Fire Dept. HQ For Sale

[401don]

Adaptive reuse or parking garage? Actually if the Pontch is ever to see a successful rebirth it needs its own garage. Could this building be converted, saving all of the facade?

http://www.freep.com/article/2012083...rters-for-sale

[DetroitPlanner]

Its possible. Probable? Most likely not.

I noticed the sign on the building this week. It would be a good project for the owners of the building just to the north. First thing I'd do is get rid of Envy. Even though the building has some history as the Wine Cellers, the last club tore the should out of the building. This would leave the land next to it much more developable for a structure that could be used by all of the nearby businesses including the Penobscot.

[poobert]

So I'm guessing the Fire Department and Police Department are just going to exit their respective historic structures without really any regard, except for slapping a for sale sign up in the window. Kind of like the County bolting out of the County Building. Magnificent planning around here.

[DetroitPlanner]

Kind of like the County bolting out of the County Building. Magnificent planning around here.

The County did not own the county building when it left. It was owned for the previous 20 years by Farbman and the County was the tenant. It was a financial deal made to renovate the building at a very low expense. The trouble the county had was since they did not own it, they had to rely on a landlord to maintain the building. The landlord was not maintaining it [[remember how long the scaffolding was up around the tower?).

The City will not need the property once the new place opens. Why should they hold onto it and let it become another Fort Wayne? They should get some private ownership there to turn it into something useful.

[downtown_racine]

Sounds like another cool SC video in the making.
The DHOC and HPPD explorations were some of SC's finest.

[stinkytofu]

Its possible. Probable? Most likely not.

I noticed the sign on the building this week. It would be a good project for the owners of the building just to the north. First thing I'd do is get rid of Envy. Even though the building has some history as the Wine Cellers, the last club tore the should out of the building. This would leave the land next to it much more developable for a structure that could be used by all of the nearby businesses including the Penobscot.

I'm pretty sure Club Envy closed over the winter.

[DetroitPlanner]

Never said it was open.

[kenp]

So I'm guessing the Fire Department and Police Department are just going to exit their respective historic structures without really any regard, except for slapping a for sale sign up in the window. Kind of like the County bolting out of the County Building. Magnificent planning around here.

Agree, as soon as the new Police headquarters are ready the old building will be nothing but an after thought. You should see all the exposed wiring and makeshift stuff in there. the cops cant get out of there fast enough

[poobert]

The County did not own the county building when it left. It was owned for the previous 20 years by Farbman and the County was the tenant. It was a financial deal made to renovate the building at a very low expense. The trouble the county had was since they did not own it, they had to rely on a landlord to maintain the building. The landlord was not maintaining it [[remember how long the scaffolding was up around the tower?).

The City will not need the property once the new place opens. Why should they hold onto it and let it become another Fort Wayne? They should get some private ownership there to turn it into something useful.

Thanks for the information on the county building.

But who still owns Fort Wayne? The City.

Has the city made any meaningful attempts to enhance, sell, transfer ownership of, or rehab the property [[or, frankly, maintain it)? No. Bafflingly, it is run by the Recreation Department, and I've dealt with those fools regarding the Fort before. Their only responsibility is cutting the grass once a year or so. The only people who do anything worth a damn there is the Historic Fort Wayne Coalition, and they're volunteers.

Not to digress, but just to illustrate a point that I have little faith that this City, which seems to purposely do everything wrong, will do this right.

I know DPS is not the CoD, but it is basically the same bunch of friends and family, "Reverends" and illiterate compulsive maturbators, and look how they've handled the schools they've vacated and put up "for sale."
In fact, you can go look for yourself by just walking right into them - the doors and windows are all gone!

[DetroitTeacher]

If I am not mistaken, Real Steel shot a few scenes in the FD HQ. When I was watching the movie, it seemed familiar...and I've been there more than a few times [[mostly when I was much younger).

As for the schools...Cooley is still in great shape. Still has the windows and the doors...which is not what I thought would happen. I figured it would look like the old Mackenzie.

[softailrider]

If the real estate market every turns around, that building would lend itself to be converted to lofts. It is smack dab right downtown, what a fantastic location.

All it takes is money, I would think about 3-4 million would get you started.

[rb336]

I want it. it would be a great project. Restaurant behind the arched doorways, something like the common grill in chelsea, lofts above, or another boutique hotel.

[Goose]

Sterling Howard, the Jones Lang LaSalle broker, handling the listing, said there is no set price. But Steve Morris, a finance instructor at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business, estimated the building could go for $1.5 million.

wow, there is a license requirement in the state of michigan for valuing real estate, its called a certified general appraisal license, if anyone bases a financial decision on this guys "estimate", there could be legal reprecussions........