Abandoned - Unfinished Bloomfield Park

The 2008 recession halted construction projects around North America, some of which would never get going again. The Bloomfield Park, master planned community was one such project. It began as a dream to bring New Urbanism to Michigan and build a spectacular, multi billion community. But following a legal and financial mess, the project was put on hold and would ultimately fall into disrepair. Join me today as we look into this fascinating, failed construction project and what happened to it!
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Bright Sun Films 2024
Presented in 4K

[@hgman3920]

The answer to "why is it abandoned?" is always 2008. Always.

[@mattdaaamon]

Now the answer to "where can we afford to live" is the same places.

[@The8BitNerd]

This one takes the cake though since they decided to proceed with the plans despite knowing the potential consequences of the bleeding economy.

[@RoulinBrooks]

Mary Celeste?

[@VeryTruthful]

Give it 10 more years, and the new shiny reason will be COVID.

[@RosieMe5]

Yeah every abandoned and bankrupt video always leads back to 9/11, Katrina, the recession, or Covid lol

[@97Senator]

Episode 90! I can't believe we're only 10 episodes away from the century mark of 100. You have done an outstanding job with Abandoned and all your other series throughout the years Jake! 📽

[@BrightSunFilms]

I know, isn’t it crazy? Thanks for watching!

[@IndianGeek5589]

@@BrightSunFilmsThe 100th episode needs to have the classic intro!

[@mirzaahmed6589]

I only see 88 videos in the Abandoned playlist.

[@Kellyyy44]

Love you Jake, had to watch till the end !!!

[@mattsceilingfansandmore2573]

Who else remembers his video about chernobyl where he couldnt even pronounce Belarus so he had to have a computer do it for him? 😂

[@oaklandeas25]

As someone who lives in Metro Detroit, this is such a hilarious failure of the area given how many of these are around here now. (My grandparents still refer to any new development as "Bloomfield Park 2") But I have no doubt if this existed today it would be thriving

[@Inigo_The_Son]

Bloomfield Park was an inspired development that could have thrived if they could have reached stabilization before the recession. Sadly, years of lawsuits and corruption delayed development by 5+ years. The uninformed like to say that real estate is all about "location, location, location," but it is really about "timing, timing, timing." Had they broken ground in 2004, Bloomfield Park would be touted as an unprecedented success story, and it would be taught in real estate classes around the globe.

[@kyle857]

Speak for yourself. I love Oakland County. Do you not look around? The whole area is thriving. Even Pontiac looks better than it has during my entire life with new homes and remodels everywhere.

[@oaklandeas25]

@@kyle857 Yeah definitely. Bloomfield Park would definitely have been the trend setter for all the modern developments we have around here now

[@Alexlfm]

@@Inigo_The_SonI’m sorry but location still has a huge amount to do with it. Under the original proposal this project may have worked, it would have been large enough to have a sort of critical mass, but scaled down as it was, but still relatively big, I don’t think so. All of the successful mixed use developments are in areas where there’s some connectivity to the wider community. That really wouldn’t have been true for this project. The density in the surrounding area is bad and Telegraph is far too busy of a “road” leaving one basically on an island. The proposed lakeside mall development makes way more sense location wise than this ever did.

[@NameLess-ks4fi]

Oakland County is the shits and Pontiac is a bigger dump than Detroit-with love from the thumb.

[@sttrogdor93]

As someone who lives in metro Detroit, any time there's a new project or proposition, the locals always say it will disrupt the character of the city. Even if it means bulldozing decrepit health hazards or drug houses, locals will always find a way to complain about it.

[@bmacaulay18]

The "character of the city" could use some serious disrupting.

[@Kasey_888]

Except Bloomfield twp isnt Detroit funny you claim to live here but dont know that lol

[@This-country-sucks-4]

Yall can stop calling yall nice areas detroit now. Go to your city officials and shit and fight to change its name to detroit. Cause yall shit on the city any other time

[@This-country-sucks-4]

​@@Kasey_888these mfs always claiming detroit when it's popular or they need attention otherwise they call detroit a shit hole. They all far asf away claiming it name. Smh

[@mulch4697]

This is either a Michigan problem or a people problem all around

[@kolbyhood1487]

Please do an episode on the Michigan Central Station in Detroit! It was abandoned since the 80s but Ford renovated & now it’s open to the public again. Detroit has come a long way in the last couple years!

[@FrankaiVideos-DetroitsComeback]

Yes it has!

[@me3333]

It's ironic that the only thing left standing of a "Walking" community is a huge parking tower

[@aaronmccracken7351]

And I noticed there's absolutely no sidewalk connections from the residential portion over to the retail areas, so even within the development itself, you have to use a car (or walk in the street).

[@Emira_75]

That's America for ya.

[@Chicago48]

Does it have tenants?

[@carstarsarstenstesenn]

@@aaronmccracken7351 yeah because they chose an exurb of a city to plan a walkable neighborhood... an inner suburb would have worked because they're usually a lot more urban and connected to the city, unlike Bloomfield Hill

[@kyle857]

​@aaronmccracken7351 Roatel road has basically no traffic, so walking along it would be no different than walking on any residential street.

[@CreamOfBeats]

Anything negative is always blamed on Detroit, because the title should really be “Bloomfield Hill’s unfinished Bloomfield Park!”

