On this Date in Detroit History - DetroitYES 25th Anniversary Flashbacks

[Lowell]

UPDATE: It's April 16, 2006 as we visit the empty streets of Downtown Pontiac where the elegant Strand Theater sits vacant and boarded up. Downtown Pontiac, filled with beautiful architecture, faced, and still does, an uncertain future.



On This Date In Detroit History - DetroitYES 25th Anniversary Flashbacks

As the Discuss Detroit forum enters its 25th year, I thought I would start this thread to occasionally flash back to pictures, memories, and events that occurred on the current date in the history of Detroit-Windsor family of communities across the past 25 years. Below is my first for today Jan. 7. Please add your pictures, memories and thoughts below. And beyond the 25 years if desired.

Jan. 7, 2012. As the moon rises in the east, the empty ruin of the AAA Building sits amid the bleak mud lot of the former Statler Hotel. Beyond it lies the fading Whitney Building and, topping it, new windows of the being-renovated Broderick Tower can be seen although the upper floors are still boarded up. To the left the restaurant floor topping the Detroit Athletic club is yet to be added. To the right, the tower of the Metropolitan Building continues to decay. Behind it the recently-constructed Greektown Casino Hotel can be seen.

[renf]

Thank you very much, Lowell, for maintaining this interesting and
valuable site for a quarter century. Congratulations on your
achievement!

[One Shot]

Thanks for keeping this site going. It’s a daily visit of mine! Been on here since the old site and the fabulous ruins days ��

[Gistok]

Lowell is there anyone else here besides Detroit_Stylin and myself that goes back in the the late 1990s? There are so many old timers that have been lost due to passing. And some have moved away... still miss Jjaba...

Back in the early days we invoked "Skipper's Rule" a lot, because so many development dreams were never to be [although that hasn't changed]. And back then there were a LOT of true Ruins of Detroit.

Sad that in those days we lamented the loss of Hudson's and the Statler. And back then nobody ever dreamed that the MCS would ever rise again.

And back then Peter Karmanos was the über developer to be talked about on the forums although since the Kwame "stink" and the fortunes of Compuware are nowhere what they once were, he's nowhere on the map for city development.

Back then nobody dreamed that Dan Gilbert would one day be Detroit's knight of redevelpment. Downtown would still be a hit and miss of major developments.

And then there's the Ilitches... I think that after Comerica Park opened up, and the Ilitches started their "Macedonian Parking Cartel", with little other development [while they waxed poetically about saving the Fox]. During the entire history of DYes... the Ilitches have never found a large following on this forum. That is except for Ilitch apologist MSU_Steve on DYes [he left the forum once he found out he was wrong], who thought that they would finally mend their ways with Little Caesars Arena... yeah right. In fact if there's one constant theme on DYes... it is that "will the Ilitches every come thru with more than just pretty pictures on their commitment to downtown"?

So many other tales to tell... with less financially endowed developers to talk about...

[Ray1936]

I'm still around, Gistok, and have to agree that the originals of 25 years back have disappeared. Even though I had left Detroit for Nevada before Lowell started this chat site, I quickly latched on to it and have enjoyed it nearly every day since the start. Was back in Detroit last August and wandered about quite a bit. Was fun, although a few 'old' areas were a bit depressing to view. Still pull for the Lions, Tigers, and Wings. Don't ask about basketball, dumb game to start with.

[DeLemur]

Detroit sunsets don't get enough credit. Gorgeous.

2012. What a great and odd year. I can't recall where the Detroit bankruptcy was, maybe almost finished but there was a simultaneous feeling of inspiration and growth in Detroit. That latter sentiment overpowered whatever we read about Kevin Orr and outstanding debt obligations, pensions, and Synagro.

1999. I can't really share what Detroit was like when Lowell started this website.

[Kathleen]

Been on DetroitYES for a long time, but probably dating back only to the early '00s.

Met many interesting people, some passed on, some moved on, some I still see occasionally.

Learned so much Detroit history and architecture through this site.

Love the threads where fellow Forumers reminisced about the childhood neighborhoods, block by block, and then others chimed in and added to the story.

Thanks, Lowell, for this platform that has enriched our lives in so many ways!

--Kathleen & The Grillmaster

[Ray1936]

Been on DetroitYES for a long time, but probably dating back only to the early '00s.

Met many interesting people, some passed on, some moved on, some I still see occasionally.

Thanks, Lowell, for this platform that has enriched our lives in so many ways!

