United Artist Building [[and Theater?) to be renovated

**Designerguy24** · January-31-16, 10:13 AM

You saw it here first. The United Artist Theater is being renovated by the Ilitch's. Name: 2016-01-31 09.23.18.jpg
Views: 4251
Size: 136.5 KB

**gumby** · January-31-16, 10:34 AM

Well as long as they mothball the theater this is great news.

**Lowell** · January-31-16, 10:36 AM

I'm having difficulty finding that on Crains. Do you have a link. That seems like huge news. I'm surprised it isn't more prominent instead of being tucked at the end of another article.

**Lowell** · January-31-16, 10:44 AM

Found it. It's buried in the middle of this article. Building city blocks: Area around new Red Wings arena teems with planned projects

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...ena-teems-with

later... This article seems to still be behind their paywall.

The word dizzying sums it up. "The clearest picture to date of what is expected to be built around the new Detroit Red Wings arena includes a dizzying mix of retail, office, multifamily and hotel space expected to be largely completed by the time the first puck of the 2017-18 season drops." A "major" grocery store is also mentioned.

We've been wondering when the Ilitch's would show up. Here they come. Hopefully their other ruin around Park Ave. will follow.

**DansTheMan** · January-31-16, 11:22 AM

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer...M.kVlnTAN3GIEg

**southen** · January-31-16, 12:16 PM

According to the map in the article it looks like the Fine Arts facade is listed as well. I am going to remain skeptical on anything that comes from the Illitch camp, but it is encouraging that they are mentioning these buildings by name now and the scope is expanding beyond their HQ.

**Gistok** · January-31-16, 12:18 PM

To see the entire article... Google "Detroit Crain's building city blocks".

They got their date wrong for the United Artists complex... it wasn't constructed in 1935. The theatre portion opened Feb. 3, 1928, so the building was constructed in 1927-28.

And I don't like the words "repurposing" for the UA Theatre....

On Times Square in NYC the flagship Paramount Theatre was "repurposed" by ripping out the very ornate interior and replacing it with several floors of offices back in 1963. By the same token part of the Michigan Theatre in Detroit was "repurposed" into a parking structure in 1977....

**mikeg19** · February-01-16, 08:14 AM

Looking through the Crain's article, I find the two most interesting renovations are the UA Theater being and the American Hotel on Cass. Those are two huge buildings that have been sitting for a very long time coming back on the grid. The Detroit Life building as well and the Fine Arts facade are also very intriguing.

I guess you can call me a skeptic, because of the track record, but the planning and effort put forth on these developments and renovations seems to point toward Illitch and co coming through on these. Not the same old crap of grand announcements and nothing moving forward.

**lpg** · February-01-16, 08:43 AM

Wife worked on the 8th floor of the UA building when it was AAA HQ.

**Lowell** · February-01-16, 09:06 AM

Originally Posted by mikeg19

Looking through the Crain's article, I find the two most interesting renovations are the UA Theater being and the American Hotel on Cass...

I don't see a reference to the American aka Fort Wayne Hotel. Did you see that in a different article? It would be nice to seen the buildings around that corner renovated and integrated into the project for a little remaining authenticity, but beyond the American I'm not too optimistic.

**1953** · February-01-16, 09:38 AM

This weekend's Crains article and Sunday Free Press article on the stadium development were full of speculation and lacking in specific, written commitments. Promises, promises, promises - the Ilitch way.

**mikeg19** · February-01-16, 10:55 AM

Originally Posted by Lowell

I don't see a reference to the American aka Fort Wayne Hotel. Did you see that in a different article? It would be nice to seen the buildings around that corner renovated and integrated into the project for a little remaining authenticity, but beyond the American I'm not too optimistic.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer...M.kVlnTAN3GIEg

Lowell, if you toggle through the pins on the residential planning map, Hotel American is designated as a residential renovation.

**Wesley Mouch** · February-01-16, 12:23 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

...snip...
And I don't like the words "repurposing" for the UA Theatre....

On Times Square in NYC the flagship Paramount Theatre was "repurposed" by ripping out the very ornate interior and replacing it with several floors of offices back in 1963. By the same token part of the Michigan Theatre in Detroit was "repurposed" into a parking structure in 1977....

Its most certainly a big concern. I'd hope after the successful Ace/UA conversion in LA they'd not do something too stupid.

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · February-01-16, 12:31 PM

Originally Posted by 1953

This weekend's Crains article and Sunday Free Press article on the stadium development were full of speculation and lacking in specific, written commitments. Promises, promises, promises - the Ilitch way.

Sort of what I thought. LOOKS nice and pretty; I'll believe it when I see something actually happen. Might just be designed to shut the critics up for awhile.

**hybridy** · February-01-16, 03:42 PM

Originally Posted by DetroiterOnTheWestCoast

Sort of what I thought. LOOKS nice and pretty; I'll believe it when I see something actually happen. Might just be designed to shut the critics up for awhile.

-so much fluff. the only things that will open with area are:

-There is 160,000 square feet of office space planned to form the exterior of the arena, of which about 100,000 will be offices for the Detroit Red Wings and Olympia Entertainment, the venue management arm of team owners Mike and Marian Ilitch's business holdings.

