Stimulus Funding for Illuminating Detroit's Landmarks

Lorax · May-21-09, 09:28 AM

Here's a proposal-

How about lobbying for stimulus funding for illuminating Detroit's top 25 [[or more) landmark buildings?

Paris had implemented in the 1990's what is called the Great Works Projects or " Le Grand Travaux". Conceived under Francois Mitterand, and largely completed under Jacques Chirac.

What Paris did was to renovate the Louvre, build the new Biblioteque National, renovate the l'opera Garnier, and with the most impact, lit the city's monuments and public buildings in a golden light, consistent in color and hue, throughout the entire city. The Eiffel Tower, Opera House, Louvre, Sacre Coeur, Napoloeon's Tomb, The Arch, Place de la Concorde, etc., etc.

In Detroit we could propose lighting the DIA, DPL, Fisher Building, Cadillac Center, Penobscot, Guardian, One Woodward, CAY Center, Wayne County Courthouse, area churches, Fox, Masonic Temple, Hurlbut Gate and Waterworks Pumping Station, MCS, Ambassador Bridge, etc.

What is interesting about the Parisian lighting program, is that these buildings are lit completely in the round. From all sides, top to bottom.

Yet another economic engine could be created, using state of the art lighting design, and emerging energy technologies.

It would not only provide ongoing jobs, but would be a high-impact visual which Detroit could really use, and would highlight so much of the city's architectural heritage.

Detroit has few assest left, and to highlight them, and turn them into something to see at night would open new doors to tourism as well. The international press would indeed turn a spotlight [[pun intended) on the city, and in a positive way for a change.

Thoughts please!

**Pcm** · May-21-09, 09:34 AM

Lorax, you must be my close friend, the architectural lighting designer...

**SDRdesign** · May-21-09, 09:36 AM

I like it! I hadn't thought about the lighting until I read this...I guess I'm curious about how to fund such a thing. Some of the great bldgs. downtown could be showstoppers! Even if it was just lit on weekends.
I guess the first thing though would be to make sure regular old streetlights were working, too.

**kraig** · May-21-09, 09:38 AM

Originally Posted by Lorax

Here's a proposal-

How about lobbying for stimulus funding for illuminating Detroit's top 25 [[or more) landmark buildings?

Paris had implemented in the 1990's what is called the Great Works Projects or " Le Grand Travaux". Conceived under Francois Mitterand, and largely completed under Jacques Chirac.

What Paris did was to renovate the Louvre, build the new Biblioteque National, renovate the l'opera Garnier, and with the most impact, lit the city's monuments and public buildings in a golden light, consistent in color and hue, throughout the entire city. The Eiffel Tower, Opera House, Louvre, Sacre Coeur, Napoloeon's Tomb, The Arch, Place de la Concorde, etc., etc.

In Detroit we could propose lighting the DIA, DPL, Fisher Building, Cadillac Center, Penobscot, Guardian, One Woodward, CAY Center, Wayne County Courthouse, area churches, Fox, Masonic Temple, Hurlbut Gate and Waterworks Pumping Station, MCS, Ambassador Bridge, etc.

What is interesting about the Parisian lighting program, is that these buildings are lit completely in the round. From all sides, top to bottom.

Yet another economic engine could be created, using state of the art lighting design, and emerging energy technologies.

It would not only provide ongoing jobs, but would be a high-impact visual which Detroit could really use, and would highlight so much of the city's architectural heritage.

Detroit has few assest left, and to highlight them, and turn them into something to see at night would open new doors to tourism as well. The international press would indeed turn a spotlight [[pun intended) on the city, and in a positive way for a change.

Thoughts please!

Is there still time to make requests? I thought the stimulus funding was sent about three months ago?

**DetroitPlanner** · May-21-09, 10:41 AM

Kraig is correct, a lot of the funding has long been tapped. You're a little late to the table. While some pots of money still need to be tapped, they are very specific pots of money.

Most funding available to improve public buildings is going towards making them energy efficient. How would adding lighting do that? It seems contrary to the goals of most programs.

SEMCOG has a great page that lists a lot of information on the Stimulus package and what is available for givernment projects. http://www.semcog.org/FederalStimulu...teForSEMI.aspx

**wolverine** · May-21-09, 11:16 AM

It is possible to illuminate buildings at a very low cost using energy efficient lighting. LED architectural lighting with assistance from photovoltaic cells cost owners almost nothing in powering and maintenance, solving the problems of obsolete systems as scottr mentions. Photovoltaic powered lighting has become extremely affordable in recent years as the technology has improved as well as production techniques. As DetroitPlanner mentioned, conventional practices to lighting up structures for the sake of aesthetics isn't all that environmentally conscious. But today there's a solution, that provides a visual demonstration of new energy efficient technology.

**Scottr** · May-21-09, 11:04 AM

While I would love to see these buildings lit up, not only would it go against the goal of energy efficiency, it would create an ongoing cost that would not be covered by stimulus funding. Who would pay the electric bill and replacement bulbs?

gravitymachine · May-21-09, 11:34 AM

how about money for police instead?

