Detroit News: Detroit land deals spark speculation in lower midtown

[emu steve]

couple of my thoughts:

As indicated previously in the thread, Ilitches' parcel assembly behind the Fox ran into problems years ago.

Why else would anyone else try to assembly such a large site north of the Fisher [[other then for an arena)???

I can't think of a reason.

[casscorridor]

couple of my thoughts:

As indicated previously in the thread, Ilitches' parcel assembly behind the Fox ran into problems years ago.

Why else would anyone else try to assembly such a large site north of the Fisher [[other then for an arena)???

I can't think of a reason.

The site of the buying is along Temple Street, between Cass Ave and Woodward Ave. There is going to a light-rail station at Temple. So it would make sense to buy there.

However, the article suggests a power player, and Illitch assembling land for a stadium makes the most logical sense.

I prefer the location here over a Foxtown location for there will be less impact on the street grid. Specifically, I think a logical site is Sibley to Temple and Woodward to Park. Only one street will be closed, Sproat Street between Woodward and Park, and the site would still be much larger than the Joe Louis arena. Also, the "stadia" area is getting too crowded with big developments. I'd hate to see Downtown walled off even more. A midtown area makes sense and will strongly benefit the Cass Park district.

My first pick, however, remains a renovated Joe.

[Goose]

couple of my thoughts:

As indicated previously in the thread, Ilitches' parcel assembly behind the Fox ran into problems years ago.

Why else would anyone else try to assembly such a large site north of the Fisher [[other then for an arena)???

I can't think of a reason.

the reason is, with the holdouts not selling to illitch, if he has an alternative site, this would give the leverage to illitch in bargaining with the holdouts, he makes his offer, if they don't like it he says he will build where on the alternate site... they are left holding their lots, that still have value, but much much much less than if it was the one and only site being considered for a new stadium.... this same tactic is done on holdouts for the other site

first to flinch wins......

[emu steve]

The site of the buying is along Temple Street, between Cass Ave and Woodward Ave. There is going to a light-rail station at Temple. So it would make sense to buy there.

However, the article suggests a power player, and Illitch assembling land for a stadium makes the most logical sense.

I prefer the location here over a Foxtown location for there will be less impact on the street grid. Specifically, I think a logical site is Sibley to Temple and Woodward to Park. Only one street will be closed, Sproat Street between Woodward and Park, and the site would still be much larger than the Joe Louis arena. Also, the "stadia" area is getting too crowded with big developments. I'd hate to see Downtown walled off even more. A midtown area makes sense and will strongly benefit the Cass Park district.

My first pick, however, remains a renovated Joe.

Excellent post.

I agree with Cass Corridor regarding what he says about the Sibley/Temple/Woodward/Park area. Huge shot in the arm for that entire area from the Fisher to Charlotte.

It seems as perfect as one would get for a project as large as a hockey arena.

Does Ilitch have until June to make a decision on the Joe???

I'm optimistic and the economy is much, much better then it was 12 or 14 months ago.

[stasu1213]

Does anyone know if Fatburgers is still interested in opening a restaurant next door to Bigsby in midtown?

[stasu1213]

It took 5 Guys Burgers and Frieds 5 months to set up. It had taken Red Smoke only 6 months or so to set up. Fatburgers had been in the making 2 years in midtown and still the space is not even completed.

[detroitsgwenivere]

I feel sorry for the folks that have been trying to hold the remaining neighborhood together in the Corridor. So far, nobody has asked them what they think should happen to the area they live in.

[emu steve]

I feel sorry for the folks that have been trying to hold the remaining neighborhood together in the Corridor. So far, nobody has asked them what they think should happen to the area they live in.

who lives between Woodward/Fisher/Park/Temple?

[313WX]

5 Guys Burgers

There is/will be a Five Guys downtown [[midtown)? I wasn't even aware of that, but it would definitely be more convenient than 12 Mile/Mound or 9 Mile/Greenfield.

BTW, I guess Shields Pizza is never opening up either [[they've been planning to finish since the 2006 Super Bowl)

[313WX]

who lives between Woodward/Fisher/Park/Temple?

I think they meant the areas like Henry between Second and Cass. I also believe a few people occupy the apartments surrounding Cass Park.

I personally don't want a stadium on that side of the expressway. I'd rather save that area for future high density [[midtown Manhattan-style) residential/commercial development, much like it was pre-1980s.

[Gsgeorge]

who lives between Woodward/Fisher/Park/Temple?

There are two occupied homes on Cass where it meets Clifford, and a man & his wife own & live in the Temple Hotel. Joel Landy also owns a home on Sibley [[one of the last remaining vintage SFL's in these blocks) that he hopes to rent out soon.

[emu steve]

If I read these posts correctly, the number of folks impacted will be very small.

There always are human impact on any type of large development unless the development happens in a corn field 50 miles away.

[Danny]

Sounds like real estate blockbusting in the lower Cass Corridor area. Close up a few apts, crackhead motels, sweep out the po'folks and wait until the some foolish rich folk come in and develop that land.

[DetroitSTAR]

I am neither an economist nor a real estate guru...but here is my take on things...

The arena should go on the city owned land at the corner of Woodward and I-75 if the parcels of land can be assembled to make that possible. The long side of the stadium would be along Woodward ave and the short side along the Fisher service drive.

