Lincoln Park DDA To Make Decision on Proposal on the Mellus Newspapers Building

[lalynch]

Lincoln Park DDA To Make Decision on Proposal on the Mellus Newspapers Building

Tonight, Thursday, Nov. 12th, 5 pm at Lincoln Park City Hall, the Lincoln Park DDA will decide on the future of the Mellus Newspapers Building, the Pollak Building and the Dorsey Building at respectively, 1661 Fort Street, 1667 Fort Street and 1673 Fort Street in Lincoln Park. The Lincoln Park DDA will decide whether to sell the three buildings to an owner of two healthcare businesses who has submitted an offer on the buildings. If they decide against selling the buildings then the Mellus and Pollak Buildings would be torn down.

If sold, two healthcare businesses would move into the buildings after a renovation and restoration of the buildings. The proposed project would bring thirty to forty employees to North Fort Street plus countless others who would patronize the businesses in various capacities. The business owner and his architect were at a special meeting with the Lincoln Park DDA two weeks ago. They have submitted a new offer which will be discussed at tomorrow night’s DDA meeting.

Lincoln Park’s North Fort Street thirty to fifty years ago was a vibrant shopping district full of small local businesses such as Fisher’s and Sim’s. In addition, the Park Theatre was a local draw for families and youth on a Saturday afternoon. And the Mellus Newspapers, owned by William S. Mellus, was a busy newspaper covering many of the Downriver communities.

Today North Fort Street is a busy state highway with blocks and blocks of vacant buildings. There’s a glimmer of hope to North Fort Street’s future with the Lincoln Park Lofts project by Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency that plans on transforming the streamline modern C. Howard Crane designed Park Theatre into two floors of loft spaces, commercial spaces in the old lobby and a restored marquee. The endangered Mellus Newspapers Building has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 2005. The newspaper was the local newspaper for the Downriver communities from 1933 to 1985 when it merged in with the Heritage Newspapers. The Mellus Newspapers Building and the Pollak Building, next door, were vacated in 1986 by the newspaper.

Tonight’s decision by the Lincoln Park DDA will need to be more about saving North Fort Street than about saving the historic Mellus Newspapers Building. North Fort Street has much to gain and needs this business owner. The employees and others affiliated with the businesses would patronize North Fort Street’s businesses. Furthermore, Lincoln Park’s residents need the jobs. Too many Lincoln Park residents have lost their homes. Drive down its streets and you will see many ‘For Sale’ signs for foreclosed houses that are on the market for as low as $10,000 or $20,000. Healthcare is a growing field in Michigan with the Michigan Works No Worker Left Behind program steering many unemployed into healthcare education programs. Thus, the timing is right for an owner of two healthcare businesses to come to North Fort Street and restore the Mellus, Pollak and Dorsey Buildings.

If the Lincoln Park DDA does not accept the offer than the historic Mellus Newspapers Building, which has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 2005, and the Pollak Building will be torn down. It will be vacant land for many years to come. Some say forever but Richard Hosey, a Senior Vice President in the Commercial Tax Credit Department, Bank of America Detroit, on a tour of the Mellus and Pollak Buildings this summer stated that if the buildings were to be demolished, they would remain vacant land for at least 10 years. Dorsey Building will most likely sit empty like it has since the Lincoln Park DDA purchased it in 2004. Many in Lincoln Park do not have the time to wait.

[Danny]

Downtown Lincoln Park has been a shambles for the last 30 years. The area along Fort St. and Southfield Rd. looks like a "instant ghetto", an equivalent to Downtown Detroit. How come we Lincoln Park citizens hide in your well kept up houses where they few homeless folks, schizos, dope dealers and sex offenders running about near Fort St. including Dix Ave? Downtown Lincoln Park is dying! There are NO new fancy retail stores being developed; just struggling left over mom and pop stores trying to survive. Most of the us are not supporting them all. Instead we go on to shop at those BIG BOX retail stores at the Southgate area. Downtown Allen Park and Downtown Wyandotte is doing much then I have expected. Those stores are fill up with hip cool shops to attract "hip cool skinny jeaned bushy hair white kids". Allen Park has "Hollywood" around the corner when Unity Studios came into town. Why can we have these things in Lincoln Park? Citizens, I urge you all to come out from your houses and support your businesses on Fort St. and Dix Ave. Reduce your shopping at those big box retail outlets and head down to your local stores. We have Magna Books, JCPenny's outlet, Clemente's Italian Restaurant and Bowling Alley, Fort Park Bowl, Belmar Lanes, St Vincent De Paul Family thrift Store, Lincoln Park Skating Center, Aborates Sin Limite Mexican Market, B.C.'s Pizza, Caulder's Dairy, Feed Rite Pet Store and many more. I have shop, eat and play in those areas. Its owners and its employees been loyal to me as I been loyal to them. You can all shop at those big box stores and shoping malls in the weekend. Right now Shop Lincoln Park and SAVE DOWNTOWN LINCOLN PARK before will gone forever.

