WHOA! 700 new apts coming to det. UA THEATER, Fort wayne, eddystone reno's among them

[1953]

The Ilitch organization remains a bane to historic preservationists everywhere for their ACTUAL behavior.

Maybe they'll surprise the community and redevelop an old building, rather than tearing it down -- wouldn't that be lovely and rare?

Then again, skipper's rule.

1953

[Zads07]

The Ilitch organization remains a bane to historic preservationists everywhere for their ACTUAL behavior.

Maybe they'll surprise the community and redevelop an old building, rather than tearing it down -- wouldn't that be lovely and rare?

Then again, skipper's rule.

1953

Absolutely and if it's not Olympia renovating any of these buildings that they had owned for so long, then they are not preservationists.

[mikeg19]

I still can't believe we're having this debate instead of celebrating the Hotel Fort Wayne, Alhambra Apts, etc. which have now been given a 2nd life and will lead to great things for Temple.

Saving the Hotel Fort Wayne is HUGE. It is crucial for the viability of the Masonic Temple.

Some buildings are important [[some less so) but some are very, very important for some strategic reason and the Hotel Fort Wayne is one such building. That corner would look lost if that building came down. What would replace it a parking lot???

I'd thought folks here would have gotten a bottle of champagne and celebrated.

Some people will always feel slighted that Illitch didn't dump hundreds of millions back in the 2000's to bring these buildings back to life when the economic environment was starting to head the wrong way.

Like I noted earlier, he made plenty of questionable decisions along the way. Demolishing several savable buildings, not correctly mothballing buildings, becoming the gravel parking lot king of Michigan, etc. I get it. People are pissed this didn't happen earlier, and frankly, I can get on board with that resentment. But I think that in the future, we will find out that this was both a long term plan to some degree and also a bit of luck.

As someone else mentioned, they probably had a long list of needs and wants. Number one on that list was LCA. Securing that was the first domino to fall in this long line of development.

You won't ever please everyone, especially ones who feel they've been burned on past promises.

[mikeg19]

FYI, the 2 new construction buildings will be 5 and 8 stories each.

[emu steve]

There are drawings of the current/planned for the buildings in question as part of this Detnews article.

They are AWESOME!!

I was shocked at the One Eleven West new construction. And also the Arena Lofts.

P.S. where will One 11 West be? On Henry near Clifford.

And yes, the Eddystone wil be a very attractive building too.

These renderings are beautiful.

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/bus...oit/102186632/

[EGrant]

Noting brightens my day like fresh renderings.

[southen]

Love the renderings. Two things... 1 I hope they actually create the signage atop the American as shown in the renderings. That would be a fantastic historic touch. 2 I really wish they were doing a full historic restoration to the United Artists building. They are simply removing the 60's modifications and adding a more modern look instead of fully restoring it. That is just being lazy. It also appears that they will be blocking off the entrance to the theater so I am guessing they are either mothballing it or tearing it down for something like parking.

Still a pretty good day.

Steve - You want leniency for the Ilitch clan because they announced the redevelopment of these buildings. What about the Blenheim, Detroit Life, and Adams Theater? Promises have been made about those. What about the Madison Lenox site that was illegally demolished and followed up with the promise of redevelopment? Should we all do backflips because they have finally followed through on SOME of their promises after years/decades of waiting?

Your waiting on the market excuse is bull as well. If that were the case they would have preserved these buildings to wait for the right time. They let them rot or tore them down. That is an architectural heritage and history that we can never get back. But hey, they built a cool arena right!

[Zads07]

The Eddystone rendering is the same from when they released it when they announced the District Detroit.

I truly hope the United Artists Theatre is renovated or utilized in some way and not torn down. The rendering of that building is very 1950s/60s and absolutely wrong for that building. I also hope they change that and restore it back to its original grandeur.

[southen]

Original grandeur and put back the giant blade sign that adorned it. Now that would be cool.

[emu steve]

BTW, there is a half hour [[apprx.) press conference part of the Detnews article which addresses a lot of the issues.

I'll let them speak for themselves. They had the developers at the press conference with Chris and the mayor.