[@user-bn9vr8rg4i]

❤

[@carstarsarstenstesenn]

Yup, same with Chicago. When something negative happens in the suburbs, people act like it's the city's problem, but when there's something positive to say about the suburbs, it's because suburbs are superior to the urban hellholes, despite the fact that most inner suburbs in the US are subsidized by the city in the region.

[@garryferrington811]

It's been that way in Detroit since I was young, which was quite some time ago. Keep in mind, in those days, Detroit was the world homicide center.

[@CaptArgo24]

It's crazy how time flies over the last 90 episodes, I started watching this series when I was still in elementary school in 2014, and now im going into my final year of college in September.

[@Varangian_af_Scaniae]

And in a few years you are middle aged and life is almost over. Time flies make the best of it!

[@claudespeed277]

My guy so smart he skipped high school lol

[@wills2140]

Congrats for finding Bright Sun Films and getting to enjoy these fun, interesting, informative videos by Jake! Don't forget to occasionally check out his "Bankrupt" and other videos. Hope you have a great senior year in college, and as another commenter mentioned - time flies when you're having fun, stop to check out new things when time allows (like Defunctland). '(;

[@KyrickYoung]

Hope your final year of college goes well! 🎉

[@RudolphManor]

Damn! I Was 25 Back In 2014. 💯

[@susanmiller4159]

Great video. As a small business owner of 20 years, the 2007-2008 crisis was something we’ve never quite recovered from. I can only imagine the large scale losses these projects had. It was a devastating time economically.

[@hgman3920]

I'm a land surveyor and the years 2008-2010 were brutal. We only made it through because we landed some large federal contracts

[@susanmiller4159]

@@hgman3920 Bulk petroleum maintenance contractor. We had some customers that were good to us through those years. Rough times.

[@gregd4633]

My family owns one of the first “Black Owned” bank here in Georgia that’s still in operation. We almost went bankrupt in 2008 because federal banks were charging us higher interest rates, which we tried our hardest not to past it on to our customers. Since we’re a “Bank/Credit Union” we don’t have outside investors, because our investors is our loyal customers. When people put money in credit unions, they expect to gain interest over the years. But in 2008, out customers started paying higher interest rates per week. Our customers could have transferred their funds and stocks into larger banks but they stuck with us. Normally, we’re in the positive with new accounts but that wasn’t the case in 2008. My great grandfather got our business through the “Great Depression Era” and we were determined to get through our crisis. We got through “Reagan Economics” in the 80’s. And we got through 2008. Small businesses is the foundation for America guys, never ever forget that. Don’t let corporations tell you otherwise 🙏🏾

[@kyleanuar9090]

Even more devastating it was just a sinister game for the deep state to watch us suffer, according to them they do this every decade to keep breaking our legs and keeping us docile to their powers.

[@buckbenelli8]

And what did we do in 2016? Elected a bankruptcy expert and eliminated all the safeguards that the previous administration implemented.

[@carolperdue7534]

How is this Detroit’s problem? This place is 30 miles from the city and had nothing to do with Detroit.

[@daltonnagley]

It's easier to say Detroit it's a thing if u live there u say your from Detroit

[@blaken3824]

@@daltonnagley not when talking about a specific location. When in a different state or country then sure that's wut they say. This is Pontiac not Detroit.

[@Mobius_Pizza]

Well these cities/township are within the Detroit Metropolitan area.

[@FrankaiVideos-DetroitsComeback]

Thanks and yes!

[@KrystalLioness]

People who live in any Bloomfield or other well-off location do not consider themselves part of Detroit. Some work in Detroit but it's not a flex if you know what I mean.

[@jakezoet-jd1wk]

Hard to believe there’s now 90 episodes of Abandoned, can’t wait to see what the 100th episode of Abandoned will be

[@SiarraElaine]

I’ve lived in metro Detroit my whole life and never knew about this. I love your work!

[@cartermacewen3086]

I worked right next to this place at a hockey store, and it’s now a small retail area with a doctors office and hotel. Not what it was supposed to be but I’m glad a lot of it has been redeveloped.

[@michiganrailfanfilms353]

I live in Bloomfield Township, and remember the buildings just sitting. I was VERY young at the time and I would ask my parents back then what they were for, and they told me that the buildings were being torn down. My parents personally never thought the land would be used again. But it is. I regularly go to the Planet Fitness there, and my dad goes to the Menards there a good bit for whatever reasons he needs to go there. The parking lots always have a lot of cars and it’s always pretty busy. Great work Jake, can’t wait to see more!

[@pinklemonadez9079]

I used to drive past this place every day as a kid and ask my parents what in the world it was. I never really got an answer, so this video is really cool to see. I actually worked at the Aldi now on the property a few times, and still had no idea. It sounds like a project that was way ahead of its time, but who knows if it would work out even today. It a shame that these massive parking projects "work better" than projects that project a happier lifestyle. Now I wonder what my community would have looked like if this project made it to completion

[@kriscynical]

I mean this in the best way, Jake: the even, calm tone and cadence to your voice makes these Abandoned episodes really great for falling asleep to after first viewing. They're very soothing!

