scenario.

The market potential includes about 285 households inclined to choose attached housing formats. However, only 20 of these households are inclined to be owners looking for townhouses; and the other 265 households will be renters looking to lease either townhouses or lofts.

Moderate Rents, Compact Units Based on the moderate incomes of the migrating households, the optimal contract rents will be in the range of $500 to $900 per month; and a median of about $700 per month. Given these low rents, prospective developers should consider developing compact units like studios with open floor plan and micro lofts, as well as one-bedroom units with higher rents.

The mix of commercial and retail space offered in any new developments should include some smaller units (sometimes referred to as “micro-retail”) of less than 1,000 square feet each. These compact and smaller footprint units will ensure accessibility and affordability for small businesses,

RETAIL ANCHOR OPPORTUNITIES UP TO 65,000 SQUARE FEET • Grocery (i.e Kroger, Fresh Thyme, Trader Joe’s, ALDI) • Pharmacy (i.e. CVS, PharMor) • Hardware (i.e. Ace, True Value)

RETAIL TENANT OPPORTUNITIES UP TO 35,000 SQUARE FEET Restaurants, Eateries, Brew Pubs, Cafes, Night Clubs, Live Music, Billiard Hall, Artisan Galleries and Studios, General Merchandise Stores, Wine and Spirits, Tobacco Stores, Specialty Food Stores

PRIORITIZE COMPACT/”MICRORETAIL” UNITS Apparel & Clothing Boutiques, Doctor & Dentist Offices, Insurance Agents, Lawyers, Realtors, Other Unique Independent Retailers

OTHER AMENITIES Rental Hall with Commercial Kitchen, Catering, Fitness Center, Recreation Center, Indoor Swimming Pool, Martial Arts, Dance Studios, Family Healthcare Center, Urgent Care, Co-Working Space and Meeting Rooms, Banks, Credit Unions, Financial Advisors

ANNUAL MARKET POTENTIAL

ATTACHED HOUSING FORMATS: TOWNHOUSES, WALKS-UPS, URBAN LOFTS

285 Attached Units

NEAR TERM MARKET POTENTIAL RETAIL, RESTAURANTS, ENTERTAINMENT VENUES

265 For-Lease Units

RESIDENTIAL MARKET TIMELINE

WOODBRIDGE RESIDENTIAL MARKET POTENTIAL OVER 5-YEAR PERIOD Year 1

285 Total Units

Year 2

570 Total Units

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5

Annual Absorption: 285 Units Annual Absorption: 285 Units

855 Total Units

Annual Absorption: 285 Units

1,140 Total Units

Annual Absorption: 285 Units

1,425 Total Units

Annual Absorption: 285 Units

Woodbridge’s Untapped Annual Retail Expenditure Potential 31

04

SITE CONCEPTS

32

FORMER HANCOCK SCHOOL SITE The Hancock School Building can be re-imagined as a an important anchor with a new high-quality green space for Woodbridge.

The existing school building can be re-used as an early childhood center, co-working space, or small office spaces. Though the building currently feels isolated from its surroundings, new openings and courtyards can open up its structure and create interior spaces that seamlessly transition with outdoor gathering areas.

Located near a school and the Dauch Scout Center, this site is

within walking distance to both neighborhood residents and school age children. As such, a park or community green is an ideal use to complement the school building re-use and add new high quality open space to the neighborhood. The two concepts for the Hancock School site include:

Community Green Both concepts include a significant amount of greenspace, with a focus on quality and programmable space. Open spaces should include seating areas, space for movable furniture, flexible lawns, and play structures.

Residential The second concept introduces a small apartment building that furthers the concept of a residential Rosa Parks Boulevard. The corner of Hancock & Rosa Parks should be maintained as open space to maximize the visibility of the new community green.

Parking A limited amount of parking should be provided, properly screened from nearby streets using fences, hedges, or native landscaping.

Existing Hancock Street

Douglass College Preparatory Academy

FORMER HANCOCK SCHOOL SITE 1.5 ACRES

Avery Street

Rosa Parks Boulevard

Former Hancock School Building

33

SITE CONCEPTS

Concept 1 A re-use of an opened up Hancock

Activated & Programmed Park

building anchors a

Hancock Street

Building re-use

large community open space that can accommodate

space for patios, and gardens.

Douglass College Preparatory Academy

Avery Street

flexible lawns,

Rosa Parks Boulevard

a basketball court,

P

Concept 1: View from Hancock Street Building re-use

Activated & Programmed Park

P sa Ro rks Pa ule Bo rd

va

et

ck Stre

Hanco

34

Douglass College Preparatory Academy

Concept 2 A small residential

Activated & Programmed Park

building allows

Hancock Street

for a new pocket

Building re-use

park at the corner of Hancock Street & Rosa Parks

Avery Street

Boulevard.

Residential

P

Rosa Parks Boulevard

Douglass College Preparatory Academy

Concept 2: View from Hancock Street P

Residential

Building re-use Douglass College Preparatory Academy

sa

Ro rks

Pa rd

va

ule

Bo

et

ck Stre

Hanco

Activated & Programmed Park

35

9-ACRE VACANT SITE NORTH AND SOUTH OF CANFIELD STREET The vision for the 9-acre vacant site re-imagines this part of the neighborhood as a walkable and vibrant destination that is uniquely Woodbridge.

Both concepts create a mixed-use edge along Grand River Avenue that steps down in height and transitions to residential uses as it approaches the neighborhood.

A new north-south connection between Forest Avenue and Canfield Street has the potential to become a walkable shared street that fronts new development and serves as a public space amenity.

New parks, plazas and linear greens are vital components that frame new buildings and become gathering areas for new and existing residents alike. This section includes two potential concepts for this site, though their visions have shared qualities outlined in the following pages.

Ro sa

Michigan Veterans Foundation (MVF)

s rk

Pa d.

Blv

Gra

nd

TYPICAL NEIGHBORHOOD BLOCK 3 ACRES

Riv

er A

ve

Lysander Street

TYPICAL NEIGHBORHOOD BLOCK 1.8 ACRES Canfield Street

TYPICAL NEIGHBORHOOD BLOCK 1.8 ACRES Calumet Street

36

Commonwealth Street

Avery Street

Forest Avenue

Existing Forest Avenue

Rosa Parks Blvd.

Michigan Veterans Foundation (MVF)

North Block Approx. 7 Acres

d

an

Gr er

Riv e

Av

South Block: Former Wilbur Wright School Approx. 1.9 Acres

Calumet Street

37

SITE CONCEPTS

9-ACRE VACANT SITE NORTH AND SOUTH OF CANFIELD STREET Grand River Avenue

The portion of the site with frontage along Grand River Avenue has the most potential for multi-story mixed-use development that includes ground-level retail with office or residential above. Informed by the market analysis, this concept includes about 60,000 square feet of retail visible from Grand River Avenue. As shown in the site plan, retail spaces are suggested to have pocket plazas along Grand River, creating small gathering areas for outdoor patios, seating and dining. These plazas have the potential to enliven Grand River Avenue, while creating additional retail frontage. Residential and office uses are suggested to step back from Grand River Avenue, creating interesting vistas into the site from the street, and allowing for second story patios and communal spaces for residents.

