WSU to build $93 million biotech hub

**stinkytofu** · April-15-12, 08:13 PM

Apparently the largest construction project in WSU history...

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...3m-biotech-hub

**DetroitPlanner** · April-15-12, 08:17 PM

Hmmm the building that someone commented on last week is right across from this place.... coincidence?

**Flintoid** · April-15-12, 09:42 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

Hmmm the building that someone commented on last week is right across from this place.... coincidence?

I think with WSU officially announcing this project and their work on the building across the street shows a commitment to this neighborhood and its continued revitalization. It's in their self interest to have Midtown be easily connected to New Center, without a rough neighborhood in between. Very excited for this project because it has the chance to make Detroit a much more competitive place for biotechnology jobs. Does anyone have a picture of this neighborhood from say 10 to 15 years ago? Within the last 10 years we've had: Techtown, NextEnergy, The Graphic Arts Lofts, The Lofts at New Amsterdam, Wayne State Police Headquarters, and a few more I believe. And this isn't hardly a large "neighborhood" at all. Very exciting developments.

**DetroitPlanner** · April-15-12, 09:55 PM

15 years ago GM was still all over this neighborhood. Unisys had a major HQ there as well. Besides the GM building and argonaut, GM had several other buildings that worked on things like displays and marketing. WSU also had a lot of offices here that were consolidated once newer buildings were built like ASB and Cass and Palmer. Finally there were auto dealerships still around here.

**stinkytofu** · April-15-12, 10:10 PM

Bummer they are demo'ing the Beauty Iron Building. I always thought that would make a great spot for lofts.

**lukabottle** · April-15-12, 10:39 PM

Overall, exciting news. I am slightly disappointed that the Beauty Iron Building will be torn down and replaced with a parking lot. If we have to destroy a building for our parking addiction, could we at least get a parking garage. At least they are reusing the Dalgleish Cadillac building.

**downtownguy** · April-16-12, 07:38 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

15 years ago GM was still all over this neighborhood. Unisys had a major HQ there as well. Besides the GM building and argonaut, GM had several other buildings that worked on things like displays and marketing. WSU also had a lot of offices here that were consolidated once newer buildings were built like ASB and Cass and Palmer. Finally there were auto dealerships still around here.

DP is right. This neighborhood never really "bottomed" out, although I think Unisys might have been gone 15 years ago, but I'm pretty sure Henry Ford Health had moved in. And before we give WSU too many props for their interest in historic preservation, I have a recollection that they emptied the Cadillac sales and service building with plans to tear it down. Then as more people realized the historic significance of it, WSU pulled back. And then it sat empty for years.

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · April-16-12, 11:25 AM

All in all certainly good news. One vacant historic building being re-used and a vacant lot being built on, but another vacant historic building being lost. Too bad they did not see a means of using BOTH buildings instead. Now that would have been great.

**casscorridor** · April-16-12, 12:35 PM

Great news on new development but it seems pretty misguided and arrogant to demolish a building for a surface parking lot when WSU already owns many lots in the adjacent area.

**Detroitnerd** · April-16-12, 12:43 PM

Ooooh, a parking lot on Woodward! What a great urban vision WSU has!

**drjeff** · April-16-12, 01:12 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

Ooooh, a parking lot on Woodward! What a great urban vision WSU has!

That stretch of Woodward is already full of [[non-WSU) parking lots, including one on that site. Not that that's a good thing, but it is a fact.

**Detroitnerd** · April-16-12, 01:22 PM

Originally Posted by drjeff

That stretch of Woodward is already full of [[non-WSU) parking lots, including one on that site. Not that that's a good thing, but it is a fact.

Well, then, another parking lot should make Woodward EVER so much BETTER! :P

**Gistok** · April-16-12, 01:32 PM

I have to agree with DN... it will be a shame to lose this "diamond in the rough".... to a parking lot?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:AmericanBeauty2.jpg

It's too bad they won't save at least the front third of the building... facing Woodward.

**Detroitnerd** · April-16-12, 01:32 PM

If they really own all those parking lots, I wonder why they have to bulldoze the last remaining building fronting on Woodward. I can only presume they want everything to be nice and new and shiny.

**downtownguy** · April-16-12, 02:06 PM

I just ran across this very interesting history of American Electric Heater Company ironically on, of all sites, WSU's TechTown.

Sadly, the author was perhaps a little too optimistic when she concludes the article with these words:

Someday the building, now owned by Wayne State University, will be converted into another TechTown business incubator. “It all started with electricity,” observes Robert W. Kuhn [grandson of Robert Kuhn, founder of the American Electrical Heater Company]. “Wouldn’t it be neat to make it an alternative energy incubator?”

http://techtownwsu.org/a-trip-back-t...it-was-motown/

**drjeff** · April-16-12, 02:10 PM

The explanation I heard was that the interior of the American Beauty building is not salvagable or appropriate for re-use as a biomed research building. Unofrtunately WSU does not have a lot of extra money laying around for extremely expensive interior redesign on buildings that may be more aesthetically appealing. It's a hell of a lot cheaper to build from scratch and I'm happy that at least the Dalgliesh building is being used.

