What is going on at Red Wings arena site?

**detroitbob** · October-17-17, 03:48 PM

Originally Posted by emu steve

The Beer Barrel Polka was high energy for the first game at LCA.

It is great for intermissions between periods.

The organ currently in the LCA is only temporary...the custom-built instrument is to be delivered sometime in November and is a significant investment. If you think the current 2 manual sounds good, hand onto your earbuds. The 4 manual instrument will also run through the massive house sound system and promises to be a knockout.

**emu steve** · October-17-17, 04:46 PM

BTW, I owe Philly an apology for my oversight when discussing sports facilities.

They have all of their sports facilities together like Detroit.

Both Philly and Detroit have MLB, NFL, NHL and NBA all together.

**401don** · October-17-17, 05:02 PM

Originally Posted by emu steve

BTW, I owe Philly an apology for my oversight when discussing sports facilities.

They have all of their sports facilities together like Detroit.

Both Philly and Detroit have MLB, NFL, NHL and NBA all together.

True but they're stuck between the freeways and surrounded by parking lots. If it wasn't for the subway, they would have no connection to downtown at all.

**Zads07** · December-08-17, 12:10 AM

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/new...oit/108420594/

Ilitch has bought more buildings in the Cass Corridor.

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · January-12-18, 09:24 PM

Here’s something disgusting going on around the arena - the city has decided to not require the illitches to comply with the landscaping requirements for their surface parking lots. Not surprising that the code requirements dont seem to apply to them https://www.freep.com/story/news/loc...lca/948374001/

**Zads07** · January-13-18, 01:05 AM

Originally Posted by DetroiterOnTheWestCoast

Here’s something disgusting going on around the arena - the city has decided to not require the illitches to comply with the landscaping requirements for their surface parking lots. Not surprising that the code requirements dont seem to apply to them https://www.freep.com/story/news/loc...lca/948374001/

Not surprised in the least bit. A terrible organization that has only the company in mind and not Detroit. When will people realize that?

**DetroitSoldier** · January-13-18, 01:33 PM

While I understand the zoning regulation, this article seems to target Illitch unfairly. I can think of at least a dozen non-Illitch lots downtown that do not have the appropriate landscaping. I'm not saying it's okay for Illitch to ignore this, but it seems like there is a lack of enforcement everywhere.

**401don** · January-13-18, 03:25 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitSoldier

While I understand the zoning regulation, this article seems to target Illitch unfairly. I can think of at least a dozen non-Illitch lots downtown that do not have the appropriate landscaping. I'm not saying it's okay for Illitch to ignore this, but it seems like there is a lack of enforcement everywhere.

Are you referring to recently constructed lots? The law came into effect a few years ago and was not retroactive.

**emu steve** · January-13-18, 08:25 PM

Originally Posted by 401don

Are you referring to recently constructed lots? The law came into effect a few years ago and was not retroactive.

Good point.

Are we talking new lots or lots which may have existed for many years?

I assume without conspiracy theories that Detroit can enforce the law as written.

After all I doubt most of the posters here [[including myself) have a clue as to what the law really says.

**Zads07** · January-14-18, 12:30 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitSoldier

While I understand the zoning regulation, this article seems to target Illitch unfairly. I can think of at least a dozen non-Illitch lots downtown that do not have the appropriate landscaping. I'm not saying it's okay for Illitch to ignore this, but it seems like there is a lack of enforcement everywhere.

It's not targeting Ilitch unfairly because that's the subject of the story. Your issue here is you want to see other parking lots included. That is a separate story from this because in the first paragraphs, they specifically talk about the Ilitches. It's journalism at its finest.

**emu steve** · January-14-18, 04:31 AM

Originally Posted by Zads07

It's not targeting Ilitch unfairly because that's the subject of the story. Your issue here is you want to see other parking lots included. That is a separate story from this because in the first paragraphs, they specifically talk about the Ilitches. It's journalism at its finest.

I'm not sure I agree with your premise that it's not unfair.

Should it say, quoting information the previous poster indicated:

"Some Ilitch properties, like other downtown properties, do not have the appropriate landscaping..."

I believe journalists call it context. With this context the focus is not on the Iltiches, per se, but how the city handles the issue be it inconsistently, unfairly, etc. etc.

That said, I haven't been in Detroit since late September and the new lots looked good to me. I didn't consider them an eye sore.

