Port Authority Public Dock & Terminal Rises

**Lowell** · March-18-10, 09:56 PM

A nice addition to the Riverfront almost adjacent to Hart Plaza looks like it will be ready for summer.

The glorious day had the Riverwalk buzzing with pedestrians.

Hey! Detroit Rises!

**stasu1213** · March-19-10, 10:16 PM

When is it due to open?

**spiritofdetroit** · March-19-10, 11:46 PM

2006.

That 3 story 200 ft long building has taken literally years to complete. Bizarre.

**MotownSpartan** · March-20-10, 12:00 AM

Unfortunately, that building is cut off from the rest of downtown by the Miller parking garage. It's unfortunate that we've built parking garages all around the Ren Cen in our prime riverfront area. The port authority building is really nestled into a spot surrounded by awkward paved roads with no real sidewalk other than the river walk. Hopefully they will find a way to better connect this building to downtown. Also, something needs to be down with those unused buildings in the Hart Plaza area.

**stasu1213** · March-20-10, 06:32 AM

Originally Posted by MotownSpartan

Unfortunately, that building is cut off from the rest of downtown by the Miller parking garage. It's unfortunate that we've built parking garages all around the Ren Cen in our prime riverfront area. The port authority building is really nestled into a spot surrounded by awkward paved roads with no real sidewalk other than the river walk. Hopefully they will find a way to better connect this building to downtown. Also, something needs to be down with those unused buildings in the Hart Plaza area.

The buildings in the Hart Plaza area have too many friends to protect them. The Friends of Ford Auditorium, The Friends of the Veterans Memorial.Whenever a plan is made to raze the buildings their' Friends put pressure on the council to save them. It is bizzare that it had taken 2 years to build this 3 story building. That is the result of the politics and red tape that is wrapped around this city. I had thought that Federal and County money had went into the construction of this project. Could it also be that the completion of the project is prolonged to keep the construction workers and contractors employed?

Retroit · March-20-10, 12:21 PM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

When is it due to open?

A few more questions:

When is the first cruise ship going to use the terminal?
Will this facility stay busy enough to actually stay opened for any length of time?
Will it face the same staffing shortage that the Rosa Parks Transit Center has?
Once it becomes vacant, would anyone be willing to form a Friends of Marine Terminal so we can preserve this eyesore for ages to come?

**esp1986** · March-20-10, 02:30 PM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

The buildings in the Hart Plaza area have too many friends to protect them. The Friends of Ford Auditorium, The Friends of the Veterans Memorial.Whenever a plan is made to raze the buildings their' Friends put pressure on the council to save them. It is bizzare that it had taken 2 years to build this 3 story building. That is the result of the politics and red tape that is wrapped around this city. I had thought that Federal and County money had went into the construction of this project. Could it also be that the completion of the project is prolonged to keep the construction workers and contractors employed?

Hi, my name's Dynamite, I'd like to become a friend of the Ford Auditoruim.

**mikeg19** · March-20-10, 03:46 PM

Originally Posted by esp1986

Hi, my name's Dynamite, I'd like to become a friend of the Ford Auditoruim.

Thank you.

That building is so ugly and sits there on prime real estate. Why are people so concerned about saving it? It's not exactly an architectural jewel.

**Jason** · March-20-10, 07:12 PM

"It's not exactly an architectural jewel."

Actually, I think it's both architecturally and historically significant.

Also, I challenge anyone to think of a realistic plan to transform that area into a walkable urban area. Even if the garage was replaced with something, the tunnel was rebuilt with buildings on top, the auditorium was replaced, and new buildings were built along the water, I don't think it would be possible to create that kind of environment. It would take a lot of rebuilding to urbanize that part of the waterfront.

