The Villages of Detroit - Internship by Andrew Laszczyk

CO-OP

SUMMER 2 0 1 2

INTERNSHIP

The Historic Villages of Detroit Provide a Unique Place to Work

UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT MERCY

THE VILLAGES OF DETROIT

School of Architecture

Community Development Corporation

4001 W. McNichols Rd. Detroit Mi 48220

8109 E. Jefferson Ave Detroit, Michigan 48214

(313) 993-1532 (313) 486-2900

ANDREW LASZCZYK Architectural Intern & Masters Student 36886 Eton ct. Sterling Heights, Michigan 48310 (586) 383-0732

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Working in the Villages of Detroit It is not necessarily easy to acquire an architectural internship in the Metro Detroit area, let alone within the city of Detroit itself at the

WORKING IN THE VILLAGES OF DETROIT

moment. I was fortunate to receive an email from my Professional Experience professor, Alexander Froehlich, who publicized the following posing for a current architecture student or recent graduate:

PARKSTONE APARTMENTS

Schedule The internship opportunity is an immediate opening.

HOUSING ACQUISITION

Intern Duties and Responsibilities District Mapping • Zoning / Parking Planning • Kercheval Greenway at the Commercial

QUIET. QUAINT. QUIRKY.

Corridor

Commercial Buildings • Building Condition Analysis • Van Dyke and Agnes Retail Improvements • Building Development Projects

GOALS AND CHALLENGES

- House on Van Dyke - Van Dyke and Jeﬀerson Ave. Development - East Jeﬀerson Corridor Projects Housing Rehab Program

PROJECT DOCUMENTS

• Vacant house condition assessment / demolition / deconstruction implementation

PARKSTONE

Desired Skills The intern should have knowledge of AutoCAD, Sketch-up, InDesign, and a familiarity with general oﬃce documents of Word, Excel and Acrobat. They will be drawing the area, and

MODEL BLOCK

planning for future commercial development. After an interview, I was chosen over three other University of Detroit Mercy students, all of

ZONING / HOUSING ACQUISITION

whom are in the same year as myself. Discussing my new position with my employer, I was made aware that he had only sent the job posting to UDM, and that he was not an alumni

WEST VILLAGE MANOR

himself, but rather an alumni form a neighboring, competing university who believed that UDM produces the best architects for the type of position he was looking to fill. Flattered by the acknowledgement of the superiority of UDM

GREENWAYS PROPOSALS

over other schools, I was nervous about living up to my new employer’s expectations.

Co-op in Detroit The following internship took place in the Villages of Detroit during the summer of 2012 in Detroit, Michigan.

The TASHMOO BIERGARTEN is a Huge Hit Every Year

�� My position as an architectural intern at the Villages Community Development Corporation is as unique as the historic buildings which comprise its six neighborhoods.

On my first day of work at the Villages

improvements. Another week, I assisted in the

Community Development Corporation, I was

set-up of a weekend long biergarten which we

asked to accompany my boss to various

sponsored along with the local Waldorf School.

meetings around the city; from our o$ce in West

This particular event is extremely popular with

Village, an old tutor mansion along Je#erson

both the local neighborhood and the Detroit

Ave, to the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center,

community at large.

to the Guardian building. Much of my time

The primary goal of sponsoring, organizing,

spent at the Villages has been conducted in a

advertising, and promoting community events in

similar manner. During the first few weeks of

the Villages is to make more and more people

work, there were various occasions in which I

aware of the existing community and to create

was o#ered the opportunity to participate in

an occasion for conversations to take place

events that were not required, but would allow

between people who can share their

me to get to know the community better.

appreciation of the various neighborhoods of

One of these unpaid opportunities was

Detroit. We also hope that by attracting people

assisting in setting up for a community meeting

to temporary ‘businesses’ in the Villages, new

at a local church where various accredited

businesses will see the potential in opening a

contractors and workmen were talking about a

new business in the neighborhood.

state tax break for various types of home

[1]

TASHMOO BIERGARTEN My boyfriend and I at Tashmoo after a long morning of selling beer tickets. Just one of the unpaid experiences I enjoyed.