**wolverine** · May-21-09, 11:36 AM

^ yeah basically that comes first. After all, I doubt a building lighting program would create jobs and alleviate crime.

**izzyindetroit** · May-21-09, 01:32 PM

First, shouldn't we replace some of the blight on our landmarks before we decide to show them off?

Second, isn't there a city wide movement every October 30th preventing people from lighting up buildings??

Burn baby burn.

**Lowell** · May-21-09, 03:53 PM

I would like to see MCD lit up like artist Jeff Sturges lit up HP Ford HQ.

Lorax · May-21-09, 07:00 PM

Lighting MCS would be great to draw attention to it's plight. Hell, even giant klieg lights at night would be better than nothing, since Matted Moron probably wouldn't allow anyone on his property to do something constructive.

Lorax · May-21-09, 07:05 PM

Originally Posted by detroitcity

Another topic with a mis-leading title that just leads to you another fantasy that will never happen.

Yeah, lets get money to light buildings that all already have exterior lighting schemes [[all but one). Original thinking at its finest

Really? I wasn't aware there were any lighting schemes on any of these buildings, save perhaps the Fisher, which is only the roof.

I'm talking about ground up lighting on all sides, visible for miles in all directions, as in Paris, if you indeed read my original post. No half-measures or dinky lighting schemes, but modern, cutting edge LED technology lighting.

So happy you find my thinking original!

**MikeM** · May-21-09, 07:35 PM

Originally Posted by Lorax

Here's a proposal-

How about lobbying for stimulus funding for illuminating Detroit's top 25 [[or more) landmark buildings?

How about lobbying for stimulus funding for illuminating Detroit's streets?

MIRepublic · May-21-09, 08:28 PM

Yeah, no kidding. Giving the current situation, to even put out there a request for illuminating skyscrapers, right now, just seems kind of insensitive and offensive. If a group of downtown business owners want to do this, fine, great. I'd love to see that. But, this would be gross misuse of stimulus dollars. A noble goal, but entirely the wrong way of going about trying to get it done, if you ask me.

Lorax · May-21-09, 08:35 PM

Insensitive?

I hope you saved some of your umbrage for the City of Detroit and it's inability to light the streets.

Perhaps there should be a little more outrage directed where it will do the most good, at the people who are directly responsible for lighting the streets in the first place.

This thread isn't about street lighting anymore than it's about rat control.

I really love the whining about how any resources or windfalls coming the city's way should be used to fill gaps in local taxation to repair or fix what your tax dollars should be doing.

Stosh · May-21-09, 09:40 PM

I would like to see MCD lit up like artist Jeff Sturges lit up HP Ford HQ.

It's a nice look. Too bad for the rest of the city though.

I'm talking about ground up lighting on all sides, visible for miles in all directions, as in Paris, if you indeed read my original post. No half-measures or dinky lighting schemes, but modern, cutting edge LED technology lighting.

I really don't think that there's an affordable LED with that candle power to light a high rise. And lighting the MCD would be a great idea. It would keep the hipsters away at night. But lighting would probably would allow them to just tag the place further with paint and give them more hours to rip off what's left.

**wolverine** · May-22-09, 04:21 AM

Originally Posted by Stosh

It's a nice look. Too bad for the rest of the city though.

I really don't think that there's an affordable LED with that candle power to light a high rise. And lighting the MCD would be a great idea. It would keep the hipsters away at night. But lighting would probably would allow them to just tag the place further with paint and give them more hours to rip off what's left.

http://www.warrenkarlenzig.com/2008/...led-make-over/

**Locke09** · May-22-09, 09:13 AM

Originally Posted by Lorax

Insensitive?

I hope you saved some of your umbrage for the City of Detroit and it's inability to light the streets.

Perhaps there should be a little more outrage directed where it will do the most good, at the people who are directly responsible for lighting the streets in the first place.

This thread isn't about street lighting anymore than it's about rat control.

I really love the whining about how any resources or windfalls coming the city's way should be used to fill gaps in local taxation to repair or fix what your tax dollars should be doing.

Using stimulus money to address budget deficits caused by reduced revenue caused by the economic downturn is already an acceptable use of stimulus money. The state is using it for that purpose.

Other than that, just imagine what criticism Michigan would receive for using stimulus money to light up buildings.

This thread is okay if you're just dreaming. But if you're really serious, then think about what the reaction of the citizens of Detroit and most everyone else will be. Do you hear the sound of praise and applause; oohs and aahs? I don't. They're too drowned out by the accusations of wasting taxpayer dollars, beautifying downtown while leaving the neighborhoods in the dark and elitism [[because we thought that was a worthy cause for funding while people are losing jobs and homes).

Lorax · May-22-09, 10:32 AM

That's because you've given up.

All I hear is whining from people who are so damn practical, and look what the city looks like using your metric.

