Breaking: Illitch donating 40 million to build NEW WSU business school on Woodward

[emu steve]

And think of the teeny tiny amounts the Waltons give, almost all of which goes to their own family foundation. And that is after the taxpayers pony up for assistance to the struggling underpaid Walmart employees. Speaks volumes that you have to cite Carnegie, who has been dead almost 100 years.

There is a lot of truth to what WestCoast says: The American taxpayer does subsidize those employees at places like Walmart who receive food stamps, maybe Medicaid or maybe subsidies on their Obamacare, and also pay very low amount of federal income taxes because of low wages, etc.

If those employees were paid say 15 bucks or 17.50, they wouldn't be eligible for food stamps, Medicaid, would receive smaller Obamacare subsidies and would pay federal income taxes by exceeding the min. threshold.

There are very definite 'income transfers' from the federal government to the working poor.

Raising the min. wage not only helps those at the bottom but the next rung up. Wages would 'cascade up' for those who were making slightly above the min. wage.

[1953]

I'm glad he is finally replacing the downtown business school he tore down to build Comerica.

Now, if he can just replace all of the other buildings he demolished while "developing" Detroit.

[dtowncitylover]

Now, if he can just replace all of the other buildings he demolished while "developing" Detroit.

The Madison-Illitch Hotel?

[emu steve]

without dwelling in the past, a new headquarters building, apartments adjacent to Comerica, a hotel at Henry/Woodward [[it will come I'd guess in 2017 or 18), new arena, and a 120K square foot education building is a nice start.

That is five building projects with frontage on Woodward.

Maybe we should have some 2013 photos and do a before and after [[2018) slideshow... Folks are getting exactly what they asked for: buildings with streetwall on Woodward over what a half mile [[or more) stretch...

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

without dwelling in the past, a new headquarters building, apartments adjacent to Comerica, a hotel at Henry/Woodward [[it will come I'd guess in 2017 or 18), new arena, and a 120K square foot education building is a nice start.

That is five building projects with frontage on Woodward.

Maybe we should have some 2013 photos and do a before and after [[2018) slideshow... Folks are getting exactly what they asked for: buildings with streetwall on Woodward over what a half mile [[or more) stretch...

Sooner or later, Woodward will look like a major street in a major city again!

[Detroitnerd]

Does this count against the new development he's required to create to get his sweet side subsidy? It would be a neat trick if he got to write it off and reap the benefits of "creating development."

[emu steve]

Does this count against the new development he's required to create to get his sweet side subsidy? It would be a neat trick if he got to write it off and reap the benefits of "creating development."

I assume so, BUT, since when do folks give money away to make money?

When I give money to charity I assume that for every 100 bucks I give I'll get say 30 - 35 bucks back in my tax refunds [[federal and state).

Since when is giving away 100 bucks today and getting 30 bucks back next year a good 'financial' deal?????

I donate to charity for the charitable purpose, it isn't a way to MAKE money or save money on taxes...

All of that said, I think the Ilitches will go WELL over 200M on development per the agreement.
They will probably go well over on the arena. They are paying the cost overruns, I believe.

[archfan]

Sorry if I come across as a shill for the Ilitches...

No, that never occurred to me.

[MSUguy]

The Crain's article about the school showed an updated model of the area with the new building

[southen]

I wonder how accurate the model is for what will actually be constructed. Looks good in that sea of parking though...

[emu steve]

Detnews has a drawing of the new building:

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/bus...ings/74799678/

[xdet]

Raising the min. wage not only helps those at the bottom but the next rung up. Wages would 'cascade up' for those who were making slightly above the min. wage.

But raising the minimum wage also means costs 'cascade up'. The only way it works is if they 'earn' the wage increase- in other words, what they're doing is worth the raise otherwise it's all artificial. If an employee is worth more per hour he/she can go out and get a job that pays more. It also makes if difficult for entry level workers to find work. No employer wants to [[for that matter, can!) pay an entry level employee in many fields $15 or more an hour. Waving a magic wand raising someone's salary doesn't fix anything.

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

But raising the minimum wage also means costs 'cascade up'. The only way it works is if they 'earn' the wage increase- in other words, what they're doing is worth the raise otherwise it's all artificial. If an employee is worth more per hour he/she can go out and get a job that pays more. It also makes if difficult for entry level workers to find work. No employer wants to [[for that matter, can!) pay an entry level employee in many fields $15 or more an hour. Waving a magic wand raising someone's salary doesn't fix anything.

Bullshit. Productively has been rising for 30 years, with no corresponding increase in effective wages for the typical worker. In other words, virtually everyone has been earning it but not getting it.

Give a $10 worker an increase and all of it is recycled into goods and services.

[emu steve]

Bullshit. Productively has been rising for 30 years, with no corresponding increase in effective wages for the typical worker. In other words, virtually everyone has been earning it but not getting it.

Give a $10 worker an increase and all of it is recycled into goods and services.

Where things get murky, I think, is that productivity of workers has been largely because of advances in IT and tech in general. Think of computer aided design of cars or number crunching with computer programs rather than paper and pencil [[and calculator) 50 years ago, robotics, etc.

Companies have been able to do more with less employees.