[@SophSax]

Totally agree! I’m a longtime viewer and will often put on some of my favorite “old” episodes as relaxing background noise

[@pathoyer5402]

The same thing happened in Alpharetta, GA in 2008. A project that was supposed to be an urban live, work, play complex stopped building. Eventually they had to rip everything down and start over as a live, play project. Lots of retail with apartments above the retail, homes on one side, and a hotel / convention center on the other side. It is now a thriving community.

[@jeromebennett9154]

Didn’t expect to read about Avalon in an Abandoned episode 😂

[@pathoyer5402]

@@jeromebennett9154 I drove by it every weekday to work. The city required the initial developers to get Westside Parkway done first. Then 2008 came and the developers went broke.

[@bdroller]

@@jeromebennett9154yea same

[@bmacaulay18]

@@jeromebennett9154 Exactly. The Avalon may have had a false start but it was never an abandoned project.

[@alexandergrande]

WHAT? I never knew that Avalon was originally supposed to begin it's start earlier, this is completely new to me!

[@peggypentecost7486]

Bloomfield Park is not near Detroit. This is a 40 minute drive from Detroit near probably one of the most rich areas of Michigan.

[@warrenwalker8170]

Pontiac is not rich

[@tuck6464]

@@warrenwalker8170 He's been dead for well over 300 years, he hasn't been working lately.

[@SupercellSucks]

@@warrenwalker8170 She say didn't Pontiac, did she?

[@KrystalLioness]

​@warrenwalker8170 True, it's in the middle of the wealthy areas and an embarrassment. Lived there for many years and no one knows what to do with it.

[@KV9599]

It’s a 15 minute drive away and is part of the metro Detroit area. It’s not far at all from

[@DetroitEXP]

Incredibly informative and well put together video. I am so grateful to have visited it during the brief period it was accessible, it was a huge item checked off the bucket list for my crew and I during our time venturing around this place. Absolutely fascinating history, what a shame it never came to fruition. Appreciate highlighting some of our shots from inside that place, wish I could do it all over again with the equipment I have now. It's not every day you come across a rotting modern cityscape. Banger content as per usual, cheers from Detroit, man :)

[@autisticinterstatesign]

how tf did you comment 11 days ago

[@nursestoyland]

Channel member

[@AlexandruCarjan]

@@autisticinterstatesign You do know you can upload videos and keep them unlisted except for the people who have the link right?

[@fatteebaddee]

​@@AlexandruCarjan your saying the date stamp is renewed from 11 days to 1 hour when relisted and keeps all comments made by allowed viewers? We not creators, so this already sounds like a illogical system

[@mbryson2899]

​@@autisticinterstatesignWhy tf do you care?

[@kimonoqueen2069]

i got jumpscared at the realization youre almost at 100 episodes of abandoned. this series kept me sane during quarentine and brought about my major interest in abandoned and bankrupt companies. you have put out a great series and it just keeps getting better in quality. heres to 100!!

[@MonkeyFace544]

90! Been watching since the beginning, I feel like a proud mama! You’ve come so far and I still love your passion for these spaces. Kudos!

[@mariebelladonna437]

I love your screen name. I call my son Monkeyface sometimes lol.

[@MonkeyFace544]

@@mariebelladonna437 I love that! My husband was been lovingly calling me that for years. 💛

[@mariebelladonna437]

@@MonkeyFace544Aww, that's too sweet! My real name starts with an "L" and has 2 syllables, and I love ladybugs. So my husband has called me "L******bug", almost since we first got together. 😊

[@ameerdaniel7041]

I love when they leave little things abandoned on site like the board walks they left. So cool to me.

[@kingpetra6886]

Another planned community bites the dust.

[@ScottsMotoAdventures]

I remember moving to Pontiac in 2010 and seeing these structures. I left Michigan around 2016. I still come back and just a few months ago I got to stay at the hotel built on site. Its very nice and has good staff. The wingstop in the rebuilt center...ehh. They need a nice restaurant within walking distance

[@Mannndoesports]

I grew up about a mile away from these buildings. I moved about a decade ago, but just yesterday I was randomly in the area talking to my friend about how these abandon buildings just stood there after the 2008 recession. I was driving past the site trying to seek them out, when I saw the Henry Ford sign and immediately knew that was one of the old structures. I remember being excited of what the buildings could become when it quickly became apparent that they weren’t going to become anything at all. I never knew the original concept, but S/O to Bright Sun for shedding light on Pontiac MI and well documenting its history. Also, still shocked this was posted probably around the exact same time I was driving by and talking about these buildings. Good job Jake with documenting these hidden gems and these random places.

[@davidross6782]

I understand wanting a sensational title, but Detroit is NOT Pontiac. Bloomfield Park is Bloomfield Township and Pontiac's development failure.

[@definitelynotRoberto]

Thank you!!

[@bucknut2000]

@@definitelynotRobertoWell it’s a part of Detroit Metro isn’t it.

