United Artist Building Renovation Begins... Finally

[bassab]

A notice to those who park in the Olympia lot on Adams next to the United Artists building:

"We would like to share some exciting news with you. Olympia Development is beginning work to restore the United Artists Building, the building is adjacent to the 151 W. Adams parking lot. As part of this renovation, the construction company will need to take control of the entire lot for approximately 24 months starting March 14th."

[southen]

A notice to those who park in the Olympia lot on Adams next to the United Artists building:

"We would like to share some exciting news with you. Olympia Development is beginning work to restore the United Artists Building, the building is adjacent to the 151 W. Adams parking lot. As part of this renovation, the construction company will need to take control of the entire lot for approximately 24 months starting March 14th."

March 14th of what year?

[Gistok]

March 14th of what year?

Ilitch Holding is probably using the same sign they used on the Detroit Life Building... in 1998... and again in 2008... and again in 2016... It's wonderful how good they are at recycling...

[401don]

To be optimistic, when have you ever known an Ilitch to turn away parking revenue?

[NSortzi]

Crain’s put out an article about this yesterday. I’m not a subscriber so I’m not sure if there’s any additional info in it, though.

[Danny]

Yeah right! when I see construction of the UA Building being turn into something useful like condos, apts. and retail and a Broadway-like theater, I'll believe it.

The Illitch's are not in the real estate business, they are in the entertainment business.

[hybridy]

Crain’s put out an article about this yesterday. I’m not a subscriber so I’m not sure if there’s any additional info in it, though.

not really tbh

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

To be optimistic, when have you ever known an Ilitch to turn away parking revenue?

That is the only cause for optimism. Have they ever been known to voluntarily give up a nickel of parking revenue?

[Richard]

That is the only cause for optimism. Have they ever been known to voluntarily give up a nickel of parking revenue?

If you read the link above your post,you will see in this case, yes.

[Gistok]

If you read the link above your post,you will see in this case, yes.

Um Richard... if you read about 20 years worth of dozens of posts on this forum... the answer in this case is no.

In fact in the 1990s the National Trust for Historic Preservation put this building on the front page of their monthly National Trust magazine in order to shame the Ilitches who... since they first restored the Fox Theatre in 1988 have not done a damn thing towards a single one of their dozens of building [[besides raze them) downtown... and the image of this building with all the windows colored in by scavengers on the front of that magazine was to point out that the Ilitches, despite the single restoration of a single building in 1/3 of a century are billionaire slumlords... so on this forum... when the Ilitches say they will do something [[besides feeding at the public trough for their sports empire)... we all take a skeptical wait and see attitude.

Starting in later 2022 the 13 story Eddystone Hotel [[next to Little Caesar Arena, promised since 2017) will finally be occupancy ready... after the city threatened to take the property away from them.

As for the developer leading the project... Emmett Moten Jr., he [[after much public outcry) demolished a 100 year old beautiful 4 story building downtown last year, so he could get 12 parking spots.

Also... in order to do this development, the historic theatre portion [[a 1928 United Artists opulent flagship) was mentioned by developers as saying it had to come down in order to get Fed grants. Then the Feds said "we never said that... the theatre portion can remain". This theatre is in a state of ruin, but it wasn't that way when the Ilitches bought it in 1998. It was a repairable theatre, but the Ilitches via their "demolition by neglect" modus operandi... never put a replacement roof on either the building nor connected theatre... until nearly 2 decades later.

[Burnsie]

https://www.freep.com/story/money/bu...it/7228983001/

Moten still lying his ass off that HUD required the theater to be torn down. Debunked by a HUD official at the event. But the backslapping power structure doesn't care.

Pass the barf bag...it's remarkable how smoothly everything's going down the memory hole here:

"The Ilitch organization did preserve this building for decades to make this possible," Duggan said. "It gives you just one indication of how important it is to have families committed long-term."

More like the UA is still standing *in spite of* the Illitches.

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

Pass the barf bag...it's remarkable how smoothly everything's going down the memory hole here:

I doubt that Duggan really credits the Ill-Itch family with good stewardship of the building. I’d say it’s just ass kissing the billionaire class for practical purposes.

it will be nice to see that eyesore saved. Just a shame about destroying the theater and the outright lies about it.

[Satiricalivory]

Yeah I'm getting really fucking sick of Duggan's shilling for the Ilitches.

