Can't believe no one has posted about this yet. I guess it was inevitable but still kinda sad because this could have been a very attractive building if restored.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/g...5050135&Ref=PH
Can't believe no one has posted about this yet. I guess it was inevitable but still kinda sad because this could have been a very attractive building if restored.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/g...5050135&Ref=PH
I am sure the parking lot that will replace it will mean more revenue and less upkeep for the new owner.
Tongue in cheek?
That said, DTE is going to build a power station there to support the arena district.
It will be neither [[parking lot or old infested building).
Illitch needs more parking lots for his taxpayer subsidized "urban redevelopment" moonscape.
All you Ilitch haters, just take a breath. First off, it was owned and demolished by DTE, not Olympia. Second, it was not, in any way, worth saving unless you are interested in preserving the history of sex work and STD transmission in Detroit
"Demolition is the last resort of the incompetent"
I never mentioned that family in my post. In America all corporations have an equal opportunity to kick out the poor and develop parking lots for the wealthy.
Bingo. Excellent post.
Two main points:
1). That building has a notorious past which many are glad to see gone,
2). AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, it suggests that NOT all land/buildings in the immediate area of the new arena are owned by the Ilitiches.
What does #2 mean, it means rather than depending on simply one developer, i.e., the Ilitches, we have more individuals or companies who will be in play for developing the area [[and that is a good thing).
Did someone post a while back, that DTE had plans for that area that they needed to build a power station [[or something) there???
This DTE connected might have been footnoted a while back.
There was probably not a more debauched property in the city; it would never have lived that down. Even if totally restored and prettied up, I would not want an apartment in a longtime flop house home to fleas, hookers, pimps, addicts and assorted other nefarious types. We should work to save some buildings; others we should be happy to be rid of. This is in that slot for me.http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/g...5050135&Ref=PH
Can't believe no one has posted about this yet. I guess it was inevitable but still kinda sad because this could have been a very attractive building if restored.
I know that everyone is certain all Ilitch wants is one arena surrounded by hundreds of thousands of parking spaces, I think you will all be pleasantly surprised in the coming years. While certainly his stadiums require parking, one of the reasons he replaced so many buildings with parking was to have relatively vacant land available for building when the market conditions could support development [[which, by and large, they wouldn't have for the last few decades). Building apartments, hotels, stores or offices on much of that land would have been sure money losers until recently. Now that downtown is desirable and growing, I think quite a few projects, aside from the arena, will sprout in the next five years. No one will know for sure for some time, but I think many will be pleased with the status of many Olympia lots in the near future. In Ilitch's defense: I am not aware that he turned down any viable investors from building on anything he owned. There weren't any.
Excellent post.There was probably not a more debauched property in the city; it would never have lived that down. Even if totally restored and prettied up, I would not want an apartment in a longtime flop house home to fleas, hookers, pimps, addicts and assorted other nefarious types. We should work to save some buildings; others we should be happy to be rid of. This is in that slot for me.
I know that everyone is certain all Ilitch wants is one arena surrounded by hundreds of thousands of parking spaces, I think you will all be pleasantly surprised in the coming years. While certainly his stadiums require parking, one of the reasons he replaced so many buildings with parking was to have relatively vacant land available for building when the market conditions could support development [[which, by and large, they wouldn't have for the last few decades). Building apartments, hotels, stores or offices on much of that land would have been sure money losers until recently. Now that downtown is desirable and growing, I think quite a few projects, aside from the arena, will sprout in the next five years. No one will know for sure for some time, but I think many will be pleased with the status of many Olympia lots in the near future. In Ilitch's defense: I am not aware that he turned down any viable investors from building on anything he owned. There weren't any.
NO developer develops or redevelops to lose money. Would any developer build a hotel if the occupancy rate in the area was 50%? It would be financial suicide for himself and others.
And development/redevelopment happens when conditions are 'right'. That could mean the cost of land, cost to build [[including the cost of money), expected demand for what is being built or redeveloped, etc. make sense.
In other words: Timing, timing, timing.
Build too soon and one could lose their shirt.
Build too late and others may get there first [[e.g., the cost of land may go up significantly for someone 'late to the party').
The 'hope' that Ilitch will do something positive can be refuted in two words: Madison-Lennox.There was probably not a more debauched property in the city; it would never have lived that down. Even if totally restored and prettied up, I would not want an apartment in a longtime flop house home to fleas, hookers, pimps, addicts and assorted other nefarious types. We should work to save some buildings; others we should be happy to be rid of. This is in that slot for me.
I know that everyone is certain all Ilitch wants is one arena surrounded by hundreds of thousands of parking spaces, I think you will all be pleasantly surprised in the coming years. While certainly his stadiums require parking, one of the reasons he replaced so many buildings with parking was to have relatively vacant land available for building when the market conditions could support development [[which, by and large, they wouldn't have for the last few decades). Building apartments, hotels, stores or offices on much of that land would have been sure money losers until recently. Now that downtown is desirable and growing, I think quite a few projects, aside from the arena, will sprout in the next five years. No one will know for sure for some time, but I think many will be pleased with the status of many Olympia lots in the near future. In Ilitch's defense: I am not aware that he turned down any viable investors from building on anything he owned. There weren't any.
