Fox office building conversion to a hotel?

**Detroit** · November-15-22, 11:27 AM

Looks like Olympia Development is weighing the idea of converting the Fox office tower.

Ilitchnewshub.com

**angry_fred** · November-15-22, 11:56 AM

Originally Posted by Detroit

Looks like Olympia Development is weighing the idea of converting the Fox office tower.

Ilitchnewshub.com

In typical Ilitch fashion, they're promising the world in order to get this passed. Nice to see the development of those big ugly lots in front of Comerica is at least on the radar.

Hopefully they're not dense enough to realize that Detroit has a huge hotel shortage and actually build both proposed hotels

**401don** · November-15-22, 12:08 PM

They built the new hq because they had outgrown the Fox building. I assume they would have to build the new office building and move their employees to it when ready before converting the Fox building to a hotel.

**Gistok** · November-15-22, 05:22 PM

The key words here are "private financing and public incentives"

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/bu...s/69649853007/

**K-slice** · November-16-22, 02:38 PM

Ilitch planning to cap 75 himself? Loves putting that in renderings with no explanation.

**Gistok** · November-16-22, 03:13 PM

Originally Posted by 401don

They built the new hq because they had outgrown the Fox building. I assume they would have to build the new office building and move their employees to it when ready before converting the Fox building to a hotel.

Or maybe they can FINALLY actually finish the Detroit Life Building behind the Fox and move them there... even if they did so temporarily.

**sirrealone** · November-17-22, 07:36 AM

Originally Posted by K-slice

Ilitch planning to cap 75 himself? Loves putting that in renderings with no explanation.

Illitches pay for something themselves? Unimaginable.

**GPCharles** · November-17-22, 09:25 AM

The LC HQ is hopelessly overtime and overbudget.

**stasu1213** · November-17-22, 01:10 PM

That will be a great idea especially for those out of towners whom visit Detroit for a venue at the Fox or other theatre or arena. The Fox was the first building that underwent renovation in the downtown area back in 1988.

**Gistok** · November-17-22, 02:49 PM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

That will be a great idea especially for those out of towners whom visit Detroit for a venue at the Fox or other theatre or arena. The Fox was the first building that underwent renovation in the downtown area back in 1988.

And besides the reconstruction of the former Hughes Hatcher next door into the Hockeytown Cafe, it was the only building renovation they did for the next 1/3 century until they were finally forced to renovate the Eddystone. But during that 1/3 century the Ilitches are responsible for the destruction of about 15 other buildings.

**Gistok** · November-17-22, 03:00 PM

Someone on this forum once stated that the Fox Building was originally supposed to be 17 stories, instead of the current 10... but due to a steel strike, they topped it off at only 10 stories.

Well that must be an urban legend, because I found an architectural drawing of the building from the year before it was built in 1928, that only shows 10 stories.

**Wesley Mouch** · November-20-22, 11:52 AM

Originally Posted by Gistok

Someone on this forum once stated that the Fox Building was originally supposed to be 17 stories, instead of the current 10... but due to a steel strike, they topped it off at only 10 stories.

Well that must be an urban legend, because I found an architectural drawing of the building from the year before it was built in 1928, that only shows 10 stories.

Might have been me. Saw the blueprints years ago. [[Forbes had them.) Never heard the steel strike. Read long ago that it was a financial decision. Not legend.

**Danny** · November-21-22, 05:50 PM

Don't do it Illitch!

**Gistok** · November-22-22, 12:30 AM

This will be interesting to see how they convert the Fox Building into a Hotel. The building is basically 3 parts. The larger south side office block, the smaller north side office block, and between the two is the theatre itself. The north and south sides of the building are connected via a corridor that is located on 5 floors above the theatre entrance, hence no great window at the front entrance of the theatre.

The main entrance to the office block is about 40 ft. south of the theatre entrance, and is just a small lobby with elevator banks. There is no real lobby space in the office block for a hotel to occupy. Also on the 8th floor is an atrium that is about 3 stories... it's above the theatre lobby... and appears to be the only grand space available to a hotel, since theatre and hotel space will likely remain separate.

Here is a ground floor plan for the Fox Building. The theatre takes up an enormous part of the bulk of the complex. It's not until you get above the 6th floor [above the theatre lobby] that the office space area starts increasing. So a hotel located in this building would not be all that large.

