Latest on study for Wayne County jail [[build or retrofit)

**emu steve** · June-02-14, 04:54 AM

Gilbert's plan is listed as 500M and 1.7M square feet of development.

My only development question is: More hotels?

Seems every development project wants a hotel, which sounds nice, but is the demand REALLY there for more and more hotel rooms [[just like how in the past airlines acquired too many jets and when business turned down they have gobs of excess capacity. Not smart).

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...l-plan-details

**Huggybear** · June-02-14, 05:49 AM

Originally Posted by emu steve

Seems every development project wants a hotel, which sounds nice, but is the demand REALLY there for more and more hotel rooms [[just like how in the past airlines acquired too many jets and when business turned down they have gobs of excess capacity. Not smart).

I'd wager that Gilbert's people are a little more up on this than most people. Irrational? Hardly. That site is within easy walking distance of:

- Ford Field
- Comerica Park
- Music Hall
- The Opera House
- The Gem/Century Club [[a big wedding venue with no on-site hotel rooms)
- The DAC [[another wedding venue with something like 20 only rooms of its own)

One thing that is not visible as well is the size of the entourages that come with visiting sports teams - particularly the NFL. And visiting baseball teams [[easily 30 people a run) are here 80 or so times a year. As long as the Gilbert crew doesn't build a thousand rooms, it should be ok.

HB

**emu steve** · June-02-14, 06:06 AM

Originally Posted by Huggybear

I'd wager that Gilbert's people are a little more up on this than most people. Irrational? Hardly. That site is within easy walking distance of:

- Ford Field
- Comerica Park
- Music Hall
- The Opera House
- The Gem/Century Club [[a big wedding venue with no on-site hotel rooms)
- The DAC [[another wedding venue with something like 20 only rooms of its own)

One thing that is not visible as well is the size of the entourages that come with visiting sports teams - particularly the NFL. And visiting baseball teams [[easily 30 people a run) are here 80 or so times a year. As long as the Gilbert crew doesn't build a thousand rooms, it should be ok.

HB

You know [[bad, bad English) I thought of that.

The idea is NOT to draw entertainment-related travelers, inducing the teams themselves, from other DOWNTOWN hotels, but to get them from staying out in the suburbs!!

I believe when visiting baseball teams come to Detroit they stay out somewhere in Oakland County.

I've heard of some teams coming to Detroit to play in the Little Caesars' Bowl staying in Dearborn [[Hyatt Regency).

But yes, there is no reason to have visiting teams and their fans, etc. way out when they can stay near by.

Yes, building a nice hotel just might be a big plus for sports and entertainment.

And yes, this 'sports and entertainment zone' looks smarter and smarter...

Hold the Big Ten FB championship in Detroit, or the NCAA basketball regionals, etc. and they'd book that hotel solid!!!

Everyone would want to stay close by and be with other fans.

**emu steve** · June-02-14, 06:19 AM

And yes, if a nice hotel is built there, then the 1/2 [[?) block by Madison and St. Antonine becomes an idea place for a sports-themed establishment [[kind of like Hockeytown or Buffalo Wild Wings) for fans staying at that hotel as well as folks parking nearby.

**DetroitPlanner** · June-02-14, 07:05 AM

Added bonus, half the rooms are already built. They look soundproof. Who cares if the toilet is next to the bed anyways?

**bailey** · June-02-14, 07:59 AM

Originally Posted by emu steve

I believe when visiting baseball teams come to Detroit they stay out somewhere in Oakland County.

the Townsend usually. You can tell when a team is there because there will be a little roped area on the sidewalk for autograph seekers to stand and wait.

**313WX** · June-02-14, 08:08 AM

Haven't teams lately been staying at the Book Cadillac [[especially the Football teams), given that it's also now a 4-Diamond hotel within walking distance from the stadiums?

**DetroitPlanner** · June-02-14, 08:22 AM

Originally Posted by 313WX

Haven't teams lately been staying at the Book Cadillac [[especially the Football teams), given that it's also now a 4-Diamond hotel within walking distance from the stadiums?

Athletes don't walk! They ride buses. They are pro transit.

**313WX** · June-02-14, 08:32 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

Athletes don't walk! They ride buses. They are pro transit.

That's not the point.

I would think it would be more economical for the major league sports teams to stay at a luxury hotel less than a mile away from the stadium than one that's over 15 miles away [[especially when it's closer to the Airport).

At the time the teams started staying at The Townsend, there were no luxury hotel options available downtown, then of course the Lions were also playing in Pontiac.

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · June-02-14, 08:36 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

Added bonus, half the rooms are already built. They look soundproof. Who cares if the toilet is next to the bed anyways?

That could be very handy after a night of heavy partying.

**emu steve** · June-02-14, 08:37 AM

Originally Posted by 313WX

Haven't teams lately been staying at the Book Cadillac [[especially the Football teams), given that it's also now a 4-Diamond hotel within walking distance from the stadiums?

