New development on Cass south of Warren?

[buckster1986]

I thought the same thing....figured it must not be...

[Detroit Stylin]

So wait, are they going to demo the old Psychology department building?!

[casscorridor]

The new development is great news, it will bring added life to that corner, and much needed new residential space. But the demolitions along W Warren and Woodward are troubling because there is no public plan for what will replace those buildings. I want to see some renderings. A press release. Something. Wayne State has an ugly history of "urban renewal" AKA demolish everything.

[JBMcB]

Wayne State has an ugly history of "urban renewal" AKA demolish everything.

I worked in the university development department for a little while. It's *much* easier securing funding for a new building than getting redevelopment money.

[leady106]

On the Wayne State's web site, under Facilities Planning and Management there is a link to this summer's projects that includes the demolition of a majority of the block. It does not say what their final intention is with the Woodard and Warren site however is mentions temporay pedestrian access paths.

[buckster1986]

"In 2002, the University purchased several properties from Detroit Public Schools including 5057 Woodward [[Maccabees Building). Following that acquisition the building was renovated to accommodate a number of University departments and programs. Among those that moved into the building were academic departments previously located at 51 West Warren and 71 West Warren. These two buildings have been vacant or under-used since.

In late 2004, the University acquired the commercial and retail properties at 4823-29 Woodward and 4847-69 Woodward. Similarly, in November of 2007 authorization was granted to acquire the former American Civil Liberties Union building at 60 West Hancock. Together with the former Public Safety Building, Simons Building, and 51 and 71 West Warren these real estate purchases resulted in the University's ownership of contiguous properties representing approximately 65 percent of the city block bounded by Woodward, Warren, Cass, and Hancock. Finally, during the summer of 2008 renovations to 6050 Cass in TechTown were completed for the new Public Safety Department Headquarters, thereby vacating their previous location on Hancock.

When demolition is completed later this summer the Subway shop on Warren will remain, as will the Simons Building at the corner of Woodward and Hancock, and 60 West Hancock will continue to accommodate University programs. Following the demolition of the aforementioned buildings most of the land will become an open green space with a meandering sidewalk that cuts across the property diagonally from Woodward to Warren. Other improvements will include site lighting, park benches, lawn irrigation, and planter beds for flowers and ornamental grasses, all of which will enhance this intersection as a major gateway to the campus."

All from Wayne's website.

[warsaw7]

Is that a Banksy? Somebody better call 555 quickly to "preserve it".

HAHA proper +1

[Detroitnerd]

Other improvements will include site lighting, park benches, lawn irrigation, and planter beds for flowers and ornamental grasses, all of which will enhance this intersection as a major gateway to the campus."

We had all this pesky architecture and this, well, this CITY in the way of our beautiful, beautiful GATEWAY. We had to knock it down so we could look like a REAL university.

[detmsp]

We had all this pesky architecture and this, well, this CITY in the way of our beautiful, beautiful GATEWAY. We had to knock it down so we could look like a REAL university.

Are you seriously complaining that they are going to replace a few ugly empty buildings with a nice park?

[royce]

From Buckster1986, "When demolition is completed later this summer the Subway shop on Warren will remain, as will the Simons Building at the corner of Woodward and Hancock, and 60 West Hancock will continue to accommodate University programs. Following the demolition of the aforementioned buildings most of the land will become an open green space with a meandering sidewalk that cuts across the property diagonally from Woodward to Warren. Other improvements will include site lighting, park benches, lawn irrigation, and planter beds for flowers and ornamental grasses, all of which will enhance this intersection as a major gateway to the campus."

All from Wayne's website.[/quote]

Wait a minute! I hope that this park with this "meandering diagonal walkway" is only temporary. I can't believe Wayne State is tearing down all of those buildings for a permanent "gateway" park. I had heard that that corner was going to house a conference center with a possible hotel. Also, I thought that the "Welcome Center" on the other side of Warren was Wayne State's "gateway?" I don't have any love for the buildings being torn down, but I do have a problem with destroying the streetwall of that corner for a "gateway" park. Constructing another Ellington or Studio One Apartments-type building would be my preferred choice for that corner. The hustle and bustle of ground floor shops and above ground residences is a better gateway in my opinion. Hopefully, the park is only temporary and that something that houses people [[hotel, conference center, or apartments) is the plan for that corner for the future.

[Huggybear]

Preservation Wayne should mobilize... oh, never mind...

[East Detroit]

The hustle and bustle of ground floor shops and above ground residences is a better gateway in my opinion. Hopefully, the park is only temporary and that something that houses people [[hotel, conference center, or apartments) is the plan for that corner for the future.

Hopefully it is permanent. More greenspace in/around campus would be nice. And then connecting the bike paths to the DC, even nicer. If you want to see parking garages, wait to see what happens to the Psych and English buildings.

[Pcm]

There's already enough green space on campus. I'd rather have an active street scene than MORE Wayne State green space.

[detmsp]

There's already enough green space on campus. I'd rather have an active street scene than MORE Wayne State green space.