We're all kind of amazed this is even going forward given the financial woes of WSU in the past couple of years.

**1953** · April-16-12, 02:13 PM

Not the American beauty building! That's a great building!

**Flintoid** · April-16-12, 03:19 PM

I think we are all to struck by the demolition of the building that we are ignoring the fact that WSU is constructing a 75,000 square foot addition. So its not like we're not gaining any new build here, we're actually gaining alot. I think this will be great for that area. Just another reason for people in the medical field to come to Detroit.

**Detroitnerd** · April-16-12, 03:52 PM

Intelligent urban design means building up to the streetwall. Some of us had thought WSU had come a long way in understanding that you can't just demolish everything in sight and build as if you're building in, say, Troy or Clinton Township. If they absolutely cannot re-use the building [[Were engineers consulted? Was a feasibility study done? What consulting firm was used? Local architects have a lousy record when it comes to using or renovating existing buildings.) why the hell can't the building be on the MAIN STREET IN TOWN? WHY CAN'T THE PARKING BE ADJACENT OR BEHIND?

Chances are the development team has no idea how to use Woodward, much like the mistake they made with University Towers, they intend to set their impressive building back so that all can behold it across the shimmering air over the baking blacktop. And nobody seriously looked at the American Beauty building except a walk-through with muted cries of, "Ewww."

**Gistok** · April-16-12, 03:52 PM

Actually WSU [[regardless of whether they had money or not) has always had a rather slipshod reputation when it came to historic preservation. It was because of them that Detroit's largest preservation organization was founded.... Preservation Wayne... now known officially as "PRESERVATION DETROIT".

Back in 1975 they were going to tear down the beautiful Queen Anne style house of Wayne's first president David MacKenzie. They were going to replace it with.... a drain!!

WSU later went on to destroy The Gleaners Building... a beautiful Beaux Arts building along Woodward... for.... [[drum roll) more parking!!

And lets not forget one of the greatest losses in all of Midtown... MacKensie Hall [[Cass at Warren). WSU mentioned that it would be too costly to find a new use for it [[starting to sound familiar?)... so they razed one of the most beautiful Arts & Crafts style buildings in Midtown... for... more parking!!!

I'm sorry but I just don't buy the "it's too expensive to fix up for the use we had in mind" crap.... it just makes you sound like the reasons the "Macedonian Parking Cartel" gives for building demolition...

MacKensie Hall [[with a Pewabic Tile lined lobby)... R.I.P.

**Detroitnerd** · April-16-12, 04:05 PM

Yes, Gistok. Thanks for the backstory. I had begun to think that WSU was getting a little bit savvier when it came to development. [[The old president, Adamany, was quoted as wanting to turn the neighborhood north of I-94 into a "sea of asphalt.") I guess I was wrong.

**MSUguy** · April-16-12, 04:41 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

Intelligent urban design means building up to the streetwall. Some of us had thought WSU had come a long way in understanding that you can't just demolish everything in sight and build as if you're building in, say, Troy or Clinton Township. If they absolutely cannot re-use the building [[Were engineers consulted? Was a feasibility study done? What consulting firm was used? Local architects have a lousy record when it comes to using or renovating existing buildings.) why the hell can't the building be on the MAIN STREET IN TOWN? WHY CAN'T THE PARKING BE ADJACENT OR BEHIND?

Chances are the development team has no idea how to use Woodward, much like the mistake they made with University Towers, they intend to set their impressive building back so that all can behold it across the shimmering air over the baking blacktop. And nobody seriously looked at the American Beauty building except a walk-through with muted cries of, "Ewww."

Who says it won't be built to the streeet? The article says "Wayne State also plans to build a 75,000-square-foot addition on the north side of the building, on the site of Dalgleish's former used car lot". I'm no construction expert, but that lot is not that big that addition will probably be built up to the street on the Woodward side.

**Detroitnerd** · April-16-12, 04:55 PM

Originally Posted by MSUguy

Who says it won't be built to the streeet? The article says "Wayne State also plans to build a 75,000-square-foot addition on the north side of the building, on the site of Dalgleish's former used car lot". I'm no construction expert, but that lot is not that big that addition will probably be built up to the street on the Woodward side.

Well, because the focal point will be the former Dalgleish Cadillac, which is on Cass, not Woodward. The addition will go on Cass. The American Beauty building, the last remaining piece of Woodward's original streetwall, will become the parking lot. I don't see how this new facility has any Woodward frontage.

**Gistok** · April-16-12, 05:03 PM

WSU is not exactly a whiz at streetwall architecture... look at the University Towers near The Whitney Restaurant.... no streetwall for any street with that tower...

**Detroitnerd** · April-16-12, 05:16 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

WSU is not exactly a whiz at streetwall architecture... look at the University Towers near The Whitney Restaurant.... no streetwall for any street with that tower...

Yeah. I don't understand WSU's priorities. They want to be an urban research university. Yet they apparently want their new addition to look like a Kohl's?