Madison Theatre Building acquires first new tenant

**BrushStart** · May-26-11, 02:43 PM

Dan Gilbert has begun attracting commercial tenants back to the city with the Madison Theatre building on the corner of Woodward and Broadway downtown, the first of which is Skidmore Studio, an advertising and design firm located in Royal Oak, but originally founded in Detroit in 1959. Here's the link:

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...atre-building#

**Danny** · May-26-11, 04:02 PM

YAY! Now I have seen the renaissance of Downtown Detroit.

GUSHI · May-26-11, 04:29 PM

And here comes the RENAISSANCE, one by one back to downtown,

**spiritofdetroit** · May-26-11, 04:56 PM

get ready for a lot of surprises coming from Gilbert soon... seriously

**Mind field** · May-26-11, 05:02 PM

Originally Posted by spiritofdetroit

get ready for a lot of surprises coming from Gilbert soon... seriously

Care to elaborate on any inside info you have?

**stasu1213** · May-26-11, 06:17 PM

I wish that other serious minded entreprenuers would buy up buildings and make something out of them such as Gilbert is doing. Planting small firms and businesses in these buildings is much better than trying to get some big chain business to move in one of them.

**BrushStart** · May-26-11, 06:27 PM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

I wish that other serious minded entreprenuers would buy up buildings and make something out of them such as Gilbert is doing. Planting small firms and businesses in these buildings is much better than trying to get some big chain business to move in one of them.

Undoubtedly, they will. Give it a little bit of time. Once they start seeing that people like Gilbert are making money restoring buildings and bringing on new tenants, the developers will come like fish to chum. It's only a matter of time. Success breed success, momentum builds momentum. There are probably dozens, if not hundreds, of small firms out there like Skidmore who are interested in being downtown and at the center of it all.

**tkelly1986** · May-26-11, 06:29 PM

Does anyone know if the Madison Building is actually "finished". For a few years there seemed to be a unfinished elements, such as the steel frame on the roof for what I have no idea. Also, wasn't there talk at some point that the parking lot was supposed to be a garage? Will Gilbert leave this just a parking lot? [[I assume he owns that too.

**stasu1213** · May-26-11, 06:39 PM

Originally Posted by BrushStart

Undoubtedly, they will. Give it a little bit of time. Once they start seeing that people like Gilbert are making money restoring buildings and bringing on new tenants, the developers will come like fish to chum. It's only a matter of time. Success breed success, momentum builds momentum. There are probably dozens, if not hundreds, of small firms out there like Skidmore who are interested in being downtown and at the center of it all.

As long as entities such as Northern Group are not allowed to purchase. Northern Group had really set downtown back a decade

**brizee** · May-26-11, 09:11 PM

Originally Posted by tkelly1986

Does anyone know if the Madison Building is actually "finished". For a few years there seemed to be a unfinished elements, such as the steel frame on the roof for what I have no idea. Also, wasn't there talk at some point that the parking lot was supposed to be a garage? Will Gilbert leave this just a parking lot? [[I assume he owns that too.

As of three weeks ago no. They're sill able to show off the damage concrete and exposed rebar.

They're humming though.

**esp1986** · May-27-11, 08:13 AM

Originally Posted by tkelly1986

Does anyone know if the Madison Building is actually "finished". For a few years there seemed to be a unfinished elements, such as the steel frame on the roof for what I have no idea. Also, wasn't there talk at some point that the parking lot was supposed to be a garage? Will Gilbert leave this just a parking lot? [[I assume he owns that too.

The building is not finished. Construction lights are up, concrete and steel can be seen at night. I believe the roof was built with the option for a rooftop restaurant, that being the reason for the exposed steel up there. I can also say, this is the first of what will be a lot of dominoes falling from Gilbert.

**Detroitej72** · May-27-11, 08:24 AM

One can't help but to get excited when someone like Dan Gilbert starts to invest in downtown. I talked to a few folks who scoff about only a handful of jobs moving, but IMO its better to have 20 small businesses than one large one.

**Hypestyles** · May-27-11, 08:51 AM

which is the building that was a big theater but is now a parking structure? they used footage in the 187 show..

**thecarl** · May-27-11, 09:16 AM

Hypestyles, I think you're referring to the old Michigan Theater, which was also featured in 8 Mile.

