Edward Hotel, Former Hyatt Regency Dearborn, Closes Abruptly

**XDetroitr** · May-12-12, 07:21 PM

Name: Fairlane Monorail.jpg
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The Hyatt/Fairlane in it's heyday.

**Don K** · May-12-12, 10:52 PM

Originally Posted by XDetroitr

The Hyatt/Fairlane in it's heyday.

'Twas a pretty cool idea, but unless you were staying at the hotel and wanted to hop over to Fairlane for dinner, it was kind of pointless. I think I rode it once just for the experience.

IIRC, it was a one-off, and was shut down and the track removed when maintenance got too expensive for Ford Land to justify [[i.e., they had to special order parts for repairs, which cost a mint).

**DetroitPlanner** · May-14-12, 06:25 AM

Originally Posted by Don K

'Twas a pretty cool idea, but unless you were staying at the hotel and wanted to hop over to Fairlane for dinner, it was kind of pointless. I think I rode it once just for the experience.

IIRC, it was a one-off, and was shut down and the track removed when maintenance got too expensive for Ford Land to justify [[i.e., they had to special order parts for repairs, which cost a mint).

This is off topic, but the original plan was to expand the PM and have several additional stations linking Ford HQ, the Washer/Dryer, U of M and several other current and future facilities. This would have taken a lot of the traffic that you see bouncing from a to b off the streets. this could also explain why the area was developed devoid of sidewalks.

**Don K** · May-14-12, 08:48 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

This is off topic, but the original plan was to expand the PM and have several additional stations linking Ford HQ, the Washer/Dryer, U of M and several other current and future facilities. This would have taken a lot of the traffic that you see bouncing from a to b off the streets. this could also explain why the area was developed devoid of sidewalks.

I hadn't known that [[or if I had heard it at one time I had forgotten it). An extension to Ford WHQ/Ford Credit would have been packed at lunch hours.

**canuck** · May-14-12, 12:11 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

This is off topic, but the original plan was to expand the PM and have several additional stations linking Ford HQ, the Washer/Dryer, U of M and several other current and future facilities. This would have taken a lot of the traffic that you see bouncing from a to b off the streets. this could also explain why the area was developed devoid of sidewalks.

Whassda Washer/Dryer?

**Neilr** · May-14-12, 12:51 PM

Originally Posted by canuck

Whassda Washer/Dryer?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stylurus/2155147761/

**stasu1213** · September-25-12, 08:17 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

This is off topic, but the original plan was to expand the PM and have several additional stations linking Ford HQ, the Washer/Dryer, U of M and several other current and future facilities. This would have taken a lot of the traffic that you see bouncing from a to b off the streets. this could also explain why the area was developed devoid of sidewalks.

Too bad this idea didnt get off the ground. The commute from downtown to fairlane would had been much more convenient especially going to the airport. This is off the topic. Some guy who work at a theatre downtown had claimed that there were suppose to be moving sidewalks going up and down Woodward. He claim that he had saw the blueprints while he was working as a construction worker at the RenCen in 1976. I had never heard anything of such.

**DetroitPlanner** · September-25-12, 08:26 PM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

Too bad this idea didnt get off the ground. The commute from downtown to fairlane would had been much more convenient especially going to the airport. This is off the topic. Some guy who work at a theatre downtown had claimed that there were suppose to be moving sidewalks going up and down Woodward. He claim that he had saw the blueprints while he was working as a construction worker at the RenCen in 1976. I had never heard anything of such.

The moving sidewalks concept eventually became the people mover.

**downtownguy** · September-26-12, 11:56 AM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

Too bad this idea didnt get off the ground. The commute from downtown to fairlane would had been much more convenient especially going to the airport.

DP, were you referring the PM downtown or the one that ran from the Hyatt to Fairlane Shopping Center?

**DetroitPlanner** · September-26-12, 12:04 PM

Originally Posted by downtownguy

DP, were you referring the PM downtown or the one that ran from the Hyatt to Fairlane Shopping Center?

I am not sure which you are referencing. The downtown moving sidewalks was one of the alternatives considered when developing the downtown circulator. It was dropped in favor of the People Mover. Does that help?

**downtownguy** · September-26-12, 01:27 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

I am not sure which you are referencing. The downtown moving sidewalks was one of the alternatives considered when developing the downtown circulator. It was dropped in favor of the People Mover. Does that help?

I should have included Stasu's post. I think he understood the PM linking the Dearborn locations you spoke about was the PM from downtown. I assume you were talking about the Fairlane PM. Si?