Little Caesar Pizza Headquarter Palace

**Honky Tonk** · December-10-15, 01:15 PM

If he builds it, they will come.

**Wesley Mouch** · December-10-15, 02:57 PM

Originally Posted by 48307

Yup, this is the thing with Ilitch. He has promised A LOT, but hasn't gone through on any of it, at all, period.

Every time I walk by the spot with someone I say, "This is the new Little Caesars HQ, I know it looks a lot like a parking lot, but you've gotta believe!"

This is why I'm scared about the whole "entertainment district" idea. I fear that the only thing that the Ilitches will ever build is the arena, and possible some very closely related businesses.

If the Ilitches read this board, let's see some action. You've got one-year to hit your stated deadline and all I see is a surface parking lot, something that the Ilitches love.

This is how the game is played. You make promises in order to get approval, then you adjust to financial realities.

Ilitch promised a marketplace on that parking lot in the 80s shortly after the Fox opened. Press conference and all.

There are buildings on all of the parking lots in front of the ballpark with the same design as the stadium.

And to cite someone else's project -- remember that GM Poletown was going to bring 10,000 jobs to the site IN ADDITION to the roughly 5,000 direct jobs in supplier plants to be build along that new road. Poppycock.

I'm not an Ilitch-hater as much of the world. I think he's pretty cool actually overall, in spite of making a lot of decisions I wouldn't. But its his money and his approval now. And the public went along.

**Bham1982** · December-10-15, 03:01 PM

Originally Posted by Wesley Mouch

I'm not an Ilitch-hater as much of the world. I think he's pretty cool actually overall, in spite of making a lot of decisions I wouldn't. But its his money and his approval now. And the public went along.

This is a fair point. I'm sure if it were put to public referendum then the hockey arena subsidization would be approved by a landslide. It's what the people want, I guess.

**bust** · December-10-15, 03:13 PM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

This is a fair point. I'm sure if it were put to public referendum then the hockey arena subsidization would be approved by a landslide. It's what the people want, I guess.

The news media need to do a much better job informing the public than to republish and promote the press releases and PR nonsense they're fed, like so many do. And people need to try harder to pay attention to what's going on besides just the sports, weather, entertainment, sensationalism, and demagoguery of the day.

I hope we figure out how to make that happen. An informed population is key to a healthy democracy.

**Gistok** · December-10-15, 03:19 PM

Here's a news clip from the earlier plans for that same site, nearly 20 years ago.....
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DETROIT, Dec. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- In 1998, Detroit, a city already rich in rock history, will be home to one of the most successful restaurant concepts in the world -- Hard Rock Cafe.

The phenomenally popular Hard Rock Cafe is the anchor of the $10 million Columbia Street entertainment project developed by the Ilitch family's Olympia Development Inc., a real estate development company that was established in May 1996 to focus on downtown Detroit projects. The Ilitch family also owns Little Caesars Pizza, the Detroit Red Wings, the Detroit Tigers, the Fox Theatre, and The Second City - Detroit.

Designed as an "avenue of fun" located between the Fox and State Theatres in downtown Detroit, Columbia Street will offer a mixture of exciting entertainment concepts and restaurants.

"Hard Rock Cafe is an integral part of many vibrant urban entertainment zones, and we are very excited to have this great concept as part of our Columbia Street development," said Denise Ilitch, president of Olympia Development, Inc. "Hard Rock has been an industry leader for years, and the Detroit venue will he a dynamic addition to our city."

Hard Rock Cafe - Detroit is scheduled to open some time in 1998, one year before the planned opening of the new stadium for the Detroit Tigers right across the street on Woodward Avenue [[the new Detroit Lions stadium is projected to open early in the next century.) Detroit's Hard Rock Cafe, a 15,000 square foot, two-level project, will contain a 200-seat restaurant with the capacity for live music, a 30-seat bar, and separate merchandise store. The company is celebrating the opening of its 63rd Hard Rock Cafe location in Capetown, South Africa on December 15.
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Gee... this almost sounds like the plans for the upcoming arena site... sans the Hard Rock Cafe....

