Wayne County thinking of continuing downtown jail. Gilbert writes another letter.

[motz]

Just how long has the existing justice center [[Jail/Courts/Law enforcement HQ) been sitting in that area next to the only part of downtown Detroit that has continually maintained any vitality during the lean years..... namely Greektown. Greektown has been doing just fine sitting within 2 blocks of all those buildings for over half a century. I never ONCE heard anyone say "uh oh... we better not go to Greektown for lunch or dinner... because you know what's sitting nearby! )

The Gem/Century were moved over a dozen years ago right next door to 36th District Court.... and within view of the old city/county jail. Ditto for Music Hall, which has ALWAYS been located within 2 blocks of it. And again... I've never ever heard anyone complain about the proximity to the justice center.

My point is NOT that we shouldn't move the jail... as I explained in my comment. I just think that moving the entire court system from there is a very bad move. Just who do you think goes to the now struggling Greektown restaurants at lunch time? Not the casino patrons... not all the folks living in lofts nearby.... but many of the court employees, lawyers and judges. If we move out the government/legal employees from that area... the impact will be felt by all the restaurants and businesses that depend on the lunch crowd. Put the jail where ever you folks want... I really don't care.... just don't move the ancillary services out of the downtown area.

If you happen to be around Comerica Park or the Fox Fillmore area at lunch.... good luck in finding a place to have lunch... they're all depending on the entertainment crowd.... and won't be open until evening.....

So we should keep the courthouse and jail downtown to help boost business in Greektown? Because Greektown businesses and area theaters are "doing poorly" after a tour you went on? Did you completely look past the "maybe we should look ahead instead of what is happening today?" part of what I said? Places aren't open for lunch because who is going to go to a middle-to-"higher" end restaurant for lunch? I know I wouldn't. I would go to the taco place, or the cheaper salad place, or Potbellys, or somewhere that is affordable. Stop looking at things how they are and saying "This is how it is; this is how it must be" and instead look at the CBD and say "This is how it is; This is what it CAN be". It is a place where courts are, but it could be a bustling and lively area of downtown. Plus if they relocated the courts, you'd see less citizens getting bullshit parking tickets and having to pay ridiculous rates to park in broke ass surface lots.

[Gistok]

So we should keep the courthouse and jail downtown to help boost business in Greektown? Because Greektown businesses and area theaters are "doing poorly" after a tour you went on? Did you completely look past the "maybe we should look ahead instead of what is happening today?" part of what I said? Places aren't open for lunch because who is going to go to a middle-to-"higher" end restaurant for lunch? I know I wouldn't. I would go to the taco place, or the cheaper salad place, or Potbellys, or somewhere that is affordable. Stop looking at things how they are and saying "This is how it is; this is how it must be" and instead look at the CBD and say "This is how it is; This is what it CAN be". It is a place where courts are, but it could be a bustling and lively area of downtown. Plus if they relocated the courts, you'd see less citizens getting bullshit parking tickets and having to pay ridiculous rates to park in broke ass surface lots.

OK... I didn't just "go on a tour".... I am part of Preservation Detroit's annual downtown theatre tours... for 15 years now... and as part of that... over the years I have talk to many of the building owners/operators... the DiChiera, Forbes...etc. So I hear things from their perspectives... If you want to relocate all the court systems out of downtown... then fine... that's your opinion... [[and the discussion of parking tickets is irrelevent to that discussion).

If the courts move out of Detroit... then more downtown office space gets emptied out... and then your "This is how it can be"... takes on some unpleasant consequences for a lot of downtown building owners....

http://www.yellowpages.com/detroit-m...district-court