**emu steve** · January-14-18, 04:52 AM

This is the big parking issue of our times, to me:

https://www.freep.com/story/opinion/...ll/1021382001/

**bust** · January-14-18, 08:26 AM

Parking lots, no matter how many decorative trees, are terrible eye sores to me. I can't get past what a cancer they are to urbanity.

**emu steve** · January-14-18, 10:11 AM

Originally Posted by bust

Parking lots, no matter how many decorative trees, are terrible eye sores to me. I can't get past what a cancer they are to urbanity.

No doubt, but as we've discussed many times here there are limited other options such as mass transit, underground parking, [[hopefully) nice parking garages, etc.

It all has to do with the value of land. Where land is extremely valuable, there are few surface parking lots and more underground parking, etc. As land gets cheaper there are more and more surface parking lots.

Without using a cliche' from decades ago: Surface parking lots are more of SYMPTOM of the problem: high demand for parking and low value of that parking lot land.

As we've suggested or believe, if HQ2 comes to Detroit all of that surface parking behind the Fox will most likely find better usage. Someone will build a parking garage and the rest of the surface parking will become buildings.

As I've indicated before, more parking garages bring a near glut of parking which reduces the cost to park on surface parking lots and also decreases the value of that surface parking lot property. Think for a second at this example: Someone is going to a Wings game. It is supposed to snow fairly heavy. Do you want to park in the garage or on a surface lot?

**ndavies** · January-15-18, 09:49 AM

As someone who goes to Redwings games on a regular basis, I would never ever park in any of the decks. I would rather spend 10 minutes scraping the snow off my car than the 30 minutes it usually takes getting out of the parking decks. The Joe Louis deck was the worst. I used to Park over on Fort St and walk the 10 minutes to the arena rather than wait in the agonizingly slow exit of the deck.

The last Red Wings game I went to I parked for free near Founders [[across the street from the Ilitch lot that was charging $40), had a beer at Founders and then walked the 3 or so blocks to the arena.

When I lived downtown, I would routinely walk the Mile from my condo to the Joe. No matter the weather. Just to avoid the overstuffed people mover.

**Zads07** · January-15-18, 11:32 AM

Originally Posted by emu steve

I'm not sure I agree with your premise that it's not unfair.

Should it say, quoting information the previous poster indicated:

"Some Ilitch properties, like other downtown properties, do not have the appropriate landscaping..."

I believe journalists call it context. With this context the focus is not on the Iltiches, per se, but how the city handles the issue be it inconsistently, unfairly, etc. etc.

That said, I haven't been in Detroit since late September and the new lots looked good to me. I didn't consider them an eye sore.

1. It's a good thing you aren't a journalist.
2. What happened to the promises Ilitch made to turn it into a neighborhood? Right now it's a sea of parking lots and they want more. Heck, there needed to be a protest and a historic district meeting to save some buildings from demolition for parking lots. You can't tell me EMU Steve that his promises right now have been broken.

**Gistok** · January-15-18, 01:11 PM

Originally Posted by emu steve

It all has to do with the value of land. Where land is extremely valuable, there are few surface parking lots and more underground parking, etc. As land gets cheaper there are more and more surface parking lots.

Without using a cliche' from decades ago: Surface parking lots are more of SYMPTOM of the problem: high demand for parking and low value of that parking lot land.

OK I'll bite.... here is the new Cass-Henry Historic District that the Ilitch's have been chomping at the bit to get their hands on and convert to parking.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/He...!4d-83.0584819

The 2 lots on the left side of this block are already Ilitch lots. The 3 buildings on the right side are the buildings that were going to come down for more parking. At least 3 of the 4 buildings in between were just sold for $8.1 million. Anybody want to guess who the secret buyer is??

If the do get the whole block, they can remove the alley and service drive alley approach and get another 50 parking spots for free, just from owning the entire block. Can't beat that!!

The Ilitch's talk a nice talk about building a District Detroit... but you can be sure that a huge chunk of that district will forever be surface parking. And they just don't do historic redevelopment.

Regardless of future plans, they are continuing their "flatten the area for parking" modus operandi... even though they talk the talk about having a District Detroit And now they're being called out on it. Odd how no one from the Ilitch team was at the Historic Commission meeting. And yet some people still think that something different will now happen to make them see things differently.

If district Detroit does come to fruition... there won't be much "historic" left after they decimate each block beforehand... The resulting district will have all the charm of M-59 and Garfield Rd.