**Augustus** · December-10-15, 03:23 PM

Now that is just spooky

**Richard** · December-10-15, 05:26 PM

yea that's what happens when you drink to many mojitos,but they still opened in downtown without pizza help?

**401don** · December-10-15, 06:57 PM

I posted the same thing last week about the apartments by Comerica Park. They were supposed to start construction immediately after the season ended.

**mikeg19** · December-11-15, 07:06 AM

Originally Posted by 401don

I posted the same thing last week about the apartments by Comerica Park. They were supposed to start construction immediately after the season ended.

There was an update on this a few weeks ago, can't remember where, but they were still negotiating with the church next door on the parking lot property.

**dtowncitylover** · December-11-15, 10:23 AM

Originally Posted by Gistok

Here's a news clip from the earlier plans for that same site, nearly 20 years ago.....
__________________

DETROIT, Dec. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- In 1998, Detroit, a city already rich in rock history, will be home to one of the most successful restaurant concepts in the world -- Hard Rock Cafe.

The phenomenally popular Hard Rock Cafe is the anchor of the $10 million Columbia Street entertainment project developed by the Ilitch family's Olympia Development Inc., a real estate development company that was established in May 1996 to focus on downtown Detroit projects. The Ilitch family also owns Little Caesars Pizza, the Detroit Red Wings, the Detroit Tigers, the Fox Theatre, and The Second City - Detroit.

Designed as an "avenue of fun" located between the Fox and State Theatres in downtown Detroit, Columbia Street will offer a mixture of exciting entertainment concepts and restaurants.

"Hard Rock Cafe is an integral part of many vibrant urban entertainment zones, and we are very excited to have this great concept as part of our Columbia Street development," said Denise Ilitch, president of Olympia Development, Inc. "Hard Rock has been an industry leader for years, and the Detroit venue will he a dynamic addition to our city."

Hard Rock Cafe - Detroit is scheduled to open some time in 1998, one year before the planned opening of the new stadium for the Detroit Tigers right across the street on Woodward Avenue [[the new Detroit Lions stadium is projected to open early in the next century.) Detroit's Hard Rock Cafe, a 15,000 square foot, two-level project, will contain a 200-seat restaurant with the capacity for live music, a 30-seat bar, and separate merchandise store. The company is celebrating the opening of its 63rd Hard Rock Cafe location in Capetown, South Africa on December 15.
_____________________

Gee... this almost sounds like the plans for the upcoming arena site... sans the Hard Rock Cafe....

WOW. I had no idea.

"Avenue of Fun" REALLY?! What is this Disneyland? No wonder some city residents think ill of suburbanites, when they think that all we want to with Detroit is build a playground! Yuck!

"Entertainment District" is much more pleasing to the ear.

**downtownguy** · December-11-15, 12:25 PM

And Gistok can tell you about the press releases the Ilitch organization put out in 1988 when the Fox was restored touting all the development they planned between the Fox and State [[now Fillmore) Theatres.

Then there was the demolition of the Historic Madison-Lenox in 2005 to give Ilitch 50 more parking spaces for the Super Bowl. Preservationists did their best to stop it. But to quash some of the opposition and bad PR, the Ilitch organization promised that the parking lot would only be temporary and they would eventually develop it.

**Wesley Mouch** · December-12-15, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by downtownguy

And Gistok can tell you about the press releases the Ilitch organization put out in 1988 when the Fox was restored touting all the development they planned between the Fox and State [[now Fillmore) Theatres.

Then there was the demolition of the Historic Madison-Lenox in 2005 to give Ilitch 50 more parking spaces for the Super Bowl. Preservationists did their best to stop it. But to quash some of the opposition and bad PR, the Ilitch organization promised that the parking lot would only be temporary and they would eventually develop it.

Of course this thread is about Little Caesars, but these kind of annoucements are universal.