Hey folks, I've seen here and on Facebook a few things:
"They're just moving dirt around at the Hudson's site! They're not doing anything!"
Hogwash!
Watch the daily videos. They've been making progress everyday, it's just that most of progress in 2019 has been made underground where you can see it.
"Things aren't going to happen because of Dan Gilbert's health!"
Hogwash! The Gilbert empire is capable of operating without Gilbert. Any existing things will continue to happen. Perhaps some large future investments\acquisitions might be delayed without his sign off, but Gilbert isn't needed for his machine to operate. I of course wish him well and think Detroit will do better with a healthy and active Gilbert. Any delays at Hudson or Monroe aren't due to Gilbert's health.
It is concerning to me that they're walking back the plans, as I really wanted to see a super-tall building. Gilbert's machine is really good at hype, and if they're generating anti-hype that does worry me that they're probably significantly scaling back from the peak-hype. However, they're still spending TONS of money drilling holes, putting in rebar, and pouring truck after truck of cement. If they had no intention of constructing the building they wouldn't be wasting money.
Also, Gilbert has spent a ton of money expanding the One Campus Martius [[Compuware) building. That project is ahead of schedule and may be occupied as soon as this year or early next.
Gilbert has done enough that I believe he's working in good faith. Z-Lot constructed with first floor retail. New data center constructed. First National building purchased, renovated, and fully occupied. Dime building renovated and fully occupied. Compuware building purchased, fully occupied, expanded. And so many other buildings have been purchased, renovated, and are fully occupied. There's been a ton of progress at the Hudson site. His promises haven't been empty. There's a lot of evidence that he's the real deal.
Let us just hope that the coming recession is delayed or not very bad.