CONSTRUCTION

Commercial Renovation of the Parkstone Apartments and the famous Harlequin Cafe. The majority of my work at the Villages Community Development Corporation has been

would comply with ADA requirements and new standards of eďŹ&#x192;ciency. A significant aesthetic improvement will be new two-toned awnings which will match the colors of the apartment building itself.

spent working on the revitalization of three

While working on the drawings for the

current retail spaces, one kitchen, and four

spaces, I also participated in meetings with

bathrooms in the Parkstone apartments located

potential tenants who were interested in opening

just a block away from our oďŹ&#x192;ce on Parker

new, sometimes second, businesses in the

Street in West Village. The first work I did for the

spaces. Some of these meetings included

project was recreating the facade of the

meeting with the apartment owner and

building and the floor plans of the first floor

managers who had to approve most of the

based on the existing original drawings from

drawings. The facade drawings also had to be

1925. I was very fortunate that for my first real

presented to the Historic District Commission

drawings ever, I had access to original drawings

because they have governance over all of the

as well as to the building itself. I am aware that

exteriors of buildings in the Villages. I surprised

this is not always the case. Along with

to learn that some changes could be approved

elevations and plans, I had to draw the existing

by a single staďŹ&#x20AC; member, while other ones

parking plans for the building to be submitted to

needed to be presented to a board of people

the zoning board so that the current restaurant

and voted upon.

spaces could be re-opened, as they are currently against the existing zoning codes. Next, I created construction drawings for

While the spaces are almost certainly going to be filled by the time construction is completed, there were plans to use pop-up retail

the facade of the retail spaces which is to be

stores in the spaces to draw attention to the

returned to look as much like the original facade

developing commercial area of West Village. A

as possible. However, certain changes had to

Fall Festival is planned for the fall to celebrate.

Drawing with ADA Requirements The Americans with Disabilities Act requires that public facilities be accessible to disabled persons. This makes altering historic buildings for commercial use difficult at times, but I enjoyed the challenge and appreciate the experience.

be made to make sure that the new facade

The Current Storefront of the Parkstone

[2]

Zoning and General Planning for the Future Development of the Villages. Early on in my internship, I created a document showing the properties along Van Dyke Street which was to be the primary focus in a re-zoning effort for the Villages. This task was made much easier by utilizing the Sandborn maps which can be viewed for free at the Detroit Public Library. These provided historical building footprints as well as property lines and general layout information. I attended a meeting with various individuals who are involved in the zoning board and planning for the city of Detroit. While much work is still needed to progress with the effort to re-zone certain areas of the Villages, the main focus is Van Dyke Street which already possesses a large amount of residents as well as vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Re-zoning certain properties on this street will allow for commercial businesses to take advantage of these assets. Not all of the work in the Villages is commercial in nature. Much time was dedicated to assessing foreclosed and neglected buildings, mostly single and multi family residential buildings, so that Neighborhood

Stabilization Plan (NSP3) money could be utilized in their acquisition, demolition, rehabilitation, and general improvement. Currently we are working with developers to put together a proposal which could possibly

PLANNING

allocate 10 to 12 million dollars towards this purpose in the Villages specifically. By working for a community development corporation, I have learned that there is a lot of preparation work that must be done before any real physical work can take place. Because much of the funding for projects requires federal and state funding, a significant amount of paper work must be completed, and accepted before the money can be awarded and then spent. It appears that there is often stiﬀ competition between non-profit organizations to get funding. It can be discouraging for an organization to spend money, time, and eﬀort on a proposal only to get shot down without receiving any reward for their work. While I have not worked on any of the proposal documents directly, I have created some graphics for our recent NSP3 proposal which will be used to explain our proposed organization for utilizing any money we receive from the Planning & Development Department.

Sandborn Drawings Were A Great Resource

Housing Assessment Venturing into foreclosed homes in the Villages was not entirely different from trespassing on vacant properties in most other neighborhoods of Detroit. They were mostly unpredictable and quite dangerous. However, doing so was a necessary and fruitful task for assembling the NSP3 proposal.

[3]

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My first experience with drawing a space without having existing drawings to look at was with the West Village Manor Apartments. The drawings were you to calculate renovation costs and to determine rental rates.

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“Quiet. Quaint. Quirky.” -The Villages Residential Slogan. The above slogan has been a pat of the Villages Community

us. If the money is not awarded to the Villages Community Development

Development Corporation’s promotional materials for over a year, but it

Corporation, then we will hopefully still be able to use existing money to

continues to remain the motto of marketing designs and

conduct a much smaller version of the same project.

promotional materials in our o$ce. We truly believe that the

Another project we have been pursing is the commercial

neighborhoods of the Villages of Detroit are some of the most unique and desirable in all of Detroit. The current NSP proposal aims at fixing up some of the most significantly troubled properties in the

redevelopment of four commercial spaces in an apartment

“Quiet. Quaint. Quirky.”

neighborhoods and clarifying the potential for development of

building however has a much di#erent financial situation and was unable to take part in our proposed retail revitalization plan. Some of this plan included creating ‘pop-up retail’ in

residential and commercial establishments in the near future.

the vacant units and using the momentum to gain the attention

The e#orts are primarily headed up by my boss, Brian Hurttienne,

of permanent tenants for the spaces. It is unfortunate that this

and will be managed by Alexander Howbert once the money is allotted to

KEY PEOPLE:

building right next to the Parkstone apartment building. This

didn’t work out, but the planning has gained some attention.

