Pact reached to redevelop downtown building

**MotownSpartan** · July-23-09, 02:21 PM

http://freep.com/article/20090723/BU...ntown-building

Anyone know what's going on with this building/area?

**leland_palmer** · July-23-09, 02:26 PM

They will probably:

A) Claim that the were unable to find a developer and tear it down.

or

B) Claim that it is structually unsound and tear it down.

**Gistok** · July-23-09, 02:43 PM

Would that be the Griswold Building, which is 11 stories tall? That building has detailing very reminiscent of the Argonaut Building...

Could only find an image made of LEGO....

**Detroitnerd** · July-23-09, 02:49 PM

Originally Posted by leland_palmer

They will probably:

A) Claim that the were unable to find a developer and tear it down.

or

B) Claim that it is structually unsound and tear it down.

That's where my money is. ... they don't call it the Downtown Demolition Authority for nothing.

**Nicodeme** · July-23-09, 02:55 PM

I believe it's this one.

**Detroitnerd** · July-23-09, 03:04 PM

Plans include:

* A streetcar-type vehicle

* New streetscaping from a well-respected artist

* More trees, plants and expanded plazas for foot traffic.

Click here for artists' rendering:

http://tinyurl.com/n8mdmd

*** SATIRE *** SATIRE *** SATIRE *** SATIRE ***

**MotownSpartan** · July-23-09, 03:10 PM

Where did you get that info?

**Detroitnerd** · July-23-09, 03:13 PM

Motown Spartan: I should have identified it more carefully as "SATIRE." It's a joke, MS. Click on the link and you'll see Washington Boulevard after its last "redevelopment" -- of which, thankfully, very little remains. It's my little joust at the authorities who have no idea what to do with downtowns, so they buy buildings, spend millions on landscaping and art, and then sit back and watch it all decay.

Disregard my satirical post.

**MotownSpartan** · July-23-09, 03:25 PM

Funny, but this actually highlights the absolute lack of transparency in the DDA and city government as a whole. Here we have the city spending millions of dollars of the citizens' money to purchase a building and no one has any information on their plans.

**Novine** · July-23-09, 03:37 PM

New parking lot. Guaranteed.

**Gsgeorge** · July-23-09, 04:12 PM

Nicodeme is correct, here is the real estate listing. Looks like the DDA got a deal... $1.9 for a downtown parking lot aint bad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wonder how much they'll pay the demolition firm, and what they'll do with all that kickback money. Can anyone say "new tiaras for city council"????? GREAT NEWS FOR DETROIT!!!!!!

http://www.weichert.com/24019702/

**Detroitnerd** · July-23-09, 04:17 PM

DetroitYES!: Where you get your news before it happens!

Building to be demolished
After years of trying, another building to fall to the wrecking ball

Detroit, 2012: After spending several years trying to find a developer to refurbish an 11-story building at 1145 Griswold, the Downtown Development Authority has reached an agreement to use taxpayer money to demolish the structure.

The DDA, which oversees development in downtown Detroit, had hope that the building would become part of a planned redevelopment of the western section of downtown. They had paid $1.9 million for the structure, and had aggressively pushed for it to be the keystone of a revitalization plan covering the area roughly bounded by Woodward, Washington Boulevard, Michigan and Grand Circus Park.

But after years of deals falling through, the DDA finally threw in the towel last month, asking the city to step in and demolish the structure, which has aged badly in the last few years.

Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, fresh in office after his "comeback" election, has tapped Ferguson, the well-known demolition company, to take down the structure, which some in the DDA say has become a dangerous eyesore whose buy-date has passed.

Asked for comment on the failed project, DDA director Art Blackwell said, "It is a sad failure that, after trying for so many years, we could not find a developer for this wonderful building. But now, after years of scrapping, it poses a very real danger to the people walking down Griswold, and we have reluctantly asked the city for help to raze this unsafe eyesore."

*** SATIRE *** SATIRE *** SATIRE *** SATIRE ***

**Patrick** · July-23-09, 04:46 PM

Nicodeme, that is the Capitol Park Building, formerly known as the J. Henry Smith Building. It was desigfned by Leonard Willeke during his tenure at the Allyn Engineering Company of Cincinnati, Ohio. I think it dates to 1912 or 1914. It was on the ground floor of this building that there was a memorial plaque that described the last "Indian" massacre in Detroit. That is now logn gone and we did a thread on that a while back.

**Gsgeorge** · July-23-09, 04:52 PM

DDA Excited About New Tiaras
Kickbacks from Lafayette Building and 1145 Griswold Demolitions to Pay for New Council Look

Detroit, August 2009 --- Detroit's Downtown Development Authority is pleased after receiving a kickback from the demolition of two downtown eyesores. The Lafayette Building and 1145 Griswold, which the DDA has called "outdated" and "seriously ugly", were demolished this month to make way for new "green" parking lots, the defining features of which include tall grasses growing out of the cracked concrete. Already, the parking lots have attracted a number of local vagrants and homeless. "This is wonderful," one man said, on condition of anonymity since he was living in the lot illegally. "Before, the building that was here was totally sealed off. Where were we supposed to stay? Now we have some nice grasses to stay in."

