Area around the McNamara Building.

**Dexlin** · February-11-21, 05:23 AM

Does anyone remember the year that all of the streets around the McNamara Federal Building were cordoned off creating a dead zone? You've got 1st and Howard closed off immediately around the building so that Howard doesn't meet Cass and 1st doesn't meet Michigan. Abbot doesn't fully reach 1st, and then 1st south of Howard is closed off nearly halfway down the block.

It really f%cks up auto and pedestrian circulation in the area, and makes sure nothing ever develops around it. Honestly, in most cities, they'd just have the existing bollards around the fed buildings. Kind of fascinating that WDIV is kind of right in the middle of this weird black hole.

**Danny** · February-11-21, 06:31 AM

So far there will be no development near the McNamara Federal Building due to possibly attacks.

**MikeM** · February-11-21, 07:37 AM

Originally Posted by Dexlin

Does anyone remember the year that all of the streets around the McNamara Federal Building were cordoned off creating a dead zone? You've got 1st and Howard closed off immediately around the building so that Howard doesn't meet Cass and 1st doesn't meet Michigan. Abbot doesn't fully reach 1st, and then 1st south of Howard is closed off nearly halfway down the block.

It really f%cks up auto and pedestrian circulation in the area, and makes sure nothing ever develops around it. Honestly, in most cities, they'd just have the existing bollards around the fed buildings. Kind of fascinating that WDIV is kind of right in the middle of this weird black hole.

Probably after the Oklahoma City or World Trade Center bombing. Considering the political atmosphere and the recent Nashville kook, don't expect any improvements.

**Meddle** · February-11-21, 08:33 AM

Originally Posted by Dexlin

Does anyone remember the year ...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred...deral_Building

**KnnNike** · February-11-21, 04:22 PM

Originally Posted by Dexlin

Does anyone remember the year that all of the streets around the McNamara Federal Building were cordoned off creating a dead zone? You've got 1st and Howard closed off immediately around the building so that Howard doesn't meet Cass and 1st doesn't meet Michigan. Abbot doesn't fully reach 1st, and then 1st south of Howard is closed off nearly halfway down the block.

It really f%cks up auto and pedestrian circulation in the area, and makes sure nothing ever develops around it. Honestly, in most cities, they'd just have the existing bollards around the fed buildings. Kind of fascinating that WDIV is kind of right in the middle of this weird black hole.

It's not so much the lack of circulation that bothers me [[and I'm a transportation engineer, that's saying something), but the fact that they don't take care of the area. Planters on multiple sides of the building have had significant damage for years, and the area along the south side of the building is a whole hot mess...i actually had to file a blight complaint about garbage and illegal dumping in the sidewalk area a few years back. they have picnic tables/outdoor seating on the south side as well, but they're clearly an afterthought that were thrown out there 15 years ago.

As with the federal courthouse down the street, GSA needs to become a better community steward of this property.

**Dexlin** · February-12-21, 10:07 PM

Originally Posted by Meddle

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred...deral_Building

You all have brought this up, but even for as vaguely as I remember, I don't remember it being that long ago. Was this really done immediately after the attack in OKC?

Again, I know quite a few security projects undertaken after the bombing. They usually included metal detectors, guards and bollards. Rarely have I seen entire blocks closed off so haphazardly around federal buildings in other cities. I feel like this is one of those Detroit-specific things where the GSA did it so sloppily because it's Detroit and they figured no one would case...and no one apparently did.

**Jason** · February-12-21, 10:48 PM

My memory is a little bit fuzzy but I thought that happened after they updated their standards after 9/11.

They were also going to demolish the World Trade Center building in Corktown and build a new complex there, although I don't remember why that never happened.

https://www.modeldmedia.com/devnews/...lding9507.aspx

It has that distinctive combination of extreme security measures and "look it's glassy so it's totally not a bunker" of the time period.

**Dexlin** · February-12-21, 11:58 PM

Oh, I remember the debate around the building well. I was opposed to them tearing down a perfectly good high-rise for another superblock to disrupt traffic [[Auto, pedestrian and otherwise) in yet another area of downtown/near downtown.