Rosa Parks Avenue The future Rosa Parks Avenue will be a residential spine for Woodbridge, drawing inspiration from nearby Avery and Commonwealth Streets.

Townhomes and three-story buildings will populate a treelined Rosa Parks Boulevard that opens to new communal gathering spaces, linear greens, and plazas. A limited amount of neighborhood-driven retail is suggested at the intersections with Canfield Street and Forest Avenue. Retail may include a small fitness studio, daycare, or coffee shop. New buildings are largely recommended to have residential uses, with architectural components that encourage breaking up facades through using different materials, colors, awnings, and extrusions/intrusions.

38

Concept 1A An energized mixed-use Grand

Shared Street

River Avenue scales down

Forest Avenue

toward a new shared street

Mixed-use

that breaks up the super block.

Rosa Parks Blvd.

Residential

Townhomes

Michigan Veterans Foundation (MVF)

Linear Green

Mixed-Use Residential + Retail

Lysander Street

Residential

Park

Retail

Gr d

an

Canfield Street

er

Riv e

Av

Townhomes

SUGGESTED USES MIXED-USE MULTIFAMILY TOWNHOMES RETAIL/RESTAURANT

Mixed-Use Residential + Retail Calumet Street

SHARED STREET PARKING GARAGE

39

SITE CONCEPTS

9-ACRE VACANT SITE NORTH AND SOUTH OF CANFIELD STREET Shared Street

The concept’s main organizing element is a new northsouth connection that serves pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles between Forest Avenue and Canfield Street. Using high quality pavers, curbs, materials, and furnishings, this street closely resembles the concept of a Dutch woonerf, in which cars are allowed but priority is given to pedestrians and bikes. The shared street allows for new development to occur internally within the site, while restoring a vital connection near a historic alignment of a nowvacated segment of Vermont Street. The street, which may feature a curbless condition with bollards, is fronted by townhomes and three to five-story residential buildings connecting residents and visitors to parks, plazas and green spaces within the site.

Parks and Open Spaces In addition to the shared street, the concepts for the site add a meaningful amount of open space into the neighborhood.

These open spaces are most impactful when designed to provide a rich user experience through high quality furnishings, proximity to buildings, a variety of amenities and seating areas, and diverse programming with events. New parks and greens must prioritize a design that makes them feel part of the Woodbridge neighborhood, not an amenity exclusive to residents of new residential buildings. As such, the concepts recommend a new park space at Canfield and Rosa Parks to create a bridge between existing and new residents. A new east-west linear green is suggested between residential buildings on Rosa Parks, connecting the street with the shared street through vibrant plazas and small gardens.

40

Concept 1B An alternative to Concept 1A,

Shared Street

internal drives are shifted

Forest Avenue

to better align with nearby

Mixed-Use

Lysander Street and Lombard Terrace.

Residential Rosa Parks Blvd.

Townhomes

Michigan Veterans Foundation (MVF)

Linear Green

Mixed-Use Residential + Retail

Lysander Street

Residential

Park

Retail

Gr d

an

Canfield Street

er

Riv e

Av

Townhomes

SUGGESTED USES MIXED-USE MULTIFAMILY TOWNHOMES RETAIL/RESTAURANT

Mixed-Use Residential + Retail Calumet Street

SHARED STREET PARKING GARAGE

41

SITE CONCEPTS

9-ACRE VACANT SITE NORTH AND SOUTH OF CANFIELD STREET Parking

Parking is accommodated within the site in the form of two multi-story garages, tuck-under parking in residential buildings, garages on townhomes, and onstreet parking on major streets surrounding the site. The vision for the site is one of a walkable mixed-use district in which parking is minimized and properly screened.

Garages are recommended on Canfield Street with visibility from Grand River Avenue – though facades should be screened with visually interesting architectural elements to minimize their visual impact. For instance, garage facades visible from Grand River Avenue could include levers, mesh screens with plantings, colorful façade treatments, or continuations of facades from nearby mixed-use buildings.

The garage north of Canfield Street accommodates parking for residents and visitors to the mixed-use building, along with the two residential buildings east toward Rosa Parks Boulevard.

The garage south of Canfield Street accommodates parking for its adjacent mixed-use building.

The massing and scale of these garages were determined by the scale and density of surrounding buildings, minimizing parking ratios by prioritizing shared parking opportunities. Residential buildings along Rosa Parks are self-parked with tuck-under parking on the ground level accessed from internal side streets, while townhomes have alley-facing garages on the ground level.

Alley-loaded garages for Townhomes 42

Concept 2 Much like Concept 1A, this

Shared Street

concept re-imagines the site

Forest Avenue

as a walkable destination. The

Mixed-Use

concept includes office along Grand River Avenue, in addition to scaled-down heights and compared to the first concept.

Residential

Rosa Parks Blvd.

densities along this corridor

Townhomes

The shared street is realigned to better reflect the layout of the existing street grid.

Linear Green

Mixed-Use Residential + Retail

Lysander Street

Residential an

Gr d

Park

er

Riv Av e

Retail

Canfield Street

Townhomes

SUGGESTED USES MIXED-USE MULTIFAMILY TOWNHOMES RETAIL/RESTAURANT

Mixed-Use Residential, Office + Retail Calumet Street

SHARED STREET PARKING GARAGE

43

Concept 1: View from Grand River Avenue

Townhomes

st Fore

ue

Aven

Michigan Veterans Foundation (MVF)

Parking Garage for Mixed-Use & Residential Building Mixed-Use Residential + Retail Residential

Gr

an

44

dR

ive

rA

ve

nu

e

Concept 2 Residential

Shared Street

Residential

Ro sa Pa rk sB v le ou ar

Gr

d

an

dR

ive

rA

ve

nu

e

Mixed-Use Residential, Retail + Office

Retail

eld anfi

C

et

Stre

Shared Street Park

Townhomes

Parking Garage for Mixed-Use Building

Mixed-Use Residential + Retail

45

Concept 1: View from Rosa Parks Boulevard Mixed-Use Residential + Retail

P

Mixed-Use Residential + Retail

Residential

ra

nd

Ri

ve

rA

ve

nu

e

Shared Street

G

P

Parking Garage for Mixed Use Building

Townhomes

46

For

est

Michigan Veterans Foundation (MVF)

Av

en

ue

Douglass College Preparatory Academy

Townhomes

Townhomes

Residential

Residential

Ro

sB

ark

P sa

rd

va

le ou

Concept 2 Retail

C

an

fie

ld

St

re

et

s

Ro

rks

a aP

ard

Bo

v ule

47

Concept 1: View from Forest Avenue

Mixed-Use Residential + Retail

Townhomes

P

Residential

t

ld

e nfi

Ca

ee r t S

Concept 2 Linear Green

Ro

sa

48

Pa

rk

sB

ou

le

va

rd

Grand River Aven

ue

P

Townhomes

Shared Street

Michigan Veterans Foundation (MVF)

ue

Townhomes

st

F

e or

n ve

A

Mixed-Use: Residential + Neighborhood Retail

Douglass College Preparatory Academy

49

Site Design Guidelines

DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES FOR VACANT SITES Introduction The primary purpose of the Development Guidelines is to provide a set of standards that address how the vacant sites should be built out and important components that should be emphasized. These standards include building placement, location of parking, heights of buildings and other structures, accessibility, fenestration, and landscaping.

