@charlielangton On Twitter: FGIC TO Build Hotel and Conference Center on JLA Site

**jw101** · October-16-14, 09:17 AM

FGIC to demolish Joe Louis Arena and build a hotel and conference center by 2017 as part of bankruptcy settlement. Entire FGIC project will be completed by October 2022. City attorney says project provides "great benefit to City." Just a few tweets on Charlie Langton's page about a NEW hotel and conference center to be built on the former JLA site. Exciting!

**401don** · October-16-14, 09:22 AM

Still don't think there's nearly enough convention business to warrant a new hotel there and it's in a lousy spot for tourists other than the riverfront views. One of the tweets mentions giving them control of the city parking under the Hudson's site. Gilbert is going to build residential without the parking underneath?

**SpartanDawg** · October-16-14, 09:36 AM

Wow that's pretty great they're going to get the ball rolling as soon as the redwings move out. Good news!

**313WX** · October-16-14, 09:37 AM

Can anyone tell me what is the FGIC?

**BankruptcyGuy** · October-16-14, 09:45 AM

Originally Posted by 313WX

Can anyone tell me what is the FGIC?

A bond insurance company. They insured some of Detroit's bonds, which are in default. As a result, they have to pay their insureds, and they are subrogated [[step into the shoes of) to the interests of the bondholders.

**SpartanDawg** · October-16-14, 09:46 AM

Originally Posted by 313WX

Can anyone tell me what is the FGIC?

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-1...itor-fgic.html

They were one of the last major creditors holding out in Detroit's bankruptcy trial.

Financial Guaranty Insurance Co.

**401don** · October-16-14, 09:57 AM

Giving away land is one thing but I wonder how the city can afford to issue millions in new bonds and give away its best revenue generating parking garages. Guess that's for the judge to decide.

**EastsideAl** · October-16-14, 12:17 PM

I can't imagine that the Joe Louis site would actually be all that attractive as a hotel location. It's a long ways away from anything and is right up against a freeway and the blank backside and loading docks of Cobo. The only attractive part is the Riverwalk, but you'd still have to walk a ways up that and across Hart Plaza to reach any restaurants, bars, entertainment, etc.

**animatedmartian** · October-16-14, 12:34 PM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

I can't imagine that the Joe Louis site would actually be all that attractive as a hotel location. It's a long ways away from anything and is right up against a freeway and the blank backside and loading docks of Cobo. The only attractive part is the Riverwalk, but you'd still have to walk a ways up that and across Hart Plaza to reach any restaurants, bars, entertainment, etc.

Or just use the People Mover.

**gthomas** · October-16-14, 12:37 PM

Y'all didn't hear? The lodge fwy from Michigan ave. to W.Jefferson will become surface street with landscaped median. Connecting the riverfront to west downtown district.

**mikeg19** · October-16-14, 12:40 PM

To Joe Louis site is interesting. The deal comes with the parking garage, which is literally falling apart to the point the upper deck is unusable. So it'd be interesting to see if that is demolished as well. If the hotel/convention area could somehow be linked to COBO, that would obviously be a plus, but again, who knows if that would happen. The problem is the Lodge and Jefferson Ave. Capping them over to provide access to the CBD would be great, although that's a pipedream.

Having said that, I don't think that the entire site isn't desirable. It's got great access to the riverwalk, which is gonna make it easy to walk to the CBD. Plus with the development of the West riverfront riverwalk, there will come more development in the form of housing/lofts/commercial in that area as we move forward. Lets not forget that after the Uniroyal site is developed, almost every portion of the riverfront east to the Belle Isle bridge will be unavailable, leaving no choice but to go west toward the Ambassador Bridge.

**Danny** · October-16-14, 01:16 PM

Let's hope the developers call it Joe Louis Gardens.

**DetroitPlanner** · October-16-14, 03:52 PM

On the plus side it will come with more than enough parking!

A better use would be a semi-public space similar to Chicago's Navy Pier with Eateries and other attractions overlooking the riverwalk. Above it? Well that could depend on market conditions. The renovated Cobo is a great facility, though I don't know if an expansion of that size is warranted. Maybe the hotel can go over Navy-Pier-like attractions and create some synergy at that part of the Riverwalk which is currently pretty dead unless you count that strange zigaraut thing as an attraction

**renf** · October-16-14, 07:26 PM

The People Mover makes it easy for anyone staying at a hotel on the Joe Louis footprint to get
to many of the most important locations in downtown Detroit.

**canuck** · October-16-14, 07:52 PM

The one thing that becomes obvious is that downtown is atttacting a lot of investment nowadays and this is bound to spillover into the hoods somehow. I am pretty confident Detroit is on the rebound.

**canuck** · October-16-14, 08:51 PM

Originally Posted by canuck

The one thing that becomes obvious is that downtown is atttacting a lot of investment nowadays and this is bound to spillover into the hoods somehow. I am pretty confident Detroit is on the rebound.

How can you come up with such vapid nonsense post after inconsequential post. You are worse than a troll my friend, your assessment of Detroit is as skindeep as they come. You are pathetic.

**ParisianLesion** · October-16-14, 10:03 PM

Originally Posted by canuck

How can you come up with such vapid nonsense post after inconsequential post. You are worse than a troll my friend, your assessment of Detroit is as skindeep as they come. You are pathetic.

LOL... is that a first for this site? Did you just tear yourself a new one?

**Hypestyles** · October-16-14, 10:54 PM

Detroit should have its own "navy pier" for sure. it needs to happen ASAP, aggressive marketing should be done to potential investors/entrepreneurs.

How would the JLA be demolished in a way that does not affect the People Mover or Cobo events?

**detroitbob** · October-17-14, 02:28 AM

Gilbert has the development rights to the Hudson site and the garage has never been discussed as part of the settlement.

**animatedmartian** · October-17-14, 05:35 AM

Originally Posted by Hypestyles

How would the JLA be demolished in a way that does not affect the People Mover or Cobo events?

With a bulldozer.

**mikeg19** · October-17-14, 06:26 AM

Originally Posted by Hypestyles

Detroit should have its own "navy pier" for sure. it needs to happen ASAP, aggressive marketing should be done to potential investors/entrepreneurs.

How would the JLA be demolished in a way that does not affect the People Mover or Cobo events?

They imploded the Hudson's building with minimal damage to the People Mover track and a few broken windows on neighboring buildings. I'm sure they can pull down the Joe without too much fuss.

**canuck** · October-17-14, 07:15 AM

Originally Posted by ParisianLesion

LOL... is that a first for this site? Did you just tear yourself a new one?

Lol. I guess I needed my controversy fix!

**motz** · October-17-14, 08:59 AM

Originally Posted by ParisianLesion

LOL... is that a first for this site? Did you just tear yourself a new one?

I actually really appreciate canuck doing this because he just saved us about 3 Bham1982 posts

Interesting deal. Not sure how it will pan out, but I imagine that FGIC will toot their own horn about this development but then sell off the land for a fraction of what they had hoped.

**Detroitnerd** · October-17-14, 09:10 AM

I thought the plan was to have parkland all the way to the Ambassador Bridge?

**Gistok** · October-17-14, 10:37 AM

Originally Posted by mikeg19

They imploded the Hudson's building with minimal damage to the People Mover track and a few broken windows on neighboring buildings. I'm sure they can pull down the Joe without too much fuss.

I wouldn't call the People Mover damage minimal...

"When the J. L. Hudson Department Store building was imploded in October 1998, the nearby part of the track was damaged and forced the system to shut down. Before the track was completely repaired about a year later, limited service went into effect."