[Gsgeorge]

What happened?

[lalynch]

Nothing. Lincoln Park's DDA did not want to sell the buildings to the healthcare owner due to his low offer on the Dorsey Building at 1673 Fort Street. The man had offered $500 per building for Mellus and Pollak Buildings and $10,000 for Dorsey Building. They feel it is worth much more since they paid $175,000 for it in 2004. Dorsey has been vacant since at least 2004. The DDA did not have a problem selling Mellus and Pollak Buildings to him for $500 each but he wants all three buildings or none. He proposed to move his homecare business from the New Center area to the Mellus and Pollak Buildings. And move his retail medical supply business to the Dorsey Building. His architect and contractor estimate $80,000 - $100,000 of repairs for Dorsey Building. Thus, the reason for the low offer. The DDA attorney feels that the Dorsey is worth $100,000. Although nothing is selling on North Fort Street. Its considered secondary real estate. The DDA board all felt that it was best to wait for a better offer on Dorsey Building. And one DDA member didn't like the idea of the type of businesses this man proposed. This DDA member wants retail.

[lalynch]

Downtown Lincoln Park has been a shambles for the last 30 years. The area along Fort St. and Southfield Rd. looks like a "instant ghetto", an equivalent to Downtown Detroit. How come we Lincoln Park citizens hide in your well kept up houses where they few homeless folks, schizos, dope dealers and sex offenders running about near Fort St. including Dix Ave? Downtown Lincoln Park is dying! There are NO new fancy retail stores being developed; just struggling left over mom and pop stores trying to survive. Most of the us are not supporting them all. Instead we go on to shop at those BIG BOX retail stores at the Southgate area. Downtown Allen Park and Downtown Wyandotte is doing much then I have expected. Those stores are fill up with hip cool shops to attract "hip cool skinny jeaned bushy hair white kids". Allen Park has "Hollywood" around the corner when Unity Studios came into town. Why can we have these things in Lincoln Park? Citizens, I urge you all to come out from your houses and support your businesses on Fort St. and Dix Ave. Reduce your shopping at those big box retail outlets and head down to your local stores. We have Magna Books, JCPenny's outlet, Clemente's Italian Restaurant and Bowling Alley, Fort Park Bowl, Belmar Lanes, St Vincent De Paul Family thrift Store, Lincoln Park Skating Center, Aborates Sin Limite Mexican Market, B.C.'s Pizza, Caulder's Dairy, Feed Rite Pet Store and many more. I have shop, eat and play in those areas. Its owners and its employees been loyal to me as I been loyal to them. You can all shop at those big box stores and shoping malls in the weekend. Right now Shop Lincoln Park and SAVE DOWNTOWN LINCOLN PARK before will gone forever.

And sadly, J.C. Penney's is closing in January 2010.

[Danny]

The Lincoln Park DDA is THE WORST group of people who planned to develop Downtown Lincoln Park Area. They should be FIRED and the let the Citizens of Lincoln Park take over downtown development. Downtown Lincoln Park is DYING!!! and the people of Lincoln Park need to do something about it.

Go tell Mayor Vaslo and the cookie city council to make your democratic voice heard! Stand up and fight to brinf REAL fancy stores to Downtown Lincoln Park. I'm sick and tired of seeing that area of Fort St. and Southfield look like a ghetto.

[crawford]

Lincoln Park will be a Mexicantown 15 years from now.

I know a fair number of people in the metro Detroit Mexican-American community and there has been a BIG trend of young families moving to Lincoln Park in the last 2-3 years.

LP has problems, but it's a much better place to raise kids than SW Detroit.

[lalynch]

Lincoln Park will be a Mexicantown 15 years from now.

I know a fair number of people in the metro Detroit Mexican-American community and there has been a BIG trend of young families moving to Lincoln Park in the last 2-3 years.

LP has problems, but it's a much better place to raise kids than SW Detroit.

There is a neat new Mexican deli that opened this past summer. It is in the old Labor Ready office on Fort Street, a few doors from Painters Supply. Its called Abbares or something like that. I hear it is pretty good and has good soups and reasonable deli prices.

[lalynch]

The Lincoln Park DDA is THE WORST group of people who planned to develop Downtown Lincoln Park Area. They should be FIRED and the let the Citizens of Lincoln Park take over downtown development. Downtown Lincoln Park is DYING!!! and the people of Lincoln Park need to do something about it.

