State Savings Bank Neglect [UPDATE: Gilbert buys State Savings Bank]

**MSUguy** · November-10-14, 02:25 PM

UPDATE: Gilbert buys State Savings Bank building; Detroit Car Museum a possibility

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You may remember the owner of the Penobscot Building sought to have the building demolished for parking and was denied. Well, it looks he's trying to take a back handed route to get rid of it by treating it like the Silverdome which he also owns

http://detroit.curbed.com/archives/2...lding.php#more

http://detroit.curbed.com/archives/2...lding.php#more

**stinkytofu** · November-10-14, 03:16 PM

Arapoopalus or whatever his name is is such trash. Guy is just a disaster.

Is there anything the city gov't can do on this front?

**animatedmartian** · November-10-14, 03:24 PM

Originally Posted by stinkytofu

Arapoopalus or whatever his name is is such trash. Guy is just a disaster.

Is there anything the city gov't can do on this front?

The city can do the same thing it does with every other landowner and sue them. It's probably going to be a while before the city can actually seize it.

**cosine** · November-10-14, 06:25 PM

Where is Dan Gilbert when we need him. This building needs to be saved!

**SpartanDawg** · December-13-14, 10:58 PM

Originally Posted by cosine

Where is Dan Gilbert when we need him. This building needs to be saved!

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...t-car-museum-a

There's Dan Gilbert!

HUGE NEWS.

"Gilbert buys State Savings Bank building; Detroit Car Museum a possibility"

Highlights of the article:

"But Stan Finsilver, executive vice president of Farmington Hills-based Friedman Integrated Real Estate Solutions LLC, told me Saturday afternoon that Bedrock purchased the vacant building with the intent for him to open the Detroit Car Museum there."

"If a fenced, guarded parking solution for 200-400 vehicles can’t be found, Finsilver will look elsewhere in the city – perhaps in Midtown along Woodward Avenue – for the museum."

If the museum doesn't go in the state savings building it'll go in midtown!! this is amazing news.

**Gistok** · December-13-14, 11:46 PM

Wow Wow Wow....

Great news indeed!! For whatever purpose they find for it....

**animatedmartian** · December-14-14, 12:00 AM

I'm not so much happy Gilbert bought another building [[I mean he's pretty much a collector at this point), but thank the loooord he bought this one.

I like the idea of a car museum. Ironic considering the building's apparent fate before this sale. I hope at least Apop's site for a parking garage is already a parking lot.

**ismoakrack** · December-14-14, 11:35 AM

I know it's too far off the beaten path, but it would be perfect for an Apple Store!

**Gistok** · December-14-14, 12:54 PM

Originally Posted by ismoakrack

I know it's too far off the beaten path, but it would be perfect for an Apple Store!

No it wouldn't.... there's enough room in that 3 story building for about 6-8 Apple Stores...

**401don** · December-14-14, 01:44 PM

What type of car museum is he looking to open and rough guess how many cars the building could hold?

**Gistok** · December-14-14, 02:58 PM

This is a very rough guess... I hadn't been there in many years... but my guess is that the main floor and lower level [[accessed from the back lower entrance) could probably hold 20-25 cars each?? The smaller upper [[mezzanine) level may not be suitable for exhibition space, and would likely hold offices.

**iheartthed** · December-14-14, 03:08 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

No it wouldn't.... there's enough room in that 3 story building for about 6-8 Apple Stores...

How big is it? Apple's urban stores tend to have pretty large footprints. I think the one in NYC's SoHo was converted from either a bank or church.

**Gistok** · December-14-14, 06:24 PM

This image doesn't do justice to the sumptuous interior of the former main banking floor of the building....

**WPitonya** · December-15-14, 09:46 AM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

How big is it? Apple's urban stores tend to have pretty large footprints. I think the one in NYC's SoHo was converted from either a bank or church.

The one in SoHo was an old Post Office; still, it's not that big...I would say it's about a quarter the size of the State Savings Bank. I believe an Apple store should be on Woodward with more visibility; the ground floor of 1001 Woodward would be perfect IMHO.

**tkelly1986** · December-15-14, 10:02 AM

I may be in the minority here, but I think an auto museum should be tied in with the new arena development on Woodward. The State Bank site would be an awesome call center, but seems a bit too far off the beaten path.

Something by the arena that looks like an Albert Kahn designed structure would be cool.

**bailey** · December-15-14, 10:18 AM

Originally Posted by Gistok

This image doesn't do justice to the sumptuous interior of the former main banking floor of the building....

for about 5 minutes around the super bowl-ish time it was a clothing store. Walked through it, and was still very nice on the inside...at least the main floor. Amazing how bad it got in such a short time.

I'm glad Gilbert bought it because it'll be stabilized and renovated, but really don't get the "car museum" concept and I'm betting it won't actually happen. It'll be something more.

