60 Million dollar Reno of UD

**ASilvaman** · February-27-20, 12:20 AM

This is pretty exciting news. The UD Mercy campus on McNichols will get a total renovation including the demo of the much hated Fisher Administration Building.

The Fisher Administration Center, which houses the president's office and other administrative operations, will eventually be torn down, Garibaldi said. The aging 50,000-square-foot building's maintenance issues cost more than the price of demolition.

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/educat...illion-project

What do you guys think of this?

**ASilvaman** · February-27-20, 12:21 AM

Sweeping changes are in store for the University of Detroit Mercy's McNichols campus, including the demolition of more than 100,000 square feet of building space and renovations to nearly every one of its other structures.

**jcole** · February-27-20, 07:08 AM

Oh, I can't WAIT until that eyesore is torn down. I hope they rebuild something closer to the mission style of the rest of the campus. My daughter went to UDM and we cringed every time we saw that building. Still do.

**hybridy** · February-27-20, 08:16 AM

Never thought I’d see the day. My wife and I both worked in the building in the mid-00’s. It was in bad shape then. I love the classic campus buildings, but the new faux historic buildings don’t really do the campus justice. Glad to hear the Union is getting badly needed help. Appears they will daylight the lower level of the union onto Kassab Mall.
https://www.udmercy.edu/faculty-staf...renovation.php

Render:

Detroit Mercy recently purchased vacant land abutting the south end of the McNichols Campus, behind Shiple Hall. Plans for this space include an intramural sports field for student competitions and potential gathering spaces where the University community can relax and enjoy the outdoors.

**Kathleen** · February-27-20, 10:17 AM

Had been looking at UDM campus to document the work of some of our local architects. Will have to get over there soon!

**ASilvaman** · February-27-20, 11:11 AM

Yeah, seems as if they are leveling a majority of the structures on campus.

I remember when I lived on Muirland street two blocks over during my high school years of the late 80's and early 90's. The campus was actually open to the surrounding neighborhood and my friends and I would use the weight rooms inside the student dorms and also the library and tennis courts. This was before people got crazy and ultra weird, leading them to completely close off the campus to anyone that's not a student.

**CassTechGrad** · February-27-20, 11:52 AM

The Jesuits are good people. I remember going to the Chess Mate coffee shop across 6 Mile from the university back in the 1960’s. Joni Mitchell played there a lot while she was living in the old Verona apartment building at Ferry and Cass.
Muddy Waters:
“I'm a man
I'm a rollin' stone
I'm a man
I'm a hoochie-coochie man”

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Name: chess mate.jpg
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**hybridy** · February-27-20, 11:55 AM

Originally Posted by ASilvaman

The campus was actually open to the surrounding neighborhood and my friends and I would use the weight rooms inside the student dorms and also the library and tennis courts. This was before people got crazy and ultra weird, leading them to completely close off the campus to anyone that's not a student.

They're tearing down Reno Hall and Fisher Admin. I count 2.

I was told a student was shot and killed in front of Holden Hall waiting for a bus, and that was the final straw regarding the fence. There were also several students jumped and badly assaulted between the fence and greek houses during my undergrad years. There are plenty within UDM who want the fence down by the way, but I don't seeing it happening soon.

Also, public safety of students isn't 'crazy and ultra weird'. It's a huge liability for the school and attracting perspective students - especially from out of Metro Detroit. Massive urban decay and random violent crime isn't de rigueur in many places.

**bartocktoo** · February-27-20, 12:18 PM

Originally Posted by hybridy

They're tearing down Reno Hall and Fisher Admin. I count 2.

I was told a student was shot and killed in front of Holden Hall waiting for a bus, and that was the final straw regarding the fence. There were also several students jumped and badly assaulted between the fence and greek houses during my undergrad years. There are plenty within UDM who want the fence down by the way, but I don't seeing it happening soon.

Also, public safety of students isn't 'crazy and ultra weird'. It's a huge liability for the school and attracting perspective students - especially from out of Metro Detroit. Massive urban decay and random violent crime isn't de rigueur in many places.

Agree. Even with the fences and cut-offs, and as someone who went there and lived on Fairfield in the 90s, we saw a ton that went on that was never reported or heard about.

**masterblaster** · February-27-20, 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by CassTechGrad

The Jesuits are good people. I remember going to the Chess Mate coffee shop across 6 Mile from the university back in the 1960’s. Joni Mitchell played there a lot while she was living in the old Verona apartment building at Ferry and Cass.
Muddy Waters:
“I'm a man
I'm a rollin' stone
I'm a man
I'm a hoochie-coochie man”

Name: chess mate.jpg
Views: 1420
Size: 113.6 KB

That seemed like a really cool, electic place! Something Detroit does not have much anymore. Thanks for sharing

**masterblaster** · February-27-20, 01:00 PM

Originally Posted by hybridy

Massive urban decay and random violent crime isn't de rigueur in many places.