[Lowell]

Another giant of the Fabulous Ruins of Detroit and long-delayed rotten tooth of the Grand Circus smile face is about to begin its journey off that list.

Redevelopment has begun of a longvacant Ilitch-owned building in downtown Detroit that is slated to become upscale apartments.

The 18-story United Artists Theater Building, 150 Bagley St., will be transformed into a 148-unit residential building called the Residences @150 Bagley. The rehabbed building is scheduled to open in late 2023.

The $75 million project is headed up by a Detroit-based and Black-led development team known as Bagley Development Group, whose members include Emmett Moten Jr. and Richard Hosey.

Twenty percent of the new apartments will be offered at below-market rents for income-qualified tenants. The building also will have about 10,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space.
https://freep-mi.newsmemory.com?publ...f806d3_1348415

[401don]

Ilitch and Emmett. How can you not love those guys? Let's hope it's ground floor retail without the space.

[Lowell]

United Artist in June 2003.

[kathy2trips]

https://www.freep.com/story/money/bu...it/7228983001/

Moten still lying his ass off that HUD required the theater to be torn down. Debunked by a HUD official at the event. But the backslapping power structure doesn't care.

Pass the barf bag...it's remarkable how smoothly everything's going down the memory hole here:

"The Ilitch organization did preserve this building for decades to make this possible," Duggan said. "It gives you just one indication of how important it is to have families committed long-term."

More like the UA is still standing *in spite of* the Illitches.

And what does HUD have to do with it? Doesn't the "H" stand for "housing"? Maybe it's "hoodwinked"? God save us from the "from the government and here to help" crowd. Like others on this thread, I'll believe it when it's done and ready got business

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

And what does HUD have to do with it? Doesn't the "H" stand for "housing"? Maybe it's "hoodwinked"? God save us from the "from the government and here to help" crowd. Like others on this thread, I'll believe it when it's done and ready got business

Well now let’s see. The “H” stands for “housing” and the “UD” for “Urban Development.”

As far as I know, apartments are a form of housing. And renovation of a long abandoned downtown building is…..maybe urban development?

The HUD involved is simply in the form
of backing a mortgage, which seems a wise action to get this project going.

[kathy2trips]

It's not like they're going to want something in return, right? Would YOU want to move into apartments right in front of the people mover track? Let's see how much this costs [[and not necessarily in dollars) in the long run. Yeah, I'm cynical; I've seen Detroit go down this road too many times not to be.

[401don]

Would YOU want to move into apartments right in front of the people mover track?

You can pretty much step onto the track from your balcony at City Club.

[kuuma]

Would YOU want to move into apartments right in front of the people mover track?

hell yeah i would, being a block away from a transit station rules, and being able to see the machinations of the city in motion, right out your window, really inspires a sense of connection to the city.

[Atticus]

We’ll see.

If the theatre demo is allowed to significantly precede the building renovation, I can see the surface lot being completed… and then “unfortunately” the rest of the renovation “falls through”. Wouldn’t be the first time Illitch pulls that trick.

[swingline]

The Bagley Development Group which has partnered with Olympia is a minority-owned development group made up of 6-7 individual Black developers. Many of these folks have completed really good projects in Detroit. It wasn’t their best choice to make Mr. Moten the managing partner. It’s doubtful that he put up the most money. He’s sold many projects on the “expertise” he brings to the table. He doesn’t bring money. He is a salesman and he will say anything to justify cutting corners or defend unpopular outcomes such as demolitions. Nonetheless, he has somehow developed a Teflon-like reputation dating all the way back to his days as a City of Detroit official in charge of land assemblage for the Jefferson North assembly plant. [It was no big deal for his career that the city overpaid by $40 million or more. Mob-connected building owners got millions of dollars for equipment that had only scrap value.] He has already lied into the microphone about why the UA theater must be demolished. The ongoing UA project will be plagued by his lack of credibility.


With all of this said, the UA project is a positive one. The loss of the theater is acceptable if it will get the lights back on in the building. The bigger shame is that the project does not include infill on the Grand Circus Park frontage. Given the funding being provided by local, state and federal sources, it seems that leverage could have been brought to improve the project in this way. It’s a really serious omission that harms the placemaking value of the park. Perhaps if values in the area rise further in the future something can be done.

[casscorridor]

Please can someone explain to me why the City of Detroit keeps approving surface parking lots within downtown? I don't get it.

[Vitalis]

[[1959)

Lest we forget...