WSJ: Berlin Investor wants to turn Fisher Body into Nightclub.

**jw101** · October-14-14, 10:27 AM

http://www.mlive.com/business/detroi...l#incart_river Very interesting read! The best moment is when he said that If he cannot do this to Fisher Body, he'll try to get at Michigan Central Station. He has been here 15 times, and is very excited to do this.

**Lowell** · October-14-14, 10:36 AM

From the WSJ Article....

BERLIN—On each of his last 15 visits to Detroit, Dimitri Hegemann has visited his old friend, Fisher Body 21.

“We really stay in touch,” says the 60-year-old Berliner with flowing blonde-and-white hair. “Fisher Body is my first real love.”

...where others see a case for the wrecking ball, Mr. Hegemann and his friends see the first step toward the revival of America’s abandoned city. The asbestos-filled ruin, he says, “has a special aura…and I have plans for it.”

He is famous for the creation of the legendary Tresor nightclub and label founded in a no-man's land area of former East Berlin.

They were among the first to recognize the Detroit techno scene and bring it to international fame.

**DetroitPlanner** · October-14-14, 10:38 AM

What will he do with the rest of the place? This place is freaking huge. Apartments are not going to sell well above thumping bass all night long.

**iheartthed** · October-14-14, 10:44 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

What will he do with the rest of the place? This place is freaking huge. Apartments are not going to sell well above thumping bass all night long.

There's a lot he could do, actually. Shopping, hotel, restaurants, etc. He could make part of it a concert venue, part a club. Everything doesn't have to be residential.

**mikeg19** · October-14-14, 10:45 AM

Maybe this guys a friend of Palazuelo. Big dreams.

I guess this is good news. Although I have serious doubts about a 600K sq ft techno club ever materializing, the guy does make a point: the only things you really need for a techno club is red lights and a monster sound system.

Now if only the building had lights, windows, sprinklers, heat, ac, a new roof, and was stripped down to nothing. But I guess that's inconsequential to this guy.

**DetroitPlanner** · October-14-14, 10:54 AM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

There's a lot he could do, actually. Shopping, hotel, restaurants, etc. He could make part of it a concert venue, part a club. Everything doesn't have to be residential.

Love your enthusiasm but the place is at least a half million square feet! A night club even on the large side with a grille is about 25,000. The location is not exactly on the beaten path and does not have good exposure so I doubt retail would be interested. Hotels need a market, and who would stay there if they could stay downtown, Ferry Street or @ St. Regis?

It is not going to be a very easy market to tap regardless of what gets put in there.

**hybridy** · October-14-14, 10:58 AM

guess none of y'all have been to prague...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karlovy_l%C3%A1zn%C4%9B

**Bham1982** · October-14-14, 11:30 AM

Originally Posted by hybridy

guess none of y'all have been to prague...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karlovy_l%C3%A1zn%C4%9B

That Prague nightclub probably isn't even 5% the size of Fisher Body.

Germans, for whatever reason, are probably the most deluded foreigners on Detroit and revitalization. But yeah, gramps, why don't you build a 600k nightclub in the hood. It's your money, go for it...

**iheartthed** · October-14-14, 11:52 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

Love your enthusiasm but the place is at least a half million square feet! A night club even on the large side with a grille is about 25,000. The location is not exactly on the beaten path and does not have good exposure so I doubt retail would be interested. Hotels need a market, and who would stay there if they could stay downtown, Ferry Street or @ St. Regis?

It is not going to be a very easy market to tap regardless of what gets put in there.

That wasn't enthusiasm, just a few ideas for what could be done. But he's obviously envisioning this to be a destination. His experience in Berlin was opening up a nightclub in an area off the beaten path and turning it into a destination. Fisher Body 21 is not prohibitively far from downtown to be a hotel, either.

It's nice to see someone with new ideas for what to do with Detroit's glut of empty buildings other than demolitions for parking lots and arenas.

**downtownguy** · October-14-14, 12:25 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

What will he do with the rest of the place? This place is freaking huge. Apartments are not going to sell well above thumping bass all night long.