The intent of the Development Guidelines is not to replace the Detroit Zoning Ordinance that governs these sites, but rather to provide guidelines that supplement the Zoning Ordinance. In some cases, the Development Guidelines provide for stricter standards, and in other cases, the guidelines add standards that aren’t currently in the Zoning Ordinance. Overall,

the SD2 (Special Development District-Mixed-Use) zoning district was used as the foundation for creating these standards as this district is the most appropriate for these sites given the desired density, uses, and layout.

Former Hancock School Site

232’

318’

Hancock Street

168’

1 Parcel 1.5 Acres

64’

184’

Hancock Site

1 Parcel: 1.5 Acres R2 Two-Family Residential

50

134’

Avery Street

Rosa Parks Blvd.

Existing Conditions

Concept 2

Approx. 10,000 SF (6,600 SF/Acre)

Open Space Residential Uses

25% Min. of total Gross Floor Area

Non-Residential Uses

20% Min. of total Gross Floor Area

Building and Structure Setbacks Front (Residential)

Approx. 35,200 SF (23,400 SF/Acre)

Parking

Open Space w/ Amenities

Placement

Hancock Street

Rosa Parks Boulevard

Hancock Street

Rosa Parks Boulevard

Concept 1

Activation

Location of Parking

Transparency: Residential

Front Yard

Not Permitted

Ground Story

25% Min.

Corner Yard

Permitted

Upper Story

25% Min.

Side Yard

Permitted

Transparency: Non-Residential

Rear Yard

Permitted

Ground Story

60% Min.

Upper Story

30% Min.

Note: Access to parking should be located off of an alleyway and/or Rosa Parks.

Landscape

20’ Min

Street Trees

Front 0’ Min (Non-Residential)

Front

15’ Min. Height 3” Min. Caliper

Side

10’ Min.

Side Interior

0’ Min.

Side Street

15’ Min. Height 3” Min. Caliper

Rear

0’ Min.

Side Interior

Suggested

Rear

Suggested

Spacing

35’ - 50’ on center

Height Building Height New Construction (Residential or Mixed-Use)

45’ Max

Note: Where the Development Standards may differ from the Detroit Zoning Ordinance, the stricter standards shall apply. Exemptions will be made on Development Standards on a case by case basis.

Any exemption sought from the Zoning Ordinance would be reviewed by the City of Detroit.

Pedestrian Access Front

Required

Side Street

Required

Side Interior

Required*

Rear

Not Required

*Required for new buildings only

Note 1: Diversity of street tree species is encouraged and proper spacing of trees is dependent upon tree type selection.

Note 2: Ensure that planting details are not considered invasive to the project.

Provide trees along at least 60% of the total planned block length within the project.

51

SITE CONCEPTS

9-Acre Vacant Site North and South of Canfield Street

Concept 1A

Forest Avenue

C

B

Rosa Parks Blvd.

The following section divides the site into four different block groups, each with a slightly different set of standards. Blocks were determined based upon typical density, location, and anticipated uses.

D

As a note, Block D is slightly different than the rest of the blocks in that it addresses the Shared Street component of the concepts, focusing on how the site should be connected and emphasizing pedestrian accessibility and safety.

A

C

Gr d

an

Canfield Street

Ri

B

ve

rA

ve

A

Calumet Street

Concept 2

Forest Avenue

B

D

A

C

Rosa Parks Blvd.

B

C

Gr d

an

Canfield Street

Ri r ve

B

e

Av

A

Calumet Street

52

Existing Conditions

7 Parcels 0.33 Acres

Michigan Veterans Foundation (MVF)

5 Parcels 0.2 Acres

3 Parcels 0.24 Acres

Rosa Parks Blvd.

Forest Avenue

3 Parcels 0.19 Acres 10 Parcels 0.65 Acres

6 Parcels 0.5 Acres 3 Parcels 0.19 Acres

3 Parcels 0.42 Acres

Lysander Street

3 Parcels 0.22 Acres 7 Parcels 0.73 Acres

12 Parcels 0.73 Acres

7 Parcels 0.53 Acres

d

an

Gr

1 Parcel 0.22 Acres

er

Riv e nu

e Av

Canfield Street

1 Parcel 0.1 Acres 1 Parcel 1.6 Acres

R3 Low Density Residential

Calumet Street

R2 Two-Family Residential B4 General Business

53

Site Design Guidelines

A Blocks: Existing Conditions

Forest Avenue

Rosa Parks Blvd.

Michigan Veterans Foundation (MVF)

130’

130’

21’

3 Parcels 0.42 Acres

70’

Lysander Street

7 Parcels 0.73 Acres

245’

d

an

Gr er

Riv e nu

e Av

Canfield Street

112’

A Blocks

1 Parcel 0.1 Acres

68’

1 Parcel 1.6 Acres Total

74’

1.2 Acres

12 Parcels: 2.85 Ac. Total Area: Approx. 3.1 - 3.4 Acres R3 Low Density Residential R2 Two-Family Residential B4 General Business

54

138’ 245’

128’

205’

0.4 Acres

Calumet Street

Ro sa Pa

rA

ve

nu

e

AB

loc

k-

rd

ive

ld nfie Ca et Stre

a ev ul

dR

Bo

an

s rk

Gr

No

rth

AB

loc

A BLOCKS

k-

Grand River Mixed-Use

So

uth

Approx. 435,000 SF to 530,000 SF (140,000 - 170,000 SF/Acre)

Placement

Parking

Building and Structure Setbacks Front (Ground Level)

0’ Min/20’ Max.

Side Street

0’ Min/15’ Max.

Side Interior

5’ Min.

Rear

10’ Min.

Note 1: Upper stories of mixed-use buildings should step back from ground level along Grand River.

Note 2: Maximum setbacks for Front and Side Street when justified.

Height

Building Height Mixed-Use Buildings

80’ Max

Parking Structure

70% of tallest portion of adjacent Mixed-Use Building, or 6 stories

Note: Mixed-use buildings on Grand River Avenue should step down in height as they approach Rosa Parks to be compatible with nearby residential.

Note: Where the Development Standards may differ from the Detroit Zoning Ordinance, the stricter standards shall apply. Exemptions will be made on Development Standards on a case by case basis.

Any exemption sought from the Zoning Ordinance would be reviewed by the City of Detroit.

Activation

Location of Parking Front Yard

Not Permitted

Corner Yard

Not Permitted

Side Yard

Permitted

Rear Yard

Permitted

Note 1: Access to parking should be located off of Canfield Street and Calumet Street.

Note 2: No more than 20% of the block length of the circulation network within the project is faced directly by garage and service bay openings. Alleys may be omitted from the calculations. Street facing ground floor for parking garages to integrate other land uses such as occupiable space and/or enhanced landscaping elements.

Landscape

Primary Facade Transparency: Residential Upper Story

30% Min.