You are either going to be content wallowing in your own self pity, or open your minds to something constructive that would draw attention to, and underscore what the city of Detroit really needs, which is a vision.

All the money in the world for fixing basics, which should be covered by your tax dollars, won't give you a vision to what the future of the city could be.

Lighting schemes aside, this begs the larger question-

When are the people of this region going to wake up and realize they are squandering their greatest resources, constantly carping about how great things used to be, tossing blame around rather than doing something about it.

What ever happened to mass rallies, protesting in the streets?

You could take a page from your parents and grandparents who marched in the 60's for social change, and you may actually get some press on it.

You're all acting like survivors of some great tragedy who would rather drown their memories in self pity and constant naysaying rather than doing something about it.

There have been many positive reactions to this thread, and now the tide has turned to pessimism.

If this blog serves nothing more than opening up one person's closed mind to the possibilities of what can be, rather than what is, then it's been a success in my view.

Geez, we put a president in the White House who exemplifies the power of what can be, whether or not you voted for him is immaterial, the story is extraordinary.

Time to grow up, Detroit, and start assessing blame where it's due, holding your elected officials' feet to the fire and demanding accountability as to where your tax dollars are spent.

Get the lighting commission to light your streets if it's such a big concern to you. You are already taxed for it.

Oh, and by the way, eventhough the state is plugging budget holes with stimulus money, doesn't make it right or acceptable.
That's up to those of you who vote.

Blarf · May-24-09, 02:12 AM

Waste of money. There are more important things the "stimulus money" can be used for.

**Gistok** · May-24-09, 11:08 AM

Lorax, I like your idea, but think that it would best be handled by building owners, or TIFA financing [[DDA?).

The Penobscot Building is a pleasure to behold at night. The Comerica Tower would also be awesome if it were lit up at night [[unfortunately deep pocketed Gerald Hines Associates lost the building to foreclosure about 2 years ago).

There are a lot of other towers that would really look nice at night.

And geeze, there sure are a lot of whiny dream crushers on the forum as of late...

Don't let that stop you Lorax [[or others) from posting new ideas in these tough times...

Well gotta go... the DYES picnic is now....

detmich · May-24-09, 11:14 AM

Originally Posted by Gistok

Lorax, I like your idea, but think that it would best be handled by building owners, or TIFA financing [[DDA?).

The Penobscot Building is a pleasure to behold at night. The Comerica Tower would also be awesome if it were lit up at night [[unfortunately deep pocketed Gerald Hines Associates lost the building to foreclosure about 2 years ago).

There are a lot of other towers that would really look nice at night.

And geeze, there sure are a lot of whiny dream crushers on the forum as of late...

Don't let that stop you Lorax [[or others) from posting new ideas in these tough times...

Well gotta go... the DYES picnic is now....

Perhaps we could sell old concert tickets on ebay to finance it?

gravitymachine · May-24-09, 08:13 PM

Originally Posted by detmich

Perhaps we could sell old concert tickets on ebay to finance it?

or legos perhaps

Stosh · May-24-09, 08:51 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

Lorax, I like your idea, but think that it would best be handled by building owners, or TIFA financing [[DDA?).

If you do it at all, it would have to be owner financed. It's absolutely irresponsible to fund this venture with public funds.

The Penobscot Building is a pleasure to behold at night. The Comerica Tower would also be awesome if it were lit up at night [[unfortunately deep pocketed Gerald Hines Associates lost the building to foreclosure about 2 years ago).
There are a lot of other towers that would really look nice at night.

It's very nice at night, I'll admit. While you are looking up at all the impressive lighted buildings, try and consider the lot of Detroiters that are struggling to keep their lights on on their home streets, not to consider their homes themselves. And if Gerald Hines [[of the deep pockets) lost his building to foreclosure, consider the lot of the majority of the buildings downtown. Who's paying their bills? We've just scratched the surface of the commercial real estate fallout, I think.

And we're mot even counting the lovely casino's lighting schemes in the overall lighting scenario. Motor City alone will make you blind.

And geeze, there sure are a lot of whiny dream crushers on the forum as of late...

Whiny dream crushers? I prefer the term realists. And quite frankly, it's becoming increasingly difficult reading this board with all the douchbaggery going on. Even if it IS a good idea, perhaps down the road somewhere, it's not going to happen using stimulus money, or city funds, or state money.

New ideas that are capable of being accomplished are great. New ideas that have an unfunded mandate aren't. There's a lot of deferred dreaming going on right now, and not just in the downtown area. The old saying goes, "If wishes were horses, beggars would ride".

I'd prefer that someone would come up with ideas that can be done that will actually help. I wish that I had some ideas that can be done realistically that would help, I really do. If this was 2001, I'd bet that the lighting idea would have been hailed as a triumph, and well on it's way to being done. But this is 2009, State is awash in red ink, Detroit is 300+ million in the hole. Let's hope that the grown ups can figure this out...