Dan Gilbert is single-handedly rebuilding downtown Detroit?!

**BrushStart** · May-30-11, 09:33 AM

Okay, well maybe not single-handedly, but this guy is building an empire. In the last few months, Dan Gilbert has

purchased 3 high rises, plus other properties in the CBD;
moved more than 2k of his own company's employees downtown;
is now signing leases with new companies to bring downtown;
is trying to bring an Apple Store to Campus Martius;
made an offer to Channel 95.5 to get back to the city;
put up a $25 million donation for Detroit's light rail line;
plugged Detroit constantly wherever he goes.

I have no connection to Dan Gilbert, I've never even met him, but what we seem to have in common is a love for this city. Like me, he's clearly been bitten by the "Detroit-bug." Gilbert is emerging as the biggest player on Detroit's business landscape. If Mike Ilitch doesn't start making some moves, Gilbert is going to eclipse him as the resident billionaire. And, while I'm sure Gilbert is going to make loads of money rebuilding the CBD, it seems to me like he genuinely cares and wants to make Detroit a better place rather than simply raping it for its scraps like so many who came before him.

Next brick in Gilbert's real estate empire: First National - Crain's - Dan Duggan

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · May-30-11, 10:44 AM

Add me to those with a man-crush on Gilbert. Just not quite in the same way I have had crushes on other guys.

**Whitehouse** · May-30-11, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by DetroiterOnTheWestCoast

Add me to those with a man-crush on Gilbert. Just not quite in the same way I have had crushes on other guys.

Let's hope he also has some plans for the Wurlitzer building.

**tkelly1986** · May-30-11, 11:29 AM

In the article Dan Gilbert mentioned that they are looking to bring in some major tenants. Since random speculation is one of the strengths of this forum, would anyone like to take a guess at the firms he may be talking about? [[I am assuming they are suburban firms)

How many people would 400,000 square feel fit? And which is these buildings will be the Quicken HQ at the end of the day? The First FInancial seems like a far more prominent building, so I don't know why DG would not place the Quicken folks there with a big shiny sign on top.

**Flintoid** · May-30-11, 11:52 AM

If Dan Gilbert wants to make a boatload of cash rebuilding and bringing people back to Downtown Detroit, I wish him all the best. If he can show that money can be made doing that, you'll get alot more wanting to get a slice of profit from investing in the city. I also would like to admit a man crush on Dan Gilbert.

**stasu1213** · May-30-11, 12:49 PM

I hope that person or people who work for the cith including elected officials and appointed officials don't allow themselves to be bought off by those rivaling Gilbert who don't want to the stores in downtown

**stasu1213** · May-30-11, 12:50 PM

Originally Posted by Whitehouse

Let's hope he also has some plans for the Wurlitzer building.

I thought that Judge Daphne Means' husband owned that building

**stinkytofu** · May-30-11, 02:39 PM

It would be nice to get Charter One [[back) downtown....and PNC...and Bank of America...and Huntington...

**313WX** · May-30-11, 04:23 PM

Originally Posted by tkelly1986

In the article Dan Gilbert mentioned that they are looking to bring in some major tenants. Since random speculation is one of the strengths of this forum, would anyone like to take a guess at the firms he may be talking about? [[I am assuming they are suburban firms)

How many people would 400,000 square feel fit? And which is these buildings will be the Quicken HQ at the end of the day? The First FInancial seems like a far more prominent building, so I don't know why DG would not place the Quicken folks there with a big shiny sign on top.

ePrize? Fifth Third Bank?

Has Fathead moved down there yet?

**Richard** · May-30-11, 04:35 PM

To quote outside of the city and state funders.

"There is a reason that those buildings have been sitting empty for all of those years"

Adaptive reuse has been working everywhere else why not there?
So what is really happening?

A shifting of the labour force from the burbs to downtown is that the answer? What then happens ? Do those then not leave a vacant place in the suburbs to be filled by whom? Do you not then encourage the relocation of certain undesirables from downtown to where, as the core becomes expensive?

Business is business, it is kinda like a small investor who goes into a rundown neighborhood and buys a fixer upper it is really not worth it because you end up with a nice fixed up house amongst the rest of the rundown neighborhood so to get the best return you really need to concentrate on the neighborhood as a whole then the value increases and you now have a solid investment.

Different people play at different levels.

So at this point price per square foot when compared to different investment positive cities is low so now if you have the cash then you can easily play the game of monopoly as all you really need to do is break even to cover costs.

Detroit is famous for starts and stalls,why is this? Because the auto industry crashed? Other cities with strong leadership have managed to overcome the one horse town concept or three horse in this case so that is an old tune.

So what really are you accomplishing by the shifting of personnel internally ? sooner or later you are going to empty that pot and when you have a large pot to fill you are going to end up with a half full pot stuck again as it is clear that lots of beans are leaving that pool on a yearly bases.

Is it a love of Detroit or a changing of the guard? Is it not clear yet what happens when one controls the majority,and the outcome?