-1,200-space main parking deck for the arena between Sproat and Henry streets along Clifford Street.

maybe:
-The new Little Caesars Pizza Global Resource Center headquarters at Woodward and Columbia Street will be nine stories, an increase from eight, bringing it to about 240,000 square feet.

**the rock** · February-02-16, 09:08 AM

Originally Posted by lpg

Wife worked on the 8th floor of the UA building when it was AAA HQ.

I worked there as a mail boy for 2 summers while in high school. That was a few years before jjaba picketed the place for AAA' s hiring practices.

**ABetterDetroit** · February-06-17, 12:58 PM

One year later and nothing. Is it just the owner or is the building in that bad of shape?

With everything else that has been restored or is already in the pipeline lately we have to start asking 'why not this one?'

**Zads07** · February-06-17, 01:51 PM

No surprise here that Olympia has done absolutely nothing with the property despite making plans to do so.

They have a history of making promises and not coming through.

**UofMGuy423** · February-06-17, 03:09 PM

Originally Posted by Zads07

No surprise here that Olympia has done absolutely nothing with the property despite making plans to do so.

They have a history of making promises and not coming through.

I've heard from people with direct knowledge of this that the redevelopment of the UA office building into residences is still in motion and moving forward.

**Junjie** · February-06-17, 06:12 PM

Originally Posted by UofMGuy423

I've heard from people with direct knowledge of this that the redevelopment of the UA office building into residences is still in motion and moving forward.

Good to hear, hope so. Still think a "believe it when we see it" attitude is in order.

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · February-06-17, 06:54 PM

Originally Posted by Junjie

Good to hear, hope so. Still think a "believe it when we see it" attitude is in order.

With Olympia, anything else would be foolhardy

**MikeyinBrooklyn** · February-06-17, 08:33 PM

I think Olympia is going to develop this building. It is taking much longer than any of us would like, but we should bear a few things in mind. Until 5 years ago, the foolhardy thing would have been pouring money into a project there. Lease or sale prices for either residential or office redevelopment would not have likely brought in enough money to cover the costs of the project. Secondly, a project on a building like this will need to involve lots of people beyond architects and construction workers. And attempting to salvage the theater [[hopefully as a performance space; at least in some meaningful way) will be a real challenge as well. Olympia is certainly slower than Dan Gilbert in developing projects, but Gilbert is a pro real estate developer. Olympia are pizza and sports people. Anyway, as it is, the downtown market is in such a condition right now that Olympia would almost be losing money if they neither developed nor sold it. I'm guessing they are finalizing a "wow" plan that turns it into a very nice place to live or work, with the theater being reopened in some fashion. That is what I am hoping; I also think it is the logical step for Olympia to take with the property.

**Junjie** · February-06-17, 09:06 PM

Originally Posted by MikeyinBrooklyn

I think Olympia is going to develop this building. It is taking much longer than any of us would like, but we should bear a few things in mind. Until 5 years ago, the foolhardy thing would have been pouring money into a project there. Lease or sale prices for either residential or office redevelopment would not have likely brought in enough money to cover the costs of the project. Secondly, a project on a building like this will need to involve lots of people beyond architects and construction workers. And attempting to salvage the theater [[hopefully as a performance space; at least in some meaningful way) will be a real challenge as well. Olympia is certainly slower than Dan Gilbert in developing projects, but Gilbert is a pro real estate developer. Olympia are pizza and sports people. Anyway, as it is, the downtown market is in such a condition right now that Olympia would almost be losing money if they neither developed nor sold it. I'm guessing they are finalizing a "wow" plan that turns it into a very nice place to live or work, with the theater being reopened in some fashion. That is what I am hoping; I also think it is the logical step for Olympia to take with the property.

I would love to see that. Really hope you're right. It would do a lot to build their credibility in general.

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · February-06-17, 09:15 PM

Originally Posted by MikeyinBrooklyn

I think Olympia is going to develop this building. It is taking much longer than any of us would like, but we should bear a few things in mind. Until 5 years ago, the foolhardy thing would have been pouring money into a project there. Lease or sale prices for either residential or office redevelopment would not have likely brought in enough money to cover the costs of the project. Secondly, a project on a building like this will need to involve lots of people beyond architects and construction workers. And attempting to salvage the theater [[hopefully as a performance space; at least in some meaningful way) will be a real challenge as well. Olympia is certainly slower than Dan Gilbert in developing projects, but Gilbert is a pro real estate developer. Olympia are pizza and sports people. Anyway, as it is, the downtown market is in such a condition right now that Olympia would almost be losing money if they neither developed nor sold it. I'm guessing they are finalizing a "wow" plan that turns it into a very nice place to live or work, with the theater being reopened in some fashion. That is what I am hoping; I also think it is the logical step for Olympia to take with the property.

While you're once again defending and cheering Olympia, what you are in effect saying is that [[1) Olympia Development is not really a development company but just pretends to be one, [[2) they have been sitting on properties [[slumlord style, I guess) waiting for others to create favorable market conditions, and [[3) even after excusing their doing nothing, you admit that they are 5 years behind the curve

**MikeyinBrooklyn** · February-06-17, 11:46 PM

DOTWC, you are free to think of me and my posts in any way you want. I don't think you can merit your conclusions in my statements above. But whatever. If I end up being right, and there is a bar anywhere in the renovated building, I will happily buy you a drink. In the meantime, I apparently have a lot of warrantless shilling to do on behalf of Olympia.