Quicken ups total to be moved downtown

**Gistok** · March-02-10, 07:33 PM

Yes, there are a lot of empty buildings downtown that could become a nice Quicken HQ, such as 1001 Woodward, or the David Whitney Building.

But if he says he wants to build anew... so be it.

One thing I can say is.... that "the entire Statler block" is available for Mr. Gilbert, and that he's aware of this....

As other posters have said... the combined Statler and Tuller/UA complex that includes new construction mixed with old restoration/renovation would be the best of all scenarios.

**Goose** · March-02-10, 07:34 PM

quicken??? are they in the mortgage business??? they really have money now to move and build?? find that hard to believe... hope they have diversified into other businesses other than mortgage....

**mikeg19** · March-02-10, 08:47 PM

Originally Posted by Goose

quicken??? are they in the mortgage business??? they really have money now to move and build?? find that hard to believe... hope they have diversified into other businesses other than mortgage....

Um, according to the article in the newspaper today and at the top of this thread...........yea.

http://freep.com/article/20100302/CO...-2400-downtown

It'd be nice if the current state of the company is truly in the great state that it is in now, they would AT LEAST pick a site to build on and start working on design plans. But if it's true he's waiting to see what will happen with the Wings new stadium, could be awhile.

**Scottathew** · March-02-10, 09:15 PM

Detroit needs more office buildings just like it needs more houses.

I would rather see Quicken fill up existing space or renovate existing buildings.

If Quicken builds, then another building will go empty. If Quicken rehabs or uses existing space then downtown will have a high occupancy rate. Building just doesn't make sense.

I wish good luck to anyone relocating their business to Detroit. This is what Detroit needs. Even if Quicken decides to build, which I think isn't the best solution, it's still better for Detroit than Quicken staying in the suburbs.

I live in the suburbs and I've come to the realization that kicking Detroit in the groin while they're down is not only hurting Detroit, it's hurting Warren, Troy, Redford, etc... We need a strong core to our Metro-area. Many [[the vast majority) of the solutions to Detroit's problems need to be made from within it's borders, but also some of the solution must come from the suburbs.

We need a vibrant downtown with fast, efficient mass transit that doesn't compete with road traffic [[elevated rail, subway, both) that connects the suburbs with downtown.

**stasu1213** · March-03-10, 06:15 AM

What about the old JL Hudson site. That could be used. There are already beams protruding out of the ground. Does anyone have any idea what those beams are for? Part of that site could be nice for a 2 story building to sit on. That is all the space Quicken Loan need

**Scottathew** · March-03-10, 07:26 AM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

What about the old JL Hudson site. That could be used. There are already beams protruding out of the ground. Does anyone have any idea what those beams are for? Part of that site could be nice for a 2 story building to sit on. That is all the space Quicken Loan need

I think the company totals over 4000 people, I don't know if that would be enough.

I would rather the land sit vacant until a nice tall building is needed. I don't think a two story building would be a good fit for downtown.

**esp1986** · March-03-10, 10:25 AM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

What about the old JL Hudson site. That could be used. There are already beams protruding out of the ground. Does anyone have any idea what those beams are for? Part of that site could be nice for a 2 story building to sit on. That is all the space Quicken Loan need

The beams are there so that any future development can be attached to the existing garage beneath... the garage can support up to an 18 story building...

it would be foolish, however, to put an office building there... that spot once anchored retail on Woodward, and unless that is what it does, there is little chance of a revival of Merchant's Row.

**Scottathew** · March-03-10, 12:26 PM

Originally Posted by esp1986

The beams are there so that any future development can be attached to the existing garage beneath... the garage can support up to an 18 story building...

it would be foolish, however, to put an office building there... that spot once anchored retail on Woodward, and unless that is what it does, there is little chance of a revival of Merchant's Row.

It doesn't have to be all office. Make the bottom 1-3 floors retail space and 4-18 office.

**Caseyc** · March-03-10, 10:55 AM

Gilbert is a lot of talk, I'll say that much. Who could forget "Detroit 2.0" and the big proclamations for that? And if your response to that is "oh hey, the great recession intervened," I'll point to a million square, foot 41 story, LEED certified office tower going up outside my window in Cincinnati. http://www.queencitysquare.com/ He seems to be simply playing a waiting game and angling for the best deal possible. And he can wait forever if necessary--we've seen this act before in Detroit development. People are going to need to prostrate themselves at his feet with a cornucopia basket overflowing with incentives, tax breaks and giveaways before he pulls the trigger.

And the type of speculation below is little more than wishful thinking.

