Gilbert Announces Purchase of One Woodward

**Gannon** · December-05-12, 11:13 PM

He reminds me of my old megalomaniacal boss in Birmingham, the iconic Rick Howard of the Gramophone...who added a 'new' rule every time his fine print was found to have yet another loophole. He loved controlling people, because he never learned how to play well with others. He thought it meant 'toy with them' and 'use them as pawns'...'throw away at will'.

It seems, from all I've heard, we have another of these on our hands. Too bad for Detroit, in the long haul.

Shollin · December-05-12, 11:15 PM

I guess I don't see what's so terrible about the rules? Seems pretty standard. I guess people will bitch about something.

**Gannon** · December-05-12, 11:18 PM

I cannot wait until the Girl Scouts corner him about rule number ten. I wonder if there is a merit badge for detaining and waterboarding a rogue corporate maniac? They should have one. Maybe an advanced knot-making award, it could have fifty shades...

Shollin · December-05-12, 11:20 PM

Is there some sarcasm, wit or attempt at humor I'm not getting?

**Gannon** · December-05-12, 11:22 PM

Are you KIDDING me, Shollin'?!

They are painful to even READ, let alone be posted in the lobby of a famous downtown building.

They obviously haven't been vetted by anyone over thirty, they're written by someone who thinks the bar exam is every night at Grand Trunk.

They are embarassing, and I'm not associated with Bedrock in any way. I'm embarassed for them over these lame statements! It shows how the rest of the operation will be managed, I'm betting.

So we pogo-sticked all over the building, carrying sparklers...tossing m-80s at the construction dudes who were working late...

**Gannon** · December-05-12, 11:23 PM

I haven't found the sarcasm smiley yet...

**raptor56** · December-05-12, 11:32 PM

Seems pretty standard issue to me too. However it is rather ironic that you are not supposed to use scooters, however, on his Compuware floors, scooters are provided for you to ride around on

**rjlj** · December-06-12, 12:08 AM

Their rules seem pretty straight forward and civil to me. Not sure where the problem lies. Maybe you could post where these rules came from and which property they refer to. Looks like the rules are from a commercial property, Quicken perhaps.

Originally Posted by Gannon

So here are the rules, if your building suddenly becomes owned by Dan Gilbert. He obviously went to a parochial school...back in the days of the Flintstones. Although the glaring errors in grammar, punctuation, and content would get him beaten by rulers. Maybe it's not too late...

He missed no chewing gum...and no roaming the halls without a pass.

I'm sure these will all be followed to the letter by each of his tenants. Because I'm sure he's always followed every rule. Uh-huh.

Cheers!

**Boy Named Sue** · December-06-12, 12:28 AM

What kind of rules would you have if you owned 10 properties?

**gumby** · December-06-12, 02:32 AM

Originally Posted by Gannon

So here are the rules, if your building suddenly becomes owned by Dan Gilbert. He obviously went to a parochial school...back in the days of the Flintstones. Although the glaring errors in grammar, punctuation, and content would get him beaten by rulers. Maybe it's not too late...

He missed no chewing gum...and no roaming the halls without a pass.

I'm sure these will all be followed to the letter by each of his tenants. Because I'm sure he's always followed every rule. Uh-huh.

Cheers!

Those rules seem pretty reasonable. Not sure what the problem is with them.

**michimoby** · December-06-12, 05:05 AM

Yeah, I'm not seeing the foul here.

I work in the M@dison frequently and don't feel any more pressure to "behave" than I did in other offices in which I've worked.

**Gannon** · December-06-12, 06:51 AM

Originally Posted by michimoby

Yeah, I'm not seeing the foul here.

I work in the M@dison frequently and don't feel any more pressure to "behave" than I did in other offices in which I've worked.

Are these rules not posted in that building lobby, too?!

If so, then you should feel pressure...these rules were written for a purpose, and if he only enforces them when he feels like it...that makes them a thousand times worse. Nothin' like a little arbitrary enforcement to make a law worthless...or make a subset of the population feel targeted.

I also cannot understand how the most of you cannot see how weak these are, and how they indicate probable negative issues within his organization. Anyone tossing this much potential power around, with this degree of wanton recklessness...along with the hiring and firing practises [[which I had previously thought were only on the mortgage selling floor) of a used-car sales emporium...just proves to me this is not a fellow I'd willingly join forces with, that's all. Sorry if this ruffles some feathers...but I feel the guy has serious Napoleanic issues and will end up being trouble for the city in a major way.

Cheers to the rest of y'all...

**Gannon** · December-06-12, 07:03 AM

Originally Posted by Boy Named Sue

What kind of rules would you have if you owned 10 properties?

Simple.

WELCOME to our building.[[in the largest type of the whole signage) We are glad to have you as tenants. Please behave like adults and we'll all get along. Don't use the building or any portion of it in any way beyond its design intent. See your rental agreement contract for details.

How tough is THAT?! A list of rules like the one posted by them is just weak, negative, and full of holes. Which is exactly what I'm hearing about every one of his businesses. A machine for churning out disgruntled employees by the dozens. Except the ones who survive, who will be the sharks and uber-As that make any corporation turn into a cesspool of fear and loathing. NOT a recipe for long-term success and stability.

I brought up an ex-boss who used a similar way of adding rule to rule after experiences with those who escape beyond his previous rules...which was immature and vindictive and controlling. I see similar issues with our latest savior of the city.