[@detroitshadowlands]

​@@bucknut2000We're sensitive about the distinction

[@This-country-sucks-4]

Exactly. Been saying that. They like using the name but hate it. If that was the case change the names from pontiac Bloomfield troy warren and shit to detroit. Hate mfs claiming the name

[@This-country-sucks-4]

​@@bucknut2000no it isn't go to yall city councils and shit and fight to change the names to detroit. That way yall can call it that. Cause when it's negative yall want to say your in troy and shit. But when it's good. Yea were in detroit. Foh lol

[@RKelleyCook]

Great episode. Never seen anyone take on this debacle of a project. As a resident of Bloomfield Township, there is a minor nit; it is not a city. It is a charter township which is a legally independent entity from the county which has shared services (police, fire, animal control, etc). However, a charter township can be carved up into cities if the residents of a particular parcel collectively decide to do so, which is how Pontiac was able to annex the land; the rest of the township had no say in the matter. There weren't very many residents in that particular parcel, so the developers made sure the half of them voted the right way (*cough* promises of a big check in exchange for the future destruction of their home *cough*) Somewhat ironically the rest of Bloomfield Township is one of the richest areas in Michigan and has one of the best school districts. The new "24 at Bloomfield" apartment complex (whats left of the residential plan) are very nice and get to put a Bloomfield Twp zip code (48302), but the residents do not get to send their kids to Bloomfield Hills Schools and they gets Pontiac services.

[@billyjoejimbob56]

Also a resident of Bloomfield Township, one additional clarification. Yes it is one of the richest areas in Michigan, but it does not have a school district. Depending on their location, Township residents children attend either Birmingham Schools, or Bloomfield Hills Schools and pay a portion of the taxes accordingly. Both are very good districts, although Bloomfield Hills has incurred significant costs downsizing it capacity as student headcount has decreased in recent decades. I believe "master planners" like to believe their developments will attract families of all ages, but in reality most families seeking good schools at reasonable cost prefer single family homes in lower density "suburban" settings. Had Bloomfield Park been built according to the orignal plan, most people wealthy enough to consider living there with school age kids would have rejected Pontiac Schools and looked elsewhere. As the 2008 recession loomed, that likelihood became painfully apparent to both developers and their lenders.

[@basket472]

Been watching since 2017. I go to Oakland University, hearing you cover my backyard is cool lmao.

[@winspaarkiebarkiebarker]

Such a fascinating video. New urbanism has a lot of flaws that have been adapted in Urbanism as it is today. Still though, this is a great example of why a good idea isn’t always a good end project. Sometimes realities like interest rates, funding structures, material costs, etc need to be at the forefront of design. Brilliant video as always ❤

[@jellytv2400]

Wow this is over 30 minutes away from Detroit. This is not located in Detroit.

[@adamcalvaneso9624]

Metro Detroit

[@FrankaiVideos-DetroitsComeback]

Thanks and yes!

[@andrewbrockman3948]

Suburbs of Detroit

[@archimetropolis]

Is providence a suburb of new york

[@XoDemonBunnyoX]

90 episodes omg! I love this series so much the way you present the information is so engaging, I actually started watching one of your videos once and turned around and saw both of my parents captured by it instead of doing whatever they were supposed to be doing and my dad went down a rabbit hole because he remembered driving by the place you were talking about! Anyway long way of saying i hope this series continues!!

[@stickynorth]

What a metaphor for the New Urbanism movement as a whole... Both Edmonton and Calgary tried to build N.U. suburbs at McKenzie Towne @ Calgary and Tewilligar Towne @ Edmonton but gave up the concept after like 2 years of pokey sales... Now the rest of both projects are finished off in bland vinyl-wrapped 2-car garage in front developments with only a couple of blocks of Victorian-esque architecture to trick you.. What a shame!

[@coastaku1954]

New Urbanism and Urbanism are not the same sadly, New Urbanism sounds like Urbanism-Lite, with tons of car dependency, looking like an outdoor outlet mall you can live in

[@EngineerOfChaos]

@@coastaku1954 In general, since these projects are almost always for the more well off, you have to convince those people that can afford it to downgrade from their single family homes for something like that. Why would they want to live in an urbanized area of the suburbs where there's really not much to do when they could either still live in their suburban homes and have more space or live in an actual city where there's a lot more to do? This is why I never will understand the "luxury condo" movements in the suburbs, even as a resident of them. What do we have special over here? ...Tons of diners?

[@coastaku1954]

@@EngineerOfChaos I think that only works in cities with very very hot housing markets, like my suburban hometown of Mississauga, which is attracting many of the high-end house buyers from Toronto, leading to a spike in housing costs and a Luxury condo boom, but the city itself is still super cardependent with a bus system trying to improve and a lone LRT line under construction for a city with 730k population. The only trains in Mississauga go to and from Toronto as GO Transit was initially just a commuter network but is now trying to become Regional Rail

[@Rootiga]

no form of urban reform or planning will ever work in a modern western country, you cant "fix" the issues because it is a free society and more importantly (free market). you cant just build whatever you want, where ever you want and force it to work like the soviets. people in the anglosphere (excluding UK) choose to use cars, even when given the option, most people would still use cars over public transport.

[@vurpo7080]

Another important thing is that you can't really build this kind of thing as "a project" in the middle of an ocean of car dependent suburbs. It works in Europe because it's just the normal way to do things in Europe! European cities don't build these tiny oases of "good neighborhoods" in the middle of some horrible suburbia. Americans shouldn't lose hope though. The Netherlands managed to turn things around from being totally car-focused to being focused on people, in just a few decades. If Americans gathered enough power and will, they could also do the same.

