Nemo's Demolishing the City Cab Building in Corktown?

[downtownguy]

Alternate perspective:
Corktown is one of the only neighborhoods experiencing some revitalization in the past 10 years. Many of the buildings on Michigan Ave. are already torn down. No one is building any new construction on the street and the only new businesses arriving are renovating old buildings such as the City Cab building. This is why the purchase of said building, by a bar that markets itself mostly to commuters and suburbanites, is seen as a disappointment. I love Nemo's, but if they do tear down that building for parkign I'll go in there in person to tell them they've lost a customer. I'd like to see them keep the streetwall at least.

Streetwall? You're kidding, right? This isn't the Lafayette Building. Heck, it isn't even the historic Madison Lennox which Ilitch destroyed so he could add a measly 50 parking spaces to his empire. It's an ugly, vacant building that does nothing to add to the character of Corktown. I'm all for Nemo's adding a few extra parking spaces, especially if they steal them away from Ilitch. I would guess that Nemo's invested in that neighborhood long before you did, J to the J, and an honest, thriving business should be supported. Besides, what is so wrong about making some money off suburbanites? I'm all for that!

[lo_to_d]

If our fine leaders in Lansing and Detroit could figure out a way to tax parking lots at a more equitable rate this wouldn't even be an issue. But, like most of our state's policies, they are anti-urban and promote a suburban lifestyle. Additionally, in most large cities, you wouldn't even be allowed to tear down a building without having an approved plan to build something else. But here, we just won't stop until the whole greater downtown is one big parking lot.
The building along Mich. Ave. is actually above average one-story commercial architecture minus the hideous things that have been done to it, ie. glass block, and odd vent placement. The building in the back is 60's crap.

[j to the jeremy]

Streetwall? You're kidding, right? This isn't the Lafayette Building. Heck, it isn't even the historic Madison Lennox which Ilitch destroyed so he could add a measly 50 parking spaces to his empire. It's an ugly, vacant building that does nothing to add to the character of Corktown. I'm all for Nemo's adding a few extra parking spaces, especially if they steal them away from Ilitch. I would guess that Nemo's invested in that neighborhood long before you did, J to the J, and an honest, thriving business should be supported. Besides, what is so wrong about making some money off suburbanites? I'm all for that!

I don't care if it's one story or 50 stories, I'd rather preserve any use of space that helps plan for present or future pedestrian friendliness. Obviously this building is not a one of a kind relic, but would you rather have a renovated building with another bar/shops, etc. or a parking lot. If you think there will be a newly constructed building on that lot in the next 25 years you are mistaken. I'd rather have a vacant building that someone can reuse soon, than a vacant lot that no one will use unless they are too scared to use the street parking on Michigan Ave. There is a precedent right now in Corktown for adaptive re-use of warehouse buildings and to take this one out of play for a gravel lot is stupid.

Detroit still has ridiculous zoning rules requiring new businesses to build parking spaces for potential customers, even when the buildings will be surrounded by vacant streets with ample parking. A friend of mine is having trouble convincing the city that adding strip mall parking in a dense area of Midtown is a bad idea- so I'm sure that if Nemos wants more parking the city will be very happy.