You never miss an opportunity to bash Detroit! I'm sure U of D is not the only urban college campus surrounded by rough areas. The neighborhoods to the west and south are quite tattered, but the neighborhoods to the north and immediate east are some of the most elegant residential tracts in the state!

Anyway, I would like to see them move their dentistry and Law Schools to the McNichols campus and try to create somewhat of a college town atmosphere over there. One can dream

**hybridy** · February-27-20, 01:24 PM

Originally Posted by masterblaster

You never miss an opportunity to bash Detroit!

It's not a dig, but simply an observation of reality. It's even less of a bash when you and people around you have been victims of the crime described.

Are Bagley, Fitzgerald and University District improving? You bet. Are things still really bad? Most definitely. It's not personal.

Law will never move to McNichols btw - they like their own identity. Dental was odd, but their attempt to anchor a battered neighborhood and concentrate resources in an area where it serves the public good. It was also the cheapest to get up an running - vs build new.

**Gistok** · February-27-20, 01:34 PM

Originally Posted by masterblaster

You never miss an opportunity to bash Detroit! I'm sure U of D is not the only urban college campus surrounded by rough areas. The neighborhoods to the west and south are quite tattered, but the neighborhoods to the north and immediate east are some of the most elegant residential tracts in the state!

Anyway, I would like to see them move their dentistry and Law Schools to the McNichols campus and try to create somewhat of a college town atmosphere over there. One can dream

Sorry but Hybridy isn't a Detroit basher... and his points are SPOT ON...

I went to WSU for a few years and it was an open campus... I felt safe enough down there, but was always aware of what was going on around me.

I finished my Undergrad many years later at Mercy College of Detroit... a FULLY gated college community. It's in a better neighborhood, and I felt very safe taking evening classes down there.

Went to UofD Mercy for a masters in the Business school. Although they had a nice gated entrance way... much of the school was open to the neighborhood, and yes... there were robberies and thefts. The women in our classes asked that the guys walk them to their cars in the evenings.

Although areas around the McNichols campus are getting better... not all areas are. I have no problem in U of D Mercy putting fences around the entire school like Mercy College used to do, and the way Marygrove [[or whatever its' reincarnation is) still does.

This has nothing to do with bashing Detroit... just keeping evening college courses a safe and worry free experience.

**Metro25** · February-27-20, 02:05 PM

Originally Posted by hybridy

They're tearing down Reno Hall and Fisher Admin. I count 2.

I was told a student was shot and killed in front of Holden Hall waiting for a bus, and that was the final straw regarding the fence. There were also several students jumped and badly assaulted between the fence and greek houses during my undergrad years. There are plenty within UDM who want the fence down by the way, but I don't seeing it happening soon.

uhh so when was this? 10-15 years ago? the area around it has changed pretty considerably. Have there been any incidents recently? I don't see how a fence magically stops crime at a bus stop.

**ASilvaman** · February-27-20, 02:26 PM

Originally Posted by hybridy

They're tearing down Reno Hall and Fisher Admin. I count 2.

I was told a student was shot and killed in front of Holden Hall waiting for a bus, and that was the final straw regarding the fence. There were also several students jumped and badly assaulted between the fence and greek houses during my undergrad years. There are plenty within UDM who want the fence down by the way, but I don't seeing it happening soon.

Also, public safety of students isn't 'crazy and ultra weird'. It's a huge liability for the school and attracting perspective students - especially from out of Metro Detroit. Massive urban decay and random violent crime isn't de rigueur in many places.

I didn't say in my post that student safety was crazy and weird, I was saying that "people" in general got crazy and weird, just like many are today. It was definitely a safety issue leading to the campus closure.
I'm aware that there we're incidents involving student attacks and robberies by some of the crazy weird people that started moving into the area around 1990. The area was beginng to go down the toilet when I was a junior in high school. I think the campus was finally closed off in 1990.
There just aren't the safety issue when I was growing up. Muirland street actually had houses on it in the 80s.
I don't see an advantage to opening the campus back up due to these safety issues and the fact people are nuts and the world is a much different place than the 80s/90s.

**hybridy** · February-27-20, 02:43 PM

Originally Posted by Metro25

uhh so when was this? 10-15 years ago? the area around it has changed pretty considerably. Have there been any incidents recently? I don't see how a fence magically stops crime at a bus stop.

Yes 2008, but I bet there was an uptick during the recession. I house hunted in the University District in 2012...things were on the upswing, but I didn't feel good spending 250k then. Prices have only gotten stronger since then. It just didn't work out.

Once upon a time, the university planned a Welcome Center on the west side of Livernois across from main gate. There were also plans to build graduate housing on Puritan [[outside the gate). Seems these plans shifted.