[@mired914]

Been one of my favorite channels for years man, thanks for the great content!

[@pixiebebe]

Yessss I live in metro Detroit! Thank you for doing a video on this! Excited to watch :-)

[@This-country-sucks-4]

Not detroit.

[@wills2140]

It has been a long time since I was this early to a Jake video. For me this early is like seeing the Palace of Auburn Hills when it first opened. Thank you for a fun and informative video, Bright Sun Films !

[@strobelightbrian]

Thank you for sharing. I always enjoy these videos!

[@Someone69769]

Another banger video!!! Only 10 videos away the BIG 100!!!!! Keep up the amazing work!!!

[@MikeOxlong-mo8oh]

Can’t wait to see episode 100! Love this series.

[@wills2140]

Same! Jake does such good work documenting the "lost" structures and projects. I came in while casually looking through his videos on Walt Disney World and Central Florida resorts, and have enjoyed the variety of "Abandoned" and "Bankrupt" from Bright Sun Films ever since!

[@MikeOxlong-mo8oh]

@@wills2140 I started watching his videos back when the original Nickelodeon Studios video was new.

[@wishmaker]

congrats on reaching episode 90. Thank you so much for these wonderous forgotten buildings and I hope you continue on

[@collingarc]

Congrats on 90 episodes. I have been here since day 1 and its awesome. I lived about 15 minutes away from here. I totally forgot how much of a mess this was.

[@venomousnate7263]

I swear there’s a lot of abandoned places in Detroit you can do an entire series over the city.

[@xxdesertstorm]

tons but that is changing for the better, the old train station/hotel Ford brought bake to life looks amazing so that happening and more to come Detroit is turning around just will never be like it once was

[@stickynorth]

YES YES YES! Please give him the idea to make it so! The city is so fascinating! I've been obsessed with Detroit since I was a kid because WDIV Detroit is the NBC affiliate rural Alberta used on its cable system so we always knew what was going on in the city from the news intro's between shows...

[@venomousnate7263]

@@xxdesertstorm that is true though

[@Sorrowdusk]

​@@stickynorth😮 I had no idea.

[@eperks6]

@@stickynorthgood ol Local 4! I watched them when I lived in Lake Orion, MI a few years ago. I’d change to it to watch Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy, and other news (albeit I was a kid).

[@PrettyKatina]

Hey Jake, love your channel. I attended Dowling College, located in Oakdale, NY. Dowling College College is the site of William K. Vanderbilt's mansion Idle Hour. Dowling also included a campus in Shirley, which contained the college's aviation program and athletic complexes, and small campuses in Melville and Manhattan. Unfortunately, Dowling College officially closed its doors August 2016 and it is now abandoned. The mansion and grounds have faced extreme vandalism since its closure. I lot of residents around the campus is sad and upset that no one is taking action to keep the campus intact. Would love your insight on this!

[@halfghostgirl]

It is very fun exploring new places with you. Thanks Jake!

[@blakkween]

This video put me to sleep like a real bedtime story. Not because it was boring but due to your soooothing voice and pristine storytelling. I woke up and finished it. You’re amazing! #LongTimeSubscriber ❤️❤️❤️

[@emkaym8879]

You know it's a good day when your favorite commentator makes a new video

[@kaaat.1998]

No better way to start the weekend than a lil bsf ☀️

[@coldwetheart]

im so glad i have these vids to keep me company during my lonely graveyard shift, great video yet again jake!!

[@dacechasinghawk3910]

90th episode? Wow! I know you guys got something special for 100. I can't wait. Every episode is great. I end up learning something I never knew before. And it's not at all boring. But very interesting. I'm a fan she since new episodes were in the 30's. I think my first was River Country and I've been a fan ever since.

[@LowellBoileau]

My DetroitYES forum has a fourteen year discussion of this site under the title of Bloomfield Park - What Were They Thinking? I visited and photographed the site with its ironic likeness to the great factory ruins of Detroit. Your video is an outstanding presentation, particularly of the history and ambition, which as you say is admirable if poorly timed.

[@Ruffi0]

Novi is next. Hopefully it sticks.

[@i0606]

wow i used to live in an apartment complex across the street and small jog south of here, had no idea of the whole history of it and thought it was weird there was a big parking garage there. I went to Aldi in that complex a few times

[@starlight13081]

I really enjoy these videos. Thank you for sharing this knowledge 🙏

[@1337Frederick]

Thank you for another great video. I agree that the architecture and the entire plan was beautiful. What a bummer that it ultimately failed.

[@vsznry]

All the money probably went to "due diligence" & "client lunches" in Vegas.

[@tabbott429]

I dont know about anyone else but living in a shoebox apt in a high rise building in a concrete jungle with no natural land sounds awful. Pontiac is like Detroit and Flint. Auto jobs leave and it destroys the local economy. A huge complex like that wouldnt fill to capacity in such a low income area. Its was doomed from the start. 2008 made sure of that. Here we go again.

[@SenpaiSamaKun]

Pontiac is getting so swiftly abandoned, even the strip mall is half local rentals and the last stores in downtown have bottom tier property value like load bearing short rooms with rental spaces that are too small for hotels but too large for restaurants

[@tiberianexcalibur]

@@SenpaiSamaKunhopefully Unite Wholesale Mortgage who moved to Pontiac would invest in the city the same way rocket mortgage does to Detroit.

