Another move downtown thanks to Dan Gilbert

[Detroitej72]

HAHAHA.

Intellectual check-mate!


Some people can't stand that folks like Gilbert, Karmanos, BCSM, DTE, Galaxie, and a list the keeps growing want to come to Downtown Detroit.!

It seems the poster is part of those anti-Detroit, suburbs are bliss, crime never happens outside of Detroit crowd, as evident by most of her post's.

Folks were free to move to the suburbs.

But guess what, they're free to move back into the city too, and that's what they want to do. Detroit is coming back, baby!

This is what scares folks who tend to lean to the right, people like the tea-bagger crowd.

[Detroitdave]

So two wrongs make a right? Turnabout is fairplay?

I'm all for Gilbert, Karmanos...etc moving back to downtown. But, no matter which direction they are heading when they cross 8 mile, the issue remains the same. nothing fills the hundreds of thousands of square feet left when these companies decamp.

I get what you are saying and I agree the entire region of SE Michigan needs to grow ,however, Detroit has been dealing with MILLIONS of square feet ,left empty when 1,000's of companies left over last 50 years. And those companies that left, weren't "clean" corporate parks ,with easy to rebuild and resale Detroit got stuck with "dirty" factories I.e the packard plant,.. btw how does a company that went out of business 60+ years ago leave a factory a mess and no one in the city feels a need to clean it up ???? and this has happen time and time again in the City Limits of Detroit ?
This rarely happen in any other big city.

Most moved ,for "safety", or better schools,nice new house in new suburbs , and that worked well for the last 50+ years !

I'm sure the safe suburbs i.e Troy, Novi, F.H. Livonia , S.H. Allen Park , Dearborn, Wyandotte, ect will do just fine , they've sold the safe city, better schools, ... well the house's aren't so new anymore and "new" cities are started to show their age . People are realizing when they travel that "hey Detroit, was once a great city and could be again , why should I keep traveling and making all these other cities great"

We can find what is working here i.e sports teams , festivals , riverwalk, eastern market ,museums ect and make great. When other folks visit they tell me " Wow Detroit is not as bad as everyone is saying and it gets a bad rap" I'm cautiously optimistic, but I think the old girl still has some life left in her.
I'm not ready to pull the pull just yet.

some of Detroit's harshest critics are the same folks who left for suburbs , however the next generation is thinking for themselves "some" are whiling to give Detroit another look.

There is a LONGGGGGG way to go , but What's good for Detroit is good for Michigan , and once Everyone in S.E Michigan works together Detroit will once again be a great city !

[casscorridor]

leave the suburban office parks empty, and demolish them if no tenants can be found

the new problem for metro Detroit will be what to do "shrinking suburbs"

the difference between a core neighborhood of Detroit and a suburb is that suburbs have no viability beyond their initial 50-year lifespan, because they don't offer anything you can't get in a newer suburb, while cities offer things you cant get in any suburb.

One day, Detroit will be vibrant again, and its suburbs will be far reduced, hopefully to a more manageable collection. Existing suburban municipalities will have to find ways to adapt, probably demolishing subdivisions, strip malls or office parks and trying to consolidate into some sort of "downtown" that is close to transportation into the central city. Places that already have their own "downtown" will have a much easier time [[Royal Oak), while others will struggle [[Southfield).

[Warrenite84]

While I consider myself politically right-leaning, I also desire for Detroit to prosper with jobs, retail, and residential growth. Most of the Tea Party/ Conservative Republicans I know are also upbeat about the improvements happening in Detroit, [[with exception some of the pre-boomer generations).

The older generation's animosity between city and suburb is falling away while the youngrer generations lack the negative experiences to keep them away. I think Mr.Gilbert's moves are both profit driven, [[low land prices), and in response to his employees desire for urban ammenities.

Even though the Suburbs have lost some good sized tennants to Detroit, I believe they are resourceful enough to dig in their heels and market their properties to outstate companies. With Downtown Detroit filling in and becoming more desirable to companies, the whole Metro Area is lifted by the positive buzz.

As someone mentioned earlier, city and suburb must learn to share their assets and yield some control equally for the combined benefit of both. [[ I feel like I'm talking about kids- "Share!")

[bartock]

leave the suburban office parks empty, and demolish them if no tenants can be found

the new problem for metro Detroit will be what to do "shrinking suburbs"

the difference between a core neighborhood of Detroit and a suburb is that suburbs have no viability beyond their initial 50-year lifespan, because they don't offer anything you can't get in a newer suburb, while cities offer things you cant get in any suburb.

One day, Detroit will be vibrant again, and its suburbs will be far reduced, hopefully to a more manageable collection. Existing suburban municipalities will have to find ways to adapt, probably demolishing subdivisions, strip malls or office parks and trying to consolidate into some sort of "downtown" that is close to transportation into the central city. Places that already have their own "downtown" will have a much easier time [[Royal Oak), while others will struggle [[Southfield).

You may be right, but I hope to some degree you are wrong about Detroit suburbia. Your point about a 50 year lifespan is a good one. However, I'd rather see the entire region grow in population and infill rather than simply shrink.

[gthomas]

You may be right, but I hope to some degree you are wrong about Detroit suburbia. Your point about a 50 year lifespan is a good one. However, I'd rather see the entire region grow in population and infill rather than simply shrink.

Actually I would like see the suburb's shrink and the city to grow in business, retail, and residential. Not shrinking metro-Detroit as a whole...

[Doma]

Quote of the year!

The older generation's animosity between city and suburb is falling away while the youngrer generations lack the negative experiences to keep them away. I think Mr.Gilbert's moves are both profit driven, [[low land prices), and in response to his employees desire for urban ammenities.

[Doma]

And another one!

the difference between a core neighborhood of Detroit and a suburb is that suburbs have no viability beyond their initial 50-year lifespan, because they don't offer anything you can't get in a newer suburb, while cities offer things you cant get in any suburb.