Plans were suspended in 2008, and finally cancelled in 2010, because they really didn't need the space. It was also happening right after the financial sector collapse so it was a bad look to be building new. They ended up signing a 10-year lease for the IRS in One Detroit Center, and used the vacated space for the expanded FBI office in the building.

Yeah, I was going to say that I do remember this being after 9/11, but couldn't remember the year, and still can't remember whether city formally vacated the streets, or rather this is an agreement with the GSA that manages how long they get to do this.

**Meddle** · February-13-21, 06:32 AM

I was working at the Federal Courthouse that day and the concrete barricades went up on both sides of it within a week. They wanted to block both the Courthouse and the Federal Reserve bank which from street view doesn't appear to be there any more.

I don't remember how long they stayed in place and I never spent much time at Mac, so didn't pay attention to what they did there.

**Danny** · February-13-21, 01:07 PM

Remember the Oklahoma City Bombing in 1995 ? When the report heard around America and all over the world, it's time to fortified gov't offices. The McNamara Fed Building and parking lots west of Michigan Ave. and inside Abbott St. 1st to Cass St. is block off. We do not want anyone maniacs carrying bombs to a Fed building!

**Dexlin** · February-13-21, 05:28 PM

Originally Posted by Meddle

I don't remember how long they stayed in place and I never spent much time at Mac, so didn't pay attention to what they did there.

This is what they did there.

Howard looking west

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Howard looking east

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1st looking north

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1st looking south

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Abbott looking east

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I just can't remember what year this was all done, and apparently, no one else can, either.

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**Gistok** · February-13-21, 06:00 PM

The 5 block superblock for the FBI campus was a bad idea just west of the Lodge. Glad it died.

The 2 Michigan Executive Plaza towers are still there and empty... but they should be rehabbed into living space. Like with the Hammer and Nail Building... what is the point of tearing down high rise space with a view, that could be marketable residential.

**stasu1213** · February-13-21, 11:39 PM

The State had occupied the taller dark steel structure on Sixth and Howard until early 2000s when the State decided to occupy space in the former GM headquarters building on Grand Blvd. The blockade around the McNamara building began shortly after the Oklahoma city bombing. The blocking of second street and Howard were done around 2003. I alway wondered what was in the spot where the graveled parking lot is from Second Street going West to Third

**Gistok** · February-14-21, 12:04 AM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

The State had occupied the taller dark steel structure on Sixth and Howard until early 2000s when the State decided to occupy space in the former GM headquarters building on Grand Blvd.

Correct. When GM moved out of their New Center HQ since 1920, the building was sold to developers who refurbished it and renamed it Cadillac Centre. Probably the only positive thing that Gov. Engler did for Detroit was to centralize all state offices into Cadillac Centre, and make it the state's office building in Detroit.

The end result was arguably the fanciest state office building [[outside of each state capitol) in the country.

**stasu1213** · February-16-21, 09:21 AM

It was once rumored that GM wanted to buy the City County building and the city of Detroit was going to relocate the offices inside the city county building to the New Center area

**jackie5275** · February-16-21, 11:49 AM

That area got blocked off in 1995 as a security response to the OKC bombing. The impetus was that in OKC an explosive filled truck was parked on the street right next the building. The idea to block it all off was to prevent a copycat bombing here.
There was a "sculpture" that was made out of old car body parts & teepee shaped that was outside the building that was removed too as something explosive could be hidden in it. However, as I remember, when I worked in that building in the late 80s, it was joked the sculpture was a place for homeless to hide in. A couple of people could've fit in it. I'm pretty sure it got moved to somewhere else downtown, but I can't remember.

**NSortzi** · February-16-21, 07:36 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

Correct. When GM moved out of their New Center HQ since 1920, the building was sold to developers who refurbished it and renamed it Cadillac Centre. Probably the only positive thing that Gov. Engler did for Detroit was to centralize all state offices into Cadillac Centre, and make it the state's office building in Detroit.

The end result was arguably the fanciest state office building [[outside of each state capitol) in the country.

The old GM Building is called Cadillac Place. Cadillac Centre was that horrendous proposal for Monroe Block in 2010 or so.