The right perspective on preservation

[DetroitPlanner]

Compuware and Ernst & Young were both built on parcels that had sat empty for decades. There was no demolition immediately followed by new development. I don't think anyone is against redeveloping empty land. As for Quicken, they haven't built anything yet, and it's unclear if they ever will.

Never considered a park as vacant land.

[Gistok]

Well, we should be fair here. I believe that Detroit has subsidized every major non-casino development in the past 10 years - not just historic preservation projects!

Andylinn, it goes way back more than 10 years.... during the CAY administration he brought home the bacon by getting huge UDAG [[Urban Development Action Grants) for the Millender Center, Comerica Tower [[One Detroit Center, which IIRC got something like $25 million) and 150 W. Jefferson.

[Irvine Laird]

I would raise the banner for any preservation group in Detroit, especially Preservation Wayne. Those good people share my love and passion for old things.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I feel most preservation groups in our city fit in the family of hobbyists, museums, and universities that seek to inform the public of our history and interpret it. The strongest activism of these groups falls in the realm of preventing the decay and/or demolition of historic landmarks, mostly when demolition seems imminent.

I'd like to see an organization like Preservation Wayne enter a proactive relationship with an organization like Detroit Renaissance to integrate historic assets into something like the One D initiative. In other words, let's focus on the forest before we look at the trees. What is our regional strategy for leveraging our historic resources to give us a competitive edge in the global economy? How will landmarks like the Lafayette Building or Michigan Central Depot help us compete with China and India, not to mention Chicago, Silicon Valley, and the Sun Belt?

If our historic assets do indeed give us competitive leverage in attracting investments to Detroit, then their preservation and utilization should be part of a regional strategy that casts a long view and incorporates real benchmarks. "Micro" issues like leases, occupancy, tax abatements, and the like are tactical points under an umbrella strategy that supports a "big picture" outcome for the region.

I'm not talking about a promotional campaign like "Pure Michigan" to attract new owners or tenants to our vacant buildings. That's a short-term solution that would truly be a waste of money and time considering our economic engine is kaput. I'm talking about historic assets as part of a regional economic master plan--preservation as fuel for economic development.

If no one in the region is looking at it that way, then we might as well "tear that schitt down."

[Bearinabox]

Never considered a park as vacant land.

There are parks and then there are parks. Any "park" produced by knocking down a building in the middle of a downtown counts as vacant land in my book. If they knock down the Lafayette and put a "park" there, that's going to be vacant land too. Real parks are built because the location calls for them, not because the city has an awkwardly-shaped parcel of empty land that nobody wants to build on.

[McIPor]

So the DEGC and DDA staff saved the Book Cadillac & the Kales; Merchant's Row & Lofts of Woodward; Cliff Bells; Iodent

Had it not been for private efforts during the 90's, there wouldn"t have been a Book Cadillac, Kales, Iodent, Woodward Lofts, or Cliff Bells left to save!

What is almost always forgotten is the DDA proposed demolishing all of the buildings on Park Ave in 1996 to provide parking for Comerica Park, when it was first proposed on the west and then east sides of Woodward. What saved the Kales, Iodent, and Cliff Belles was the creation of the Park Avenue Historic District using private funds by unpayed volunteers to create the framework for use of historic tax credits later.

The Woodward Lofts would have been torn down along with every other building on the east side of Woodward from Kerns to Broderick, back in 1995 to create a Park! That was the proposal in front of then Mayor Archer. Another group of unpaid "preservationists" spent 6 months working with Archer and Jim Tervo on an alternate plan to keep the buildings. The GDP was created after that, bought the buildings [[often bidding against private developers driving up prices) that became the Woodward Lofts and Merchants Row, again using Historic Tax Credits for renovations. Unfortunately, they demolished Hudsons which could have been renovated for $100 million, [[$40 million of which could have come from HISTORIC TAX CREDITS.) Instead, $800 million was spent to build compuware.

The Book Cadillac was locked up, guarded, and still had the heat on until the late 90's when then DEGC head Beth Duncombe removed the guard, turned the heat off and let the scavengers at it. How much could have been saved on the renovations had they kept the guard and heat on? The friends of the Book Cadillac [[private citizens) worked behind the scenes to thwart public efforts to demolish it.

Why hasn't the DDA and DEGC yet realized Historic Tax Credits can only be applied to Historic Buildings? Historic buildings are cultural, economic and environmental assets for the city that help attract the educated young back to the city.