Sincerely,
John

**Gannon** · December-06-12, 07:27 AM

Just for fun, I went searching for any news of Dan's history before 1985...not much out there.

Except for this, which somehow leaked past his lawyering up...never, ever a good sign.

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009...ce_office.html

Gotta love that they had the power to enforce a disclaimer up front of the article, though. Man's got it...so the probability of him abusing it are great. What happens when someone steps out of line and leaves one of his organizations? Watch out when he breaks out the Comic Sans font.

Cheers!

**michimoby** · December-06-12, 07:32 AM

Originally Posted by Gannon

Are these rules not posted in that building lobby, too?!

If so, then you should feel pressure...these rules were written for a purpose, and if he only enforces them when he feels like it...that makes them a thousand times worse. Nothin' like a little arbitrary enforcement to make a law worthless...or make a subset of the population feel targeted.

I also cannot understand how the most of you cannot see how weak these are, and how they indicate probable negative issues within his organization. Anyone tossing this much potential power around, with this degree of wanton recklessness...along with the hiring and firing practises [[which I had previously thought were only on the mortgage selling floor) of a used-car sales emporium...just proves to me this is not a fellow I'd willingly join forces with, that's all. Sorry if this ruffles some feathers...but I feel the guy has serious Napoleanic issues and will end up being trouble for the city in a major way.

Cheers to the rest of y'all...

If they're up, I haven't seen them in a prominent place for all to see.

And I've seen folks at their desks having a beer -- in fact the M@dison itself has a bar on top of it than can be rented out!

**Dexlin** · December-06-12, 07:33 AM

Gannon,

Did you use to work for one of his companies? I don't get what your sudden [[and negative) interest is in Gilbert. If he was such a terror to work for, his empire would have crumbled long ago, and yet it keeps getting bigger. If you don't work for him, and if his employees aren't complaining en masse, honestly, what's it to you? I mean, because your posts and anecdotes are really coming off as the ramblings and trollings of a disgruntled former employee. Sorry.

**mikefmich** · December-06-12, 08:19 AM

Seriously?

Frankly with the state that Detroit is in, I couldn't care if Atilla the Hun was buying properties and getting them occupied.

**mikefmich** · December-06-12, 08:22 AM

Originally Posted by Gannon

Just for fun, I went searching for any news of Dan's history before 1985...not much out there.

Except for this, which somehow leaked past his lawyering up...never, ever a good sign.

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009...ce_office.html

Gotta love that they had the power to enforce a disclaimer up front of the article, though. Man's got it...so the probability of him abusing it are great. What happens when someone steps out of line and leaves one of his organizations? Watch out when he breaks out the Comic Sans font.

Cheers!

You do realize who engineered that little incident right? Some of the anti-gaming folks down here were as cuckoo as that Baptist Ch Preacher who hates gays.

**marshamusic** · December-06-12, 08:50 AM

Originally Posted by Gistok

Interestingly enough One Woodward Ave. was Yamasaki's only office tower before his World Trade Center commission. So in many ways this was the prototype for the WTC.

I remember visiting the WTC for the first time in the 80's and being underwhelmed as I approached; it looked familiar. I see why [[but the restaurant, Windows on the World was awesome).

**Eber Brock Ward** · December-06-12, 09:07 AM

Meh, you need to have those rules in place so you can selectively enforce them.

Problem tenant having beers, for example; utilize those rules. Good tenant having beers; just don't notice it.

That's just good business. It gives you the latitude to more or less leave your good tenants alone to do their thing while still having leverage to pressure or evict bad tenants.

**Islandman** · December-06-12, 11:14 AM

Originally Posted by Marsha Music

I remember visiting the WTC for the first time in the 80's and being underwhelmed as I approached; it looked familiar. I see why [[but the restaurant, Windows on the World was awesome).

Sorry, but I don't buy the underwhelmed bit. I rememebr the first time I saw those buildings and the amazement at how large they were in scale to anything around them.

**jcole** · December-06-12, 11:50 AM

Dan Gilbert was 19 yrs old in 1981. Not a wonder there isn't a whole lot of info online prior to 1985 unless you're looking for his high school transcripts or potty training records.

**jiminnm** · December-06-12, 12:05 PM

I don't have serious problems with these rules. I've seen a lot of commercial leases, and there are always some form of tenant behavior policies.

Simply put, those are his properties and he can dictate the terms of their use. Prospective tenants have the choice to agree with them if they want to use the property, negotiate a change or elimination of the ones they find offensive or that will interfere with their use, or go elsewhere.

**Gistok** · December-06-12, 07:09 PM

Well with the exception of Rule #6... which seems rather silly... all the others make perfect sense... I don't see the indignity. If you want to see silly postings just look at a lot of manufactured and household goods these days, and read the warning labels... some of those seem prety silly also... but in this litigious society... people/companies do need to cover their behinds.

**Gistok** · December-06-12, 07:13 PM

But getting back to the topic at hand... bringing gaming to Ohio with 4 casinos in Toledo, Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati does hurt the Detroit gaming market somewhat... but it also brings in cash to pay for Gilbert's buying up Detroit properties.

Just read this website about Dan Gilbert and Matt Cullen of ROCK GAMING...
http://www.rock-gaming.com/meet-rock-gaming/

Looks like there's more than a coincidental connection between the two...