One thing which I caught is that work on some [[I think that is right) of the renovations are awaiting historic tax credits. [[it was during the Q&A of the press conference).

I BELIEVE that work on the two new constructions residential projects are or have begun [[things like footings?). United Arts building this year. Other three awaiting historic tax credits and those will have below market rents for 20%.

Someone please verify.

[Rock N Rye]

BTW, there is a half hour [[apprx.) press conference part of the Detnews article which addresses a lot of the issues.

I'll let them speak for themselves. They had the developers at the press conference with Chris and the mayor.

One thing which I caught is that work on some [[I think that is right) of the renovations are awaiting historic tax credits. [[it was during the Q&A of the press conference).

I BELIEVE that work on the two new constructions residential projects are or have begun [[things like footings?). United Arts building this year. Other three awaiting historic tax credits and those will have below market rents for 20%.

Someone please verify.

One 11 West is the front part of the Park and Henry parking garage under construction. The Arena Lofts is the L shaped building that wraps the other parking garage that they have one story finished on now.

[Zads07]

And just as I suspected, it's not Olympia 'Development' redeveloping these properties that they own.

"Bagley Development Group LLC, which is led by longtime Detroit-developer Emmett Moten Jr., is leading the redevelopment of the United Artists Theatre building at 150 Bagley St. The other five projects are being lead by Detroit-based American Community Developers Inc., owned by developer Gerald Krueger."

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

[ABetterDetroit]

I think before I spike the ball and go to bed, I think this thread means we can bury a few other threads. R.I.P.

Good day for Detroit [[hopefully) and emu Steve. I don't know about spiking the ball yet tho the score in occupied buildings is like Gilbert 77 Ilitch 3 but hard core fans are hard core fans

I'd buy you a beer Steve but DC is a bit far.

[emu steve]

One 11 West is the front part of the Park and Henry parking garage under construction. The Arena Lofts is the L shaped building that wraps the other parking garage that they have one story finished on now.

Thanks.

I can see them. So One 11 West has the parking garage behind it and Harry's to the west. Hit Harry's on the way home from work for a quick one?

And I see the L where the lofts are going to be.

Hope residents like people, traffic, noise, etc. etc. but, of course, if the Wings [[and Pistons) make the playoffs and win, then excitement will abound...

[emu steve]

Good day for Detroit [[hopefully) and emu Steve. I don't know about spiking the ball yet tho the score in occupied buildings is like Gilbert 77 Ilitch 3 but hard core fans are hard core fans

I'd buy you a beer Steve but DC is a bit far.

Maybe If I make it to Detroit for Thanksgiving or a Wizards game [[I'm a D.C. fan for NBA), maybe we can take a QLine ride and walk around 'New Detroit' - Cass/Fisher, Cass/Temple, Temple/Woodward, Woodward/Fisher.

But only if the temps are above freezing.

Seriously, I'll be in Detroit in the end of next month. I'll check out the QLine and the Tigers and see the District Detroit development with my own eyes.

[Richard]

No, but he was the only one who cared enough to try, and not exploit Detroit for his own benefit. Like Penske, Maroun, and Ilitch.

True,but he also received a little $200,000,000 check to help ease the pain somewhat.

[detroitbob]

[QUOTE=emu steve;526061]I still can't believe we're having this debate instead of celebrating...I'd thought folks here would have gotten a bottle of champagne and celebrated.[/QUOTE]
EMU Steve...I agree "the Masonic is very fortunate as the neighborhood is getting a lot better" perhaps the dawning of the best era for the Temple neighborhood since its construction. When the Masonic Temple was constructed, along with the Kresge Headquarters, the vision was for a jump west from Woodward with a straight shot up 2nd Blvd to the New Center where General Motor's new headquarters was located and the Fisher brothers would build [[sadly only 1/3 of) their massive complex. 1929 killed that mid-city development and the Cass/2nd Blvd/3rd Ave corridor started its long decline. Woodward Avenue from Vernor north to Canfield fared a bit better...but by the 1960's the stretch from Vernor [[I75-Fisher) to Mack/Myrtle-Stimson took one fast nose-dive. So now by 2020 [[2021 if we count the Hudson redevelopment), we shall see that vision renewed.
As for the champagne sadly there are those who never see the glass half-full, only empty and the champagne flat. I suspect that does not just apply to debates about Illitch and Gilbert and Gores but that is a matter for mental health care professions to deal with.

