New Detroit Police & Fire Department Headquarters [[Old MGM casino)

**gthomas** · March-13-12, 12:50 PM

I was walking to work and was hearing tons of noise and crashes inside and outside of the building today, I saw about 30 guys working hard remove debris and other material from inside. Are they moving forward with this development, if so GOOD NEWS!

**wolverine** · March-13-12, 11:41 PM

I wonder if the appearance will change in any way. If it's to open soon, I doubt it will look anything like this.

http://jgma.co/projects/wayne-county...complex-1.html

**Dexlin** · March-14-12, 05:01 AM

gthomas, they've been working on this for months, already.

**cramerro** · March-14-12, 06:41 AM

Originally Posted by wolverine

I wonder if the appearance will change in any way. If it's to open soon, I doubt it will look anything like this.

http://jgma.co/projects/wayne-county...complex-1.html

I believe the rendering you show there is from when it was going to be the Wayne County Justice Complex... that was when Wayne County and Detroit were going to pool their resources and put DPD, DFD, and some Wayne County functions all at that site. When Wayne County couldn't get thier stuff in line, Detroit went ahead on thier own with a City-only project... so it will likely include far less aesthetic changes on the outside. I think I just said the project will be less rediculous because it is being done by the City... wow what a state of affairs these days.

**Dexlin** · March-14-12, 07:44 AM

Slight corrections, while the vast majority of the project is for city police, fire and EMS, their is still a state police component to it, so it's not entirely city-only, though, mostly.

**stinkytofu** · March-14-12, 07:52 AM

When the police officially move to the old MGM, their HQ is going to be a large, abandon building just north of Greektown. While the building will need a ton of work, is it feasible to be converted into apartments? Seems like a great location...but then again it's right next to the jail which might turn people off.

**Bham1982** · March-14-12, 08:09 AM

Originally Posted by stinkytofu

When the police officially move to the old MGM, their HQ is going to be a large, abandon building just north of Greektown. While the building will need a ton of work, is it feasible to be converted into apartments? Seems like a great location...but then again it's right next to the jail which might turn people off.

And the fire department will abandon their building, in the Financial District.

So the MGM site will be filled, but there will be two new vacant buildings.

**SWMAP** · March-14-12, 08:46 AM

yep. The Fire department left their beautiful old building in the heart of Junction Ave and the "Junction Boys" moved to a soulless building on Fort St., farther away from the neighborhood [[think now so KK's pals could get the development business) with the DPD [[now you can't get in there after 4 or 5 PM) and the City has left the Junction icon to rot, covered with graffiti. I drove by an open door the other day and saw that the scrappers have moved some iron radiators to near the door to make their escape.

**1953** · March-14-12, 10:08 AM

They should really just renovate 1300 Beaubian and stop this silly plan to move out of there.

Its just like with the Wayne County Building; that building is going to sit rotting forever - what else is a big old county building good for?

**rb336** · March-14-12, 10:49 AM

1300 is in very bad shape. renovating it would actually cost more than renovating the old casino

**gthomas** · March-14-12, 03:45 PM

Originally Posted by wolverine

I wonder if the appearance will change in any way. If it's to open soon, I doubt it will look anything like this.

http://jgma.co/projects/wayne-county...complex-1.html

That's not a bad design, if they decide to use this or not. Hope it will be similiar, and also..never notice the name change til now.

**southen** · March-14-12, 06:12 PM

if that is what they end up doing with the complex i will be very happy.

**Wheels** · March-14-12, 06:16 PM

For some odd reason it reminds me of a Bose Wave.

**cramerro** · March-15-12, 06:27 AM

1300 doesn't seem like it would be an easy sell on apartments given the surrounding uses.... now the old FD HQ, what a beautiful spot. Certainly would work for Detroit Ghostbusters HQ, but if not there has to be someone who could make something great out of that.

**DetroitPlanner** · March-15-12, 08:33 AM

Originally Posted by cramerro

1300 doesn't seem like it would be an easy sell on apartments given the surrounding uses.... now the old FD HQ, what a beautiful spot. Certainly would work for Detroit Ghostbusters HQ, but if not there has to be someone who could make something great out of that.

