The Tiger Ball Park Beginner's Guide to Downtown Detroit Revival

[Lowell]

CLICK^ PICTURE FOR FULL SCREEN BLOW UP

At the Tiger’s game yesterday, I found it uplifting counting the revival of downtown Detroit in the skyline that spread before me. The Tigers lost the game, but Detroit is winning.

1. Renaissance Center, once decaying and on the verge falling into vacancy, bought by GM, made its world HQ, had over $1 billion dollars in improvements invested, and now thriving and fully occupied.

2. The Detroit Athletic Club, once in crisis and reduced to offering no initiation fee memberships, now booming with recently added rooftop restaurant.

3. The Milner Hotel, once a declining budget hotel, now the renovated as the desirable Ashley Apartments,

4. The Barden Building, originally the Home Telephone Company of Detroit and once the Jewish Welfare Federation of Detroit, most recently the HQ of Donald Barden, and now the downtown presence of Central Michigan University.

5. The 1st Federal Savings and Loan building, long abandoned, now refurbished and occupied.

6. The Detroit Opera House, magnificently restored and repurposed from the dying and decaying Capitol Theater.

7. The Stott Building, abandoned and heavily damaged by flooding, currently undergoing exterior cleaning and complete interior renovation to residential.

8. The Wurlitzer Building, abandoned for decades and decaying with pieces falling off, currently undergoing exterior cleaning and complete renovation into the boutique Ash Hotel.

9. The Metropolitan Building, long abandoned and decaying with trees growing on it roof, currently undergoing exterior cleaning and complete renovation into the boutique Element Hotel.

10. The Cadillac Hotel restored from total interior ruination and exterior decay to again being Detroit’s premier hotel topped with luxury condominiums, one recently flipping for $1.8 million.

11. The Broderick Tower, restored from ruin to an elegant fully occupied apartment building.

12. The Whitney Building, restored from ruin to the boutique Aloft Hotel topped with 130 fully occupied condominiums.

13. Book Tower and Building, currently undergoing exterior cleaning and complete interior renovation to residential.

14. Detroit City Apartments, formerly the declining Trolley Plaza, upgraded to 1st class apartments.

15. And, less we forget a new Detroit Tiger ball park from where this picture, is taken.

[MicrosoftFan]

It was a great game [[weather, at least) for staring at the beautiful skyline of Detroit. Excited to see all of the new development around Grand Circus/District Detroit. Less great was the game itself- and when a teenage girl threw up in front of the Ferris wheel.

[emu steve]

Lowell,

You ought to send a copy to Bert Blyleven, Twins broadcaster, who really said not nice things about Detroit a few years ago.

Offer to take him to a restaurant near Comerica/LCA when the Twins come to Detroit late September for a series.

I'm sure a lot folks here would donate two bits each to pay for his meal and ride on the QLine. ;-)

Does Fox Sports North have a 3 person booth with Jack Morris also doing color?

[401don]

It does take a while to change perception. Just last week this old geezer wrote in the Wheels section of the Toronto Star that half the buildings looked unoccupied when he sat looking out at the same view from Comerica Park.

https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j...qPR7ZDi56MmZbg

[SammyS]

Great summary. In a few years, The Hudson will only add to the already impressive skyline

[ABetterDetroit]

The difference in the amount of interest in the downtown skyline from the average tiger fan has change dramatically in the last few years.

Not that long ago questions rarely went beyond "what is the building with the whale on it?" These days non regulars want to know what all the buildings are and what is going on with them.

Perception is changing. You can tell just by the conversations people are having about Detroit. The tone is completely different then a decade ago. Where to go after day games or before night games in the downtown is now a highly discussed topic in the stands.

[401don]

I remember reading that CMU was going to renovate the Barden Building when they acquired it. So far I've seen nothing other than putting their name on it. It's a run-down brick exterior that needs some work done to it.
Also DAC - Please replace the glass in those bricked in windows!

[1953]

Its GVSU that owns Barden's old place at 163 Madison. I talked to a staff person there earlier this year and they said they were still making plans for renovating some of the building, though they do use it.

1953

[401don]

[QUOTE=1953;527222]Its GVSU that owns Barden's old place at 163 Madison. I talked to a staff person there earlier this year and they said they were still making plans for renovating some of the building, though they do use it.

Thanks. I thought it was GVSU but Lowell has it labelled CMU in the 1st post so I blame him!

[douglasm]

Thank you for this guide. I've watched Mariners games from Comerica Park on TV but have generally been unable to identify the buildings, with some exceptions.

Must admit I like the view, but I miss the "enclosed" aspect of Tiger Stadium.

[gumby]

Also DAC - Please replace the glass in those bricked in windows!

Not positive but I always assumed those windows were where the Elevators were.