While that would be the best thing if they solely needed office space, based on past comments by Dan Gilbert, he is seeking to build a multi-faceted development, which will, not coincidentally, include the Quicken compound. He has indicated he wants an entertainment based development that will attract young people to downtown, and since the development would be so big, the city had offered him 3 of the largest lots in town, the Hudson, Monroe and Statler blocks.

Same old dysfunction. Big announcements followed by inertia. Who's ready for Cadillac Square?

**Hermod** · March-03-10, 11:09 AM

Originally Posted by Caseyc

He seems to be simply playing a waiting game and angling for the best deal possible. And he can wait forever if necessary--we've seen this act before in Detroit development. People are going to need to prostrate themselves at his feet with a cornucopia basket overflowing with incentives, tax breaks and giveaways before he pulls the trigger.

Maybe if the kleptocracy running Detroit greeted new development with a little more "prostrating" and a lot less "what's in it for me personally", developers might see Detroit as something other than a gigantic pit into which they are required to pour money.

**Caseyc** · March-03-10, 11:16 AM

Originally Posted by Hermod

Maybe if the kleptocracy running Detroit greeted new development with a little more "prostrating" and a lot less "what's in it for me personally", developers might see Detroit as something other than a gigantic pit into which they are required to pour money.

yeah...that's the back end of the basket. The pointy one they use when they say "bend over." Kind of a two-step process.

**leland_palmer** · March-11-10, 06:23 PM

Fathead is on the way too.

[[AP) — Detroit is about to get a Fathead.

Fathead L.L.C. makes life-size, three-dimensional wall graphics featuring popular athletes, team logos and entertainment stars. It plans to move its headquarters to downtown Detroit from Livonia.

Roughly 50 employees will be relocating along with online mortgage giant Quicken Loans Inc., both of which are part of the business empire of Dan Gilbert. Livonia-based Quicken Loans previously announced it's moving its headquarters and 1,700 employees downtown by July 1.

Gilbert is Quicken's founder and made the announcement Thursday while speaking to the Detroit Economic Club. He's also majority owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Gilbert says Fathead's annual revenues approach $30 million.

**lo_to_d** · March-11-10, 10:11 PM

Keep it coming, all of his enterprises, then Piston's, then EPrize, who else can he convince?

gravitymachine · March-11-10, 11:45 PM

detroit rises, its time to live!

**Detroitej72** · March-12-10, 10:48 AM

Companies such as Fathead and eprize are the kind that downtown needs to attract. The more new, high-tech and e-commerce businesses Detroit gets, the better chance for survival, as this seems to be the wave of future industry.

**esp1986** · March-12-10, 11:04 AM

Originally Posted by Detroitej72

Companies such as Fathead and eprize are the kind that downtown needs to attract. The more new, high-tech and e-commerce businesses Detroit gets, the better chance for survival, as this seems to be the wave of future industry.

I know for a fact that all of his entities employ a ton of young people... a lot of recent college grads. The hope is to lure them to live downtown. The question now becomes, where will they all live??

**DetroitPlanner** · March-12-10, 12:01 PM

Originally Posted by esp1986

I know for a fact that all of his entities employ a ton of young people... a lot of recent college grads. The hope is to lure them to live downtown. The question now becomes, where will they all live??

Are you kidding? There are plenty of places. Not everyone who works downtown is going to want to live downtown. For example, I work downtown but live in a neighborhood. Many folks will continue to live where they lived before its not like these are brand new jobs, but a shift from one political subdivision to another. Workers do not automatically equate to demand for house, even still there is more housing in this region than there is demand and our housing prices reflect this.

**bailey** · March-12-10, 12:23 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

Are you kidding? There are plenty of places. Not everyone who works downtown is going to want to live downtown. For example, I work downtown but live in a neighborhood. Many folks will continue to live where they lived before its not like these are brand new jobs, but a shift from one political subdivision to another. Workers do not automatically equate to demand for house, even still there is more housing in this region than there is demand and our housing prices reflect this.

My question would be how many of these quicken employees rent or own? I would think most used their employer [[its time to LIIIIIII-ve!) to buy a lovely home in the 'burbs which is probably underwater. How many of them are really going to be able or want to sell their suburban home to move to the new digs?

**DetroitPlanner** · March-12-10, 01:11 PM

I am happy that they are coming downtown, but to translate this move to a big rush for home ownership? I can't see it. Some may move, but again, there is plenty of properties, its not like we are talking tens of thousands of employees flooding into the Metro Detroit market from elsewhere.

I am thrilled about other opportunities that this may bring such as strengthening retail space or the opportunity to use this to bring other new employment downtown to help service Quicken/Rock. This only adds to diversify downtown's employment base away from GM and government.