c/detroit-commercial-real-estate

A guy at a Corktown coffee shop told me his whole deal fell apart because he didn't check the basement for asbestos before buying.

Pro tip: Everyone overlooks the city's facade grant program for Corktown buildings

I keep seeing owners in Corktown pay out of pocket for brickwork when the city has a grant that covers up to $15k. Found out about it from a contractor after I'd already paid for my own repairs last fall. Anyone else used this program or know the current wait time?

I finally asked my neighbor about his empty storefront on Grand River

He owns the building and said the insurance quote for the space jumped from $8,000 to over $20,000 a year. He said he can't justify filling it with a new tenant until he finds a way to bring that cost down. It made me realize how many other 'available' spots downtown might be stuck in the same holding pattern. Has anyone else run into this with smaller commercial properties lately?

Shoutout to the broker who warned me about that Corktown property

I ignored his advice about the hidden environmental issues and bought it anyway, costing me over $15,000 in unexpected soil testing and reports before I could even apply for permits. I was so focused on the street appeal I didn't do my own proper due diligence. Has anyone else been burned by a seemingly solid building that had a nasty surprise in the ground?

My big mistake with the old warehouse on Grand River

For years, I only looked at the price per square foot and the tax rate when checking out a property. I was looking at a 50,000 sq ft spot near the old train station about 3 years ago, and the numbers looked great on paper. What tipped me off was talking to the last tenant, who just said, 'The roof leaks every spring, and the city takes 8 months to approve a simple permit.' I realized I was ignoring the real costs of time and repairs. Anyone else get burned by not asking tenants the right questions first?

Had to choose between a Corktown spot and a place in Eastern Market for my cleaning business office, went with Eastern Market and it's been a good call.

I finally paid for a full environmental site assessment on a Corktown warehouse, cost me $8,500 and it saved the whole deal.

Warning: I was pricing downtown Detroit office space like it was 2015

I was working on a pro forma for a small office building near Grand Circus Park, using the same $18 per square foot rate I'd seen a few years back. A broker I trust finally told me point blank, 'You're about $5 short, the market moved.' That one comment made me go back and look at the actual comps from the last 18 months, and he was totally right. How are other people keeping their rental comps current without getting burned?

My uncle told me to buy a warehouse near Eastern Market in 2019, but I thought the area was too risky.

He was right, the property value has doubled and now I can't afford to get in. Anyone else miss a big Detroit opportunity because they were too cautious?

I dropped $2,500 on a full Phase I ESA for a Corktown property and it flagged a buried tank I never would have found.

Has anyone else had a Phase I save them from a massive cleanup bill in a historic Detroit neighborhood?

I was pricing industrial space in Southwest Detroit all wrong for a year

For the longest time, I was just looking at the price per square foot and the basic lease terms. I thought that was the whole game. Then, about two months ago, I was walking a client through a 12,000 sq ft building on Fort Street, and he asked me point blank, 'What's the annual tax bill on this parcel?' I had to scramble to find it, and the number was way higher than I'd guessed. It completely changed the deal math. I realized I'd been ignoring the actual cost of ownership for the buyer, focusing only on the seller's asking price. Now my first move is pulling the full tax history from the city's online portal before I even schedule a showing. Has anyone else had a client school them on a basic detail they were overlooking?

I used to think buying a vacant lot and building new was the only smart play in Detroit, but rehabbing a 1920s building on Cass Avenue proved me wrong.

Finally got the zoning approval for that old warehouse on Grand River

Man, this week was a huge weight off my shoulders. I've been working on a project to turn an old, empty warehouse on Grand River (near the old train station) into a small business hub for almost eight months now. The big hold up was a zoning change from heavy industrial to mixed-use. I had my meeting with the city planning board on Tuesday, and after answering what felt like a hundred questions, they gave the green light. The whole process was so slow, and I had to get letters of support from three different neighborhood groups. What made it stand out was getting a call from the head of the board later that day, who said, 'We're rooting for projects like this.' It just felt like a real win for the area, not just for me. Has anyone else dealt with a zoning change for an industrial building recently and have tips for the next steps?

Just wasted $2,500 on a zoning report for a Corktown property that was totally wrong

I hired a consultant from out of state to do a full zoning check before I made an offer on a small building last month. Their report said it was cleared for retail, but the city's actual records showed it was zoned for industrial use only. Has anyone found a local firm they trust to get this right the first time?

Can we talk about the empty storefronts on Woodward near Grand Circus Park?

I was walking a client around yesterday and we counted seven vacant ground-floor retail spots in just two blocks. It's a prime location, but the 'for lease' signs have been up for over a year on some of them. What's the hold-up with filling these spaces?

Everyone says you need a broker for downtown office space, but I found a different way

I needed a small office for my business in the Capitol Park area last year, and every single person told me to just hire a broker. Instead, I spent two weeks walking the district and directly calling the property management numbers on the front doors of buildings that looked good. I found a 750 sq ft spot on State Street that wasn't even listed online yet. The landlord was so surprised by the direct approach he gave me a rate under $18 per square foot. Has anyone else had luck going around the usual channels, or did I just get lucky?

I put a small coffee shop in a former Corktown auto garage and it's packed

We took a risk on a 1,200 square foot space on Michigan Avenue that used to be a mechanic's bay. I thought the industrial feel might be a tough sell for a cafe, but we kept the original brick and garage doors. Now, we're doing double the sales we projected because people love the unique setting. Has anyone else seen a trend where old industrial spaces are outperforming newer retail spots in certain neighborhoods?

Noticed a change in the old Packard Plant area last week

I was driving down East Grand Boulevard last week, heading to a client's gym in Midtown, and I had to take a detour. It put me right past the southern edge of the Packard Plant. Three years ago, that whole stretch felt like a ghost town, just broken windows and weeds. Last month, I saw a crew out there with heavy machinery, clearing a section by the railroad tracks. But last week... they had a real construction fence up and a sign for a logistics company. It wasn't just cleanup. It looks like a full build-out is starting. Makes me wonder if all that talk about the I-94 industrial corridor is finally turning into real brick and steel. Has anyone else seen new activity over there, or heard what's actually going in?

Serious question, has anyone else had a tenant suddenly stop paying rent in a Corktown building?

I had a retail tenant in a Corktown property who was 3 months behind on their $4,500 monthly rent before they finally just handed me the keys and left last Tuesday, saying 'the foot traffic isn't what we were promised'.

Everyone pushes the Corktown hype, but I saw better deals in Southwest Detroit last year.

I looked at two small warehouse spaces in 2023, one in Corktown listed at $18 a square foot and a similar one off Vernor Highway for $11. The Corktown building needed a new roof, adding maybe $50k upfront. The Southwest spot was turnkey with newer HVAC. The rent difference paid for the commute in under two years. The foot traffic argument for retail makes sense, but for light industrial, the math is clear. Has anyone else found better value outside the usual hot zones?

I used to only look at downtown Detroit for deals, but now I'm checking out the neighborhoods.

For years, I focused on the central business district, thinking that's where the real money was. After seeing a 10,000 sq ft building in Corktown sell for way under market last fall, I started looking at areas like North End and Southwest. Do you think the long-term value is still downtown, or are the neighborhoods the smarter play now?

Need recommendations for a commercial ISP in the Metro Detroit area

I am absolutely done with the big telecom companies jacking up the enterprise rates for our office building every year without warning. Can anyone recommend a good commercial internet provider that actually cares about its business clients and provides stable dedicated speeds?