Penske Corporate HQ - Why Bloomfield if Penske's such a Detroit booster?

**tkelly1986** · March-04-13, 12:53 PM

There is no argument against Roger Penske as Detroit booster. But if he is really committed to the city, why not move Penske's Corporate HQ downtown? As it currently stands, Penske operates out of Bloomfield Hills. I guess this is a classic case of “if you’re going to talk the talk, walk the walk”.

By the way, would anyone know how many people are employed at the Penske HQ?

**313WX** · March-04-13, 01:05 PM

Originally Posted by tkelly1986

There is no argument against Roger Penske as Detroit booster. But if he is really committed to the city, why not move Penske's Corporate HQ downtown? As it currently stands, Penske operates out of Bloomfield Hills. I guess this is a classic case of “if you’re going to talk the talk, walk the walk”.

By the way, would anyone know how many people are employed at the Penske HQ?

Agreed.

Same with Hantz Group. They've brought up the entire east side for pennies on the dollar yet they can't even move their HQ from Southfield to downtown.

**Detroitnerd** · March-04-13, 01:07 PM

Originally Posted by tkelly1986

There is no argument against Roger Penske as Detroit booster. But if he is really committed to the city, why not move Penske's Corporate HQ downtown? As it currently stands, Penske operates out of Bloomfield Hills. I guess this is a classic case of “if you’re going to talk the talk, walk the walk”.

I'm betting a lot of the people who work there live out there. Penske may be a forward-thinking guy, but I bet a lot of his employees would be pissy about having to drive downtown, park downtown, and drive home each day.

Heck, it may not be such a bad thing for now. Until we have a serious mass transit system, I'm a little wary of having every business locate downtown, because it'll mean a profusion of parking garages perhaps threatening the very architecture that has such value.

**Bham1982** · March-04-13, 01:36 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

I'm betting a lot of the people who work there live out there. Penske may be a forward-thinking guy, but I bet a lot of his employees would be pissy about having to drive downtown, park downtown, and drive home each day.

One can still be a Detroit booster and not work or live in Downtown Detroit. In the real world, Metro Detroit is Detroit.

And, agreed; I don't think it's a great mystery why a bunch of executives would prefer to work in Bloomfield Hills instead of Downtown Detroit. For one, they live five minutes away. Throw in free parking, no city income tax, no major hassles, and it's a big advantage.

But the big one is you have a much better quality of life if you work near where you live, and rich folks live on Lone Pine Road, not W. Grand Blvd.

**iheartthed** · March-04-13, 01:45 PM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

One can still be a Detroit booster and not work or live in Downtown Detroit. In the real world, Metro Detroit is Detroit.

So Metro Detroit is chipping in on Detroit's $14B debt? Great news.

**Bham1982** · March-04-13, 01:47 PM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

So Metro Detroit is chipping in on Detroit's $14B debt? Great news.

Yes, they are. Detroit is a net receiver jurisdiction. The net donor jurisdictions are subsidizing Detroit.

**Detroitnerd** · March-04-13, 01:50 PM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

Yes, they are. Detroit is a net receiver jurisdiction. The net donor jurisdictions are subsidizing Detroit.

Unless you look at all the taxes and fees that Detroiters pay. And also include the money that is extracted from Detroit privately. That provides a better view.

I know this is wasted on you, though.

**iheartthed** · March-04-13, 02:59 PM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

Yes, they are. Detroit is a net receiver jurisdiction. The net donor jurisdictions are subsidizing Detroit.

Okay, be sure to give the bankruptcy judge that bit of information when Detroit files.

**Detroitnerd** · March-04-13, 01:48 PM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

But the big one is you have a much better quality of life if you work near where you live.

Well, true, but most of us think of a brisk walk or bike ride through a lively neighborhood to get to work in five minutes, not traveling like this:

**Bham1982** · March-04-13, 01:50 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

Well, true, but most of us think of a brisk walk or bike ride through a lively neighborhood to get to work in five minutes, not traveling like this:

In some areas, maybe, but Michigan weather is horrible most of the year, and we love our cars, so probably no.

**Detroitnerd** · March-04-13, 01:54 PM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

In some areas, maybe, but Michigan weather is horrible most of the year, and we love our cars, so probably no.

Bham, how somebody can often be so correct and insightful, and just as easily surrender without objection to the mediocre status quo, is truly amazing.

Right, the weather is stupendous in Brooklyn. That's why people walk several blocks to the subway, hop on, transfer in the city, and walk several blocks through Manhattan. That and they all hate cars. *eyeroll*

**bailey** · March-04-13, 01:52 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

Well, true, but most of us think of a brisk walk or bike ride through a lively neighborhood to get to work in five minutes, not traveling like this:

If by "most of us" you mean posters on this board...sure. However as to the 5 million metro area, those who think a brisk walk through a lively neighborhood to get to work is preferable to their current situation, or even a priority to them is a tiny and pretty much irrelevant minority. And they probably already do live that way in the rare areas where it's possible.

**Detroitnerd** · March-04-13, 01:57 PM

Originally Posted by bailey

If by "most of us" you mean posters on this board...sure. However as to the 5 million metro area, those who think a brisk walk through a lively neighborhood to get to work is preferable to their current situation, or even a priority to them is a tiny and pretty much irrelevant minority. And they probably already do live that way in the rare areas where it's possible.

Well, thanks for pointing out some language that should have been more specific.

Nationally, when we discuss a trend of people wanting to live near where they work, we aren't talking about them living two exits away on the wonderful freeway. We really aren't. Most of the time, that national conversation about living near where we work goes hand in hand with walkability, bikability and density.