I wonder what will replace Fisher? If it's more parking it will only exacerbate the feeling of desolation on Livernois from the Lodge to main gate.

I will always love this view. I think my parents audibly gasped when they left me there as a naive teenager 17 years ago. 'BODY PARTS' lol...some things never change:
https://goo.gl/maps/LPYFBULFRbbbyPET9

**Seven&wyo** · February-27-20, 02:50 PM

Originally Posted by CassTechGrad

The Jesuits are good people. I remember going to the Chess Mate coffee shop across 6 Mile from the university back in the 1960’s. Joni Mitchell played there a lot while she was living in the old Verona apartment building at Ferry and Cass.
Muddy Waters:
“I'm a man
I'm a rollin' stone
I'm a man
I'm a hoochie-coochie man”

Name: chess mate.jpg
Views: 1420
Size: 113.6 KB

That building is still there too, sadly though it's a laundromat. Goddamn why do people ruin good looking buildings with that cheap looking stucco crap?

**royce** · February-27-20, 06:20 PM

The Fisher Administration Building is one of the newest buildings on campus. It's amazing that it is in such bad shape compared to older buildings on campus. As a graduate of U of D and UD Mercy, I have seen the changes to the campus over the years. The fencing has been there since the closing of Florence Street. I witnessed the closing of Florence Street and the creation of the mall. That was a great idea. It eliminated a lot of crime and brought the dorms in unison with the rest of the campus. I wish the mall was designed for athletic endeavors: touch football games or frizbee throwing. I've always felt that the Fisher building should have been closer to the Architecture building or a building like the Architecture Building was in that location to eliminate that parking lot. IMHO, all parking should be south of Florence Street. Also, a restaurant with a UD Mercy theme at the corner of McNichols and Livernois could improve the campus. The University of Louisville has such a restaurant which is a few blocks from the campus and displays a lot of the universities sports memorabilia. Finally, the vast parking lot where the football stadium use to be needs to be redeveloped into a parking structure to allow for some retail/restaurants on McNichols.

**masterblaster** · February-28-20, 10:44 AM

Originally Posted by royce

Finally, the vast parking lot where the football stadium use to be needs to be redeveloped into a parking structure to allow for some retail/restaurants on McNichols.

It amazes me that fairly new suburban private colleges Madonna University and Lawrence Tech now have football teams and new [[but tiny) stadiums, but a historic urban-located university like U of D doesn't have football [[or baseball). And now the basketball team is banned from the post-season!

**jcole** · February-28-20, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by masterblaster

It amazes me that fairly new suburban private colleges Madonna University and Lawrence Tech now have football teams and new [[but tiny) stadiums, but a historic urban-located university like U of D doesn't have football [[or baseball). And now the basketball team is banned from the post-season!

I think they have softball; there are diamonds on the west side of the union.

**GPCharles** · February-28-20, 11:46 AM

FWIW - Yale University in New Haven, CT is adjacent to some dreadful areas. The area between the main campus and the athletic facilities is particularly bad.

**hybridy** · February-28-20, 01:15 PM

Originally Posted by jcole

I think they have softball; there are diamonds on the west side of the union.

Men's Baseball was eliminated I think in 2004. I recall baseball recruits lived across the hall from me in Shiple Hall the year prior. Women's softball does exist. Their big push was adding Lacrosse - which they have done with the new synthetic field by Calihan. I don't think football is really on their radar, but I could be wrong.

**masterblaster** · February-28-20, 01:33 PM

In regards to the gates, security, and relationship to the surrounding area, a person in another forum brought up the idea of U of D-Mercy duplicating what Wayne State University's Police Department does for the surrounding Midtown area. If Marygrove was still around, U of D and Marygrove could have partnered to create such a service for that general area.

**Seven&wyo** · February-28-20, 01:44 PM

Originally Posted by masterblaster

In regards to the gates, security, and relationship to the surrounding area, a person in another forum brought up the idea of U of D-Mercy duplicating what Wayne State University's Police Department does for the surrounding Midtown area. If Marygrove was still around, U of D and Marygrove could have partnered to create such a service for that general area.

I believe I read somewhere that since they were private colleges they weren't legally allowed to have WSUPD type of police

**bust** · February-28-20, 10:59 PM

Originally Posted by Seven&wyo

I believe I read somewhere that since they were private colleges they weren't legally allowed to have WSUPD type of police

If that's the case is it a Michigan law? Because private universities in other states can have their own police forces like Wayne State's. I went to one, in a rough neighborhood during some bad years, and I'm very grateful they were there. They formed an agreement with the city police force to extend their patrols into the surrounding neighborhoods. That made a big difference, as many of us lived off campus. Almost all the professors and administrators did.