Primary Facade Transparency: Non-Residential Ground Story

60% Min.

Upper Story*

30% Min./40% Max.

* Upper Story Facade transparency greater than 40% when justified.

Note: If a façade extends along a sidewalk, no more than 40% of its length or 50 feet, whichever is less, is blank (without doors or windows).

Pedestrian Access

Street Trees Front

15’ Min. Height 3” Min. Caliper

Side Street

15’ Min. Height 3” Min. Caliper

Side Interior

Suggested

Rear

Suggested

Spacing

35’ - 50’ on center

Note 1: Diversity of street tree species is encouraged and proper spacing of trees is dependent upon tree type selection.

Note 2: Ensure that planting details are not considered invasive to the project.

Provide trees along at least 60% of the total planned block length within the project.

Front

Required

Side Street

Required

Side Interior*

Not Required

Rear*

Not Required

*Pedestrian access is encouraged along the side interior and rear when the building is located adjacent or connected to a parking lot or structure.

Note: Continuous sidewalks are provided along both sides of the block length. New sidewalks must be at least 8 feet wide on retail or mixed-use blocks and at least 4 feet wide on all other blocks.

55

Site Design Guidelines

B Blocks: Existing Conditions 13.5’ 130’

Forest Avenue

109’

7 Parcels 0.33 Acres

15.5’ 85’

95’

5 Parcels 0.2 Acres

2 Parcels 0.17 Acres

80’

50’

219’

Rosa Parks Blvd.

Michigan Veterans Foundation (MVF)

10 Parcels 0.65 Acres

Lysander Street

339’

d

an

Gr er

Riv

74’

e nu

e Av

Canfield Street

138’

1 Parcel 1.6 Acres Total 245’ 1.2 Acres

B Blocks

25 Parcels: 1.75 Ac. Total Area: Approx. 1.9 Acres R2 Two-Family Residential B4 General Business

56

128’

205’

0.4 Acres

Calumet Street

ve rA ve nu e

a os

G ra

nd

Ri

R

rks

Pa

ard

lev

u Bo

C

an

d

B BLOCKS St

Building and Structure Setbacks 10’ Min/20’ Max.

Front 0’ Min/10’ Max. (Non-Residential) Side Street

5’ Min./15’ Max.

Side Interior

5’ Min./ 15’ Max.

Rear

10’ Min.

Note: Maximum setbacks for Side Street and Side Interior when justified.

Landscape Front

15’ Min. Height 3” Min. Caliper

Side Street

15’ Min. Height 3” Min. Caliper

Side Interior

Suggested

Rear

Suggested

Spacing

35’ - 50’ on center

Note 1: Diversity of street tree species is encouraged and proper spacing of trees is dependent upon tree type selection.

Note 2: Ensure that planting details are not considered invasive to the project.

Provide trees along at least 60% of the total planned block length within the project.

Approx. 70,000 SF (36,800 SF/Acre)

et

Activation

Location of Parking Front Yard

Not Permitted

Corner Yard

Not Permitted

Side Yard

Not Permitted

Rear Yard

Permitted

Note 1: Access to parking should be located off of an alleyway. Parking may not be the sole use of the ground floor. Living space is required to make up at least 50% of the ground floor.

Note 2: No more than 20% of the block length of the circulation network within the project is faced directly by garage and service bay openings. Alleys may be omitted from the calculations.

Height

Street Trees

Townhomes

re

Parking

Placement Front (Residential)

fie l

Building Height Residential Buildings

35’ Max.

Mixed-Use Buildings

45’ Max.

Primary Facade Transparency: Residential Ground Story

25% Min.

Upper Story

20% Min.

Primary Facade Transparency: Non-Residential Ground Story

60% Min.

Upper Story*

30% Min./40% Max.

* Upper Story Facade transparency greater than 40% when justified.

Note: If a façade extends along a sidewalk, no more than 40% of its length or 50 feet, whichever is less, is blank (without doors or windows).

Pedestrian Access Front

Required

Side Street*

Not Required

Side Interior

Not Required

Rear

Not Required

*Side Street Non-Residential: Required if facade is 50 ft or greater.

Note: Continuous sidewalks are provided along both sides of the block length. New sidewalks must be at least 8 feet wide on retail or mixed-use blocks and at least 4 feet wide on all other blocks Note: Where the Development Standards may differ from the Detroit Zoning Ordinance, the stricter standards shall apply. Exemptions will be made on Development Standards on a case by case basis. Any exemption sought from the Zoning Ordinance would be reviewed by the City of Detroit.

57

Site Design Guidelines

C Blocks: Existing Conditions 15.5’ 95’

152’ 3 Parcel 0.15 Acres

49’

Michigan Veterans Foundation (MVF)

100’

31’ 50’

3 Parcels 0.19 Acres 6 Parcels 0.5 Acres

21’ 100’

1 Parcel 0.07 Acres

Rosa Parks Blvd.

43’

Forest Avenue

3 Parcels 0.19 Acres

220’

Lysander Street

53’ 3 Parcels 0.22 Acres 245’

7 Parcels 0.53 Acres

12 Parcels 0.73 Acres

d

an

Gr

1 Parcel 0.22 Acres

er

Riv e nu

e Av

Canfield Street

129’

85’ 7’

95’ 20.5’

C Blocks

39 Parcels: 2.8 Ac. Total Area: Approx. 2.5 - 2.8 Acres R3 Low Density Residential R2 Two-Family Residential B4 General Business

58

Calumet Street

Pa

rk

C BLOCKS

sB

le

va

rd

st A

Rosa Parks Residential

ou

Fo

Parking

Building and Structure Setbacks Front (Residential)

re

Approx. 185,000 SF to 226,000 SF (66,000 - 90,400 SF/Acre)

Placement

Activation

Location of Parking

5’Min/20’ Max

Front 0’ Min/10’ Max. (Non-Residential) Side Street

5’ Min./15’ Max.

Side Interior

5’ Min./15’ Max.

Rear

10’ Min.

Note: Maximum setbacks for Front and Side Street when justified.

Height

Front Yard

Not Permitted

Corner Yard

Not Permitted

Side Yard

Permitted

Rear Yard

Permitted

Note 1: Access to parking should be located off of Canfield Street and alleyways from Rosa Parks Boulevard.

Note 2: No more than 20% of the block length of the circulation network within the project is faced directly by garage and service bay openings. Alleys may be omitted from the calculations.

Landscape

Building Height

Street Trees

Residential Buildings on Rosa Parks Boulevard

45’ Max.

Residential Buildings on Canfield Street

60’ Max

Note: Where the Development Standards may differ from the Detroit Zoning Ordinance, the stricter standards shall apply. Exemptions will be made on Development Standards on a case by case basis.

Any exemption sought from the Zoning Ordinance would be reviewed by the City of Detroit.

nu e

sa

ve

Ro

Front

15’ Min. Height 3” Min. Caliper

Side Street

15’ Min. Height 3” Min. Caliper

Side Interior

Suggested

Rear

Suggested

Spacing

35’ - 50’ on center

Primary Facade Transparency: Residential Ground Story

25% Min.

