Madison Theatre Building acquires first new tenant

[tkelly1986]

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.

How is Gilbert an outsider? He is from Detroit [[yes, the actual city)...It doesn't get more insider than that.

[Rocko]

Side note, if anyone has not yet been to Angelina Italian Bistro [[in the ground floor of the Madison Building) I'd highly recommend it. Great food, good service. Just make sure you don't go on a night when there's an opera across the street.....you'll be hard pressed to find an open seat!

Unrelated, it would be awesome if as part of the renovation of the building, they were able to put new neon tubes on the old Madison marquee and light it up. Even with the DPM track partially in the way, I think it would be a great touch.

I can really see Grand Circus taking off in the next few years. If the Broderick and Whitney buildings actually come to be what we're all hoping they are, those plus the Kales and Fyfe Building will put a large concentration of residents just surrounding the park. With the new employers within the Madison and lower Broderick spaces, there just might be some hope for the old Adams Building facade and the empty Statler and Tuller lots. Strange, isn't it, that those old buildings HAD to come down to pave the way for new development, and yet it's the old buildings which are still standing which are seeing the investment for Detroit's future. I Love it!

[esp1986]

Side note, if anyone has not yet been to Angelina Italian Bistro [[in the ground floor of the Madison Building) I'd highly recommend it. Great food, good service. Just make sure you don't go on a night when there's an opera across the street.....you'll be hard pressed to find an open seat!

Unrelated, it would be awesome if as part of the renovation of the building, they were able to put new neon tubes on the old Madison marquee and light it up. Even with the DPM track partially in the way, I think it would be a great touch.

I can really see Grand Circus taking off in the next few years. If the Broderick and Whitney buildings actually come to be what we're all hoping they are, those plus the Kales and Fyfe Building will put a large concentration of residents just surrounding the park. With the new employers within the Madison and lower Broderick spaces, there just might be some hope for the old Adams Building facade and the empty Statler and Tuller lots. Strange, isn't it, that those old buildings HAD to come down to pave the way for new development, and yet it's the old buildings which are still standing which are seeing the investment for Detroit's future. I Love it!

Mike Ilitch owns the Tuller site. If the UA ever gets restored, it will probably become some sort of parking structure.