Can't a park be part of an active streen scene? Look at Campus Martius.

[Whitehouse]

Are there two threads about the same subject?

[casscorridor]

Are there two threads about the same subject?

yeah, I think that discussion moved over here, because the other one slid so far down the list.

[casscorridor]

Can't a park be part of an active streen scene? Look at Campus Martius.

That isn't a relevant example. Wayne State has abundant green space, all over its campus, and plenty of parking lots it could turn into so called "pocket parks" even though WSU already has many of these parks that are almost all underused. This is a yet another planning blunder, among hundreds, made in WSU's long history of urban renewal and campus-neighborhood relations.

In addition, this new "park" will not work because that corner will never be vibrant like Campus Martius so long as there is no buildings with people occupying them surrounding it. Campus Martius works because there are literally thousands of workers across the street. That corner is desolate and the only reason there is ever foot traffic is peoples walking to and from the bus or parking garage. The corner could be vibrant if it were lined with occupied buildings, storefronts lining Woodward and Warren.

What this "gateway" says is that you are entering a suburban campus, not an urban one. You have the nine lane Woodward that is hard to cross on one side, and Warren Ave 10 lane boulevard on the other. With the only row of stores being the building that houses Marwill. Sure, there is Barnes & Nobles on the other side, but that is nothing compared to what used to stand there...

http://nadc1.com/projects/proj_mackenzie-hall.htm

I don't know how many of you know the history of Wayne State's relation with the neighborhood, but it is far from outstanding. The University has been trying to get a "University City" started since the 1950s and 60s. A plan came about, but only one phase was ever implemented-- the destruction of the area from the Lodge to Trumbull and Warren to 94 to make way for athletic fields, the plan came about without any regard to the residents living there, and the area was deemed a slum, most likely because of race, which was the standard at the time [[see Black Bottom, Chinatown, etc). If fully implemented, the University City plan would have cleared the entire area bounded by Warren to Canfield and Trumbull to Woodward, as well as the area west of Trumbull all the way to 12th street, north of Warren. That plan was stopped by neighborhood community organizing.

In fact, the history of the University's expansion is so extreme that president Mathei wanted to demolish Old Main to make way for modern classrooms. There was a sense then that buildings are expendable, and don't hold any historical value. It seems that legacy continues today, at least in the administration.

[Detroitnerd]

Are you seriously complaining that they are going to replace a few ugly empty buildings with a nice park?

Haha. I am complaining that the university sees the city as an obstacle to building a suburban-style campus. It's a problem of competing visions. The buildings were not all ugly, and the university was the one who emptied them. Read casscorridor's excellent post above to get a better, more informed idea about the university's relationship with the city, its residents and its architecture. Then, perhaps when you are better informed, you can add to the debate.

[casscorridor]

here is where I am getting my info--

http://books.google.com/books?id=1uQ...0state&f=false

notice that it does speak favorably about President Irvin Reid, which over all I would agree with, in terms of urban development and making WSU into less of a commuter school, and opening thousands of rooms of dorms. However, he wasn't all good, but no one is perfect and he was certianly better than past presidents.

[Joseph C. Krause]

There are death fences around 51 W. Warren and the Psyschology buildings, which are each lovely and don't appear to be in poor condition. The demolition of these seems senseless, and if there is good reason for it after all, the University could do a much better job of letting the public know. Otherwise, where is the UCCA or Preservation Wayne on this one?

[Detroitnerd]

here is where I am getting my info--

http://books.google.com/books?id=1uQ...0state&f=false

notice that it does speak favorably about President Irvin Reid, which over all I would agree with, in terms of urban development and making WSU into less of a commuter school, and opening thousands of rooms of dorms. However, he wasn't all good, but no one is perfect and he was certianly better than past presidents.

Past WSU presidents have been kind of a rogues' gallery of demo-happy visionary-types. Didn't Adamany once say he wanted to turn everything north of the freeway into a "sea of asphalt"? When these are the people you're trying to look good against, it's a small job to seem progressive.

[Detroit Stylin]

Now if the goal of that demolition is to turn that block into the front yard of Old Main, then does it seem that they surgically demoded everything behind the facade of the building that formerly housed Dominoes and Radio Shack?

[Patrick]

Now if the goal of that demolition is to turn that block into the front yard of Old Main, then does it seem that they surgically demoded everything behind the facade of the building that formerly housed Dominoes and Radio Shack?

There was a Radio Shack down there? Has anyone shopped at Radio Shack since 1988?

[Warrenite84]

Didn't the sign on the ex-Christian Science Reading Room, since demolished, mention that a 4-story building was to take its place?

[Huggybear]

I thought that "sea of asphalt" was the term Preservation Wayne used right before it failed to prevent him from creating just that.

Past WSU presidents have been kind of a rogues' gallery of demo-happy visionary-types. Didn't Adamany once say he wanted to turn everything north of the freeway into a "sea of asphalt"? When these are the people you're trying to look good against, it's a small job to seem progressive.