Upper Story

25% Min.

Primary Facade Transparency: Non-Residential Ground Story

60% Min.

Upper Story*

30% Min.

Note: If a façade extends along a sidewalk, no more than 40% of its length or 50 feet, whichever is less, is blank (without doors or windows).

Pedestrian Access Front

Required

Side Street

Required

Side Interior

Required

Rear

Not Required

Note: Continuous sidewalks are provided along both sides of the block length. New sidewalks must be at least 8 feet wide on retail or mixed-use blocks and at least 4 feet wide on all other blocks

Note 1: Diversity of street tree species is encouraged and proper spacing of trees is dependent upon tree type selection.

Note 2: Ensure that planting details are not considered invasive to the project.

Provide trees along at least 60% of the total planned block length within the project.

59

Site Design Guidelines

D Blocks: Existing Conditions

Rosa Parks Blvd.

Concept 1 Shared Street Alignment

50’

Forest Avenue

152’

49’

Michigan Veterans Foundation (MVF) Linear Green

221’ 50’

53’

Courtyard

Lysander Street

Courtyard

Urban Plaza Courtyard

245’

Gr d

an

Neighborhood Park

er

Riv e nu

e Av

D Blocks

Shared Street 30 - 33 Parcels Area: Approx. 0.9 Acres

Canfield Street Urban Plaza

Concept 2 Shared Street Alignment

Urban Plaza

Open Spaces Parcels Vary with Concepts Area: 0.7 - 1 Acre R3 Low Density Residential R2 Two-Family Residential B4 General Business

60

Calumet Street

nue

t Ave

s Fore

s Ro a s rk Pa Bo rd va

e ul

eld anfi

C D BLOCKS

et

Stre

Shared Street & Open Space

Gra

n Av d Riv e en ue r

Approx. 1.6 - 1.9 Acres

Plazas & Open Spaces

Landscape

Shared Street

Open Space w/ Amenities

Street Trees

Residential Uses

15% Min. of total Gross Floor Area

Front

15’ Min. Height 3” Min. Caliper

Side Street

NonResidential Uses

15’ Min. Height 3” Min. Caliper

5% Min. of total Gross Floor Area

Side Interior

Suggested

Rear

Suggested

Spacing

35’ - 50’ on center

Open Space Recommendations* Retail at Canfield & Rosa Parks Blvd.

Recommended uses include restaurant or coffee shop with outdoor patio

Site Furnishings

Moveable tables/ chairs, seating areas, playscapes, water features, benches

Interior Courtyards or Linear Greens

Recommended for residential buildings on Rosa Parks Avenue.

Note: Refer to Open Space Types on Page 62 for additional guidance

Shared Street Guidelines

Note 1: Diversity of street tree species is encouraged and proper spacing of trees is dependent upon tree type selection.

Note 2: Ensure that planting details are not considered invasive to the project.

Provide trees along at least 60% of the total planned block length within the project.

Roadway Width (Cyclist + Vehicle Zone)

20’ Min.

Pedestrian Zone

10’ Min.

Materiality*

Stone or Brick pavers encouraged

Bollards or festival curb Road Separation suggested for pedestrian safety Note: Decorative or stamped asphalt may be used as a substitute, highlighting intersections with painted crosswalks. Green stormwater infrastructure shall be incorporated as part of the shared street component.

Note: Where the Development Standards may differ from the Detroit Zoning Ordinance, the stricter standards shall apply. Exemptions will be made on Development Standards on a case by case basis. Any exemption sought from the Zoning Ordinance would be reviewed by the City of Detroit.

61

SITE CONCEPTS Linear Green

Shared Street

Courtyard

Neighborhood Park

Urban Plaza

OPEN SPACE TYPES NEIGHBORHOOD PARK Neighborhood parks are scaled to serve the surrounding residents and community in its area and can vary in size (less than an acre up to 10 acres). These parks can accommodate a variety of activities for the community such a playgrounds, basketball courts, lawn, and gathering areas to sit and eat. Amenities in neighborhood parks should be designed to meet the needs of the adjacent neighborhood residents.

62

URBAN PLAZA

COURTYARDS

The layout of new development on the vacant sites provides opportunities to incorporate open public space through urban plazas.

Plazas are typically located adjacent to buildings and can be found between buildings or along a road as part of the streetscape.

These spaces provide walkways, landscaping such as trees and plantings, seating, and sometimes a lawn.

Courtyards create accessible and intimate open spaces within densely developed areas.

Courtyards are typically enclosed by a building on three or more sides. These spaces are often designed within residential buildings or developments as a private space just for residents to enjoy; however courtyards may be designed to be open to the public realm on one side and create a distinct, smaller-scaled public space for the community.

SHARED STREET

LINEAR GREENS

The concepts’ largest open space gesture is a new northsouth connection for pedestrian, cyclists and vehicles. Imagined as a shared street, or the Dutch woonerf, the preferred design prioritizes the pedestrian and cyclist experience over automobile travel. Shared streets vary in design, but often feature flexible lanes, specialty pavements, wide crossings, pedestrian seating, high quality furnishings, and various traffic calming features.

The site presents an opportunity to establish an activated linear park connection that serves as green space and connection through the development.

Linear greens are long strips of green space and/or promenade space that serve as both as a connecting walkway and a destination for gathering. Linear greens are designed to include places for respite or programming and events.

Open Space Examples

Neighborhood Park: Butzel Playfield Islandview/Greater Villages Butzel Playfield is an 8-acre neighborhood park that is accompanied by The Adams Butzel Recreation Complex and multiple sports fields. Site amenities include a running track and football field, baseball diamond, basketball courts, tennis courts, picnic areas and playground.

Urban Plaza: U Square at the Loop Cincinnati, OH

Courtyard: Lift Apartments Oklahoma City, OK

As the focal public space in a 4-acre mixed-use redevelopment project, this plaza is utilized as an extension of patio dining areas and an outdoor gathering space.

At the center of the plaza is a large oval lawn designed for residents and visitors to relax, socialize, and observe outdoor performances and day-to-day activity on the street.

The Lift Apartments residential development is a singular building designed to accommodate three separate and unique courtyards.

Courtyard amenities include landscaping and lawns, lounge areas, grilling and dining areas, and a pool.

Linear Green: Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus Buffalo, NY

Shared Street: Bell Street Seattle, WA

This promenade creates a lush and beautiful green pedestrian connection along the medical campus.

The meandering path weaves together gathering spaces and seating areas to connect multiple parts of the campus.

Located in the heart of the Belltown neighborhood of Seattle, the segment of Bell Street between 1st and 5th Avenues was transformed in 2013 into a shared street with a single travel lane for pedestrians, buses, bicyclists, and cars. The design includes a 10-foot center lane between 4-foot flexible space on either side to allow wider vehicles, such as buses and emergency vehicles.