The only funding for projects is coming from within the city why is that?Outside funders really do not care where the project is located if the numbers are there and it is a viable situation they can make money and that is why they do that,it does not matter if it is in the middle of the desert or in another country but when it comes to Detroit it does seem to greatly matter.

To create a stable Detroit and surrounding what is needed is outside investment, not federally propped up but genuine investment that brings jobs and a diversified economy to even out the hiccups in the local economy.

As it stands now the push is geared solely towards internal help for existing business which is good on one aspect but in the long term they will then be burdened with still covering the bulk of the financial responsibility through higher taxes or quality of life issues for their employees as the pot is to small.It is unsustainable long term.

Until the door is opened to outside investment it is going to be the same old same old, a few providing for the majority thus controlling the majority and those stuck in-between bearing the brunt of the costs.Open that door and embrace what is behind it then you will see a difference.

What Mr Gilbert is doing is a nice thing on the surface and kudos to him but as it is a bigger picture out there it becomes nice reading without fixing the underlying realities.

IMHO.

**Dbest** · May-30-11, 08:36 PM

Hey Richard, one of those "underlying realities" is how Detroit is unattractive for recent in-state college graduates. I don't think his vision is as short-sighted as yours.

**Richard** · May-31-11, 12:14 AM

I understand his vision clearly as it is well published,rebuild Detroit with 20 somethings going the tech route,and Detroit is going to be the next Silicone valley.

So if one looks at that aspect what percentage of recent graduates are going to come up with the next popular Iphone app and make millions.

With MI divided up into sections of maybe 4 at the most of first stage funding aspects maybe 1% will acquire funding at best what about the rest? Where are they going to work? Maybe California where all you need to do is have a tech idea and you have first stage funders tripping over each other.

If one keeps up with the tech aspect it is clear that a bubble is there,what happens then when it bursts? You have a city built on tech all you are doing is replacing the automotive aspect with tech which is just as subsectable to the ebbs and flows.

In my opinion Detroit and the surrounding neighborhoods/suburbs already has in place what at this time is this countries greatest asset which is the combined experienced knowledge of what it takes to move this country and all of that is being kicked to the curb,such a waste. China is closing its doors to the outside manufacturing aspect and in the end we all are going to be sitting on the curb collecting unemployment and playing games on our Iphones watching the world pass us by.

There is no brain drain happening in Detroit and surrounding but there is a serious lack of utilizing the existing brain power to benefit the public good for all for the benefit of a specific few chosen ones according to plan.

I guess the real test for a 20 something would be to pick a vacant building,come up with a rehab plan and a business plan and present that to Mr Gilbert and see where it goes in regards to funding.

But hey its just my personal opinion based on my personal experience and research and the realities of why one city choses not to embrace what other cities would welcome.

But I am "old" so I guess I would be considered not Detroit potential

No disrespect is intended to anybody no matter what age group it is all just a personal opinion.

**detmsp** · May-31-11, 12:36 AM

Originally Posted by Richard

So if one looks at that aspect what percentage of recent graduates are going to come up with the next popular Iphone app and make millions.

In the early 20th century would you have said investing in the auto industry would be a bad move because what percent of the population will be the next Henry Ford and invent a Model T? Not every one has to be the great inventor or visionary.

Originally Posted by Richard

With MI divided up into sections of maybe 4 at the most of first stage funding aspects maybe 1% will acquire funding at best what about the rest? Where are they going to work? Maybe California where all you need to do is have a tech idea and you have first stage funders tripping over each other.

So we shouldn't create tech jobs or venture capital firms that specialize in tech firms, because we don't have them [[it isn't true, but I'll play along), they're all in California. Instead of trying to change that we should give up and tell people to move West?

Originally Posted by Richard

If one keeps up with the tech aspect it is clear that a bubble is there,what happens then when it bursts? You have a city built on tech all you are doing is replacing the automotive aspect with tech which is just as subsectable to the ebbs and flows.

This makes no sense. You're saying that we shouldn't try to have technology jobs because the industry will have ebbs and flows? What industry doesn't! And no one is saying we should replace the automotive industry that we still have... it would compliment it [[as well as all of the other industries in the area). What is so terrible about diversifying the economy? In fact it would help us survive those ebbs and flows you mentioned so much more easily if we had a few more viable industries.

Originally Posted by Richard

There is no brain drain happening in Detroit and surrounding but there is a serious lack of utilizing the existing brain power to benefit the public good for all for the benefit of a specific few chosen ones according to plan.

No brain drain? Check the thread about how many people left Michigan last year.

I see a lot of stuff on this message board that I disagree with, but typically I can understand the other person's view points and see why they might think that way. This is not one of those times. The only way I can rationalize these thoughts is to think that maybe you're old and think that tech jobs are a bunch of nonsense because you simply don't understand what it is.

**DetroitPlanner** · May-31-11, 08:23 AM

Originally Posted by stinkytofu

It would be nice to get Charter One [[back) downtown....and PNC...and Bank of America...and Huntington...