Not as big as the Russell Industrial Center, though. He might attract many of the creative types that are looking for large, raw spaces to locate in -- with a decent landlord.

**Hypestyles** · October-14-14, 12:40 PM

might as well go for it.. what are the political obstacles, if any? Sprechen sie deutch, herr Duggan?

**renf** · October-14-14, 03:53 PM

I spoke and exchanged e-mail messages with Jack Nicas, the Wall Street Journal reporter stationed in Berlin. He asked many questions about Fisher Body #21. Apparently the techno music people in Berlin have elaborate plans for Fisher Body #21. It could include night club venues, studios for recordings and, perhaps, apartments or some kind of living quarters for interested parties. The location has some assets. It is not far from the reviving Cultural Center. It will be within walking distance of the new modern M-1 Rail line. It will be close to the North End which the current mayor wishes to revitalize. And it is within walking distance of New Center. Does anybody know who currently owns Fisher Body #21. The writer asked me several questions about whether Detroit residents would have objections were folks from Berlin come to Detroit to revitalize Fisher Body #21. I had no solid answer but it is a reasonable question. Apparently there is great respect for Detroit techno music in Berlin.

**rjlj** · October-14-14, 04:50 PM

It can be said that much of Europe has a great respect for Detroit techno music. If you visit records stores there, along with sections like Jazz, Rock, HipHop, etc., you will see "Detroit Techno."

Look up the Club Berghain, which is the most famous techno club in the world right now. It use to be a huge power plant.

Originally Posted by renf

Apparently there is great respect for Detroit techno music in Berlin.

**animatedmartian** · October-14-14, 05:12 PM

If the Germans can pull it off, I'm all for it. I likely wouldn't be a patron but it'd be something pretty unique in the US, I'd think.

**Danny** · October-14-14, 05:54 PM

That German investor wants to do the impossible. Good luck to him!

**maverick1** · October-14-14, 06:58 PM

Originally Posted by renf

I spoke and exchanged e-mail messages with Jack Nicas, the Wall Street Journal reporter stationed in Berlin. He asked many questions about Fisher Body #21. Apparently the techno music people in Berlin have elaborate plans for Fisher Body #21. It could include night club venues, studios for recordings and, perhaps, apartments or some kind of living quarters for interested parties. The location has some assets. It is not far from the reviving Cultural Center. It will be within walking distance of the new modern M-1 Rail line. It will be close to the North End which the current mayor wishes to revitalize. And it is within walking distance of New Center. Does anybody know who currently owns Fisher Body #21. The writer asked me several questions about whether Detroit residents would have objections were folks from Berlin come to Detroit to revitalize Fisher Body #21. I had no solid answer but it is a reasonable question. Apparently there is great respect for Detroit techno music in Berlin.

Germans are all over Metro-Detroit due to the auto industry. I can't see anyone having a problem with them being here outside a few folks.

**canuck** · October-14-14, 07:05 PM

Originally Posted by Hypestyles

might as well go for it.. what are the political obstacles, if any? Sprechen sie deutch, herr Duggan?

Ich bin ein Detroiter!

Willi · October-14-14, 08:19 PM

People might need to brush up on who was here in Detroit - long before you may think.......

http://www.germanamericanmetrodetroit.org/history.htm

They might also want to look deeper into what DDR is
DDR is the German acronym for Deutsche Demokratische Republik [[German)
[ commonly called East Germany ]

Some think it mean Detroit Dog Rescue ...........

**Gistok** · October-14-14, 08:28 PM

Originally Posted by Willi

People might need to brush up on who was here in Detroit - long before you may think.......

http://www.germanamericanmetrodetroit.org/history.htm

They might also want to look deeper into what DDR is
DDR is the German acronym for Deutsche Demokratische Republik [[German)
[ commonly called East Germany ]

Some think it mean Detroit Dog Rescue ...........

