In Detroit bankruptcy, what will happen to DIA?

[DetroitPlanner]

I just bid for the museum on E-bay. I can't wait to see my futon and salvation army dinette set up in the rivera court!

[lilpup]

The taxes and heating bill are going to bury you!

[Lorax]

I believe the Founder's Soicety has control over operations at the musuem, a role they accepted in recent years. I believe the city owns the building and land, and the collections are largely endowments which are not technically owned by the city, since they can't be sold unless voted upon by a majority of the Founder's Society board. At least that's my recollection.

[Gistok]

Sigh......... I just measured it... and Frederick Church's massive landscape masterpiece "Cotopaxi" won't fit into my living room!

[cman710]

Lorax, according to the 2008 Annual Report I linked to above, the city definitely owns the building and land. The DIA and city have an agreement by which the city "operates" the museum, and the DIA "manages" it. It could be that the collections have a special status even though the city has title to the art owned by the museum, as you mentioned, but I have not been able to find anything to that effect.

I am still not sure how bankruptcy would affect the whole situation [[and receivership would be far more likely than bankruptcy), but I am hoping to get a chance to do some research this week. If so, I will post any information I learn here.

[LodgeDodger]

Lorax, according to the 2008 Annual Report I linked to above, the city definitely owns the building and land. The DIA and city have an agreement by which the city "operates" the museum, and the DIA "manages" it. It could be that the collections have a special status even though the city has title to the art owned by the museum, as you mentioned, but I have not been able to find anything to that effect.

I am still not sure how bankruptcy would affect the whole situation [[and receivership would be far more likely than bankruptcy), but I am hoping to get a chance to do some research this week. If so, I will post any information I learn here.

Please do.

[Trainman]

A three county property tax was proposed to save the DIA, just like the Zoo and the SMART bus system. Do you think this should have passed?

This vote failed but was close and many people would like to see this on the ballot again.

[Lorax]

A three county property tax was proposed to save the DIA, just like the Zoo and the SMART bus system. Do you think this should have passed?

This vote failed but was close and many people would like to see this on the ballot again.

Really a great idea- it's a good step toward regionalizing the bigger assets of the region. This is the key, I belive in Detroit ever resembling a liveable city again. Here's a list of what needs to be regionalized, blending the governments of the tri-county area into a single entity:

Police
Fire
Libraries
Museums
Parks
Auditoriums
Transportation
Tax collection
Permitting
Development/planning
Hospitals
Schools

Did I leave anything out?

[rex]

A three county property tax was proposed to save the DIA, just like the Zoo and the SMART bus system. Do you think this should have passed?

This vote failed but was close and many people would like to see this on the ballot again.

Like how they sandwiched SMART in between the zoo and the DIA.