[1953]

I'm trying to imagine the scene out front of these new build apartments they are constructing. They will look into the stadium and one will be the east end of a parking garage. There will be housing, presumably, at the north end of that corridor that runs from the new builds up to the Eddystone and Al Hambra. Sooo...what will be in between? What will that be like? Isn't this where the all important loading dock will be? Won't that kind of kill the street scene? Also, would people want to live right next door to an arena that has 300 nights+ per year of programming? It seems like the daily traffic jams in this area will be very serious. Anyone have more details or a sense of what this space will look like?

[MikeyinBrooklyn]

What is the opposite of rose-colored glasses? This is a great day, but some people are falling into their innate self-caricatures. Most people are posting at least some positive things. And they should. Are any of these projects perfect? By that, I mean are they exactly what I would do if I owned them, were in control and had endless money? No. But it's a lot of great development, bringing more people to live downtown, and lots of both construction and long-term jobs to go with them. They renderings look terrific. I'd love the UA Theater to be restored to a performance space. But, whatever. It will still be a great [[re)addition to the neighborhood. Downtown will be so vibrant!

I think some people almost need deprogramming, as if they have a knee-jerk anti-Ilitch form of Stockholm Syndrome. Water wouldn't be wet for them if Mike Ilitch had said it was.

[1953]

I'll be the first to admit that I'm deeply annoyed by Ilitch's antics over the years, but I was asking a legit question -- what's the deal with the corridor to the west of the arena -- will it be a "neighborhood" or a pedestrian zone or what? Just trying to get a feel for it.

[Atticus]

For those still unsure where the two new residential buildings are being located, see the yellow in the image below.



The first new residential structure is the L shaped building being built around the large parking garage north of Henry. Note the steel for the first floor commercial [[with residential coming above) has already been built.

The second residential structure is the the one attached to the parking garage south of Henry. Note that the proposed hotel, and the garage/residential locations have been swapped. Thus the second building will be directly next to [[on the same block) as Harry's Bar.

[detroitbob]

Some people will always feel slighted that Illitch didn't dump hundreds of millions back in the 2000's to bring these buildings back to life when the economic environment was starting to head the wrong way.

Your answer was in your statement... the economic environment was {starting to} head{ing} the wrong way.

[emu steve]

For those still unsure where the two new residential buildings are being located, see the yellow in the image below.



The first new residential structure is the L shaped building being built around the large parking garage north of Henry. Note the steel for the first floor commercial [[with residential coming above) has already been built.

The second residential structure is the the one attached to the parking garage south of Henry. Note that the proposed hotel, and the garage/residential locations have been swapped. Thus the second building will be directly next to [[on the same block) as Harry's Bar.

Curious:

Does anyone know if the Ilitch org tried to buy out Harry's Bar?

I looked at the JPG in the other thread showing the building of One 11 West and Harry's sits || close to it.

Am I right that the Ilitch org. got all the land except Harry's and the two houses at the other end of Cass?

Different thought:

I'd be anxious to hear when things might perk for the hotel. I think it would be almost a sure slam dunk success. It could be used by visiting NHL or NBA teams, sports fans visiting LCA, Comerica or Ford Field, etc. etc.

I assume NHL and NBA teams look for something convenient. Fly in, practice, play the game and leave. 24 hour stay?

[Lowell]

The view from DetroitYES world headquarters will never be the same.



The theater seen to the lower left appears in good shape both exterior and roof.



Hey maybe we'll even get to walk on the sidewalk in our lifetimes.

[Lowell]

Regarding the Ilitch v. Gilbert comments above, it is a bit of a chicken-egg argument.

Would Gilbert been encouraged to come downtown were it no for the ground work laid by Ilitch with the Fox and Tiger's ballpark among others?

Otherwise, agree with the other remarks. About time!