**spiritofdetroit** · May-27-11, 11:09 AM

Mindfield,

Let's just say he isn't done announcing building's he's purchasing downtown, nor companies that are joining Quicken...

**detmsp** · May-27-11, 12:23 PM

It's great to see more suburban companies moving into downtown, but it would be even better to see companies moving here from outside the region. Once we start seeing that we know things are really cookin!

**Detroit500** · May-27-11, 02:18 PM

Those will be far more likely to happen when those leaders see the tax code isn't changing every five years, and when there is space for them. Part of the problem to is, lots of big companies already have offices in the region, Microsoft would have to leave Southfield, GE would have to leave Van Buren Twp., Google leave Ann Arbor, etc.

But I agree... we need more jobs COMING IN from elsewhere than leaving...

**Mind field** · May-27-11, 08:45 PM

Originally Posted by spiritofdetroit

Mindfield,

Let's just say he isn't done announcing building's he's purchasing downtown, nor companies that are joining Quicken...

Eprize needs to come on downtown. I think that's under Gilbert's sphere of influence, and they are quite a sizable company, would be a big gain for Detroit.

What will really be impressive is when companies outside of Gilbert's sphere of influence decide to relocate downtown.

**stinkytofu** · May-27-11, 09:00 PM

Originally Posted by Mind field

Eprize needs to come on downtown. I think that's under Gilbert's sphere of influence, and they are quite a sizable company, would be a big gain for Detroit.

What will really be impressive is when companies outside of Gilbert's sphere of influence decide to relocate downtown.

For the record, I don't think Skidmore is in Gilbert's sphere of influence. I think this may have been his first "outside" get.

And, yes, ePrize is very much linked in with Gilbert. Josh Linkner and Gilbert are business partners and both are involved in Detroit Venture Partners. ePrize is in Pleasant Ridge I believe and, frankly, I'm surprised we haven't even heard rumblings of them moving downtown yet.

**Mind field** · May-27-11, 09:10 PM

Originally Posted by stinkytofu

For the record, I don't think Skidmore is in Gilbert's sphere of influence. I think this may have been his first "outside" get.

And, yes, ePrize is very much linked in with Gilbert. Josh Linkner and Gilbert are business partners and both are involved in Detroit Venture Partners. ePrize is in Pleasant Ridge I believe and, frankly, I'm surprised we haven't even heard rumblings of them moving downtown yet.

Quicken is a client of Skidmores, so in my mind that qualifies as being under his sphere of influence.

**stinkytofu** · May-27-11, 09:19 PM

Originally Posted by Mind field

Quicken is a client of Skidmores, so in my mind that qualifies as being under his sphere of influence.

Ahhh...didn't know that. Would qualify in my book as well.

Apparently another company is moving downtown as well...only 5-10 people, but good nonetheless...

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...uble-workforce

**1953** · May-28-11, 11:18 AM

I have a man crush on Dan Gilbert at this point.

**Detroitej72** · May-28-11, 02:10 PM

This new hotel planned for the Whitney Building is more good news for the area.
http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...FREE/110529909

**stasu1213** · May-28-11, 03:19 PM

It had to take an outsider to come to Detroit to get things started around here. He is going to bring more high to medium end retail downtown and bringing small firms downtown also. Why didn't the local businessmen take that chance? I was downtown earlier today. Outside of the Techno fest and some restaurants downtown was dead. He is willing to bring the excitement back to downtown. Where a person could shop, dine, and play. I don't believe that one man should have a monopoly on all of the businesses downtown. However, if that one man is willing to get things started well let him have most of them.

**Brian1979** · May-28-11, 09:29 PM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

It had to take an outsider to come to Detroit to get things started around here. He is going to bring more high to medium end retail downtown and bringing small firms downtown also. Why didn't the local businessmen take that chance? I was downtown earlier today. Outside of the Techno fest and some restaurants downtown was dead. He is willing to bring the excitement back to downtown. Where a person could shop, dine, and play. I don't believe that one man should have a monopoly on all of the businesses downtown. However, if that one man is willing to get things started well let him have most of them.

Where are you getting that he's an outsider from? He was born in Detroit and attended Wayne State as well as Michigan State.