Kern block study 1966!

**gthomas** · September-13-12, 02:35 AM

Though this failed development never happened, I thought of Gilbert building his headquarters on the Monroe block similar to this skyscraper. So unique, and architecturely striking, how hot will this fit into our skyline. Gilbert I hope u see this

, click on image, check it out!

http://www.smallatlarge.com/2011/06/...-detroit-1966/

**DetroitPlanner** · September-13-12, 06:49 AM

Wow what a collection of 'stuff' you can get to from this link. I like the wild treatment New Center got turning into a LeCorbosier like place.

These sorts of plans were going on a lot back then. This was a time when City Planning was not a discipline of how to do more with less. That is why a lot of this stuff was never built, it just wasn't fiscally feasible. In the planning world, the dreamers dream and the doers do. I could never get too far into the dreamer side. A lot of this stuff looks like the engineers were on LSD!

**Detroitnerd** · September-13-12, 09:01 AM

Ugh. Modernist magazine architecture. Thank goodness it was never built.

**gthomas** · September-13-12, 12:15 PM

Of course it will be re-design to fit with today's style of architecture. I love the design of the building, less concrete slab, use more glass, stone, marble, and steel. We have to think out the box for a sec, stop building boring skyscrapers and create iconic buildings. I wouldn't mind having at least one unique skyscraper downtown.

My friends works for Quicken Loans, they have mention that Gilbert is running out of space to relocate planned companys downtown, including parking. I believe by next year around this time there will be little to no empty buildings downtown. This is why I believe that he will build new in 2013, like he has mentioned.

**bailey** · September-13-12, 12:39 PM

Originally Posted by gthomas

Of course it will be re-design to fit with today's style of architecture. I love the design of the building, less concrete slab, use more glass, stone, marble, and steel. We have to think out the box for a sec, stop building boring skyscrapers and create iconic buildings. I wouldn't mind having at least one unique skyscraper downtown.

My friends works for Quicken Loans, they have mention that Gilbert is running out of space to relocate planned companys downtown, including parking. I believe by next year around this time there will be little to no empty buildings downtown. This is why I believe that he will build new in 2013, like he has mentioned.

...and thus empty out all the buildings he's bought and into which he's been placing people?

Building more office space downtown is just as stupid as building more vinyl clad mcmansions at 39 mile rd and BFE ave.

**kenp** · September-13-12, 01:33 PM

Im so glad he hasnt built anything new like was orignally planned. His buying of properties and working with what is available has been a win/win for Detroit and Gilbert. He buys properties and moves people into his buildings, smart man.

**gthomas** · September-13-12, 03:42 PM

Originally Posted by bailey

...and thus empty out all the buildings he's bought and into which he's been placing people?

Building more office space downtown is just as stupid as building more vinyl clad mcmansions at 39 mile rd and BFE ave.

So your saying that there's no plan to grow, it doesn't stop with him and his companies. I'm not saying relocate HIS businesses to a newly constructed building and leave the one's he allocated for a new building. There are others that are not affiliated with his partner companies, does "Chrysler House", Sasche Construction etc.. ring a bell...? He's looking at the big picture here and I understand what he is doing. Other businesses that is not affiliated with him is going to need more space, and if there isn't any in the future, what else to do but build up.

My friends also said that they will be shuttled to parking garages in Midtown soon, due less space downtown. All of the property he own will stay occupied once he build new, rather it's for his headquarter, residential, commercial, and/or entertainment. Why should you not love PROGRESS..?

**Hermod** · September-13-12, 05:46 PM

Originally Posted by gthomas

Of course it will be re-design to fit with today's style of architecture. I love the design of the building, less concrete slab, use more glass, stone, marble, and steel. We have to think out the box for a sec, stop building boring skyscrapers and create iconic buildings. I wouldn't mind having at least one unique skyscraper downtown.

Yes, we should build something unique like the "shopping bag building".

**Bham1982** · September-13-12, 07:06 PM

Originally Posted by gthomas

My friends works for Quicken Loans, they have mention that Gilbert is running out of space to relocate planned companys downtown, including parking. I believe by next year around this time there will be little to no empty buildings downtown. This is why I believe that he will build new in 2013, like he has mentioned.

I think your friend doesn't know what he's talking about. Downtown has dozens of vacant buildings, and high vacancies in the functioning office towers.

If Gilbert needs room for employees, he has his pick of the litter in existing office space. Why build when you can occupy existing space for 1/10 the cost?

**Packman41** · September-13-12, 08:14 PM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

I think your friend doesn't know what he's talking about. Downtown has dozens of vacant buildings, and high vacancies in the functioning office towers.

If Gilbert needs room for employees, he has his pick of the litter in existing office space. Why build when you can occupy existing space for 1/10 the cost?

I agree with you.

