Federal Reserve Bank Building

[cramerro]

I just realized I wasn't very precise...the Walmarting of the lobby is from the new employees who don't shop at Urban Outfitters, and are largely unaware of professional and elevator etiquette. Many of the relatively incensed building veterans now understand the posting of those strange, new building rules...it wasn't for the current lessees...it was for his OWN employees. The Walmarting of 2-5 and 7-10 come from the horrible map-grid lighting that the designer should be forced to wear for the rest of their career. Street Crud, we'll call it.

Gannon,

Can you elaborate a bit on what you mean by Walmarting of the lobby? Posting of building rules? Is this in the sterile design of the offices or the rules/behavior of the employees? Thanks.

[Gannon]

Gannon,

Can you elaborate a bit on what you mean by Walmarting of the lobby? Posting of building rules? Is this in the sterile design of the offices or the rules/behavior of the employees? Thanks.

I've got a few professional friends who work in the building, and have been around it quite a bit these past few years.

From them, not from direct observation, I've heard the 'caliber' of employees that Dan Gilbert has brought into One Woodward do not seem to be groomed for public business behavior and proper dress...even to the point of disrespecting personal space in elevators. This is not a dig at them, most are regular folk trying to make a living, but moreso against the lack of HR training of people NEW to a workplace...he has responsiblity beyond hiring 10 employees to fight it out for 4 slots, that form of abuse of human resources is brutally ancient and should be illegal. But it makes his 'new jobs' figures look really good to those who worship growth.

The posted rules had some really sophomoric suggestions and restrictions...most who read them felt as if they were created by a high schooler, indeed at least two of the rules must've been plagiarized from an old rule book someone stole! Yes, I'm over-doing it on the accusations, to make a point, the rules were taken originally as an offense to the current lessees...but now that they've witnessed how Gilbert's minions have arrived, it doesn't bode well for expectations of what he'll do with this historic building. Or, by simple extrapolation, the rest of the city he recently bought...because it wasn't just real estate, he acquired more power.

I haven't seen their floors, only HEARD the renovations off-hours, and heard about the rude behavior of the construction workers invading leased and occupied space. Then again, they are construction workers.

But I DO see what they've done to the ceiling from the street, on floors 3-5 and 7-9. The little streetmap emulations might've been a cute idea in concept, but it fails miserably in application. Miserably. Street Crud.

And they've apparently nobody in their architecture/design staff that knows a damn thing about the natural order of things, say like the travel of sunlight throughout the year. Witness the dozens upon dozens of fucked-up shit LITTERING almost all of their windows.

I initially thought it was their 'whiteboard' or flat space for posting public performance charts...since it looked like they were taping up large-format print sheets. But then I saw the collection of UPS and FedEX supplies taped on some...and it became obvious they were desperately trying to quell the sunshine from obscuring their computer screens!


So, yeah, I'm seeing short-sightedness from many angles, I KNOW I'm a relentless critic of the guy. He WAS one of the top-five last-minute suppporters of Kwhyme Kilpatrick a few years ago. Nobody should EVER forget that.

I don't trust him. Not one whit. I want to...he has such potential for good, but that same can effect great evil...even unintentionally. What was Spiderman's mantra? With great power comes great responsibility.


Sincerely,
John

[Zacha341]

Yep! Nothing hampers work flow like a completely glared out, useless 'puter screen from full-on sun, due to bad office seating and no adaptable window screening. Sounds just great!

And they've apparently nobody in their architecture/design staff that knows a damn thing about the natural order of things, say like the travel of sunlight throughout the year. Witness the dozens upon dozens of fucked-up shit LITTERING almost all of their windows.

I initially thought it was their 'whiteboard' or flat space for posting public performance charts...since it looked like they were taping up large-format print sheets. But then I saw the collection of UPS and FedEX supplies taped on some...and it became obvious they were desperately trying to quell the sunshine from obscuring their computer screens!