[@archimetropolis]

You know what's also awful? Living in a copy pasted house in a car dependant suburban wasteland with the only nature being the equivalent of green carpet.

[@garryferrington811]

I hate dormitory suburbs. You can really see where all these nuts with AR-15s are coming from.

[@smiththomas64]

Jake, you make great content. Keep them coming!

[@cnh7262]

My favorite thing to end the day with, love your videos.

[@samuel-no8yp]

I love how there was seemingly plenty of money to turn it into a suburban wasteland but not enough to keep with the original design of high density. It's been proven that high density pays a higher share of taxes than suburbia, so the argument around tax income seems like a copout. 2008 financial crisis aside, this seems like a total failure from everyone involved, especially the developers who bought the property afterwards. Why can't we have nice things:(

[@cbrewitt]

That was my immediate thought when the Pontiac official was quoted as saying the scaled-down project wouldn't generator enough tax revenue to cover city services. What they got in the end is even lower density. Big-box retail still needs city services and often negotiate tax breaks or tax holidays to locate a branch in a location.

[@samuel-no8yp]

This whole scenario screams corporate greed and possibly local corruption. I wonder who got to line their pockets from this mess.

[@samuel-no8yp]

@@cbrewitt And maybe it’s just a big series of unfortunate events but that seems too simple an answer.

[@cbrewitt]

@@samuel-no8yp There's a rule of thumb, "Don't assume malice when incompetence will suffice."

[@franciscodanconia4324]

I don't exactly see "new urbanism" and a healthy car free environment when one of the largest structures in the original plan was a massive multi level car park.

[@cliffbonds1472]

July 2024, This video was the top recommendation after I watched your 300th !!!;You've come a long way man, Keep up the great work!!

[@cvlogz7]

Hey Jake nice video on the history of this video very interesting of all the your videos throughout the years of this channel you explain it greatly and btw can you do a history of the abandoned richland mall also thank you of your hard work in these videos 💙

[@davidkinyon3903]

At the time they developed this Detroit was already struggling half the downtown was empty. Auto industry was in chaos and they were tearing down neighborhoods to build casinos that were never going to happen. Did these developers not even go to Detroit? This was doomed to fail before they even sketched out ideasdevelopers made the money and the Detroit citizens paid the price

[@MichaelEvanspishposh]

This development has nothing to do with detroit, its in an entirely different city 20 miles away

[@TakenTook]

Part of the problem is the video title including the word "Detroit," which is in Wayne county. The area of land discussed in the video is in neighboring Oakland County, which is rather wealthy in comparison to Detroit, especially the part that is in the "Bloomfields"

[@AnnMitt]

This development was near Pontiac. No where near Detroit and the citizens of Detroit paid zero price for the failure or success.

[@This-country-sucks-4]

​@@MichaelEvanspishposhthey want to claim the name when it benefits them. Otherwise they shit on the city. They far asf speaking on the city. Can't stand people lol

[@hsimpson6581]

What happened to all the people who bought condos in these buildings? Did they all just lose their money😮

[@fitgraphisva]

@hsimpson6581. I am not sure how this developer functioned, but my very first home was a pre-construction condo. I had to place a $1,000 deposit, refundable until 30 days before closing. The closing date was pushed back once or twice due to unusually rainy weather we had at that time. But I loved that first little condo. I was but 27 at the time, and felt so MATURE! (Lol) That said, since a bankruptcy was involved, buyers may have lost their deposits, if that that’s how the sales agreement was structured.

[@warrenwalker8170]

You don't think the bank lost any money do you. It would be like going to work for Trump do you wanna expect to get paid

[@early2exit]

This is wild. I clicked on this not knowing what area you would be talking about. I worked on the existing parking garage back in 2018 when they were trying to fix it up for the new development. Knew the garage was over 10 years old but didnt know why it was the only parking garage next to an Aldi and Menards which both already had parking lots. Didnt know the size of the original planned development. I now live in Pontiac and this wouldve been such a better area than what it turned into. Great video!

[@sonic6054]

remember seeing this when i was little, mostly only the parking structure towering over the construction gate, i was always wondering what was over there and then they finally did something with it by adding the henry ford center, aldi, and menards. cool to see more videos on where i grew up at, also cant wait for the 100th ep!

[@cr1t1c4lR3flex]

always gotta be early these are the best videos to watch while eating lol 😃

[@hgman3920]

New Urbanism is a great theory on paper, but in practice it often fails to live up to its promises. This is because the urban fabric which New Urbanists attempt to emulate developed organically over the course of centuries, growing, changing, and adapting over time. Modern New Urbanist developers, on the other hand, think they can master plan large developments with all of the best features of these historic communities, but more often than not they can't.

[@brick6347]

All you need really is a grid, and no assinine zoning regulations, parking minimums etc. if you build it, they will come. It's messier though, and there's so many people obsessed with micromanaging everything these days. But London is thoroughly messy, skyscrapers next to medieval churches, abandoned tube lines or train stations 50ft apart because competing companies built them etc... NYC is the same to some extent too.