According to this 2Q-2012 report [[latest one from them available) the CBD has 4,400,000 square feet of office area available for lease – does not include sublease space available. That leaves the CBD with a 30% vacancy factor.
http://www.grubb-ellis.com/Forecast2...FF_2012_1Q.pdf

To put this in perspective, Dan Gilbert owns 1.7 million square feet of office in the CBD and it the One Woodward rumor is true, then he will own 2.0 million square feet of space.
http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...ve-sources-say

So, if Dan Gilbert decided to: [[1) go crazy, double down and buy ANOTHER 2.0 million square feet and [[2) lease it all up, then that would leave the CBD with a vacancy rate of 18.1%. Compare that with the current national vacancy average of 15.7 %.

We have a long way to go.

**Jason** · September-13-12, 08:53 PM

This isn't really a study, it's a project by a student.

But at least this student's ideas have soul. 50 years later we got the Compuware Building and 1 Kennedy Square, and even though those buildings got a few things right, they are as bland as you get. And they surround what's supposed to be one of the region's most important civic places.

**Huggybear** · September-14-12, 01:25 AM

It actually looks a lot like the Ren Cen in concept. What they are not showing in the picture is the 6 acres of 1900-era buildings that had to be cleared for its parking lot.

HB

Originally Posted by gthomas

Though this failed development never happened, I thought of Gilbert building his headquarters on the Monroe block similar to this skyscraper. So unique, and architecturely striking, how hot will this fit into our skyline. Gilbert I hope u see this

, click on image, check it out!

http://www.smallatlarge.com/2011/06/...-detroit-1966/

**Gistok** · September-14-12, 10:50 AM

Originally Posted by Huggybear

It actually looks a lot like the Ren Cen in concept. What they are not showing in the picture is the 6 acres of 1900-era buildings that had to be cleared for its parking lot.

HB

The land the Ren Cen occupies was not anything special. There was the Robin Hood Flour silos and a few other low density buildings. This was nothing compared to all the historic buildings that came down to build the Civic Center [[later Hart Plaza). Now that was a travesty, since there were so many historic buildings there from the mid 1800s. Only survivor was Mariners Church which was moved in 1955 from its' lower Woodward location to its' new location... and they added a 1955 built church tower to match. But if you compare what was torn down for the Ren Cen and for the Civic Center... by far the Civic Center devastated a historic district, while the Ren Cen destroyed just a middling area of few buildings with a huge flour factory along the waterfront.

**downtownguy** · September-14-12, 11:35 AM

Originally Posted by gthomas

My friends also said that they will be shuttled to parking garages in Midtown soon, due less space downtown. All of the property he own will stay occupied once he build new, rather it's for his headquarter, residential, commercial, and/or entertainment. Why should you not love PROGRESS..?

That seems hard to believe. Joe Louis and the Fox area garages are at capacity? It would be easier to shuttle them along the People Mover. Keeping them on the street for a few blocks would also be good for downtown.

**DetroitPlanner** · September-14-12, 11:48 AM

Originally Posted by gthomas

My friends works for Quicken Loans, they have mention that Gilbert is running out of space to relocate planned companys downtown, including parking. I believe by next year around this time there will be little to no empty buildings downtown. This is why I believe that he will build new in 2013, like he has mentioned.

One problem with this is that there are few parking garages in Midtown and nearly all are at capacity as it is. I can't see the Med Center, WSU, the Cultural Center giving up any of their spaces as it needs them now.

In addition, your original post called this a failed attempt. I doubt that this project ever got off of an architectural students drawing table.

**historicdetroit.org** · September-14-12, 03:07 PM

The Kern's building sure was a beaut:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...0377290&type=3

**EastsideAl** · September-14-12, 04:48 PM

Yes, pictures of the old Kern's building remind me of great Chicago department store buildings, like [[of course) Carson Pirie Scott. A really lovely piece of architecture. But Kern's was small and couldn't seem to remain financially viable against the larger stores nearby, and was already long-closed by the time it, and the rest of the block on which it sat, was torn down.

I'm too young to remember Kern's as anything other than a vacant building, but I do remember being inside the old Opera House on that block that faced onto Campus Martius [[as it was then configured). By the early '60s it contained Sam's Cut-Rate store, and I remember going in there a few times with my perpetually bargain-seeking mother as they were having their closing down sale prior to demolition. It sure seemed a mammoth, dusty, and somewhat scary cave of a space to my very youthful eyes.

**Hermod** · September-14-12, 06:50 PM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

Yes, pictures of the old Kern's building remind me of great Chicago department store buildings, like [[of course) Carson Pirie Scott. A really lovely piece of architecture. But Kern's was small and couldn't seem to remain financially viable against the larger stores nearby, and was already long-closed by the time it, and the rest of the block on which it sat, was torn down.

My mother was an out-and-out Hudson's girl. Only if she couldn't find exactly what she was looking for at Hudson's, she would decide we had to go to "Kern's and Crowley's". Crowley's was sort of a down at the heels and seedy place compared to Hudson's, but Kern's seemed [[at least to my youthful memories) to have been a rather classy looking store, though on a much smaller scale than Hudson's.