Boutique Hotel At Former Firehouse Site Washington/Larned

**jj84** · March-04-13, 11:19 PM

It will stop a few of them from booking here, what it really stops is the repeat conferences. In the Convention world it is usually very little things that can make the difference.

Asbestos is a great fire retardant. eliminates the ability for something to burn, and eliminates the human that might start the fire!

It would be cheaper to build a skywalk from the ponch to Cobo. Though it would probably be cheaper to demo the Pontchartrain and start from scratch.

**Gistok** · March-04-13, 11:38 PM

Originally Posted by jj84

It would be cheaper to build a skywalk from the ponch to Cobo. Though it would probably be cheaper to demo the Pontchartrain and start from scratch.

Don't know how you got that idea about demo... since much of the rehab on the hotel is already done.

And the 1980s Cobo "Tetris" expansion was built with a skywalk to the hotel in mind. There is a spot in an upper level of Cobo that just requires the wall to Washington Blvd. to be removed... as well as the building of a skybridge across Washington Blvd. over to the Crowne Plaza. The walkway would likely be at the tennis court/track level of the hotel, thus cutting the outdoor space in half [[doorways along that part of the route could reconnect the 2 areas). So the skybridge would only need support beams between the edge of the hotel platform [[not tower)... and Cobo.

The outdoor plaza area of the Crowne Plaza would be the spot for future expansion if it is ever needed. At one time there were talks of a 2nd 400 room tower expansion along Washington Blvd. But that never happened.

**Gistok** · March-04-13, 11:43 PM

The Detroit News article has one too many digits in the price of the Firehouse rebuild as a hotel... the price is $25 million... not $250 million.

**Detroitdave** · March-05-13, 01:15 PM

I think this is a great idea for that location , I hope they can do this !

**stinkytofu** · March-05-13, 01:25 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

Don't know how you got that idea about demo... since much of the rehab on the hotel is already done.

And the 1980s Cobo "Tetris" expansion was built with a skywalk to the hotel in mind. There is a spot in an upper level of Cobo that just requires the wall to Washington Blvd. to be removed... as well as the building of a skybridge across Washington Blvd. over to the Crowne Plaza. The walkway would likely be at the tennis court/track level of the hotel, thus cutting the outdoor space in half [[doorways along that part of the route could reconnect the 2 areas). So the skybridge would only need support beams between the edge of the hotel platform [[not tower)... and Cobo.

The outdoor plaza area of the Crowne Plaza would be the spot for future expansion if it is ever needed. At one time there were talks of a 2nd 400 room tower expansion along Washington Blvd. But that never happened.

Speaking of which they have rehabbed the plaza and it's looking quite nice. The pale concrete [[?) that crept along Washington is now gone and it is all brick. It also looks like they are landscaping the plaza itself...but it is above street level and I can't get a good view yet. This project is looking better and better by the day.

**stinkytofu** · March-05-13, 03:52 PM

Anybody know if City Council voted on this today?

**gthomas** · March-05-13, 05:34 PM

Originally Posted by stinkytofu

Speaking of which they have rehabbed the plaza and it's looking quite nice. The pale concrete [[?) that crept along Washington is now gone and it is all brick. It also looks like they are landscaping the plaza itself...but it is above street level and I can't get a good view yet. This project is looking better and better by the day.

Yes, I agree that each day it gets better. I was Downtown today, they also working the canopy now at the main entrance. Look better in person than the rendering, I like.

**Huggybear** · March-05-13, 11:09 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

Back in the late 1980's after Denver developer John Madden built 150 W. Jefferson, he had another proposal to buy the Fire Station from the city, tear out the interior down to the bedrock [[leaving only the 4 walls), and build a 40 story office tower rising out of the 5 story shell of the building... to be known as Firehouse Square.

Good Lord. I thought that 150 W. Jefferson was pushing the boundaries of taste [[it actually has a near clone in Bangkok...). Building a high-rise out of the shell of a firehouse is possibly the only thing more bizarre than making a parking garage out of a movie theater.

HB