He was contacted by numerous developers for the building, refused to speak with anyone. Pulled the old demolition by neglect, then got a nice $750K 'loan' for his parking lot contingent that it have development by a certain point in time. That time has gone by, nothing but a 'landscaped packing lot' and, to the best of my limited knowledge, not a penny paid back on the loan.
Someone that gave two shits would have at least listened to those offering to buy the place for redevelopment. But I'm sure they will have another announcement offering more grand plans that will quietly face away.
By your logic, the Milner/Ashley probably isn't worth saving either. And that old porn theatre on Woodward, the Garden -- no one will ever go there, let alone rent the new apartments on the same block.There was probably not a more debauched property in the city; it would never have lived that down. Even if totally restored and prettied up, I would not want an apartment in a longtime flop house home to fleas, hookers, pimps, addicts and assorted other nefarious types. We should work to save some buildings; others we should be happy to be rid of. This is in that slot for me.
Why is 72 Temple being compared to any other building in Detroit?
Isn't each building unique? Its own fate?
And what makes this conversation border on the absurd is that the property being discussed isn't owned by Ilitch and is being demolished by DTE for a power sub-station.
That, to me, makes any reference to Ilitch in this thread irrelevant and essentially off topic.
Milner/Ashley and the old porn theater have some value aesthetically speaking.
Anyone who bitches about the demise of the Temple are simply doing a knee-jerk "demolition bad" reaction, and for some, throw in "especially if it benefits Ilitch."
It was actually a big beautiful old Victorian home under the hotel add-ons. And, well, I've been inside that building a few times, and there was still a fair amount of extant detail inside, including a beautiful staircase with carved detail work.
I, for one, am sad to see it go every bit as much as I was sad to see so many other once-beautiful and irreplaceable Victorian houses go in the Corridor and Brush Park, no matter what they were more recently used for. A real waste in my view. A crime against our local history and our considerable architectural heritage, and yet another sadly missed opportunity to keep something special rather than replacing it with either more emptiness or something generic.
Last edited by EastsideAl; May-06-14 at 03:25 PM.
Compared to the city's other, exceptional Victorians, it was nothing special. "but it was old...detail...blah blah blah. Sorry, even at its best I doubt it was a stunning example of the style. I'd be willing to rethink my position if someone could post historic pictures of it. Hell, you could tell what a beauty Slumpy wasIt was actually a big beautiful old Victorian home under the hotel add-ons. And, well, I've been inside that building a few times, and there was still a fair amount of extant detail inside, including a beautiful staircase with carved detail work.
I, for one, am sad to see it go every bit as much as I was sad to see so many other once-beautiful and irreplaceable Victorian houses go in the Corridor and Brush Park, no matter what they were more recently used for. A real waste in my view. A crime against our local history and our considerable architectural heritage, and yet another sadly missed opportunity to keep something special rather than replacing it with either more emptiness or something generic.
One point which was missed is that the article made a 'geographical typo':
72 Temple is certainly west of Woodward, BUT east of the Masonic Temple.
Only Detroiters would bitch and moan about not saving a god damn whore house... what the hell is wrong with some of you? "ohh no keep detroit weird and cool don't let the greedy billionaires move the city forward"
and this is why our city is the butt end of jokes..
DTE Energy bought it.. is destroying it to build a power station to supply the arena district going up.. chill the f out and move on.. this is not a story
Detroit's downtown architecture is [[or was) pretty heavy on the hotels -- they are large, ornate buildings, after all: Madison-Lenox, anyone? The history of the hotels tells an interesting story about the city's expansion. One chapter of that just ended, and another is about to start; so, yes, this is a slightly significant moment in time.
One way to tell that story is: when we ran out of room for new hotels in the central downtown area, development moved to the Cass Corridor. Temple Hotel was surrounded by giant hotels such as the American, Eddystone, and Harbor Light -- nevermind all the smaller ones that we just park on.
And the last operating examples of this hotel district? Yup, Temple Hotel. [[Sure, sure, there's other old hotels in New Center and south of the Fisher. But what's the next closest hotel?)
Also, Houdini died there.
That article mentioned the hotel was "once luxurious" hard to believe that. The place didn't have private baths.Detroit's downtown architecture is [[or was) pretty heavy on the hotels -- they are large, ornate buildings, after all: Madison-Lenox, anyone? The history of the hotels tells an interesting story about the city's expansion. One chapter of that just ended, and another is about to start; so, yes, this is a slightly significant moment in time.
One way to tell that story is: when we ran out of room for new hotels in the central downtown area, development moved to the Cass Corridor. Temple Hotel was surrounded by giant hotels such as the American, Eddystone, and Harbor Light -- nevermind all the smaller ones that we just park on.
And the last operating examples of this hotel district? Yup, Temple Hotel. [[Sure, sure, there's other old hotels in New Center and south of the Fisher. But what's the next closest hotel?)
Also, Houdini died there.
One could also make the point although it is bit of a stretch: "The Cass Corridor died" [[or another nail in the coffin of the Cass Corridor, long live Midtown.)Detroit's downtown architecture is [[or was) pretty heavy on the hotels -- they are large, ornate buildings, after all: Madison-Lenox, anyone? The history of the hotels tells an interesting story about the city's expansion. One chapter of that just ended, and another is about to start; so, yes, this is a slightly significant moment in time.
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