The issue of the building height on the Statler site is NOT some sort of geeky, fantasy-filled debate that only has importance to SimCity fans. Those who think so and promote the libertarian attitude of "let the owner/developer do what he/she wants with their property" clearly understand very little about real estate development, not to mention the larger picture concerning economic development .
An important urban site like Grand Circus Park requires adherence to fundamental street design and placemaking principles. Placemaking attracts capital and creates jobs and wealth. Clashes of building scale and ignorance of building height to street/open space width ratios destroys placemaking potential. If the city allows allows a too short building to be built on that site, it might as well allow the exterior to be finished with concrete block and let the owner target the property to Section 8 tenancy. The economic impact on the neighborhood will be the same.
Some very basic stuff about these design principles can be found at this San Diego-related site. http://sdgreatstreets.org/learn/ We don't have their weather, but can't we keep up with San Diego when it comes to urban design?
The importance of the historic architectural streetwall surrounding the west half of GCP was one of the attributes of the area that justified its listing on the National Register 30 years ago. The tragic loss of the Tuller and Statler hotels should not be permanently perpetuated by allowing lower density structures to replace these buildings. Indeed, the Historic District Commission will have a say in any design proposed for this site. Hopefully they won't screw it up although this kind of large scale and dense new construction in a historic district is a new challenge. I wrote about this when the hotel project was proposed in January:
However, the question of the design of this project raises some very interesting issues for the historic preservation community, not only locally but nationally. As most know, this site is located within the Grand Circus Park Local Historic District. If this project moves forward, it will easily be the largest "new construction" project ever undertaken in a locally designated historic district in Detroit and/or the entire state of Michigan. The project must satisfy architectural elements of design established under city ordinance for the district, and it must adhere to certain federal construction rehabilitation standards established by the National Park Service. The incorporation of completely new buildings into established historic districts has generated endless debate among preservation types nationally. How closely should such buildings resemble historic architectural styles? Mimicry is frowned upon, but how distinct and "modern" should the building appear? If the project moves ahead, the developer will have to obtain the approval of the Historic District Commission for the design. Hopefully the HDC will be up to the task.
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