**lo_to_d** · March-21-10, 08:25 PM

It's not even close to being done. They will begin the warf and boarding dock this summer. It will extend 40' into the water. $5.35 million.
Maybe this will stop in Detroit now instead of Wyondotte.
http://www.greatlakescruising.com/ma...-waterways.php

**stasu1213** · March-22-10, 05:38 AM

Originally Posted by lo_to_d

It's not even close to being done. They will begin the warf and boarding dock this summer. It will extend 40' into the water. $5.35 million.
Maybe this will stop in Detroit now instead of Wyondotte.
http://www.greatlakescruising.com/ma...-waterways.php

Will the building itself open by the summer? I still say red tape and politics had prolonged the completion on this project.

**MotownSpartan** · March-22-10, 09:44 AM

Even if it extends out into the river, what are they going to do about this absolutely isolated location?

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...04812&t=h&z=18

**Detroitnerd** · March-22-10, 09:59 AM

Wow, that building looks like it was designed in 1963 or something. So, um, modernistic ...

**ndavies** · March-22-10, 10:01 AM

Originally Posted by MotownSpartan

Even if it extends out into the river, what are they going to do about this absolutely isolated location?

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...04812&t=h&z=18

What do you mean by isolated? It's right on the edge of the CBD core. It couldn't be any less isolated and still be on the river. This is the least isolated part of the river. If you moved it a block either way it would be even more isolated. Unless you're looking to dredge a channel up Woodward into Campus Martius park.

Most of the cruise passenger trips are not going to be originating or terminating there. For boat passengers they only have to walk half a block to the Ren Cen and they have access to buses, cabs and the people mover.

**bailey** · March-22-10, 10:36 AM

Originally Posted by ndavies

What do you mean by isolated? It's right on the edge of the CBD core. It couldn't be any less isolated and still be on the river. This is the least isolated part of the river. If you moved it a block either way it would be even more isolated. Unless you're looking to dredge a channel up Woodward into Campus Martius park.

Most of the cruise passenger trips are not going to be originating or terminating there. For boat passengers they only have to walk half a block to the Ren Cen and they have access to buses, cabs and the people mover.

clearly there needs to be a people mover/light rail stop there to get people from the RenCen to the riverfront.

**ndavies** · March-22-10, 11:06 AM

Originally Posted by bailey

clearly there needs to be a people mover/light rail stop there to get people from the RenCen to the riverfront.

Do you have a several million dollars in your pocket to pay for it?

**leland_palmer** · March-22-10, 11:08 AM

Originally Posted by ndavies

Do you have a several million dollars in your pocket to pay for it?

I do believe he was being sarcastic.

**esp1986** · March-22-10, 11:38 AM

Originally Posted by Jason

"It's not exactly an architectural jewel."

Actually, I think it's both architecturally and historically significant.

Also, I challenge anyone to think of a realistic plan to transform that area into a walkable urban area. Even if the garage was replaced with something, the tunnel was rebuilt with buildings on top, the auditorium was replaced, and new buildings were built along the water, I don't think it would be possible to create that kind of environment. It would take a lot of rebuilding to urbanize that part of the waterfront.

The building is essentially useless. It may, in fact, have the worst acoustical design in the world... there is a reason they stopped taking reservations for events there. One of the few ideas of Kwame's that I really liked was to raze this building and build an ampitheatre there that connects with Hart Plaza. There were attempts in the past to fix the acoustical flaws in the Auditorium, so now there is no reason to have a useless building sitting vacant on the riverfront, with all of the outdoor summer events that go on in Hart Plaza and the Riverwalk, if there was an ampitheatre there, that could be a big summertime thing for downtown.

As for the dock, I really hope they do a better job to connect it to Hart Plaza and such...

**MotownSpartan** · March-22-10, 11:51 AM

Originally Posted by ndavies

What do you mean by isolated? It's right on the edge of the CBD core. It couldn't be any less isolated and still be on the river. This is the least isolated part of the river. If you moved it a block either way it would be even more isolated. Unless you're looking to dredge a channel up Woodward into Campus Martius park.

Most of the cruise passenger trips are not going to be originating or terminating there. For boat passengers they only have to walk half a block to the Ren Cen and they have access to buses, cabs and the people mover.

