RUMOR: Dan Gibert to buy One Woodward Avenue

**Gannon** · September-09-12, 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by Flintoid

Does the purchase of this building also include the unused skywalk? I know for a while a guy has wanted to turn that skywalk into a bar [[which I think would be awesome!) and Dan Gilbert seems like just the kind of building owner who would support that 100%.

Oh goody. I've always wanted to see Detroit's version of the Atlanta Hyatt disaster. Wonder what the resonant frequency of that skywalk is?!

**Gannon** · September-09-12, 01:02 PM

I'm intriqued to follow up on the whole 'welded' frame...for some reason I thought all high-rises had huge bolted I-beam structures. Too many views of classic pictures, I guess.

Where're our high-rise experts? Sure would like to learn how their construction evolved over time...especially foundational issues. It'd be a cool study to see which, if any, of our high-rises have any seismic decoupling and other lossy connections to bedrock. [[still searching for the best places to measure and analyze the hum, if anyone needs to know why)

I've heard that this building reacts oddly to heavy wind...and is quite noisy with bad weather. If I remember correctly, the windows aren't even double-pane. I think they need a treatment of constrained-layer-dampening tape on each window...that'll kill the noise, it's what they did at the WTC. That might've been the first commercial application of something out of NASA, I cannot remember the trivia on it. Solved the issues they had due to the 'new' open floorplan, every floor had exposure to all compass directions.

You're welcome, Dan. E-mail me, and I'll let you know where to send my consultant's fee!

Cheers

**mikefmich** · September-09-12, 01:09 PM

I worked there for ANRGSC a couple years in the early 70's, before I transfered out to MichCon....as did a number of other family members. MichCon was big on nepotism, back when.

Right before it was totally done, my folks & I were downtown for the fireworks, and pops noticed lights on in the building. He walked across the street to check it out, came back and said we are going to watch the fireworks from the roof. [[dad knew everyone there)

For sure, that was the best fireworks I ever saw.

One note from the OP....there is no way each of those floors are 15,000 sq. ft.

**mikefmich** · September-09-12, 01:16 PM

Originally Posted by grumpyoldlady

.Driving UP the ramp from the basement executive parking area was quite an experience...it is VERY steep..

I had a screaming Dodge Challenger when I parked in the basement there when I took my turn on midnights on the 5th floor. One morning as I was leaving, one of my favorite George Harrison songs came on the radio. Cranked the volume and hit the gas coming up. I scared the shit out of some guy on the Larned sidewalk as I came shooting out of there like a bat out of hell.

Working midnights there often, I got into every nook and cranny of the place too.

**Hypestyles** · September-09-12, 02:28 PM

who, if anyone, currently uses the building?

**Gannon** · September-09-12, 03:00 PM

Originally Posted by Hypestyles

who, if anyone, currently uses the building?

The main tenants are listed in the Crain's article...lawfirm Kitch and the Gang is the biggest, I think.

**Wheels** · September-09-12, 03:48 PM

Originally Posted by Gannon

Oh goody. I've always wanted to see Detroit's version of the Atlanta Hyatt disaster. Wonder what the resonant frequency of that skywalk is?!

It was the Kansas City Hyatt that the skywalk collapsed. That was an interior skywalk, not between two buildings.

**Scottathew** · September-09-12, 03:54 PM

Originally Posted by Gannon

Oh goody. I've always wanted to see Detroit's version of the Atlanta Hyatt disaster. Wonder what the resonant frequency of that skywalk is?!

I had never heard of it before, fascinating. Although it was Kansas City, not Atlanta.

**Gistok** · September-09-12, 03:59 PM

The only heavily loaded balcony/catwalks that I trust are those designed by our own late great theatre architect C. Howard Crane....

http://youtu.be/v9xbK4MKCMI

**Gannon** · September-09-12, 06:19 PM

Thanks for the correction, guys. I would've lost that in a trivia contest, and would've bet on it big!

Doesn't matter if it is internal or external...Wheelie...you load up ANY bridge with either more weight than it can handle, and/or get everyone marching or dancing in cadence/rhythm...you will make it fail even if merely from exciting the natural resonance of the span. Every object has a resonant frequency...and every bridge has its load limits.