BRIAN V. HURTTIENNE Executive Director Primary organizer and leader of all projects.

[4]

ALEXANDER J. HOWBERT Ut facilisis Ante in dui ac, turpis donec, fusce, quasi amet urna tempor amet sit.

Project Manager Oversees the organization and progress of work.

�� Although my internship at the Villages is not over yet, I can begin to assess my successes. I began the internship primarily seeking to gain any relevant experience in the architectural

people who are not necessarily aware of our work.

profession, gladly accepting any work that

The information I have learned

would help build my resume. However, as I

about the profession and standards

began to work, I realized that I had showed up

of architectural information has

to the job with various expectations and

been tremendous. Creating

misconceptions about what a community

construction drawings and

developer was and what the role of an architect

helping with proposals has

is within the community developer setting. I

been a highly educational

certainly did not expect to be a part of so many

endeavor.

di#erent types of activities, and I was surprised

While I have always

New Graphics for the Villages this Fall

00 1-833 -33

o$cials and department heads, and all

about how much I learned about the city of

struggled to prioritize with respect to

Detroit and what it could mean for me to work

short term projects within a big picture

there in the future.

goal, I have been able to set aside personal

simply buying their way through many of these

Expectations & Objectives

interests in performing to the highest standards

processes.

Examining the learning objective which I established for myself near the beginning of my internship, I realized that I had established a benchmark for success for myself. I hoped to grow in the areas of adhering to organizational standards, acquiring / integrating information,

necessary to move forward in a timely fashion.

has been utilizing public transit to get to and

It helps when seeing how my individual work

from work from the suburbs and from the o$ce

a#ects the overall work of the entire

in West Village to Downtown, Midtown, and

organization.

other neighborhoods. I wish that I could say it

Working in Detroit

was entirely a choice undertaking, but alas it is

Working within the city of Detroit has been exciting and challenging. I was aware that many

knowledgable of the entire Board of Directors of

new and exciting things are happening within

the Villages or their various ties with the city and

the city with respect to new businesses and

community, I can say that I have a good concept

entrepreneurial enterprises. And although I have

of the types of involvement they have and the

always been aware of certain political

key role that they plan in deciding and assisting

di$culties, I was surprised at how much

with the work that we do at the Villages CDC. I

frustration nearly all organizations face when

have found myself able to communicate what is

working with city departments. I have found it

is that I do better and better to various types of

di$cult to accept the amount of time spent merely hoping to win the approval of city

The Bottom Line. My internship at the Villages has been very rewarding and has opened my eyes to a challenging field of work that my play a distinct role in my future. I plan on continue my involvement with the Villages into the

One of the most exciting aspects of my job

and been able to simply accomplish what is

and critical thinking / problem solving skills. While I can not say that I am fully

the while knowing that many people are

Projects Worked On So Far: ! ! ! ! ! !

Parkstone Apartments Van Dyke Planning Housing Rehab / Baldwin St. West Village Manor NSP3 Proposal Riverfront Proposal

school semester, but that is not certain.

[5]

because my car was stolen from the o$ce. Nevertheless, I have learned a lot about the frustrations of the people who live in and around the Villages and can better understand the way they think and live. I can also say that the di$culty of relying on a transportation system which can be two hours behind schedule makes me question weather or not my services developing the Villages is in fact the most critical type of service that the city of Detroit is in need of.

ARCH.3020.2012 Andrew Laszczyk

PROJECT DOCUMENTS

MODEL BLOCK, BALDWIN ST.

VAN DYKE ZONING / NSP3 GRAPHICS

7-16 17 18-19 20 21-22

PAGE#

PARKSTONE APARTMENTS

WEST VILLAGE MANOR

GREENWAYS PLANNING

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VILLAGES DETROIT LAND BANK AUTHORITY

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DETROIT DEVELOPMENT FUND PROJECT OVERSIGHT

PRE-DEVELOPMENT

CONSTRUCTION CARRYING COSTS GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION HOME BUYER EDUCATION MARKETING / ADVERTISING SALES

The Projects

BRIAN V. HURTTIENNE

ALEX HOWBERT

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