I agree with you Willi... but it goes even farther back....

http://www.historicdetroit.org/build...harmonie-club/

Willi · October-14-14, 08:43 PM

Indeed, nice catch Gistok

**Richard** · October-14-14, 10:48 PM

Originally Posted by renf

I spoke and exchanged e-mail messages with Jack Nicas, the Wall Street Journal reporter stationed in Berlin. He asked many questions about Fisher Body #21. Apparently the techno music people in Berlin have elaborate plans for Fisher Body #21. It could include night club venues, studios for recordings and, perhaps, apartments or some kind of living quarters for interested parties. The location has some assets. It is not far from the reviving Cultural Center. It will be within walking distance of the new modern M-1 Rail line. It will be close to the North End which the current mayor wishes to revitalize. And it is within walking distance of New Center. Does anybody know who currently owns Fisher Body #21. The writer asked me several questions about whether Detroit residents would have objections were folks from Berlin come to Detroit to revitalize Fisher Body #21. I had no solid answer but it is a reasonable question. Apparently there is great respect for Detroit techno music in Berlin.

I believe it is offered by the trust that is selling GM bankruptcy assets,how can they have such plans and not know who is selling and for how much?

They are pretty strict when selling assets because of potential backlash so whatever you are planing you need to have a cast iron bank account in hand.Think trying to purchase a closed school building x 100.

**softailrider** · October-15-14, 02:02 AM

Originally Posted by renf

I spoke and exchanged e-mail messages with Jack Nicas, the Wall Street Journal reporter stationed in Berlin. He asked many questions about Fisher Body #21. Apparently the techno music people in Berlin have elaborate plans for Fisher Body #21. It could include night club venues, studios for recordings and, perhaps, apartments or some kind of living quarters for interested parties. The location has some assets. It is not far from the reviving Cultural Center. It will be within walking distance of the new modern M-1 Rail line. It will be close to the North End which the current mayor wishes to revitalize. And it is within walking distance of New Center. Does anybody know who currently owns Fisher Body #21. The writer asked me several questions about whether Detroit residents would have objections were folks from Berlin come to Detroit to revitalize Fisher Body #21. I had no solid answer but it is a reasonable question. Apparently there is great respect for Detroit techno music in Berlin.

Walking distance of this and walking distance of that. At 2:00 am when the techno bar closes? That's going to be a scary walk.

**mikeg19** · October-15-14, 06:33 AM

Can the metro area support a club like that? I know that DEMF or whatever it's called now attracts a large gathering. Detroit is/was also a major influence on the tecno scene and has a history in it. I'm just wondering if there is enough of a client base [[if you'd call it that) to support this kind of thing here. When you talk about Berlin or Prague or places like that, I think people tend to forget that these are major cities with populations of over 1 million in the immediate surrounding area and there is a LOT of international weekend travel into these cities. I don't know if dumping $70M into a building for a club is a great investment. But if he can lure other forms of income to the complex [[restaurants, artist space, retail, lofts) it might work.

It's certainly an interesting development for the structure. I've always marveled at it's size and weird beauty as I've driven past it for the last 25 years.

**JoeGeds** · October-15-14, 06:34 AM

Todays Free Press article said he briefly owned a building in Detroit in 1994, but left due to asbestos issues. Does anyone know what building that was?

**iheartthed** · October-15-14, 07:06 AM

Originally Posted by mikeg19

Can the metro area support a club like that? I know that DEMF or whatever it's called now attracts a large gathering. Detroit is/was also a major influence on the tecno scene and has a history in it. I'm just wondering if there is enough of a client base [[if you'd call it that) to support this kind of thing here. When you talk about Berlin or Prague or places like that, I think people tend to forget that these are major cities with populations of over 1 million in the immediate surrounding area and there is a LOT of international weekend travel into these cities. I don't know if dumping $70M into a building for a club is a great investment. But if he can lure other forms of income to the complex [[restaurants, artist space, retail, lofts) it might work.

It's certainly an interesting development for the structure. I've always marveled at it's size and weird beauty as I've driven past it for the last 25 years.

Metro Detroit is twice the size of Prague...