Maybe we can sell Sam Bernstien and Jeff Fieger on it? Good location for Lawyers being so close to the courthouse and the casinos.

**Gistok** · March-15-12, 09:24 PM

I don't know if the proximity to the Justice complex [[et al) would excessively hurt the potential for redevelopment of 1300 Beaubien. Perhaps the negatives would be offset by the closeness to the entertainment district of Greektown and the People Mover stop.

This Flickr image shows some of the nice detailing that Albert Kahn put into the building. If developers were interested, just strip it down to the bare walls and support columns.... the building shell doesn't appear to be in that bad of condition...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/booboobdoop/274469274/

**buckster1986** · June-28-13, 03:50 PM

"Bing said that although the old police headquarters is in a prime location, he said it will likely have to be demolished."

http://www.freep.com/article/20130628/NEWS01/306280075/

**EastsideAl** · June-28-13, 04:03 PM

Originally Posted by buckster1986

"Bing said that although the old police headquarters is in a prime location, he said it will likely have to be demolished."

What a stupid wasteful boondoggle. But now we have an incredibly hideous former data center/casino that was taken off the hands of some powerful folks and redone into an even uglier form with tons of $$, and a beautiful, historic, soon to be empty, Albert Kahn building that will "likely have to be demolished" Presumably for yet another parking lot.

Moving Detroit forward... one vacant lot at a time.

**buckster1986** · June-28-13, 04:06 PM

"DunCombe said she couldn’t disclose what’s next for the old headquarters. “You’ll have to wait for the next press release,” she joked."

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130628/METRO01/306280111/Detroit-officials-hold-ribbon-cutting-city-s-new-police-HQ?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

**buckster1986** · June-28-13, 04:10 PM

"DunCombe also said there are no historical designations that would restrict tearing down the old headquarters, a 64,000 square-foot facility built by famed architect Albert Kahn in 1923.

Bing said he believes 1300 Beaubien needs to be razed.

“There are a lot of conversations [[about what to do with the building),” he said. “That building is in a strategic location in the entertainment district. It’ll have to be torn down in my opinion.”

The eight-story building sits a block north of Greektown in what is considered prime real estate."

Are you kidding me?? What needs to be put in place to get this building its "historic designation"?

**Detroitnerd** · June-28-13, 04:53 PM

"Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown."

**stasu1213** · June-28-13, 09:30 PM

Originally Posted by buckster1986

"DunCombe also said there are no historical designations that would restrict tearing down the old headquarters, a 64,000 square-foot facility built by famed architect Albert Kahn in 1923.

Bing said he believes 1300 Beaubien needs to be razed.

“There are a lot of conversations [[about what to do with the building),” he said. “That building is in a strategic location in the entertainment district. It’ll have to be torn down in my opinion.”

The eight-story building sits a block north of Greektown in what is considered prime real estate."

Are you kidding me?? What needs to be put in place to get this building its "historic designation"?

It could become a great retail/entertainment destination. Bring back Trappers Alley or something as such and put it into the building. One thing a like about Europe is that they don't raze their old historic buildings. Their buildings are more than 100 to 200 years old. Bing has no vision.

**cla1945** · June-29-13, 11:23 AM

In this day and age, I wonder how prudent it is to have every emergency agency in Detroit under the same roof. To include the IT department in the same building is not a good idea either, especially if there would be an incident where the communications is knocked out...everything, from fire runs, police runs, communications, Border Patrol, and the Customs Department would be at a standstill.

**Honky Tonk** · June-29-13, 01:36 PM

Originally Posted by cla1945

In this day and age, I wonder how prudent it is to have every emergency agency in Detroit under the same roof. To include the IT department in the same building is not a good idea either, especially if there would be an incident where the communications is knocked out...everything, from fire runs, police runs, communications, Border Patrol, and the Customs Department would be at a standstill.

I'm sure the rocket scientists that came up with this $60 mil refab idea have thought all that out thoroughly. If something were to happen, they can all gather around that nice, new shiny, big conference table, while someone poses the question "Now what?"