63

SITE CONCEPTS

STREETS & CONNECTIVITY 14th Street: Planned conversion to two-way

V NA

CO

CK

ST

R

W Forest Ave: Recommended conversion to two-way

T YS

W

N HA

EET

ER

RE

E

AV

W

R WA

U EN

RE

TR

ET

UM BU

Shared Street Connection

LL

A

RO

ST

SA PA

S

ER

ST

Considerations of multi-modal accessibility to and from the vacant sites should be prioritized in order to ensure that these are well-connected to not only the rest of the neighborhood, but also to adjacent areas of the City, like Midtown, Corktown, and Downtown. Currently, the sites have limited access due to the presence of multiple oneway streets. However, the City of Detroit has indicated that 14th Street and Rosa Parks Boulevard will both be converted to twoway streets in the near future. It is also recommended that Forest Avenue be considered for a twoway conversion as this is the main east/west connection between the Former Wilbur Wright School property and the Hancock School property.

64

CA

On-Street Parking on Canfield Street

ET

WI

ST

RE

ET

ET

AN

E

M LU

RE

CH

RE

NU

Rosa Parks Blvd: Planned conversion to two-way

ST

BU

ST AN

RA VE

ET

LLI

T SS

RE

ET

ET W

Sidewalks are recommended to be repaired where necessary and increased to 8 feet wide along Canfield Street and Rosa Parks Boulevard to help enhance the pedestrian realm and accommodate greater amounts of foot traffic within and adjacent to the site.

Lastly, on-street parking is an important component that contributes to the success of retail along Grand River Avenue and Canfield Street. Metered onstreet parking should be added to accommodate for customers or visitors who are only staying for a short duration of time, thus allowing for quick turnover of spaces and diminishing the reliance on parking garages within the development.

TH

On-Street Parking on Grand River Ave (may require rerouting bike lane)

VE

RE

AL

E

W

RI

ST

WE

FO

V TA

D

LD

ON

D

W

S RE

E NU

AN

FIE

ET

MM

LV SB

GR

N CA

RE

CO

RK

LY

D AN

UE

EET

RE

Sidewalks recommended to be at least 8’ wide along Canfield & Rosa Parks

UE

EN

TR HS

FO

AV

14T

W

N VE

AL

EX

A

R ND

INE

ST

RE

ET

LEGEND Vacant Site Boundaries Existing Bike Lane Existing Sidewalk Connection Existing & Recommended On-Street Parking Existing Bus Stops Planned Street Conversion to Two-Way Recommended Street Conversion to Two-Way Site Concepts

DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR VACANT SITES New development should respond to existing dynamics that are inherent to each site.

9-Acre Vacant Site North and South of Canfield Street As the site that is right along Grand River Avenue, the Wilbur Wright site calls for a development that will anchor the site to the Woodbridge neighborhood while reaching out to and responding to the density that Grand River Avenue offers.

Hancock School Site As a site embedded within the residential portion of Woodbridge, development on this site is responding to the residential forces that surround the site. The existing Hancock Elementary School is in good enough condition to be incorporated into and repurposed as part of new development. In addition to the existing school, large park space should be integrated into this site.

SITE SECTION A + B

SECTION KEY PLAN

M NEW

PMENT

TO EXIS

TH G M RE .B AT .C E . RF

RE

DEVELO

TING NE

IGHBOR

AI

S RK

EN D SI

AR SH

WN FRO

R BL OS VD A P A

TI

ST ED

S PA CR RK EEN IN ED G

M

C

STEP DO

AL

RE

L C ER M M

O

RE IXE SI D D -U EN S TI E AL

IA

R VE RI G AV RA E ND

ET

N

HOOD C

ONTEXT

OM NEW DEVELO

PMENT TO EXIS

TH G M RE .B AT .C E . RF

AI

AR KS

RE

SI D

R BL OS VD A P

EN

TI

ST

STEP DOWN FR

SH

AR ED

S PA CR RK EEN IN ED G

RE IXE SI D D -U EN S TI E AL

M

C ER M M

O C

AL

RE

L IA

R VE RI G AV RA E ND

ET

NEIGHBORHOOD SITE SECTION A: 9-ACRE VACANT SITE (CONCEPT 1)

TING NEIGHBOR

HOOD CONTEX

T

NEIGHBORHOOD SITE SECTION B: 9-ACRE SITE (CONCEPT 2) 65

SITE CONCEPTS

9-ACRE VACANT SITE NORTH AND SOUTH OF CANFIELD STREET TOWNHOMES

MIXED-USE RESIDENTIAL

Within the new development, townhomes serve a critical role as a transition between the more dense development throughout the rest of the site and the existing residential scale that the development is linking into. Townhomes on this part of the development are the missing middle that connects these proposed and existing housing typologies together.

Situated along Grand River Avenue, the development here necessitate a taller, more dense development. Mixed-use should serve as the commercial anchor for the site.

Townhomes are situated along major residential corridors and the newly created shared street corridor. As a result, the townhomes should be developed with a public-facing orientation.

Example: Zuni Townhomes Location: Highlands, Denver, CO Similar to Woodbridge, these townhomes are within a historic neighborhood in Denver dating back to settlements in the mid-1800s. This particular townhouse is on Zuni Street, a major residential thoroughfare in the neighborhood with a variety of historic and contemporary houses lining the street.

66

Mixed-use residential that is adjacent to Grand River must have a large and welcoming faรงade oriented towards the avenue. For mixed-use residential that is anchored at the end of the shared street, the form and openings should expand and lead into the ending point of the street, terminating in a courtyard that both residents and visitors can utilize.

Example: The Boulevard Location: New Center This recently-opened mixed-use development is similar to Woodbridge in that there is anticipation for new development within the neighborhood. The Boulevard is situated between two major corridors, with a welcoming faรงade on both of the street sides.

MULTI-FAMILY: LINEAR

MULTI-FAMILY: APARTMENTS

Within the proposed development, multi-family serves as an intermediate housing typology between the larger scale and the smaller scale buildings.

The site has opportunity for apartments to transition between different scales within and outside of the site.

The linear multi-family housing is oriented along the newly-created shared street and behind the parking garage adjacent to the mixed-use development on Grand River Avenue. This typology offers an opportunity for an intimate, urban faรงade facing toward this shared street while creating a barrier between the residential and the public sphere of the street.

Example: City Modern - Duplettes Location: Brush Park In this Brush Park development, the families choose to live in close proximity to each other. The density in this building type is emphasized further with semiprivate rooftop terraces and patios to facilitate density and interaction of neighbors.

These apartments should allow for a different number and variety of apartment types in the development. The layout lends itself to a more courtyard-centric design that facilitates internal connections to the site.

Example: City Modern - 440 Brush Apartments Location: Brush Park Similar to the development concepts, these apartments have internal facing courtyards and plazas. This condition encourages quality of life for residents and adds to the urban density of the project.

67

SITE CONCEPTS

HANCOCK SCHOOL SITE MULTI-FAMILY: APARTMENTS Apartments should be at a scale similar to the adjacent existing housing.

The new multi-family residential should take formal cues from the existing Hancock Elementary school and consider the spatial connection between the existing school and the proposed new construction. In addition, the major façade of the building should open up towards Hancock Street, framing the community park and act as a focal point.

ADAPTIVE REUSE One of the driving factors and important elements of the Hancock site is the reuse of the building. This redevelopment should look for opportunities to maintain structural integrity with the potential to open up portions of the building, thereby extending the existing interior courtyard to connect with greenspace adjacent to the existing school.

