Millions in grants helping Detroit state park [[Globe Trading Company)

[Richard]

I was researching Detroit shipbuilding and ran across this which I thought is an excellent reuse project . Pardon me if it has been covered.

DETROIT — Michigan's only urban state park is planning to turn half of a more than century-old manufacturing site into something far removed from its ship engine-building heyday: an adventure and discovery center with rock climbing, zip lining and other outdoor activities.

The transformation of the vacant Globe Trading Company complex is the jewel in the crown of a plan to expand and enhance the William G. Milliken State Park & Harbor across the street and turn the Detroit riverfront park into a launching pad of sorts for Michigan's nearly 100 state parks. The plans are backed by more than $34 million in grants from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund, which collects royalties paid by oil and gas companies that lease state-owned mineral rights.
The grants, approved in December and authorized by the state Legislature in March, also will be used to acquire several pieces of property around the park and public-use easements along the Detroit RiverWalk. State officials say stalled commercial redevelopment plans for vacant land and buildings in the area led to a deal for the Globe and are helping as they negotiate for other properties.

"Ultimately the economy that has slowed down development in so many areas has actually worked to our advantage," said Vicki Anthes, planning section chief for the Department of Natural Resources' Parks and Recreation Division.

"Nothing was happening with the Globe, and we saw it as such a pivotal point for a state park development," she said. "The $9 million grant [[for the Globe) was proof we were serious."

http://www.therepublic.com/view/stor...ark-Expansion/

The pictures of the buildings are here.

http://detroitthenandnow.com/id2.html

[Gannon]

That is cool, many of us were cheering the proposed loft development there...but realized that after the false boom busted it was probably not going to happen. But the infrastructure improvements continued throughout the Rivertown area...I was quite surprised to see that these past few years.

There is a huge space on the north end of that building that has a railroad spur through it...I can see how that building could be used for an indoor amusement park. That building sure is creepy, though. Only went through it a few times, many years ago.


Cheers

[Bham1982]

Very cool news. A state park is a great use for this site.

[JBMcB]

Maybe they could take down the building and reuse some of the bricks for a nature center. That would be a really cool site for a children's hands-on museum, but that building looks pretty far gone for rehab.

[detroittrader]

I thought I had pics of the rail track on the north end, but after further review...no.

Anyhoot, I took these at the Globe a couple weeks ago. Nothing millions of dollars can't spruce up

[canuck]

Good stuff for Detroit. Keep em coming.

[JBMcB]

Wow, the inside doesn't look too bad. Maybe it could be rehabbed - I've seen worse turned into apartments.

[Gannon]

I forgot how expansive that place was...all I could imagine when I walked through there was one kick-ass SoundStage for indoor, controlled shots of extraordinarily difficult scenes...even moving train sequences against bluescreen. Heck, that was WELL before FNemecek and I did our little tour of warehouses for his idea.

Six stories of cavernous, convertible warehouse...reminded me of the set of the Panic Room in 2001 in Manhattan Beach, CA. They made an ENTIRE Potemkinesque block of Manhattan, NY brownstones, including the entire authentic NYC home that was disassembled and trucked across the country to fulfill wildman David Fincher's dreams of shooting the whole movie within a real structure. I'll never forget stepping from sunny California into dank and gritty NYC...one Manhattan to another...including dusty and rusty CARS parked along the street! [[we saw the entire day's shooting of the scene where Jared Leto's arm caught fire from Jodie Foster's ingenius use of propane, although unfortunately...to my and the entire Manhattan Beach Fire Department's chagrin...she was off set that day!)

Oh well...our Hollywood interactions are likely a thing of the past now, with Snydely's axe falling on the incentives.


Cheers, thanks for wandering down memory lane with me...I know it was seriously off-topic.

[detroitbob66]

Thanks to Detroittrader for the pics...here are some of mine from earlier this year

[stasu1213]

when is some grant money or any money would go into the cutting of grass in our parks such as lafayette park, chandler park, and other neightborhood parks.

[Richard]

when is some grant money or any money would go into the cutting of grass in our parks such as lafayette park, chandler park, and other neightborhood parks.

This is being done from the state level so really the funds could have been spent anywhere within the state, there are probably some in other cities asking why were the funds not spent in their city.

The city owned parks would be the responsibility of the city to maintain,I guess the thing to do would be to contact the city council member that has the park in question in their district as it would be their responsibility to have answers one way or another. It is their job to look out for the best interests of those in their district.

[erikd]

when is some grant money or any money would go into the cutting of grass in our parks such as lafayette park, chandler park, and other neightborhood parks.

stasu1213,

What are you complaining about? We are getting STATE money for improvements and expansion of a STATE park in Detroit. This is a good thing, not something to be upset about.