[@EmpireStateExpress01]

Facts 💯

[@skepticalbadger]

Like the 1960s New Towns in the UK. You can't invent community.

[@cinnamonbun-zy7vw]

I love abandoned and bankrupt series! Keep going for continuation!

[@debbiem9218]

I love watching all your videos, they are so well thought out and presented. So sad to see this site the way it is, however, in the these days something like this just doesn't seem to be feasible.

[@Anamnesis]

I like how you recoil in shock over the idea that local residents weren't in favor of this (as though anyone who doesn't want to live in or near "master planned sustainable communities" is some kind of idiot) and then act surprised about the outcome.

[@MsMercury]

Pontiac can’t seem to catch a break.

[@jentrification_]

right, can't even get credit in a video about them.

[@happycamper4thewin]

Right? They are situated close to the Bloomfields and Rochester. You would think some of their money would rub off on Pontiac…

[@earnshaw5]

Great video as always bud, I have been a sub for about 5 years now and have been binge watching your older content again😂

[@BrightSunFilms]

Legend! Thanks!!

[@jayywasthere]

Almost to 100! Keep up the good work 👍 here at 7 mins

[@Jake76667]

i was literally born and raised in the state of michigan. and lived in the bloomfield district for 19 years. despite everything, i'm still holding out hope for detroit to change for the better

[@MacGregor.]

20 miles from Detroit

[@zacharyseckman4226]

This reminds me of the WaterWalk development here in Wichita. It was going to be "the" catalyst for downtown with shopping, hotels, offices, apartments, condos, restaurants and entertainment. It's since become a long-term hotel/apartment dwelling (by the same name), a condo structure, short term hotel, an office building, and a small fountain deck with...more downtown parking lots that we don't need.

[@sofiadiaz1357]

Hey Jake! Long time subscriber here, and I’ve loved your videos for so long! I’m in the island of Hawaii right now, and noticed a completely abandoned structure that was once Punalu’u village resort and restaurant. There isn’t too much information about it, and thought that this would be a perfect idea for an abandoned episode since you do places like this justice. Hope you see this!

[@M22Research]

Haha, we live in the area. Anybody even casually following the municipal battles from the start between the developer and Pontiac and Bloomfield Township, knew it would very definitely fail. The developer foolishly aligned with the City of Pontiac since Bloomfield Township was resistant. The quiet part nobody says out loud - Nobody with the kind of money to afford living in the original development would choose to live in a (dysfunctional, bankrupt) City of Pontiac property. “2008” was simply a nail in the already half buried coffin that was “Bloomfield Park” in Pontiac. Blame it all on the original developer, a scourge on the taxpayers of the area.

[@happycamper4thewin]

Absolutely! $1,000,000 condo but send your kids to Pontiac schools? Nah, they would jump in their Mercedes SUV and drop their kids off at Cranbrook

[@warrenwalker8170]

true and the jist of it - although it might have worked (except for the banks economic destruction) if it had been built directly across Telegraph Road on the west side. What does every real estate agent and about the only thing that they say that has any intelligence. Location location location

[@claudespeed277]

Bloomberg Park *located in Pontiac*

[@jilbertb]

Nope. It doesn't change cities until the bridge for Orchard Lake Road.

[@cherylm2C6671]

Jake, thank you for your video. It was certainly informative and also quite sad, considering the wasted potential of the project. But architects, Dionysian speculators and bean counters have been at each other's throats since BC and probably will not change soon. Great presentation.

[@Chesterdsimmons]

Thanks for the video, I enjoyed it as always.👍🏻

[@BrightSunFilms]

Thanks!

[@ryanmacleod3969]

Something else thats interesting to add is that the city of Bloomfield hates anything to do with Pontiac in general. Bloomfield Hills is one of the richest cities in Michigan and Pontiac is one of the poorest . It’s amazing to see the extreme differences in these two cities just by driving two minutes. Bloomfield residents also hate anything to do with public transportation. They opted out of using the only form of “public transportation” we have here for a short amount of time. They also voted against a regional transit system for metro Detroit. I love being from Michigan but it really does suck when so many people are stuck in that cars = freedom mindset.

[@warrenwalker8170]

Once again Bloomfield township is not Bloomfield Hills anymore than Southfield is Birmingham

[@ryanmacleod3969]

@@warrenwalker8170 Not really. Birmingham and Southfield are two very different cities with very different residents. Bloomfield Hills and Bloomfield township are very similar. A large portion of BloomTwnship residents even go to Bloomfield Hills schools. They both have very affluent populations even if Bloomfield Hills happens to be richer. Sure this sight is actually in Bloomfield Township but my point still stands that whether it’s Bloomfield Hills or Bloomfield Township that the residents want more low density single family housing and nothing to do with public transportation. Primarily because it doesn’t benefit them as much as it does poorer Michiganders without access to reliable transportation.