68

Example: The Coe at West Village Location: West Village, Detroit This development has both townhomes and apartments all within one structure. This allows for various family types within one structure, thus adding to the diversity of the surrounding neighborhood. This project is situated within a residential block, respecting the heights of surrounding buildings.

Example: St. Vincent Location: Corktown, Detroit St. Vincent, previously a middle school in the Corktown neighborhood, currently serves as an upscale office space for small businesses and freelancers in the neighborhood. The variety of sizes of spaces from St. Vincent’s previous life lend itself well to both private and public spaces for all tenants to have access to.

N

K

C

O

C

AN

H

AL

TI

N RE EW SI D EN

U FU RB RN AN IT UR E

D

ST

E

AV

SE

P PA RO RK PO

ST

RE

FO

NEIGHBORHOOD SECTION A: HANCOCK SITE

NEIGHBORHOOD SECTION B: HANCOCK SITE

NEIGHBORHOOD SECTION A

NEIGHBORHOOD SECTION B

SECTION KEY PLAN

69

Y

AV ER

TI AL

ST

S

US E

RE

RK

E C XPO O UR SE TY D AR AD D AP TI VE

N RE EW SI D EN

R BL OS VD A P A

D C OU O G LL LA EG S E S PR EP

05

NEIGHBORHOOD DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR INFILL HOUSING

70

NEIGHBORHOOD DESIGN GUIDELINES

New infill in Woodbridge should contribute to the design excellence that the neighborhood is known for.

INTRODUCTION These guidelines were prepared in conjunction with Woodbridge residents and members of the Detroit development community.

Residents participated in meetings, workshops, and online surveys to voice their preferences with respect to existing residential structures and what they desire in future development. The following guidelines are not intended to restrict creativity, but rather provide direction to encourage appropriate new construction in a historic neighborhood.

PURPOSE The goal is to ensure that new buildings complement and support the overall architectural character of Woodbridge. Use

of the guidelines by individual builders and developers is voluntary. However, they will be taken into consideration during the City of Detroit’s design review process. WND’s support for a proposed project will primarily be based on the project’s compatibility with the guidelines.

CONTEXT AND PRIORITIES Woodbridge is known for maintaining its history; various historical designations for the neighborhood speak to the existing building stock’s ability to stand the test of time. Each of the residential buildings are rich with culture and long-standing durability. The neighborhood is known for its diversity of building types. The neighborhood is home to various Victorian, New

Colonial, Romanesque, Queen Anne Revival, and a wide mixture of other architectural styles. There are a wide variety of building types, including detached singlefamily, duplexes, townhomes, and apartments. As new infill is considered, it should be designed with this same diversity in mind.

Infill should be an urban response; one grappling with the realities of designing an urban-historical environment. Because of the neighborhood’s history of diverse styles and typologies, new infill is free to take either a more traditional or contemporary housing design, insofar as they respect and respond to the existing fabric. It should be a design that acknowledges and engages its history, but not directly copy that history.

Design opportunities for new neighborhood development will vary slightly based on the scale of the available infill. A 1-2 lot infill, for instance, will have a different scale than a 3-5+ lot infill. It will be the design principles, however, that will remain the same and unify these different design possibilities.

71

NEIGHBORHOOD DESIGN GUIDELINES

AV

E.

I-

94

(E

DS

EL

FO

RD

FR

EE

W

AY

)

NEIGHBORHOOD CONTEXT

PARKS

W

.F

O

RE

W

ST

.W

AV

E.

AR

RE

N

ROSA

GRAND

72

VE.

RIVER A

BLVD.

GE FRE

EWAY

MIRAC

)

LES BL

VD.

R.

C. LOD

N TI

VE.

AR

BULL A

M

TRUM

LU

TH

ER

KI

NG

JR

CA

NF

IE

LD

ST

.

JOHN

.D

M-10 (

STREETS NEIGHBORHOOD BOUNDARY BOUNDARY OF NATIONAL HISTORIC WOODBRIDGE CINNAIRE/WNDCONTROLLED VACANT LAND WOODBRIDGE FARM LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT

73

NEIGHBORHOOD DESIGN GUIDELINES

GUIDELINES & STANDARDS 1. Setbacks

Design Standard 2c.

For infill with multiple entrances, the front yard should be divided by various pathways leading up to each doorstep where necessary.

Guideline 1.

3. Entrances and Porches

Woodbridge is known as a welcoming place with a strong sense of community. It is important that new development continue in this tradition; encouraging and facilitating an inviting pedestrian experience through consistent setbacks and street-facing facades.

Guideline 3

Design Standard 1a.

Standard 2a-2b example.

The setback from the street edge to the building should be aligned with existing adjacent properties. If adjacent properties have different setback distances, new setbacks should be an average of the two adjacent properties.

2. Front Yard

Design Standard 1b.

If infill is adjacent to a vacant lot, the setback should reflect the rhythm of the setbacks observed on the street.

Guideline 2.

The relationships of the front yard to building setbacks, landscaping, fencing, and the sidewalk are critical components in historical areas like Woodbridge. Front yards in the neighborhood encourage a welcoming and friendly pedestrian environment currently seen throughout the existing neighborhood.

Design Standard 2a.

Fences are discouraged as a physical barrier on the front faรงade (e.g. concrete block walls, concrete block pilasters, masonry walls, chain link fences, wooden fences, etc.). Landscaping is greatly encouraged to visually separate the two spaces while creating a friendly pedestrian environment. Fencing is acceptable between the side lot lines and the rear property line.

PREFERRED: Aligned setback

PREFERRED: Average setback

Standard 1a-1b example.

74

x

Design Standard 2b.

A pedestrian entrance should be provided on the street-facing facade. An additional entryway on the side of the building is also allowed. Ramps should lead to a side-door entry or ramp with screening.

Raised front porches are a defining architectural element of existing houses and duplexes in Woodbridge. Porches and balconies contribute to the social environment and walkability of the neighborhood since they are most often the places where residents interact with neighbors and pedestrians. They also provide an eyes-on-the-street dynamic, adding to the safety and welfare of the neighborhood. New infill housing should maintain a consistent architectural pattern for entrances and porches for visual continuity and to promote the social environment.

Design Standard 3a.

New single-family homes, townhomes and duplexes should have prominent, usable street-facing porches that are compatible in height and scale with the existing porches of surrounding structures. New multi-family dwellings should also take visual cues with respect to entry height from buildings on the immediate block.

Design Standard 3b.

Balconies may not exceed the footprint of the porch directly underneath.

Standard 3b

Standard 3a

Standard 3a-3b example.

Design Standard 5b.

Longer, horizontal windows should be filled with multiple identical windows or sash.

Design Standard 5c.