The DDA is particularly excited about the new tiaras it will be purchasing for City Council with a portion of the kickback funds. The tiaras will, in their words, "Spruce up downtown" by "projecting an image of beauty, royalty, and superiority." The funding for the tiaras and the demolitions will come entirely from the taxpayers of the City of Detroit. "The citizens of Detroit will be comforted knowing that their Council is projecting a good image to the public & the world with their new tiaras. In addition, we will be creating ten temporary jobs with the demolition, and the money will help fund the purchase of DDA staff's new cars and homes."

Next on the DDA's list are the historic Metropolitan and Wurlitzer Buildings. "These have needed to come down for years," the DDA has said through a press release. "The demolition of these outdated and ugly structures would ensure that DDA staff could dine at Coach Insignia on a daily basis, and the parking lots that will go in their place will be on the cutting edge of automotive storage through the use of painted lines which indicate areas for parking, areas for vagrants, and areas for trash dumping."

**EastsideAl** · July-23-09, 04:52 PM

That's where the Quickee Donuts was that all the Cass Tech students hung out in, killing time before taking their buses home. At least until they banned them, and soon thereafter closed.

**1KielsonDrive** · July-23-09, 09:39 PM

Detroitnerd, I thought it was hilarious. Are you sure it's satire? I've heard many decades of those stories.

**Doma** · July-26-09, 02:42 PM

Damn, everybody is really clowning on the DDA.

They are NOT going to knock down this building. Sorry guys, you're taking some of the things they have done in the past way out of context.

**McIPor** · July-26-09, 10:40 PM

Why does the DDA buy the building and take it off the market every time they have a plan? If they have a plan, publish it to let people and developers know. Deveolpers might step forward to buy the building directly from the current owner knowing a plan is in place.

**Huggybear** · July-27-09, 06:55 AM

Developers [[or collectors) might also jack up the price of all of the surrounding land or start interference-oriented land acquisition.

Originally Posted by McIPor

Why does the DDA buy the building and take it off the market every time they have a plan? If they have a plan, publish it to let people and developers know. Deveolpers might step forward to buy the building directly from the current owner knowing a plan is in place.

**rjlj** · July-28-09, 11:49 AM

The Capitol Park Building is where White Room Studios is located. Not sure if they have been or will be booted out of there. Lots of history that came from that studio.

http://whiteroomstudiosdetroit.com/

**Enduro** · July-28-09, 12:06 PM

I, and a few others, lived in the 1145 Griswold building. It's not in that bad of shape but it's not particularly attractive from the outside for sure. There were about 4 occupied floors [[minus the Whiteroom) and most of us had done a great job rehabbing our floors and loyally paid rent to the owners of the 99 cent store. The city kicked everyone living in the building out when someone left the front door open and a city inspector wandered in while a Freep or News reporter was shadowing him. They wrote a rather unfair piece in my opinion and although it was not a residential building we were paying taxes and doing a good job keeping tabs on the otherwise, shady, Capitol Park.

PQZ · July-28-09, 03:37 PM

For those of you that follow text speak...JFO.

So far, all you have is an abbreviated article not a plot.

The DDA meeting today was public. Did any of you attend? Did any of you call and request a copy of the agenda book which will contain the exact resolution around the building along with a staff report?

Call John Gallagher. He attends virtually every DDA meeting and probably still has the agenda book laying around his desk. If hes not in, try Bob Ankeny as well. Or call any of your Council Members. They receive copies of the agenda book a few days ahead of the meeting. Any one of them should be able to photocopy the agenda item if yer too askeered to call the big bad DDA.

BTW, the sellers have entered into numerous and conflicting options on the building. They have also been asking a price in the $2.5 - $2.8 million range - nice to see the DDA is going to be able to buy it at a price closer to it economic value than it asking price.

I would hazard a guess that once a numskull on this board gets their hands on the resolution and staff report they will find the DDA is buying the building on behalf of a developer that approached them and that this is not a proactive pruchase by the DDA. The DDA will likely hold the building while predevelopment is completed and at some point the DDA will resell to the developer at a lower price. The City will also likely toss in 1. ) approval of brownfield tax credits, 2.) an obsolete property tax abatement for a period of 12 years and 3.) somewhere along the line there will be mezzanine debt financed by the DDA or the DDA-backed DIF Housing Fund.

That will go along with the money spent on the Capital Park by the DDA.

Because you see, the DDA has no clue what it takes to make a project happen, the DDA only puts its money in demolition and this same small minded visionless structure failed miserably when the DDA did it at Kales, Lofts of Woodward & Merchant's Row. Also, the DDA rapes dead puppies.

**rjlj** · July-28-09, 10:01 PM

Thanks PQZ for your insightful knowledge and great addition to this board. You have proven yourself to be the consummate jerk.

**Danny** · July-29-09, 01:22 PM

That in the 1145 Griswold building has a broken and loose brick located on top of the 11th floor on the left corner. It's susceptable to water and ice damage for the last 9 to 11 floors. There are some independent music artists living and working on the 5th floor of the building.

PQZ · July-29-09, 01:32 PM

Originally Posted by rjlj

Thanks PQZ for your insightful knowledge and great addition to this board. You have proven yourself to be the consummate jerk.

I'm a jerk for pointing out the likely deal structure? I'm a jerk for asking if any one who claims to "love" Detroit actually bothered to lift a finger to find out about something? I'm a jerk for reminding people that the DDA has purchased buildings numerous times in the past to facilitate projects the average DetroitYes poster gets all giddy about?