[@warrenwalker8170]

@@ryanmacleod3969 better check your facts. Bloomfield Hills is the richest community in Michigan only 5 mi.² and Bloomfield township is the 13th richest. The order of magnitude difference is huge,. School systems overlap cities and townships all over the state and it doesn't mean a thing. As do birmingham schools. Try telling anybody that lives in Bloomfield Hills but they're the same as Bloomfield township and they will drive over you with their Lamborghini. Bloomfield Hills had nothing to do with that development. And Bloomfield Township didn't wanna have anything to do with it either because it was beneath them. The rich communities Birmingham included have fought any kind of low income housing since the 1950s. In fact Bloomfield Hills has no sidewalks along Woodward Avenue where the maids lineup to take the bus to go home after cleaning the rich peoples house. ok now they come by mini bus - 6 months at a time from Poland. Just like at mar largo hypocrites

[@warrenwalker8170]

Bloomfield hills is ranked in the top 20 for the whole midwest - Bloomfield township does not even come close. Bloomfield hills is not Bloomfield township and Detroit is not Pontiac - Just the FACTS

[@MrJohnnymarlboro]

I live in Swartz Creek Michigan...... Thanks BSF

[@DarlingInTheBismarck]

As someone who lives in Bloomfield This was a really really cool watch! Thanks for making this!

[@kaywee4200]

Your content is top tier. Wonderful.

[@vilhelmlin1]

"character of the area" is used by every group opposed to new construction. The NIMBY rallying cry. Affordable housing, apartments, walkable places to live or work, public transportation infrastructure, green spaces. It's all a threat to them.

[@archimetropolis]

Nothing says "character" like the same single family house with massive garage copy pasted for miles on end with absolutely nothing else but a single school

[@antoinemoorman5754]

Not in Detroit mind you. People love to attach Detroit to any negative headline, but when there’s a positive headline *crickets*

[@rustyriley4]

Aren’t Pontiac and Bloomfield Township both part of Detroit? “Bloomfield Township is a charter township in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. A northern suburb of Detroit, Bloomfield Township is located roughly 20 miles (32 km) northwest of downtown Detroit.” “Pontiac (⫽ˈpɒn(t)iæk⫽ PON-(t)ee-ak) is a city in and the county seat of Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan.[3] Located roughly 26 miles (41.8 km) northwest of downtown Detroit, Pontiac is part of the Detroit metropolitan area, and is variously described as a satellite city or suburb of Detroit.”

[@lotusflower7553]

@@rustyriley4Clearly, you don’t own a map. They are not a part of Detroit.

[@jilbertb]

Well, Detroit is in Wayne County and this development is in Oakland County, 20 miles away from 8 Mile, so... It's more of a suburb of Detroit, not the Metro area. Metro would be Livonia, Southfield, Ferndale, Eastpointe, Dearborn...

[@Raytracer96024]

​@@lotusflower7553 ameriKKKans like you are are very repulsed to the term of 'owning it'

[@kyle857]

​@@lotusflower7553 It's suburban Detroit

[@hannes3452]

The Weekend and my three week vacation starts right when there is a new BSF Video up. 💪

[@roadweary5252]

Another great episode, Jake!

[@Alex_FRD]

Abandoned - Just Detroit

[@jentrification_]

hahaha except this is not in Detroit, near a border, or accessible by public transit or walking. Detroit is just it's nearest city.

[@richardbrobeck2384]

What a waste of money and those Contractors who lost out !

[@ScareFestTTV]

Congrats on Episode 90! Cheers from New Brunswick Canada 🇨🇦

[@thet0xicfish]

I live under 20 miles from here and I study this area's history of development and urban planning. Somehow I've never heard of/seen this, although it isn't really in an area I'm usually in. Thank you for making this wonderful video!

[@ErikTheOkapiYT]

Bloomfield Park - the one place in the Detroit suburbs that never got a chance to "bloom"....

[@This-country-sucks-4]

Prob cause it's nowhere near detroit

[@jimcurt99]

That place would have been EPIC for playing paintball...

[@archimetropolis]

Nah we already got so many abandoned malls but I hear you

[@too2great8]

Both Bright Sun Films and The Proper People dropping at the same time. Niceee!

[@ChristianMunxz]

Lived in the new apartments built on the site for the past 2 years and can confirm that the parking garage was nearly always empty. The small parking lot in front of the medical center never even filled up, so always wondered why they built the garage 😅

[@penrodautorepair3170]

This site ended up getting finished. It has a Menards

[@brasp]

Love the video. Has nothing to do with “Detroit” tho

[@rustyriley4]

Aren’t Pontiac and Bloomfield Township both part of Detroit? “Bloomfield Township is a charter township in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. A northern suburb of Detroit, Bloomfield Township is located roughly 20 miles (32 km) northwest of downtown Detroit.” “Pontiac (⫽ˈpɒn(t)iæk⫽ PON-(t)ee-ak) is a city in and the county seat of Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan.[3] Located roughly 26 miles (41.8 km) northwest of downtown Detroit, Pontiac is part of the Detroit metropolitan area, and is variously described as a satellite city or suburb of Detroit.”

[@happycamper4thewin]

@@rustyriley4No. Detroit is in Wayne county, the others in Oakland County. They have nothing to do with Detroit other than being called part of “metro Detroit “

[@brasp]

@@rustyriley4 exactly so not Detroit. Not even the same county, as you mentioned.

[@Giratina1999]

Thank You Jake!! Still waiting on the St Luke’s episode of Abandoned!!!

[@BlueJeanBaby]

Congratulations on episode 90 I'm a fan since the first River Country video. I enjoy the BS Travels also. 🎉