I think football = Book Cadillac and MLB out in Oakland. I'm not familiar with Oakland County, er, I mean the Townsend.

**emu steve** · June-02-14, 08:40 AM

Think of NHL. I don't know where visitors stay, but why stay in Oakland County or the airport or Dearborn.

Let them come to downtown by the arena and settle in, skate, play a game and leave thereafter [[I mean next morning).

Their bus ride from Gilbert's hotel to Ilitch's arena would be 5 minutes. So they ride the bus, have an afternoon skate, five minutes back to the hotel, etc. and 5 minutes back to the arena for the game.

I assume teams in the NHL and NBA overnight after a game and then leave in the morning for their next destination. It's not like baseball where a team plays Thursday [[afternoon or night) and plays Friday night in a different city and fly immediately after the game. [[NHL doesn't play back to back).

**DetroitPlanner** · June-02-14, 08:41 AM

Originally Posted by 313WX

That's not the point.

I would think it would be more economical for the major league sports teams to stay at a luxury hotel less than a mile away from the stadium than one that's over 15 miles away [[especially when it's closer to the Airport).

At the time the teams started staying at The Townsend, there were no luxury hotel options available downtown, then of course the Lions were also playing in Pontiac.

That was sarcasm. The point I was trying to make was that here we have these guys who are supposed to be in superior physical shape and they can't walk a half mile. I say make them stay at the Holiday Inn Express with the rest of us unwashed.

**emu steve** · June-02-14, 08:48 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

That was sarcasm. The point I was trying to make was that here we have these guys who are supposed to be in superior physical shape and they can't walk a half mile. I say make them stay at the Holiday Inn Express with the rest of us unwashed.

I think they should also have to carry their equipment in the duffle bags...

In the NFL, defensive linemen can carry several, including the QBs' bags.

**emu steve** · June-02-14, 08:50 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

That was sarcasm. The point I was trying to make was that here we have these guys who are supposed to be in superior physical shape and they can't walk a half mile. I say make them stay at the Holiday Inn Express with the rest of us unwashed.

They could [[I know this is tongue-in-cheek) but would you want 5 Detroit cops escorting pro athletes on a walk to the stadium or arena?

**313WX** · June-02-14, 08:54 AM

Originally Posted by emu steve

They could [[I know this is tongue-in-cheek) but would you want 5 Detroit cops escorting pro athletes on a walk to the stadium or arena?

Besides that, I imagine they would need to save all of that energy so when they're playing on the field.

**Scottathew** · June-02-14, 09:14 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

Added bonus, half the rooms are already built. They look soundproof. Who cares if the toilet is next to the bed anyways?

This made me chuckle!

**bailey** · June-02-14, 11:04 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

That was sarcasm. The point I was trying to make was that here we have these guys who are supposed to be in superior physical shape and they can't walk a half mile. I say make them stay at the Holiday Inn Express with the rest of us unwashed.

those guys also make millions [[some tens of millions) a year for teams that make hundreds of millions. You think they'd stand for staying in a motel?

They stay where they stay because it's nice and provides them secure buffer between themselves and the unwashed masses that would mob them the second they stepped outside for an autograph or piece of memorabilia that could be sold on the internet.

**Honky Tonk** · June-02-14, 02:14 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

Athletes don't walk! They ride buses. They are pro transit.

More pro athletes would stay in Detroit if we had an adequate Blight Rail system.

**mwilbert** · June-02-14, 04:55 PM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

More pro athletes would stay in Detroit if we had an adequate Blight Rail system.

I hear they are waiting for a Cheesecake Factory.

**Hypestyles** · June-02-14, 09:24 PM

so how feasible is the Gilbert proposal? Would he be asking for tax breaks on top of whatever up front money he's offering?
If the prison and Frank Murphy building are sold, where would court cases be held? where would prisoners be held?

**MikeyinBrooklyn** · June-02-14, 09:54 PM

Originally Posted by Hypestyles

so how feasible is the Gilbert proposal? Would he be asking for tax breaks on top of whatever up front money he's offering?
If the prison and Frank Murphy building are sold, where would court cases be held? where would prisoners be held?

I can't speak to the Gilbert plans, but the County needs to ask a lot of very serious questions about its CrimJusOps. New jail space still needs to be constructed. Where, how big, and for how much is TBD. They also need to reassess their court needs. My biggest hope is that County leaders [[the next county leaders, not Ficano) make real, long term decisions. These are capital decisions that will benefit or hurt both the community and the pocket book for decades. No time to go with any gimmicks, financial or in terms of physical buildings. I am willing to pay more in taxes now to make the correct decisions for the next 30 years. As for Gilbert, I think he will be more productive with the land and buildings than any other possible user. And I think he will be very creative.