I think we need to get back to Henry Ford's original idea of worker as both worker and customer.

Whenever we export a high paying job, e.g., someone engineering a car or plane or computer tablet or smart phone overseas, we lose a good customer [[the employee with money is somewhere else).

I assume companies like Apple have engineers, etc. on site where their high tech products are manufactured.

[emu steve]

BTW, that is quite a drawing.

It appears to have full frontage on Woodward from Sproat to Temple. It's height seem to be consistent with the height of the arena. The WSU logo will be prominently displayed.

Woodward from the Fisher to Temple will be a sight to behold.

Congrats to WSU and WSU business students who who will be in a 21st century building, beautiful building in a great location probably with every tech innovation known to students, etc.

If they also have classes, e.g., electives, on main campus, they can hop M-1 to get there.

Hopefully during the day, cheap parking in the parking deck behind the arena.

I'd guess that there will be internship opportunities with the Ilitches headquarters a few blocks away.

This is huge for WSU and its business school. No two ways about it...

I'm waiting for the 1st snide comment about 5 buck pizzas in a student lounge... or maybe 'catered' by a new Little Caesars store blocks away... Maybe a Little Caesars at the corner of Temple / Woodward [[northwest corner which is surface parking now).

[southen]

BTW, that is quite a drawing.

Agreed but probably for different reasons. I think it looks horrendous and the historic look they're going for is way too contrived. The school has a tradition of modern structures, most notably with yamasaki's buildings, and I'd rather see them go that route. My guess is they want something that says education just by looking at it which is unfortunate.

[buckster1986]

Different view of the building...

[emu steve]

Agreed but probably for different reasons. I think it looks horrendous and the historic look they're going for is way too contrived. The school has a tradition of modern structures, most notably with yamasaki's buildings, and I'd rather see them go that route. My guess is they want something that says education just by looking at it which is unfortunate.

I don't have a good feel for architecture [[although I know what I don't like when I see it).

My only comment is:

This is a standalone building FAR removed from the WSU campus so the design should be in harmony with the ARENA and not with the campus as a whole.

I do have a WSU degree so I feel comfortable saying this: Wayne's campus is as odd collection of buildings with many different styles, colors, etc.

I find the campus unattractive.

One of the nicest campuses in America is Miami [[Ohio). It is a collection of red brick buildings and looks in harmony. I have been on the campus. http://miamioh.edu/admission/visit-opps/index.html

I can't find harmony on the WSU campus.

[dtowncitylover]

Different view of the building...

That's actually not the ugliest building I've ever seen. While it does have a faux-historic feel which can sometimes be cheesy, I don't see it that way. I like the front steps leading out on the sidewalk and street which is cool. It's going to be a good puzzle piece to give some merging between downtown and midtown that hasn't been there in nearly 3 generations.

[stinkytofu]

The building that fronts Woodward looks awful - some cheesy attempt to look old, but it looks really tacky. Especially for the prime location. The building behind looks nice, but dear lord the entrance is bad.

[emu steve]

That's actually not the ugliest building I've ever seen. While it does have a faux-historic feel which can sometimes be cheesy, I don't see it that way. I like the front steps leading out on the sidewalk and street which is cool. It's going to be a good puzzle piece to give some merging between downtown and midtown that hasn't been there in nearly 3 generations.

What I like, I think, is that much of the building as well as the 'Bonstelle dome' seems to fit with the arena.

The arena is 'bold' [[all major league arena, baseball and football stadia are bold) and the new building is bold. [[It might not look good in the middle of a corn field or empty block, but next to the arena it is fine).

The arena will have a 'dome'.

As I previously indicated, the height of the main part of the building is consistent with the height of the new arena.

It has a set back from Woodward as the arena seems to have a buffer between Woodward and the main part of the arena.

The building says: WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY

It makes a powerful statement. The name of the building and the university name should be very prominent. When someone is in the area for an event or driving on Woodward it should catch one's attention, and it does, just like the buildings beyond the outfield at Comerica Park.

This building will be a big selling point for the WSU school of business.

I can't think of anything 'cooler' than a bus ad student taking an accounting class in that building, taking M-1 to main campus for an econ class, etc.

[MSUguy]

Can't say I hate the design, but can't say I love it either. For the entrance, it'll really depend on the materials they use, it could turn out pretty nice, if they don't go cheap on it.

[Wesley Mouch]

The building in the renderings doesn't dazzle me, but I'm OK with good architecture that isn't dazzling. Dazzle is over-rated. You end up with icons, that sometimes aren't pratical nor timely.

My issue with the renderings are the trees. The building looks like its hidden by trees. Are they embarassed, or are the architects just unable to put away their little fake trees. Its a building, not a park.

[dtowncitylover]

My issue with the renderings are the trees. The building looks like its hidden by trees. Are they embarassed, or are the architects just unable to put away their little fake trees. Its a building, not a park.

Let's put a little fake tree right there. That'll be our little fake secret.

[Mackinaw]

MSUguy, I agree. If they use decent materials and don't add any weird quirks, it will be fine. And the minimal setback is very nice.

While I sympathize with Southen that this is a missed opportunity to do something cutting edge, I do not think that this is bad, and I also think that it is a good use of the site.