Cass Corridor Museum coming soon

**Pcm** · September-11-12, 08:07 AM

Excerpt:
"Cass Corridor resident Elias Khalil, one of the museum's co-founders, told Mlive Detroit the idea came to fruition a few months ago after he received positive feedback from a book he co-wrote about the neighborhood.

The Cass Corridor Museum will start at a modest space at 4470 Second Ave., - loaned by a local developer - and could eventually move to a much larger space if the support warrants it."

It's nice to see an active pursuit to not kill off the Cass Corridor name.

www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2012/09/cass_corridor_museum_for_art_c.html

**Lowell** · September-11-12, 08:51 AM

They could sell those t-shirts that say Midtown, with "Cass Corridor" spray painted graffiti-style over it for fund-raising.

Esteban, who posts here on occasion, has the outstanding and long-running "Tribes of Cass Corridor" site that would make a good social media foundation for the effort.

There are also a number of films and books.

I am happy to see the that area blossom, but I fondly remember its arts bohemia days of artists, pimps and hoes, hillbillies and students. It was our Parisian 'left bank'.

**rb336** · September-11-12, 09:31 AM

Lowell, I love the T-shirt idea. Not to mention the museum.

**Detroitnerd** · September-11-12, 10:21 AM

What would be in it? Used syringes? Jim Gustafson's underwear?

Joking aside, sounds like a fun project.

**detroitsgwenivere** · September-11-12, 02:41 PM

When I decided to leave the burbs as a teen, the Corridor is where I moved to. This was mid 90s, right when some creative geniuses decided to rename the area midtown. But us corridor folks knew better, and we just kept on drinkin our 40s on the front steps. Some of the best memories I have.

I bought a book from the guys opening the museum and they are the nicest ever. I hope that by creating places like this the neighborhood can re-establish some semblance of its "glory days". When the apartments were thriving, and it actually had the potential to be a solid urban core for the hardcore city people.

**rb336** · September-11-12, 02:47 PM

Whenever I go to the Cass Cafe, or the Old Miami, something about it feels like "home." I feel more right there than anywhere else these days

**gameguy56** · September-11-12, 03:24 PM

Originally Posted by detroitsgwenivere

When I decided to leave the burbs as a teen, the Corridor is where I moved to. This was mid 90s, right when some creative geniuses decided to rename the area midtown. But us corridor folks knew better, and we just kept on drinkin our 40s on the front steps. Some of the best memories I have.

I bought a book from the guys opening the museum and they are the nicest ever. I hope that by creating places like this the neighborhood can re-establish some semblance of its "glory days". When the apartments were thriving, and it actually had the potential to be a solid urban core for the hardcore city people.

It's weird, isn't it? Places like the Cass Corridor in other cities gentrified like crazy. Why did the Cass Corridor, on the other hand, just sort of peter out?

**softailrider** · September-11-12, 03:28 PM

Originally Posted by gameguy56

It's weird, isn't it? Places like the Cass Corridor in other cities gentrified like crazy. Why did the Cass Corridor, on the other hand, just sort of peter out?

I would say it was the casino on one side and Comerica Park on the other. Motor City Casino just didn't want the riff raff walking the streets around there.

**gameguy56** · September-11-12, 03:48 PM

Originally Posted by softailrider

I would say it was the casino on one side and Comerica Park on the other. Motor City Casino just didn't want the riff raff walking the streets around there.

It's a shame. It could have been Detroit's version of NYC's East Village.

**bailey** · September-11-12, 03:53 PM

Originally Posted by gameguy56

It's weird, isn't it? Places like the Cass Corridor in other cities gentrified like crazy. Why did the Cass Corridor, on the other hand, just sort of peter out?

Originally Posted by softailrider

I would say it was the casino on one side and Comerica Park on the other. Motor City Casino just didn't want the riff raff walking the streets around there.

Wouldn't the removal of riff raff and bookending the area with two multi billion dollar investments tend to encourage gentrification?

**Wheels** · September-11-12, 04:13 PM

Originally Posted by bailey

Wouldn't the removal of riff raff and bookending the area with two multi billion dollar investments tend to encourage gentrification?

It was primed and ready before the Real Estate bubble burst in 2007-2008. It still will rejuvenate it is just going to take a lot longer.

Is the Forest Arms still going to be renovated? I read a while back the owners of the Traffic Jam and Snug were looking at buying it? Any news?

**softailrider** · September-11-12, 04:43 PM

Originally Posted by bailey

Wouldn't the removal of riff raff and bookending the area with two multi billion dollar investments tend to encourage gentrification?

That's an excellent point.

I liked it during the Coleman Young years. It was an anything goes kind of place during the 70's and 80's

**Hamtragedy** · September-11-12, 11:26 PM

Originally Posted by Wheels

Is the Forest Arms still going to be renovated? I read a while back the owners of the Traffic Jam and Snug were looking at buying it? Any news?

They bought it. They are working on it. It's a gigantic structure, but there has been progress.

**detroitsgwenivere** · September-12-12, 12:42 AM

Originally Posted by gameguy56

It's weird, isn't it? Places like the Cass Corridor in other cities gentrified like crazy. Why did the Cass Corridor, on the other hand, just sort of peter out?

I'm sure there are several reasons, many of which have been beaten to death on this forum. But what seemed to be the most obvious cause back then was the croney speculation. A few well known investors with cash on hand bought up the buildings, awaiting the ever mythical "renaissance," and instead of rehabbing or upgrading, they evicted everyone and sat on the buildings, leaving them to rot. Or tore them down for parking lots.

Of course, an area overwelmed with mentally adjudicated defectives doesn't bode well for revenue driven redevelopment plans. You can thank the surrounding burbs who would regularly bus in their undesireables for that.

Some of those buildings were worse than the projects, and looking back it made sense why. You had the Brewsters to the east and the Jefferies to the west. With the corridor in the middle [[including the Wayne State area) and the proximity to downtown, you had the perfect trifecta for guaranteed drug and pimpin cash flow.

Hell, back then we would have to warn people not to get out of the car downtown after 7, or stop for any reason in Brush Park, if you valued your life. People would disappear off of Brush and their car would be a stripped out burning hulk the next morning. No joke.

Now that the neglected projects are gone, the local economy improving [[for some of us), and redevelopment pushing in from all directions, the Corridor, Brush Park, and North Corktown are ripe for re-investment. But for who will this gentrification be targeting/benefiting, that will be the big question.

I have a feeling that, in the end, it won't be the folks who want a Detroit version of East Village.

But I can hope.