Spring 2020
How a Detroit Landmark Built a Space for Creative, Minority-Owned Businesses
June 4th, 2020
The Fisher Building is known as “Detroit’s largest art object.” The office skyscraper, which opened in 1928, boasts a grand lobby decked out with marble, mosaics, painted ceilings and ornate detailing in brass and bronze. Real estate developer The Platform purchased the landmark in 2015, spending over $10 million in rehabilitation and renovation. But the company was stuck on what to do with the fourth floor, broken into small offices by design for doctors and dentists.
Open ArticleReal Estate Insider: Two Detroit developments secure state financing
May 19th, 2020
The Woodward at Midtown is proposed by Detroit-based Queen Lillian II LLC, which consists of Chris Jackson, a minority owner and former staffer to former Detroit City Council president Gil Hill, and James Jenkins, who is majority owner of the company and is president and CEO of Detroit-based Jenkins Construction Inc. Detroit-based The Platform LLC was brought in as a development partner in 2018. “This development has been a labor of love […],” Jackson said in a statement. “We know that we have found the right team, and especially the right partners, to bring Detroiters a development they can be proud of.”
Open Article10 Of The Most Iconic Buildings Across The US
May 8th, 2020
There is no denying that the US is home to some of the most fascinating architectural wonders in the world. There are many buildings here that are well known all over the world, be it skyscrapers, schoolhouses, museums or libraries. Many of these earned an iconic status thanks to them being immediately recognizable. These buildings tell fascinating tales about the cities they are in, about their past, and evoke many nostalgic memories in people.
Open ArticleHow a Detroit developer is using innovative leasing to support the city’s creative economy
April 27th, 2020
The 4th Floor of the Fisher Building—a National Historic Landmark in Detroit’s New Center neighborhood—provides an excellent case study. In 2015, mission-based private real estate developer The Platform acquired the building for restoration and modernization, and soon made supporting the city’s creative community a key aspect of its inclusive design strategy.
Open ArticleWinter 2020
Detroit’s Fisher Building About To Get Serious Renovations
February 17th, 2020
The Fisher Building on W. Grand Boulevard is one of Detroit’s cooler buildings. But in recent years, it has been showing its age. It’s 92 years old and looks it. Now major renovation work is set to begin.
Open ArticleNext phase of Fisher Building preservation effort to begin soon
February 11th, 2020
The next phase of preservation and restoration at the iconic Fisher Building is now underway. This week, work will begin to help a team survey the façade of the building. During a four-month period, workers will comb over the 325,000-square-feet of exterior marble so they can survey the building and collect data. That will help establish a plan to make necessary repairs. Over the next four weeks, crews will install scaffolding around the exterior.
Open ArticleRestoration of Detroit’s Fisher Building enters next phase: Here’s what’s next
February 10th, 2020
The next phase of restoration efforts will get underway this week at Detroit’s historic Fisher Building. Over the next four weeks, scaffolding will be installed around the iconic building’s exterior to allow a team to survey the Fisher’s façade. Over a four-month period, workers will examine the Fisher’s 325,000 square feet of exterior marble in order to survey the building and collect data to establish a plan to make necessary repairs, according to a release.
Open ArticleStreetscape project on McNichols in Detroit’s Fitzgerald neighborhood will begin in May
January 24th, 2020
The City of Detroit will begin its second round of streetscape projects this spring with McNichols Rd. in the Fitzgerald neighborhood, the city announced on Thursday. The purpose of the streetscape project is to create resident-focused streets, according to the city, that serve and attract businesses and families to the neighborhoods.
Open ArticleStreetscape upgrades set for McNichols Road in Detroit
January 23rd, 2020
Streetscape improvements are set to begin this spring on McNichols Road in the Fitzgerald neighborhood, the city of Detroit announced Thursday. The stretch of McNichols from Livernois and Greenlawn on the city’s west side will get an overhaul including new sidewalks, benches and pots, and a protected bike and scooter lane.
Open Article