c3 SITE ANALYSIS

site analysis (7/23/03_more missing photos, maps, etc...sorry charlie!)

Potential site location: northwest intersection of highways I-75 and I-94, Central City, Detroit, MI



From Abstract: For the site of my complex, I have investigated Michigan’s Renaissance Zones. Property in the city of Detroit’s Renaissance Zones is eligible for a 100% exemption for most property taxes, state and city income taxes, and the Single Business Tax for twelve years. One of the nine sub-zones is a 67.8-acre area in Detroit’s Central City. I have chosen an area of approximately 20 acres nearest the northwest interchange of interstates I-75 and I-94 (Tentatively set as 900 Harper Avenue). This location allows the reuse of existing land in the city of Detroit and is important to my complex in that it is in a highly visible location next to two major highways. The preparation of this site will include some demolition of existing abandoned buildings that are in very poor condition. I will investigate all that is required and involved with the demolition of existing buildings, specifically with city of Detroit requirements and fees.

The above aerial photograph shows the general vicinity of my proposed site. The east-west highway is I-94 and the north-south highway is I-75. My site area is approximately in the center of the image. Following are color and black & white photographs that I took of the site and surrounding area:

corner of Hastings and Piquette

corner of Harper and Mansur toward site

corner of Harper and Mansur toward site

nice garbage at fence corner

across I-75 toward site

from Piquette I-75 bridge toward site

from site looking across I-75

from Piquette I-75 bridge looking down street

from Mansur toward site

corner of Hastings and Piquette toward site

new housing a couple blocks from site

Harper Ave toward St. Antoine St.

existing building on St. Antoine St.

looking west down Harper Ave. – site on left

Hastings and Harper toward site

site from Harper Ave.

site from Piquette St.

corner of Piquette and Hastings

looking down Piquette St. toward site

Harper Ave. toward site

This is the map of the Central City Subzone of the Detroit Renaissance Zone and a street map of the area:


Basic analysis of the site: an essentially ‘flat’ urban site in the city of Detroit. I intend my complex to encompass approximately 20 acres of the Renaissance Zone closest to the interstate interchange. Following is a sketch of the site indicating in blue the Harper/Hastings area for my church complex:

I plan to locate the main approach to the complex to be from the northeast intersection of Harper Avenue and Hastings Street. The south-facing facility will incorporate those environmental issues previously discussed in the Thesis and Theory sections of this document. I may build up the grade of the site to have to overall area slope from one corner to the other to add interest to the site and to allow even greater visibility from the interstates nearby.



As previously mentioned in my Theory section of the program, I have researched the 2000 Census information. The following diagrams of my site area show summaries of data:


This is the housing map. The darker the color, the more populated the area is. The lightest color indicates areas that are totally vacant. The darkest green is up to 82 persons.


This map indicates the percentage of housing units that are vacant. Again, the darker green areas are the most used housing units (as of 2000).


This map shows the median age of persons occupying these housing units. The darker greens are the older age groups.


Because this part of Detroit is predominantly black, this map indicates those areas occupied by blacks or black combined with any other race. The darker colors again indicate the larger concentrations of this race group.