**stinkytofu** · December-15-14, 10:40 AM

Originally Posted by tkelly1986

I may be in the minority here, but I think an auto museum should be tied in with the new arena development on Woodward. The State Bank site would be an awesome call center, but seems a bit too far off the beaten path.

Something by the arena that looks like an Albert Kahn designed structure would be cool.

Eh, if it is a car museum it seems like having it in an actual historic building would be a lot better than in a new building meant to look old. Maybe if they geared the museum to be more cutting edge than that would make sense.

I don't actually think that's a great place for a museum. It's kind of small not sure of the location. Gilbert spoke a few years ago of some super cool museum/experience downtown that shows off not just our auto heritage, but also how we lead the industry today. Think a new building would be best for that.

Nonetheless, I am incredibly pleased this building is in Gilbert's hands. This made my weekend we I heard the news.

**southen** · December-15-14, 11:00 AM

love that he has this now. i think it is a weird spot for an auto museum though. i see this fitting more into his office/retail empire.

as for an auto museum i would love to see it in the museum district. all of those institution could feed off of one another. there is a very large parking lot behind the DIA would would place it smack dab in the museum district and across the street from ccs which is know for its automotive design. you could even merge the two for some exhibits, especially if one of the focuses of the museum is the future. just my 2 cents though.

**Spartan** · December-15-14, 11:01 AM

Originally Posted by stinkytofu

Eh, if it is a car museum it seems like having it in an actual historic building would be a lot better than in a new building meant to look old. Maybe if they geared the museum to be more cutting edge than that would make sense.

I don't actually think that's a great place for a museum. It's kind of small not sure of the location. Gilbert spoke a few years ago of some super cool museum/experience downtown that shows off not just our auto heritage, but also how we lead the industry today. Think a new building would be best for that.

Nonetheless, I am incredibly pleased this building is in Gilbert's hands. This made my weekend we I heard the news.

I think it's a great location. It's fairly close to Campus Martius, to the people mover, Cobo and a good amount of hotels, but in a bit of a "dead zone" for foot traffic. This is something that could help draw people to the area and help extend some of the activity to the west. Not sure about the size, but I think the location is good. The new building comment is an interesting point, however. We don't want to build up the narrative that Detroit is a has-been in the auto industry. It is a good building for a "heritage" museum, but I wonder if that's ideal.

**buckster1986** · December-15-14, 11:05 AM

I parked near the building this past weekend for the Lions game. This area needs more to increase the foot traffic. After the Wings move this part of downtown will be much more quiet besides for events at Cobo.

If only the Free Press Building renovations were under way...

**stinkytofu** · December-15-14, 12:00 PM

Originally Posted by buckster1986

I parked near the building this past weekend for the Lions game. This area needs more to increase the foot traffic. After the Wings move this part of downtown will be much more quiet besides for events at Cobo.

If only the Free Press Building renovations were under way...

Might as well throw this in here...

I think we should have a museum dedicated to Detroit's awesome musical heritage. The Motown Museum is great, but how do visitors know that greats such as The White Stripes, Eminem, Madonna, Kid Rock, Techno, Rodriguez, Alice Cooper, etc. came from our area?

**MSUguy** · December-15-14, 12:07 PM

It's great that the building finally has a competent owner.

There is a decent amount foot traffic in the day. It's on the same block as the Penobscot and Ford Buildings, the courthouse is kitty corner. It's after 6pm and on weekends that the area is dead. The ground level businesses are geared to daytime office workers. Other than London Chop House you really don't have any restaurants or bars in the area worth visiting. I would really like to see at least part of the building turned into a high quality restaurant/bar something in the area to do at night. If you're trying to draw foot traffic to area I'm not sure a museum is the best route, most museum close fairly early.

MAcc · December-15-14, 12:12 PM

Originally Posted by ismoakrack

I know it's too far off the beaten path, but it would be perfect for an Apple Store!

Yes, a city with a 15% unemployment rate [[probably closer to 30%), 67% poverty rate and 80% on EBT calls for an Apply store. Why not Hermes, too. People are so obsessed with bullshit window dressing in Detroit. Try actually improving the city instead of being seized with pretending.

**Danny** · December-15-14, 12:23 PM

Yay Gilbert!

**Danny** · December-15-14, 12:28 PM

Originally Posted by MAcc

Yes, a city with a 15% unemployment rate [[probably closer to 30%), 67% poverty rate and 80% on EBT calls for an Apply store. Why not Hermes, too. People are so obsessed with bullshit window dressing in Detroit. Try actually improving the city instead of being seized with pretending.

Well corporate folks like Dan Gilbert is seizing Giberttown [[ Downtown) Detroit buildings for prime development opportunities. I'm glad Mr. Gilbert purchase the Historic State Savings Bank Building. It will not be the demolition list but became a museum attraction.