We rushed the Tiger Stadium demo? People had 9 years of it sitting vacant to put together a plan with money to do something with it. And if the Hudson's hulk was still there, we would just now be beginning the plans to demo it. Which would put a new development there years further out than it already is. AND I have a hunch that the projects that have occurred from Campus Martius Park [[which wouldn't exist) through GCP might not have emerged with empty and boarded up Big Red Building in the middle of it all. Do you remember the pigeons that lived all over and in that place?

Also, if you read my posts, I do favor historic preservation. I just think when you try to save every old building you get no new development and end up losing a lot of old buildings anyway to decay. If I could save one building on GCP it would be the UA theater & office building. It sure looks in better condition than the Statler did before it came down. And I think it has more potential for future use.

And ghettopalmetto, if the Statler just needed a splash of paint and was ripe for reno, why did no one even propose doing anything with it for the 20 years [[was it more?) it was vacant? Ditto the Lafayette. Something sits unused and rotting for ages, and people moan that it was a rush job? As you suggest, I do not have a background in construction or engineering to give out specific quotes on what most building renovations would cost. But I do have eyes, which allow me to both see the general condition of a building and to read articles about the costs and obstacles that faced other renovations of buildings downtown. I feel fairly safe in stating that the Statler Hotel, at the point it came down, would have been a very expensive renovation into either a new hotel or residential development. If you are aware of information about how it would have been surprisingly inexpensive to renovate, please share.