Charter One [[Ugly building on Campus Martius), PNC [[Bhul) and BOA [[Gaurdian) always had offices downtown. Not big ones, but they are there. Huntington? I've not even seen one of those must be localized to N or E suburbs.

**eno** · May-31-11, 08:29 AM

Mike Ilitch has made an impact on downtown development.

**Danny** · May-31-11, 08:59 AM

WOW for all that is Gilbert as has done for Detroit, he should run for mayor by 2020.

**Crew** · May-31-11, 09:22 AM

Originally Posted by tkelly1986

In the article Dan Gilbert mentioned that they are looking to bring in some major tenants. Since random speculation is one of the strengths of this forum, would anyone like to take a guess at the firms he may be talking about? [[I am assuming they are suburban firms)

Dillard's, Nordstrom, Gap, The Limitied.

**esp1986** · May-31-11, 09:57 AM

Originally Posted by Crew

Dillard's, Nordstrom, Gap, The Limitied.

I have a close friend in the "Family of Companies" and, from what I've heard, I can say that more than one of those is on the radar.

It is good to see someone putting their money where their mouth is. Rebuilding downtown will not happen overnight, but every job that comes downtown is one more step in the right direction. Sure, Gilbert is taking a gamble with these buildings, but in the long run, if Detroit makes a comeback, he will reap some major benefits.

**stinkytofu** · May-31-11, 10:53 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

Charter One [[Ugly building on Campus Martius), PNC [[Bhul) and BOA [[Gaurdian) always had offices downtown. Not big ones, but they are there. Huntington? I've not even seen one of those must be localized to N or E suburbs.

Good point. Those banks do have offices downtown, but their regional headquarters are in the suburbs [[Charter One - Southfield, PNC - Troy, BOA - Troy). Huntington also has a big office building on Big Beaver in Troy right next to PNC and are actively seeking to expand in the Detroit market.

**English** · May-31-11, 11:57 AM

This is all well and good. Glad to hear it.

We have got to figure out what to do with the residents in the neighborhoods, though. You're losing the population that might have been able to compete for even blue collar and unskilled jobs in this new Detroit. What on earth are we going to do with the rest, have them work on urban farms? Could someone please help us figure this one out? Those of us who live in the "cool Detroit" can't insulate ourselves from the rest of the city...

**BrushStart** · May-31-11, 12:08 PM

Originally Posted by English

This is all well and good. Glad to hear it.

We have got to figure out what to do with the residents in the neighborhoods, though. You're losing the population that might have been able to compete for even blue collar and unskilled jobs in this new Detroit. What on earth are we going to do with the rest, have them work on urban farms? Could someone please help us figure this one out? Those of us who live in the "cool Detroit" can't insulate ourselves from the rest of the city...

Right on. And, I don't know...

So many problems and too few solutions. Gotta think about it.

**Hypestyles** · May-31-11, 02:14 PM

Originally Posted by Danny

WOW for all that is Gilbert as has done for Detroit, he should run for mayor by 2020.

...we'll see what happens by the 2017 election, could be interesting if he decides to..

..has Gilbert invested in jobs training programs for area residents..some kind of outreach to the non-college grad population here, something to address the adult literacy obstacles, the returning-citizen [[ex-offender) challenges in urban detroit.. Historically, Detroit has placed an inordinate amount of resources into assuming that the heavy-industrial manufacturing industry would be here forever. There was a time in which various factory and heavy-industry-related jobs were plentiful for locals, whether they were simply a high school graduate, or even a dropout. Of course, that era is long over.

**stasu1213** · June-01-11, 08:43 AM

Ann Taylor Loft, Chico, and other specialty store. I would also like to see local entreprenuers have a chance to open their boutiques and stores downtown or in the area. I am not talking about junk low end minded entreprenuers but those who could sell itemes such as clothing and accesories that would appeal to the common man/woman and not the trendy hip-hop or punk rocker crowd

**esp1986** · June-01-11, 08:46 AM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

Ann Taylor Loft, Chico, and other specialty store. I would also like to see local entreprenuers have a chance to open their boutiques and stores downtown or in the area. I am not talking about junk low end minded entreprenuers but those who could sell itemes such as clothing and accesories that would appeal to the common man/woman and not the trendy hip-hop or punk rocker crowd

The stores that pop up will be dictated by the market. If a decent anchor store can be lured in, then we will see a higher quality of other stores. If an entrepreneur has a good idea and capital to fund it, they will have the same opportunity as everyone else.

**stasu1213** · June-01-11, 08:49 AM

More shops for women should open in the downtown area. That will make the district vibrant for women do more shopping than men. A Mens Warehouse should open downtown for those of us who don't have the too trendy taste to shop at Sermans, J L Stones, The Broadway, and Hot Sams. Make sure police presence is high in the area so women could feel safe shopping. Open on saturdays and sundays for a change