Here's what I mean. It's surrounded by a vacant auditorium, a parking garage, the tunnel to Canada and the Renaissance Center [[a building that is very fortress like and relatively unaccessible, despite the Wintergarden). Furthermore, it's surrounded by paved roads that have no sidewalks. In terms of a tourist spot, it's a really difficult location to get to from just about anywhere except for the RenCen and the water.

**Mackinaw** · March-22-10, 12:03 PM

I agree with most of your posts. Setting aside the issue of how long this took, since there's nothing we can do about that, let's focus on the use of the adjacent land, and model ourselves after similar successful downtown ports [[perhaps Baltimore, Boston, South Street Manhattan).

It is imperative that the Ford Auditorium is removed ASAP and rezoned for a combination of Hart Plaza expansion on the west and mixed use 2-5 story buildings on the east [[along Bates Street), so that there is a walkable and appealing stretch of street connecting downtown to the river. It is absurd that so many landmark downtown buildings have been torn down in the time that FA has been vacant and should have been removed. And normally I would support keeping the FA to avoid wasting resources and as a nod to its [brief] history, but in such a prime location, it has to go. If I was Bing or Jackson I would have the RFP for its demo and for replacement mixed use development posted today. [The Kilpatrick administration was pretty close to doing this IIRC, until some certain negative news broke]. Talk about a low-hanging fruit for encouraging downtown development! How are they missing this?!

Ideally the Miller Garage could be either phased out and rezoned for a better use, or at least renovated to look more like the new Port Auth. garages east of the Ren Cen [[with productive street-level space).

Retroit · March-22-10, 12:03 PM

Originally Posted by Jason

Also, I challenge anyone to think of a realistic plan to transform that area into a walkable urban area. Even if the garage was replaced with something, the tunnel was rebuilt with buildings on top, the auditorium was replaced, and new buildings were built along the water, I don't think it would be possible to create that kind of environment. It would take a lot of rebuilding to urbanize that part of the waterfront.

I agree, it would be a mistake to "urbanize" this area. Keep it as a recreational area. Take out some of the concrete, add more greenery. Take out abandoned buildings and prevent any new construction between Jefferson Ave./Fort St. and the river. The river should be more accessible and more easy to be appreciated by Detroiters and visitors.

Urbanize the rest of Detroit, but not here.

**bike4beer** · March-22-10, 12:07 PM

Originally Posted by MotownSpartan

Here's what I mean. It's surrounded by a vacant auditorium, a parking garage, the tunnel to Canada and the Renaissance Center [[a building that is very fortress like and relatively unaccessible, despite the Wintergarden). Furthermore, it's surrounded by paved roads that have no sidewalks. In terms of a tourist spot, it's a really difficult location to get to from just about anywhere except for the RenCen and the water.

From what I can see all the roads down there have sidewalks except for maybe Atwater through the tunnel.

**Lowell** · March-22-10, 12:09 PM

"...it's surrounded by paved roads that have no sidewalks. In terms of a tourist spot, it's a really difficult location to get to from just about anywhere except for the RenCen and the water"

Incorrect^. The facility is already connected to RenCen by the Riverwalk, eventually it will also be connected to Hart Plaza. It's position along Atwater Drive will allow taxi's and tour buses to access it.

**leland_palmer** · March-22-10, 12:39 PM

Originally Posted by MotownSpartan

Furthermore, it's surrounded by paved roads that have no sidewalks. In terms of a tourist spot, it's a really difficult location to get to from just about anywhere except for the RenCen and the water.

That's pretty funny considering that you can see the existing sidewalk in the Lowell's picture and the Riverwalk is on the other side.

http://www.bing.com/maps/explore/#50...=-4.3&pid=5082

**Mackinaw** · March-22-10, 12:40 PM

Sure, Lowell, you can 'get there', but what's going to entice someone drifting around downtown as a visitor etc to walk there from, say, Campus Martius or Greektown? There are no appealing, properly urban streets linking Jefferson and the water [[ironically, of course, there were plenty before urban renewal), and if you walk through the Ren Cen you'll probably get lost. Lowell, would you agree that Bates St. and the FA site need to be focused on as this Port nears completion?