--Kathleen & The Grillmaster

Yeah, this age-old transplant to Nevada checks in here every day. Memories abound! You can take the Detroiter out of Detroit, but you can't take the Detroit out of a Detroiter. Although I am grateful to be away from the horrible taxes in Detroit/Michigan compared to Nevada.

[Jimaz]

For anyone interested, there's a book on this subject:
On This Day in Detroit History, by Bill Loomis.

[jcole]

I've been around since 2005; lots of history on this site and a lot of friends, some have left but still live, some no longer live. Ravine escaped the surly bonds of earth, but his humor still lives on in the archives.

[gumby]

I too go back to the early 2000s.

Been on DetroitYES for a long time, but probably dating back only to the early '00s.

Met many interesting people, some passed on, some moved on, some I still see occasionally.

Learned so much Detroit history and architecture through this site.

Love the threads where fellow Forumers reminisced about the childhood neighborhoods, block by block, and then others chimed in and added to the story.

Thanks, Lowell, for this platform that has enriched our lives in so many ways!

--Kathleen & The Grillmaster

[Lowell]

Thank you for the kind remarks. And now for today's flashback.

January 9, 2001 The boarded-up Redford High School sprawls along Grand River awaiting eventual demolition. In June 2015 a Meijer store opened on the Redford site. As of 2015 it was Meijer's second Detroit location. This store uses stonework from the former building. Forum Discussion in 2010

[401don]

As you get older, having been around a couple of decades just seems like it's recent. What was the guy's name who used to post who rode the Dexter bus? I'm picturing a "J".

[jackie5275]

I've been here since the early 2000s, but don't post much as I'm generally ignored these days. I miss Gannon a lot. I'm sorry Detroit Uke left, but Detroit Uke has had some tough times the past few years. I love everyone here.

[jackie5275]

...the Ilitches started their "Macedonian Parking Cartel"...

Ha ha ha, I love it.

[Ray1936]

As you get older, having been around a couple of decades just seems like it's recent. What was the guy's name who used to post who rode the Dexter bus? I'm picturing a "J".

That was Jjaba.

[401don]

That was Jjaba.

thanks Ray. Two J's, even better!

[jcole]

I won a pair of socks from Jjaba in one of his contests....

[Gistok]

Jjaba and The Rock used to be good friends... I wonder if either or both are still alive? I believe Jjaba moved to Portland, and The Rock lived in Grosse Pointe Shores. They were already retired long ago. Of course if Ray 1936 is still with us [and he's older than dirt ], then maybe?

Jjaba was great on this forum... he always referred to himself in the "3rd person".

[Gistok]

One thing different about now in 2024, as compared to the turn of the new millennium is how much we take for granted new developments now.

Back then something such as the completion of the Book Tower, or Hudson's block, MCS, or even the development where JLA used to be, each of these alone would generate a lot more hype back then... whereas now we have grown accustomed to developments in the hundreds of millions or billions of dollars.

Back then we were starved for developments... now we are gluttons!!

[One Shot]

I’m really curious now when I joined. Some of the names jog distant memories! I remember when the Book Cadillac project happened and THAT was something!

[stromberg2]

I think I've been on here since the beginning. I think the screen was black with green letters, I believe. Congratulations Lowell!

Stromberg2

[Kathleen]

Jjaba and The Rock used to be good friends... I wonder if either or both are still alive? I believe Jjaba moved to Portland, and The Rock lived in Grosse Pointe Shores. They were already retired long ago. Of course if Ray 1936 is still with us [and he's older than dirt ], then maybe?

Jjaba was great on this forum... he always referred to himself in the "3rd person".

Sad to report that Arnold "Arnie" Panitch [[aka Jjaba) died just a couple months ago.
https://obits.oregonlive.com/us/obit...ry?id=53620805

His DYes handle Jjaba was derived from the first initials of the names of his three children, his wife, and himself: Joel, Jason, Adam, Barbara, Arnold.

Back in 2007, he honored me with a selection of postcards in honor of my 2000th DYes post. Just weeks later I sent him a prize honoring his 5000th DYes post.

[Gistok]

Sad to hear, thank you Kathleen!

I can picture our Jjaba in heaven... going to a Tigers game with his old girlfriend... where as he used to say... "he kissed her on the strikes, and she kissed him on the balls"!!

[Jimaz]

Sad to report that Arnold "Arnie" Panitch [[aka Jjaba) died just a couple months ago....

<gasp> No one could possibly meet the standards required to replace him. He was a truly unique individual.

Thank you, Kathleen.