Who elected the DDA and DEGC to manage public funds anyway? Does mayor Bing support continuing to demolish economic and cultural assets using badly needed public funds?

[tahleel]

I promote the idea of urban farming. This would start to eliminate many of the blight-ed homes in Detroit. Money can be brought into the region by selling the crops to outside states. The city could reap revenues generated from property tax income. Home values would rise as supply of homes drops while the same or an increase in demand is present.

I am all about preserving. But preserving some homes when they are next to urban prairies is foolish. I believe that we should preserve the areas where it is still nice, or has the potential to bring it back to what it once was [[i.e. Indian Village, Boston-Edison, and etc).

-Tahleel

[McIPor]

I was at the Book Cadillac yesterday. I looked across Washington Blvd at the ATT and Mcnamara buildings and across Michigan at the Holiday inn and had to wonder who could possibly look at those together with the Lafayette and decide thats the one that guests at the book don't want to look at? The Lafayettee is much more interesting to look at then any of those others!

[REL]

Tahleel: "But preserving some homes when they are next to urban prairies is foolish. I believe that we should preserve the areas where it is still nice, or has the potential to bring it back to what it once was [[i.e. Indian Village, Boston-Edison, and etc)."

Just because areas are "still nice", in other words, wealthy, doesn't mean other areas aren't worth saving. Should the historic Workers' Row House in Corktown been bulldozed decades ago? It didn't house the super-wealthy of it's time, and it's lacking in decorative plasterwork and elaborate stained glass. Regardless, it's an important part of the city's heritage.

And if someone happens to have the lone home on an entire block [[in an "urban prairie"), why should their home be less important?

We all agree that there aren't enough resources to preserve every structure or neighborhood and prioritization is important. But I have to disagree with your criteria.

[REL]

Bump... and I forgot a thank you to Michael Poris!

[McIPor]

Tahleel: "But preserving some homes when they are next to urban prairies is foolish. I believe that we should preserve the areas where it is still nice, or has the potential to bring it back to what it once was [[i.e. Indian Village, Boston-Edison, and etc)."

Just because areas are "still nice", in other words, wealthy, doesn't mean other areas aren't worth saving. Should the historic Workers' Row House in Corktown been bulldozed decades ago? It didn't house the super-wealthy of it's time, and it's lacking in decorative plasterwork and elaborate stained glass. Regardless, it's an important part of the city's heritage.

And if someone happens to have the lone home on an entire block [[in an "urban prairie"), why should their home be less important?

We all agree that there aren't enough resources to preserve every structure or neighborhood and prioritization is important. But I have to disagree with your criteria.

Doesn't anyone remember the show "Little house on the Prairie" ?

[buildingsofdetroit]

Right Crawford. Even though I live and work in Detroit, I don't know the first thing about it. And you're the expert, hiding behind a keyboard in Brooklyn and supporting the corrupt quasi-political body that loves to knock down our buildings for the benefit of themselves and a few lucky contractors.

As for downtown renovations done by private co's -- let's try Kresge Bldg [[Kellifanos), Iodent Building [[Harrington), Orchestra Hall [[Fisher), Wright-Kay Building [[currently under renovation), Crosswinds community [[a number of historic townhomes were restored as part of this private project)... shall I go on?

GS,
When you say Kresge [[Kellifanos), do you mean the Kales Building [[nee Kresge Building) or the Kresge HQ by the Masonic? Cuz the Kales was Bob Bates. If Kellifanos is doing the Kresge HQ near Temple and Cass, I hadn't heard about it [[though it's possible).

[buildingsofdetroit]

"As chronicled in The Detroit Free Press and blogs, the wonderful 1908-vintage downtown office tower, The Lafayette Building, is slated for demolition by the very entities that should be moving to help re-develop it and others like it.
It is precisely the type of historic structure that Detroit can flaunt, and that a Phoenix or an Orlando will always lack. It is not a replicable structure—once down, we will never see its like again. "

Poris and I may agree on preservation, but he's one lazy dude. I've never seen ANYONE use the date 1908 with the Lafayette Building. Sloppy.

[Bearinabox]

GS,
When you say Kresge [[Kellifanos), do you mean the Kales Building [[nee Kresge Building) or the Kresge HQ by the Masonic? Cuz the Kales was Bob Bates. If Kellifanos is doing the Kresge HQ near Temple and Cass, I hadn't heard about it [[though it's possible).

Kefallinos [[not "Kellifanos") is redeveloping the Kresge Building on the NW corner of Woodward and State.