Standard 4b

Standard 4a

Standard 4a-4b example

4. Landscaping and Trees Guideline 4.

Woodbridge has ample greenspace and various ecosystems within its borders. New landscaping should encourage the use of open space and recreation areas. In addition to adding to the visual continuity, landscaping provides shade, adds to existing ecosystems, and minimizes surface runoff during the rainy season. Landscaping should complement the existing architecture and should encourage the use of and livability of residential structures.

a more traditional approach, windows should be divided by an upper and lower sash (i.e. doublehung style window) or a casement sash (i.e. side-hinge opening windows).

x

For street-facing facades, it is encouraged that the first level has the largest percentage of openings, followed by a smaller percentage of openings in subsequent floors.

Design Standard 5d.

Glass-block windows are highly discouraged and should not be used in any new infill, with the exception of basement windows.

Design Standard 5e.

New doors used in the neighborhood should be a highenough quality reflecting what is found in the neighborhood (with existing door material and new door material). Doors are encouraged to have a minimum of 30% transparency.

Design Standard 4a.

Any landscaping incorporated in the front yard should be planted with native vegetation appropriate for the area and climate.

NOT PREFERRED: Large openings in front faรงade

Design Standard 4b.

Standard 5e example

If there is sufficient depth of the front yard, the yard should feature a tree in addition to the existing street trees.

level 3: smallest % of openings

5. Windows and Doors level 2: slightly smaller % of openings

Guideline 5.

Window and door openings add to the visibility and liveliness of the neighborhood. Both elements should encourage visibility while taking visual cues from its neighbors as to how to arrange them.

level 1: largest % of openings.

Design Standard 5a.

Windows should generally be vertically oriented on the streetfacing faรงade. For new infill with

PREFERRED: Openings in front faรงade changing by level Standard 5a and 5c example

75

NEIGHBORHOOD DESIGN GUIDELINES

GUIDELINES & STANDARDS 6. Roof

street

Design Standard 6a.

For new infill, roofs may be flat or pitched. If proposing an infill with a flat roof where it currently doesn’t exist on the specific block, the maximum height of the infill should be no taller than the average of the adjacent roof pitch heights.

street

street

Woodbridge has a variety of roof types throughout the neighborhood. Many historical residences have a sloped roof, which allows more light to filter down to the street and allows for wider sky views. There are also various housing typologies, particularly multi-family residences, which utilize flat roofs in Woodbridge. The new infill should respond to the character of the roof profiles within the immediate block as well as seen throughout the rest of the neighborhood.

Design Standard 7a.

alley

Guideline 6

a balance between providing parking appropriate for the type of housing, while blending it into the design to maintain the historic character.

street

Standard 7a-7b example Design Standard 6b.

An acceptable pitched roof should vary by no more than 2 inches of rise per 12 inches of run from the average of the primary roof pitches of the existing structures of the block. Pitched roofs should be gabled in at least one orientation.

Dormers and mixed pitched roof designs are encouraged where appropriate.

No new infill should have a driveway on the front-facing street façade. Any new infill should either take advantage of parking on the street or create garage access via alleyway where appropriate. Housing on a corner property should use the alleyway to access garages and additional parking.

Design Standard 7b.

Garages should be detached and located on the rear of the lot.

Design Standard 7c.

Refer to Detroit Zoning Ordinance Section 61-14 for specific residential parking needs per residential and non-residential typologies.

Design Standard 6c.

Precedent: pitched roofs

Rooftop decks can be incorporated with new infill, so long as the height of the rooftop deck does not exceed the average of the adjacent roof pitch heights.

Roof decks should not be visible from the street when unoccupied.

PREFERRED: Rehab with dimensionality

Design Standard 6d Precedent: flat roofs

New Construction: pitched roof

New Construction: flat roof Standard 6a example.

76

Roofing material should reflect the materiality of housing in the adjacent block. If introducing a new roofing material not present in the existing context, material should align with the design quality of the surrounding context.

7. Parking Guideline 7 As Woodbridge continues to add new structures and additional residents, the neighborhood faces the challenge of maintaining adequate parking.

New development should strike

x

PREFERRED: Contemporary housing with dimensionality

NOT PREFERRED: Housing with flat facade; no dimensionality Standard 8a example

8. Massing & Scale Guideline 8 Architectural diversity and variety is a hallmark of Woodbridge, contributing to an interesting, visually appealing, and walkable neighborhood. While they should not be copies of historic buildings, new buildings should take cues from the architectural features of neighboring houses in terms of massing, depth, and dimensionality to ensure cohesive blocks.

Design Standard 8a.

The overall scale, massing, roof forms, materials, and architectural elements of new buildings should be consistent with the surrounding context on the block and provide a variety of forms, depth, and texture through elements such as porches, balconies, wall placement, and dormers. Flat façades lacking dimensionality are inconsistent with local architecture and are discouraged.

9. Materials Guideline 9

The materials used in existing Woodbridge housing stock contribute to the neighborhood’s design quality. New infill housing

should be constructed of materials that reflect current standards of quality, but used in a way that is compatible with and compliments the neighborhood’s existing historic character.

Design Standard 9a.

A mix of exterior architectural materials should be used in new construction, with a greater preference of brick, wood, and stone.

Design Standard 9b.

Any contemporary patterns, materials, or designs are encouraged if material diversity, design quality, and exterior complexity are achieved.

Design Standard 9c.

The use of materials should complement various visual breaks in the building (e.g. separating between the first story and subsequent stories, etc.)

10. Non-Residential Designs

Most lots available for infill housing in Woodbridge are zoned for residential use only. Any infill

EXAMPLE: 71 Garfield Street This adaptive use apartment has a variety of mixed-use on the ground level in the Midtown neighborhood.

Standard 10 example

proposed with a non-residential use should maintain the same gaol of design compatibility with existing buildings in the neighborhood.

Mixed-use infill development should encourage the use of nonresidential on the ground/lower level and residential on above subsequent floors.

siding brick

glass wood stone

Standard 9a example

Standard 9a example 77

NEIGHBORHOOD DESIGN GUIDELINES

How the Guidelines Work Together These guidelines don’t exist in isolation. When the standards in the guidelines are combined, they can help create development that respects the existing character of the neighborhood, while also adapting to the future of the neighborhood. Below are some ways that the design guidelines can come together to create new and appropriate residential development in Woodbridge.

Some design standards shown: Design Standard 4B Yard tree Design Standard 6A Flat roof maximum height Design Standard 7A Rear parking access Design Standard 8A Appropriate massing & scale

Some design standards shown: Design Standard 1A Street setbacks Design Standard 3B Balcony footprint Design Standard 5C Street façade openings Design Standard 5E Appropriate front door

78

This page left intentionally blank

79

06

IMPLEMENTATION

80

Implementation and Next Steps

Successful implementation will involve continued community input and coordination with multiple partners.

Vacant Sites It is anticipated that the development of the vacant sites will take approximately 5-7 years.

WND and Cinnaire will continue to be involved in the development process, either acting as the developer or partnering with other developers.

This document is only the beginning of that process - it was created to provide guidance and indicate the neighborhood’s priorities so that future development will complement and enhance Woodbridge.

Immediate next steps will include coordination with the City of Detroit to determine what types of zoning changes will need to occur on the vacant sites to carry out the vision of the neighborhood.

Community members are encouraged to stay involved in this process by joining the WND Land and Housing Committee and signing up for newsletter updates.

81

April 2020 | Detroit, Michigan