Truly, only in yahoo Michigan would we consider living near where we work to being "five minutes [by car] away" ...

And that "tiny and pretty much irrelevant minority" is tiny because it's well educated, up-to-date and ... moving to real cities that aren't stuck with the hopeless job of building the world of 1961 over and over again.

**Jimaz** · March-04-13, 04:52 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

Well, true, but most of us think of a brisk walk or bike ride through a lively neighborhood to get to work in five minutes, not traveling like this:

HA! There's an HOV lane there.

**Detroitnerd** · March-04-13, 05:09 PM

Originally Posted by Jimaz

HA! There's an HOV lane there.

It saves approximately 200 gallons of jet fuel per passenger-lane-mile-hour. Who says we can't go green?

**wolverine** · March-05-13, 01:35 AM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

I'm betting a lot of the people who work there live out there. Penske may be a forward-thinking guy, but I bet a lot of his employees would be pissy about having to drive downtown, park downtown, and drive home each day.

Heck, it may not be such a bad thing for now. Until we have a serious mass transit system, I'm a little wary of having every business locate downtown, because it'll mean a profusion of parking garages perhaps threatening the very architecture that has such value.

That's a good point. Really going to take some easing into with new growth. I'm seriously betting we'll see plenty more jobs moving downtown. But the large garage construction makes me nervous.

**SWMAP** · March-04-13, 01:28 PM

Penske emerged as a "Detroit Booster" about ten years ago when he took the helm [[at Dennis Archer's behest) as Chairman of the Detroit Super Bowl Host Committee.

I believe that Penske HQ pre-dates that era.

So, should he move now that he has decided to take on Detroit-centric projects suchas the Clean Downtown effort that he funded single-handly for years when the City could not afford a clean Downtown and neglected the streetscapes? I guess if he has money to burn. Re-locating corporate offices even on a very small scale is expensive, time-consuming, eating up a lot of staff time on non-core work.

As to John Hantz - I wonder how many employees he has. His Hantz Woodlands has always had offices and operations in Detroit. And Hantz himself famously lives in Indian Village.

What is the pont of such a discussion? is it to somehow infer that Detroit Boosters don't/won't put their money where their mouths are?

**iheartthed** · March-04-13, 01:30 PM

Originally Posted by SWMAP

is it to somehow infer that Detroit Boosters don't/won't put their money where their mouths are?

I thought it was pretty obvious that this was the point of this discussion.

**401don** · March-04-13, 02:26 PM

As for this Penske fella, you would think a guy whose entire lifeblood is based on car sales, rentals and racing would be looking for a little more of a walkable neighborhood.

**nain rouge** · March-04-13, 02:30 PM

Originally Posted by 401don

As for this Penske fella, you would think a guy whose entire lifeblood is based on car sales, rentals and racing would be looking for a little more of a walkable neighborhood.

I'd imagine a Belle Isle penthouse next to the permanent race track would suit him just fine.

**Wheels** · March-04-13, 02:41 PM

What about security and heath and welfare concerns? What happens in Downtown Detroit in a serious 911 condition? Are there ladder trucks for a fire? Are there adequate EMS for a major disaster? Anyone working Downtown is taking a huge risk. Convincing workers to move Downtown for work has to be a major task.

**DetroitPlanner** · March-04-13, 03:37 PM

Between moves by Compuware, Blue Cross and Quicken Detroit has already pulled 12-15k in jobs from the burbs. The trend is definitely to consolidating in the CBD, why be so bitter towards those who are already helping out Detroit in other ways? Hantz lives in Rosedale Park. He probably has a pretty easy commute to Telegraph and the Lodge.

Why not bring up how the Lions may have built Ford Field in Detroit, but built the HQ in Allen Park to evade paying city income taxes?

Look as far as the world is concerned Southfield and Bloomfield ARE Detroit@

**iheartthed** · March-04-13, 03:46 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

Between moves by Compuware, Blue Cross and Quicken Detroit has already pulled 12-15k in jobs from the burbs. The trend is definitely to consolidating in the CBD, why be so bitter towards those who are already helping out Detroit in other ways? Hantz lives in Rosedale Park. He probably has a pretty easy commute to Telegraph and the Lodge.

Why not bring up how the Lions may have built Ford Field in Detroit, but built the HQ in Allen Park to evade paying city income taxes?

Look as far as the world is concerned Southfield and Bloomfield ARE Detroit@

The road to Hell is paved with good intentions. The city is effectively broke and the only way to change that trajectory is for tax paying entities to be physically located in the actual city of Detroit, and not just located in imaginary Detroit.

**bigjeff** · March-04-13, 08:45 PM

Yes most of the upper echelon of Penske brass live in the area of Telegraph and Long Lake Road. You also have to remember the reason Mr. Penske is in Bloomfield Hills is the close proximity to Oakland International Airport where he keeps his planes. Unless City Airport expands its runways, I don't believe they can accommodate Mr. Penske's needs. He has around 200 employees at his HQ in Bloomfield counting administrative assistants, secretaries to janitors.

**p69rrh51** · March-04-13, 09:12 PM

Originally Posted by bigjeff

Yes most of the upper echelon of Penske brass live in the area of Telegraph and Long Lake Road. You also have to remember the reason Mr. Penske is in Bloomfield Hills is the close proximity to Oakland International Airport where he keeps his planes. Unless City Airport expands its runways, I don't believe they can accommodate Mr. Penske's needs. He has around 200 employees at his HQ in Bloomfield counting administrative assistants, secretaries to janitors.

The runways at city are just fine. Most crews REFUSE to land or stay in Detroit. The crews that do land in Detroit always move the plane to Oakland unless of course they are the very few that fly out of city.