Nemo's Demolishing the City Cab Building in Corktown?

**Flintoid** · February-01-12, 04:18 PM

According to Curbed, Nemo's has purchased the City Cab building and is planning on demolishing it for parking. The last thing Corktown needs is more parking lots! Hopefully Nemo's will see how stupid of an idea this is.

http://detroit.curbed.com/archives/2...b-building.php

**jt1** · February-01-12, 04:20 PM

If true I will no longer be patronizing Nemos. Granted I'll wait for facts to come out.

**DetroitHabitater** · February-01-12, 04:24 PM

As a corktowner: Boooooooooooooooooooooo

**DetroitPlanner** · February-01-12, 04:26 PM

Look at all these rumours surrounding me every day.

**JStone** · February-01-12, 05:34 PM

Looks like they picked that place up for the back taxes this last fall. I believe they were $90K unless it went to the second county sale. If so, I wonder how much. Can anyone find this out? If I'm not mistaken, I believe that was the Lions HQ back when they played at Tiger Stadium. Not much of a loss since it's definitely an ugly building but perhaps unfortunate since I don't see Nemo's ever relenquishing that property. They sure know how to make cash money over there off of all the suburban sports fans.

**JStone** · February-01-12, 05:36 PM

Just read the article - my apologies as I see it was sold for the back taxes. Actually, the Michigan facing side of the building could look pretty cool if done right.

**RO_Resident** · February-01-12, 07:17 PM

Seeing as the crossing would be mid-block, Nemo's would probably have to run a shuttle. I can't say that would make a whole hell of a lot of sense for ~30 spots of overflow parking.

**DetroitHabitater** · February-02-12, 01:54 PM

if they park their army of busses there i'm going to puke

**CLAUDE G** · February-03-12, 01:35 AM

They probably bought it for a song and a dance at the tax sale.

I personally like Nemos and I don't see an issue tearing down this building to make more parking.

The bigger crime in Corktown was 2 blocks down the street at Michigan and Trumbull!

**gumby** · February-03-12, 10:36 AM

That article is pure speculation. There appears to be no attempt to get Nemo's side of the story. Shame on Curbed for starting an unfounded rumor based on only the fact that the building was purchaced.

**lo_to_d** · February-03-12, 10:47 AM

It appears to be two connected buildings... one along Michigan Avenue and one behind. If true, it would be nice if they saved the Michigan Ave. fronting building [[which appears quite small) and did the parking behind it.

**lo_to_d** · February-03-12, 10:50 AM

Except there is rarely traffic and crossing all nine lanes is only a problem on St. Pat Saturdays.
lol

Originally Posted by RO_Resident

Seeing as the crossing would be mid-block, Nemo's would probably have to run a shuttle. I can't say that would make a whole hell of a lot of sense for ~30 spots of overflow parking.

**jerrytimes** · February-03-12, 04:46 PM

So, let me get this straight. A company failed to pay it's taxes. Another company, Nemos, that is doing well buys it. There is speculation that this plain building that is vacant might be torn down for parking for people that want to frequent Nemos, a place that employs Detroiters. More parking would not only bring more people and buisness to the area, especially on game days, but it also made the city some much needed tax money back. Also, if they were to tear it down, it would employ people to do that, and it would employ people to take the rubble away, and it would employ people to make whatever is going to be there, whether it's a parking lot or a new building or a field. Yeah, screw jobs and tax revenue, lets just leave a shitty building up that would probably just stay vacant and pointless in the city. There aren't many of those left.

**j to the jeremy** · February-03-12, 05:01 PM

Originally Posted by jerrytimes

So, let me get this straight. A company failed to pay it's taxes. Another company, Nemos, that is doing well buys it. There is speculation that this plain building that is vacant might be torn down for parking for people that want to frequent Nemos, a place that employs Detroiters. More parking would not only bring more people and buisness to the area, especially on game days, but it also made the city some much needed tax money back. Also, if they were to tear it down, it would employ people to do that, and it would employ people to take the rubble away, and it would employ people to make whatever is going to be there, whether it's a parking lot or a new building or a field. Yeah, screw jobs and tax revenue, lets just leave a shitty building up that would probably just stay vacant and pointless in the city. There aren't many of those left.

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.

**jerrytimes** · February-03-12, 05:25 PM

Eh, the building is very plain and boring. It's not like it's historical and if they put the property to use to boost their business what's the big deal. I usually don't go to Nemos because I can't park there unless I get there early. In other words, my business is lost because they don't have enough parking. As for City Cab, they lost the property because they didn't pay their taxes, Nemos pays the city almost $100,000 for the building and land. For all I'm concerned, Nemos can do as they please with it.

**Detroitnerd** · February-03-12, 05:34 PM

I wonder what some suburban residents would do if they saw their neighbors buying local properties and turning them into the lowest order of existence on the real estate food chain: the parking lot. Would they kick about that? Maybe just a little?

**Johnnny5** · February-03-12, 06:47 PM

Of all the buildings along that stretch Michigan Ave that really deserve to be saved, I would never consider the City Cab one of them. The place looks like a cross between a 1950's elementary school and a machine shop.

**downtownguy** · February-03-12, 08:11 PM

Originally Posted by j to the jeremy

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** · February-03-12, 11:59 PM

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** · February-06-12, 03:42 PM

Originally Posted by downtownguy

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.