Go tell Mayor Vaslo and the cookie city council to make your democratic voice heard! Stand up and fight to brinf REAL fancy stores to Downtown Lincoln Park. I'm sick and tired of seeing that area of Fort St. and Southfield look like a ghetto.

I am hearing that Mellus could be down by the end of the week.
I have checked the building about every other day and no evidence of anyone there. Today it seemed like someone has been inside. I confirmed with a local business owner who has seen people inside.

I also heard that the healthcare owner would have offered more money on Dorsey Building but since the DDA told him last month that he'd have to negotiate with the condo owner for land for parking that he'd need to save some money for the parking. That is a sham because that is the DDA's job to acquire parking!

Plus, the DDA Act is a state law and it states that DDA's are to encourage historic preservation as well as notify the State Historic Preservation Office if any changes are planned to a National Register listed building!

[Danny]

Historic reservation under the DDA act. HAH! ' THEY' are tearing down what's left of Downtown Lincoln Park. The LP DDA is NOT encouraging D.L.P. downtown development just leave a very big blighted lot. Go to city hall and make your democratic voice heard SAVE DOWNTOWN LINCOLN PARK!

If I was elected mayor of Lincoln Park I WILL FIX UP BRING FANCY BUSINESSES TO DOWNTOWN LINCOLN PARK FOR 10 YEAR PROPERTY TAX BREAKS!

[Danny]

There is a neat new Mexican deli that opened this past summer. It is in the old Labor Ready office on Fort Street, a few doors from Painters Supply. Its called Abbares or something like that. I hear it is pretty good and has good soups and reasonable deli prices.

The name of this new convenient store is called Aborates Sin Limite. It's a first ever Mexican Market [[Carniceria and Panaderia) Plus Lincoln Park still has El Paso Restaurante, Marias Restaurante and first ever Hispanic dominant Church of God called La Casa De Mi Padre. All located of Fort St. The Mexican/ Hispanic population in Lincoln Park is over 4,900 or 11.5%. Making it the first highest population by percentage in Wayne County.

[lalynch]

The name of this new convenient store is called Aborates Sin Limite. It's a first ever Mexican Market [[Carniceria and Panaderia) Plus Lincoln Park still has El Paso Restaurante, Marias Restaurante and first ever Hispanic dominant Church of God called La Casa De Mi Padre. All located of Fort St. The Mexican/ Hispanic population in Lincoln Park is over 4,900 or 11.5%. Making it the first highest population by percentage in Wayne County.

Thanks for the correction Danny. I drove by the business today and realized I goofed on the name.

[lalynch]

Historic reservation under the DDA act. HAH! ' THEY' are tearing down what's left of Downtown Lincoln Park. The LP DDA is NOT encouraging D.L.P. downtown development just leave a very big blighted lot. Go to city hall and make your democratic voice heard SAVE DOWNTOWN LINCOLN PARK!

If I was elected mayor of Lincoln Park I WILL FIX UP BRING FANCY BUSINESSES TO DOWNTOWN LINCOLN PARK FOR 10 YEAR PROPERTY TAX BREAKS!

Amen to that, Danny.

I am at the city council meetings nearly every week telling the mayor, council, city manager and public of the need to save these buildings. Plus, I have attended the DDA meetings since January of 1999. I've had various people like Kathy Wendler, Southwest Detroit Business Association and the field rep for the Michigan Historic Preservation Network come before the DDA. And a professor from Lawrence Tech came too. Detroit historic preservation consultant Rebecca Binno-Savage spoke at a city council meeting within the last month or two about how having a building on the National Register of Historic Places is an honor.

[lalynch]

Historic reservation under the DDA act. HAH! ' THEY' are tearing down what's left of Downtown Lincoln Park. The LP DDA is NOT encouraging D.L.P. downtown development just leave a very big blighted lot. Go to city hall and make your democratic voice heard SAVE DOWNTOWN LINCOLN PARK!

If I was elected mayor of Lincoln Park I WILL FIX UP BRING FANCY BUSINESSES TO DOWNTOWN LINCOLN PARK FOR 10 YEAR PROPERTY TAX BREAKS!

Danny, if you go to this blog http://alldownriver.com/forum/showthread.php?t=58425 , please make your comments known.

Also, it was possible for a deal to be reached with this healthcare owner and the DDA but the DDA attorney after Thursday's DDA meeting said 'no' because the demo had already been scheduled and that there was a $20,000 cancelation clause in the demo contract. Several contractors have said that they've never heard of such a clause for a demo. And others have said 'what kind of a attorney agrees to such a clause?'

So, at this point someone could probably buy Mellus and Pollak if they were willing to spend $20,000. The healthcare owner offered $500 for each building.
So, $20,000 - $21,000 would get the two buildings which are eligible for many tax credits and a tax abatement.