**Gistok** · January-16-18, 03:24 PM

How is it that the husband/wife development team that own small Shelbourne Development can figure out how to create a "neighborhood" over on Seward Ave. north of New Center at Woodward... and yet the billionaire Ilitch's can't? The Cass/Henry Historic District area should be a crown jewel in District Detroit... similar to Seward St....

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.3743...7i13312!8i6656

... and not just another sea of parking?

**SammyS** · January-16-18, 03:33 PM

I’ve mentioned this before and I’ll say it again. Parking structures or better still, parking lots, are the best ways to speculate on land short of dereliction. This could very well be thier strategy.

**emu steve** · January-16-18, 05:15 PM

Originally Posted by ndavies

As someone who goes to Redwings games on a regular basis, I would never ever park in any of the decks. I would rather spend 10 minutes scraping the snow off my car than the 30 minutes it usually takes getting out of the parking decks. The Joe Louis deck was the worst. I used to Park over on Fort St and walk the 10 minutes to the arena rather than wait in the agonizingly slow exit of the deck.

The last Red Wings game I went to I parked for free near Founders [[across the street from the Ilitch lot that was charging $40), had a beer at Founders and then walked the 3 or so blocks to the arena.

When I lived downtown, I would routinely walk the Mile from my condo to the Joe. No matter the weather. Just to avoid the overstuffed people mover.

Interesting.

I went to a Wizards game yesterday [[MLKjr day). Parking was a mess [[I was going to take the subway but there was work on the line I was going to take, so I opted to drive at the LAST minute).

Lot of parking garages were closed near the arena because of the federal holiday. Fifteen dollar lots a few blocks away were full. Ended up four blocks away for $20.

This may sound crazy, but why is parking near LCA more expensive than parking near Capital One [[fmrly Verizon Centre)? Kind of a monopoly?

I went to the Wizards/Cavs in December [[Sunday evening) paid $14 [[I opted to pay $14 rather than the next garage which was 15.

). Couple block walk.

I might be wrong, but the only outrageous parking would be in the Capital One garage itself and folks who want to park there, I'm sure aren't worried about a few extra bucks.

**emu steve** · January-17-18, 07:24 AM

Lot of concert goers... Almost a 1/4M in 4 months, Sept - Dec.

The Palace for 2016 came in a little less than 1/3M for the entire year.

These numbers do not include Red Wings or Pistons.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article..._medium=social

**xrockerboy** · February-12-18, 04:04 PM

Looks like the Little Ceasers HQ will be done in the summer and more retail

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...r-block-by-new

**Gistok** · February-12-18, 10:52 PM

That was the 1999 announced location of the never built Columbia St. Agora [[marketplace), with supposedly a Hard Rock Cafe where the new Little Caesar Building entrance is going to be.

The rehab of the Fox Building space along Columbia into shallow restaurant/retail spaces is a welcome addition, as is the addition of 4 deeper restaurant/retail spaces in the new Little Caesars Building will be as well. Due to the canyon like nature of the streets between GCP West and I-75 Service Drive [[Elizabeth, Columbia and Montcalm)...thanks to the long sidewalls of the theatres and parking garage... were always a pedestrian barrier that separated Woodward from Park Ave. At least now with this pedestrian zone, it should help tie the 2 streets together.

I guess now maybe something positive will happen to the Blenheim Apartments and Detoit Life Building [[mothballed for decades), which frame this view looking westward from Park Ave. to Woodward along Columbia Ave....

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.3375...7i13312!8i6656

**DetroitSoldier** · February-12-18, 11:34 PM

Columbia Street will desperately need a destination restaurant.The problem with restaurants in the area previously were their lack of regular hours. People frequently showed up at Foxtown Grill or Hockeytown Cafe only to find that they were closed. Not only is this bad for the customer, but as a result it leads to a lower quality of staff being hired [[quality employees want standard hours). That ultimately lead to a lack of quality in service as well as food.

A well operated destination restaurant [[or restaurants) will liven the neighborhood even on non-event days, and help the retail stores as well.

**Zads07** · February-13-18, 11:15 AM

Originally Posted by Gistok

I guess now maybe something positive will happen to the Blenheim Apartments and Detoit Life Building [[mothballed for decades), which frame this view looking westward from Park Ave. to Woodward along Columbia Ave....

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.3375...7i13312!8i6656

In the rendering in the link, I did see something was occupied on the ground floor of the Detroit Life Building. But I'll believe it when I see it in real life, not a rendering.