There should be an emphasis to locate restaurants and shops along Woodward Ave. on the ground floor of the arena and a priority on parking and support facilities between the arena going back to Clifford and Cass Ave. There is no reason to cut off streets inside the loop, behind the fox where there is such land available along a major Detroit artery. This is the type of development that can provide a link between midtown and downtown.

just my amateur opinion. flame away...

[Fury13]

who lives between Woodward/Fisher/Park/Temple?

The Embassy apartment building on Temple was full of people before its purchase. Now it's derelict.

I assume it will be demo'd now, which is too bad. It's one of the few Romanesque-style apartment buildings left in Detroit and probably dates from the late 1890s.

I'm probably the only one who cares, but that could be a nice building with some vintage character [[in a convenient location to downtown) if it was rehabbed.

[casscorridor]

The Embassy apartment building on Temple was full of people before its purchase. Now it's derelict.

I assume it will be demo'd now, which is too bad. It's one of the few Romanesque-style apartment buildings left in Detroit and probably dates from the late 1890s.

I'm probably the only one who cares, but that could be a nice building with some vintage character [[in a convenient location to downtown) if it was rehabbed.

Why do you assume this? I don't see any reason why that building would be demoed. I'm pretty sure I heard about plans to redevelop it.

The fucked up part is how the development happens, which perhaps is the source of your confusion. First, developers evict everyone in the building. Then they board it up for a year or so. Then, they renovate the building for luxury apartments or condos.

That is how it has happened time and time again in Midtown. On Prentis street for example there was the Beetoven apartments, which I heard was filled with "crackheads" but there was also families living there. Where did they live when they were evicted so the building could be converted into condos?

I highly doubt the building on temple will be destroyed. Its not that big of a building, it sits right on Temple, potentially across the street from a new statium, and only a block from a new light-rail station. Not to mention this is a historic building, a developer would be insane to demolish it.

I think developers just like to get the eviction process over fast.

[emu steve]

What this is starting to sound like is a case where an area changes because of development and some folks get displayed as the character of the neighborhood changes.

[Pcm]

On Prentis street for example there was the Beetoven apartments, which I heard was filled with "crackheads" but there was also families living there. Where did they live when they were evicted so the building could be converted into condos?

Just so you know, they're apartments not condos.

[artds]

I am with you... you dont pay 2 million plus another potential 1-2 million in interest on the mortgage to tear it down, especially when the buildings are still viable.

You people are dreaming. There is nothing viable about those structures. If a stadium is in the works, the value is in the land itself, and the fact that the land is adjacent to other plots that the Olympia owns.

[dover627]

Not choosing to renew a tenant's lease is not the same as "displacing" residents. Believe it or not, we are still living in a free market society where property owners are free to do what they'd like with their property so long as it is within the context of the law and the zoning code.

Sorry to all the folks who had to move out of the Beethoven and other similar buildings, but if we ever want to grow and evolve as a city, a certain level of gentrification is necessary.

I find it puzzling that the people on this board slam the "slumlords" so often, but are the first to complain when an investor wants to upgrade a property to a more productive use that incidentally reduces crime and blight in our city.

Sigh.

[detroitsgwenivere]

I think the answer to your question D627 is fear, fairness, and cost. When a tenant[[s) have been living in an apartment for several years and watch as the building deteriorates before their very eyes, after being told over and over again that things would be fixed when the money came [[or just being totally ignored all together), being displaced for higher paying tenants is a bitter pill to swallow.

Trying to find affordable housing in the newly gentrified area is close to impossible, and normally no affordable housing is built to replace the upgraded stuff. We all know that developers have it set in their minds that in order to maintain high rent and property values, everything in the area needs to be high priced.

I lived in that part of town once upon a time and hoped to see it come back to life. It's neglect by the city and it's landlords has been complete for over 40 years. I know that in our "capitalist society" fairness does not apply, but the only thing that has kept most of these viable neighborhoods together is the community, and in our circles fairness is part of the moral doctrine.

We community regulars also fear the change that comes with the tide of wealthy white yuppies that will be sure to move in, expecting more services and higher police presence, things that the present neighborhoods are still waiting for and have had yet to be delivered. I don't mean to sound racist [[I'm white anyway), I'm just trying to be honest. Watching what has happened to the people forced out of other gentrified areas around the country is scary and painful, and forgive us if we would like to avoid these " minor unpleasantries" for the sake of providing well-off people with better views, ones we po' folk used to enjoy. We aren't all criminals you know.

[Fnemecek]

This is very interesting indeed. Eddystone and Park Ave Hotel are on the National Register of Historical Places. Does this matter in terms of tearing them down? I don't know how that works.

As long as the demolition isn't done using federal funds, it won't stop it. The Madison-Lenox and Statler Hilton Hotels as well as Tiger Stadium were all on the National Register.

[DLN]

The Embassy was an absolute mess on the inside. There was no electricity for the tennants, other than some folks were running exstension cords to the 2nd floor were there was power. real safe...from 2000-2005 when I lived on Temple next to the Temple Hotel, it was an absolute zombieland of career drunks, junkies, crackheads, and prostitutes. There was no hope for this part of town, and when the 13th precint closed it got even worse. Glad my x was able to get 670,000 for those two properties. It was his inconvenience charge for sticking it out down there.

[emu steve]

Does Iltich have until June to make a decision on the Joe?

Might we know for sure then what will or will not happen??