**Gistok** · November-22-22, 12:49 AM

Wesley Mouche... the only Fox design that appears to be circa 17 stories tall was the preliminary model of the never built Philadelphia Fox, as shown here.

It was a grand design that the Great Depression killed. Although the theatre was supposed to be 6,000 seats [Detroit Fox has 5,174], I saw a model of the interior space dimensions, and they were identical to those of the Detroit Fox... so it would not have had a larger theatre.

**401don** · November-30-22, 07:31 AM

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/ne...t/69685148007/

Why would you even release renderings this fugly?

**southen** · November-30-22, 10:28 AM

Originally Posted by 401don

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/ne...t/69685148007/

Why would you even release renderings this fugly?

I actually like the smaller office building on the church parking lot as well as the structure taking up the Hockeytown Cafe space. The small building is simple and “Miesien” in nature while the other building is similar to other buildings that KPF has done but it looks good.

I just wish that the other structures weren’t strictly taking their design cues from LCA. Instead of building out their properties with unique structures it looks like they want all the buildings to have the exact same materials as the arena to create a “district” feel. They are incapable of doing anything that isn’t completely contrived it seems.

**K-slice** · November-30-22, 12:38 PM

The thing that sticks in my craw is the Illitch people won't even admit to their past failures and lies. They sweep concerns under the rug and pretend like any questioning of their past behavior is beyond the pail.

Would it be so hard for them to admit what we all see with our own eyes and apologize for it?

That attitude tells me they have no intention of doing anything different this time around.

**Satiricalivory** · November-30-22, 02:37 PM

Originally Posted by 401don

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/ne...t/69685148007/

Why would you even release renderings this fugly?

You guys think literally everything is fugly. Give it a rest.

**401don** · November-30-22, 02:50 PM

Originally Posted by Satiricalivory

You guys think literally everything is fugly. Give it a rest.

Sorry Sir - Jackass.

**Satiricalivory** · November-30-22, 03:11 PM

Originally Posted by 401don

Sorry Sir - Jackass.

lol real mature.

**Warrenite84** · December-04-22, 07:54 PM

Maybe this time...how about some real teeth built into the agreement? How about some small tax rebates on COMPLETED phases? Or how about a surety bond that guarantees the plans get built AS DESIGNED, with no cheaper material changes allowed, and on a tight timeline?

**Richard** · December-04-22, 11:54 PM

Originally Posted by 401don

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/ne...t/69685148007/

Why would you even release renderings this fugly?

there are like 5 that look like they used the same architect,I think it was a competition to see who could come up with the most fugly design.

Looks like they took a box and built a jail around it.

When you look at the historic classics,there is a world of difference.

https://www.detroitnews.com/picture-...t/10799047002/

**Wesley Mouch** · December-05-22, 11:45 AM

Originally Posted by Gistok

This will be interesting to see how they convert the Fox Building into a Hotel. ...snip...

The main entrance to the office block is about 40 ft. south of the theatre entrance, and is just a small lobby with elevator banks. There is no real lobby space in the office block for a hotel to occupy. Also on the 8th floor is an atrium that is about 3 stories... it's above the theatre lobby... and appears to be the only grand space available to a hotel, since theatre and hotel space will likely remain separate.

Here is a ground floor plan for the Fox Building. The theatre takes up an enormous part of the bulk of the complex. It's not until you get above the 6th floor [above the theatre lobby] that the office space area starts increasing. So a hotel located in this building would not be all that large.

I too see challenges, but two points:

1) Lots of Ilitch announcements are never followed through, so who knows where this goes. Their announcements mostly seem to be trial balloons. See if investors believe. [[Clearly some of them do happen!)

2) The office building is around 100,000 sf. So there's more room than you hint, But it wouldn't be a first-class hotel with much conference room space. But it could work. Been in plenty of urban hotels with small footprints. Check-in doesn't
have to be in the lobby.

3) Bonus Point... might end up with some office, some meeting, some rooms, some who knows what.

4) Doesn't the Fox do some loud events?

**Vitalis** · December-28-22, 04:19 PM

https://youtu.be/KlkoUN6LVGw

For a moment in the theater's past some of that office space was leased to a number of film distributors, [[20th Century Fox, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Paramount, Selznick International, etc.) making the Fox building a regional booking center through a network of theater chains and independent theater owners for feature fare.