Original cost of the Ren Cen? Present day value?...

[DetroitPlanner]

The expansion of the riverwalk is helping the building to be less isolated. Prior to a few short years ago it was a destination and too farr off the beaten path of downtown activities. With the addition of the Wintergarden it is now not just an end node, but also a pathway that links activity centers of the CBD and the Riverwalk. Unfortunately the last few years have not been all that great for the local economy and this has ultimately hurt not just the ren cen, downtown, but the neighborhoods and the suburbs as well.

[iheartthed]

I really don't think there is any real future for retail at the RenCen, there is not enough daily foot traffic. Other towers in places like New York or Chicago have daily foot traffic from full occupied towers and tons of tourists. But the towers of the RenCen simply are for work and thats it,

Are you forgetting that the Ren Cen is home to the tallest hotel in the North America?

[jonathanlivingstonseagull]

Are you forgetting that the Ren Cen is home to the tallest hotel in the North America?

But what does that have to do with foot traffic?

[Hermod]

Are you forgetting that the Ren Cen is home to the tallest hotel in the North America?

What percentage of the people staying in the hotel are staying there because they have business in the Ren Cen?

[iheartthed]

But what does that have to do with foot traffic?

I dunno... If the largest hotel in the state of Michigan, coupled with the headquarters of the largest private sector employer in the state of Michigan... sitting in the largest and most renown city in the state of Michigan... can't attract enough foot traffic to support a couple of stores... Well then what the hell is wrong with Michigan?

[jonathanlivingstonseagull]

I dunno... If the largest hotel in the state of Michigan, coupled with the headquarters of the largest private sector employer in the state of Michigan... sitting in the largest and most renown city in the state of Michigan... can't attract enough foot traffic to support a couple of stores... Well then what the hell is wrong with Michigan?

It's Detroit.

[iheartthed]

What percentage of the people staying in the hotel are staying there because they have business in the Ren Cen?

All the more reason that they would shop there.

[iheartthed]

It's Detroit.

And that's okay because it's Detroit?

[jonathanlivingstonseagull]

And that's okay because it's Detroit?

No, it's not okay but it's reality.

[iheartthed]

No, it's not okay but it's reality.

Ahh reality. The cause of everything. Also the reason why people are leaving Michigan in droves. Also why the Michigan economy has the poorest prospects of any state in the Union. Also why people fled and divested from Detroit. Also why the sky is blue. Also why water is wet. Good ole reality. Can't possibly change that. It's just reality!

[Hermod]

All the more reason that they would shop there.

Yes, they would shop there, but they aren't there for a vacation.

[Traveller1]

Are you forgetting that the Ren Cen is home to the tallest hotel in the North America?

I don't have any statistics to back me up, but I bet most of the people staying at the Marroitt at the RenCen are not toursits. Most of them are people travelling on business. I bet the Marriot's not even 50% booked up on normal weekdays. Who would be all the people staying there? If there are a few people businesses travelling they have dozens of other choices in downtown and the suburbs. The Westin Book-Cadillac, the Double Tree Fort Shelby, the MGM hotel, the MotorCity hotel, the Greektown Casino-Hotel, the Atheneum Hotel, the Holiday Inn Express Detroit, the Hilton Garden Inn downtown, and not to mention all of the other hotels minutes away in the suburbs, like the Westin in Southfield, Embassy Suites, Marriott Southfield, the Ritz-Carlton in Dearborn, the list goes on and on.

I'm actually very surprised that the RenCen Marriott tower after 32 years of opertaing as a hotel is still 100% occupied by a hotel. It just seems like there wouldn't be enough demand for rooms.

Speaking of the RenCen Marriott, what year did Marriott move into the RenCen and the Westin move out?