This bridge was built before that disaster, so all bets are off. Fact that the ANR building sways like a mofo during heavy winds...and being one of the first examples of a welded frame [[gathered from somewhere else, sorry if that is incorrect)...I'm curious how much sway it has versus the Guardian at that height. What is the cross-over, at floor fourteen?

It may be WORSE being outside, since the joints at the two buildings would be subject to weather and temperature effects.

No matter, it would be a very poor idea to load this place up with people and get them moving in synch.

Cheers!

**grumpyoldlady** · September-09-12, 10:45 PM

Don't know how those who'd had too much to drink would like walking on the Skywalk. Sometimes you can feel it flex/bounce when people are walking across it. It goes from the 14th floor of One Woodward to 19 in the Guardian Building. When I worked there, 14 was the location of the big cafeteria, and also the location to switch from the low-rise elevators to the high-rise.

**Bob S** · September-13-12, 12:46 PM

Originally Posted by grumpyoldlady

Don't know how those who'd had too much to drink would like walking on the Skywalk. Sometimes you can feel it flex/bounce when people are walking across it. It goes from the 14th floor of One Woodward to 19 in the Guardian Building. When I worked there, 14 was the location of the big cafeteria, and also the location to switch from the low-rise elevators to the high-rise.

Actually it goes from the 14th floor of One Woodward to the 16th floor of the Guardian Building.

Were you Michcon or ANR? I have worked here since 1980. [[ Now DTE). I was in the Guardian Building from 1983 to 1998. Beautiful place to work.

**grumpyoldlady** · September-13-12, 05:55 PM

Where did I get 19th floor???? Of course it was 16. I started with Michigan Wisconsin Pipe Line in 1971, which became part of ANR. I worked at One Woodward, the Guardian Building and in the Ren Cen, but the biggest portion of my 20 years was at One Woodward. I liked One Woodward the best because it was sleek and modern inside, but loved the oldness of the GB, too. Wish I'd seen the GB as thoroughly as I'd seen One Woodward. Lots of neat places I never got to see.

**DetroitPlanner** · September-14-12, 08:06 AM

I hear Dan Gilbert is in talks to buy the rest of General Motors from the feds. Can anyone verify this? He s doing this just to get his hands on the RenCen.

**JJD** · September-14-12, 11:45 AM

I heard Dan Gilbert got in fight with Chuck Norris.............and WON!

**DetroitPlanner** · September-14-12, 11:49 AM

Originally Posted by JJD

I heard Dan Gilbert got in fight with Chuck Norris.............and WON!

Wow I only knew about his fistfight with Hitler, Remember when he won freedom of the Jews from concentration camps? Gilbert is the MAN!

**Wheels** · September-14-12, 01:02 PM

Lets not forget Rock Financial. What happened to David Hall?

**Gannon** · September-14-12, 03:49 PM

Originally Posted by Wheels

Lets not forget Rock Financial. What happened to David Hall?

Funny you should ask...he popped up in the news within the past week, something about a World Headquarters of a Mortgage firm up in Southfield.

I'm trying to find it now.

**Wheels** · September-14-12, 03:57 PM

Originally Posted by Gannon

Funny you should ask...he popped up in the news within the past week, something about a World Headquarters of a Mortgage firm up in Southfield.

I'm trying to find it now.

LOL I thought Gilbert had him in cold storage somewhere.

**Gannon** · September-14-12, 04:46 PM

Originally Posted by Wheels

LOL I thought Gilbert had him in cold storage somewhere.

That might have been true, he looked a bit gaunt.

Might've just gotten out of reanimation. You remember what that did to Austin Powers.

**Gannon** · September-14-12, 04:54 PM

It might've been Crain's, the issue with the article on the music business.

Last week's, I think. Saw it at Chazzano Coffee in Ferndale yesterday. Took me a minute, but I'm pretty sure it was there.

**Gannon** · September-15-12, 04:39 PM

It was Crain's, he was in a picture with two executives with Shore Mortgage...story is United Shore Financial signed for 100,000 square feet of office space in TROY with option to double that because they are growing. Filed 9/2/2012.