Fabulous Ruins of Oakland County

**Russix** · May-07-10, 04:22 AM

Failed $2B Bloomfield Park project a monument to downturn
http://detnews.com/article/20100503/OPINION03/5030311/

Project size not to far behind the Packard.
http://www.oliverhatcher.com/wp-cont...eldPark_Lg.jpg

Already scrapped looked accomplished by early project abandonment.
http://www.bloomfieldtwp.org/Busines...gLocations.htm

**luckycar** · May-07-10, 06:05 AM

Back in the "go-go"90s,this seemed like a good idea.Condos,retail and office space,just what we don't need.I pass these strange empty parking structures at least twice a day,and I can't figure out why they were designed like this in the first place.They are huge,as in this place is going to be downtown Detroit in the 1950s/60s busy huge.I think it was all a scam from jump.....

**econ expat** · May-07-10, 10:36 AM

Originally Posted by luckycar

Back in the "go-go"90s,this seemed like a good idea.Condos,retail and office space,just what we don't need.I pass these strange empty parking structures at least twice a day,and I can't figure out why they were designed like this in the first place.They are huge,as in this place is going to be downtown Detroit in the 1950s/60s busy huge.I think it was all a scam from jump.....

Scam, likely

Bloomfield Twp denied the plans, did not allow 'skyscrapers' in their master plan.
So the developers 'plant' residents in the affected area and set up an annex vote with City of Pontiac. Naturally, Pontiac residents will OK the annex, more tax revenue. And the 'affected' residents, well they were tenants of the developer.

This being successful, a new scheme was hatched in Northville Twp. The state hospital property. Northville Twp denied heavy development plans. So property owners set up a few mobile homes as 'temporary' live-in security officer housing. Those new 'residents' registered to vote with the new addresses and instantly became 'affected' residents. City of Livonia officials OK'd an annexation vote. Voters in Livonia saw it for what it was, an attempt to bypass a neighboring town's planning, and voted against the annexation.

**Whitehouse** · May-07-10, 10:59 AM

**Johnlodge** · May-07-10, 11:16 AM

Originally Posted by econ expat

Scam, likely

Bloomfield Twp denied the plans, did not allow 'skyscrapers' in their master plan.
So the developers 'plant' residents in the affected area and set up an annex vote with City of Pontiac. Naturally, Pontiac residents will OK the annex, more tax revenue. And the 'affected' residents, well they were tenants of the developer.

This being successful, a new scheme was hatched in Northville Twp. The state hospital property. Northville Twp denied heavy development plans. So property owners set up a few mobile homes as 'temporary' live-in security officer housing. Those new 'residents' registered to vote with the new addresses and instantly became 'affected' residents. City of Livonia officials OK'd an annexation vote. Voters in Livonia saw it for what it was, an attempt to bypass a neighboring town's planning, and voted against the annexation.

That was Bob Schostak's scam over in Northville. Which made it all the better when Royal Oak told him to stick it regarding his shenanigans with the 696/Woodward/Main parcel.

**Detroitnerd** · May-07-10, 11:23 AM

It's ironic to think how, back in the 1960s, back when they were first building those massive, Yamasaki-designed developments, suburban administrators crowed so proudly about "planned development" that ensured future tax revenues. It turns out it was all just gambling after all ...

**slick** · May-07-10, 11:27 AM

saying it may be too late to save Bloomfield TWP
And if the city goes, so could the region, Patterson said Monday during a taping of "Hold the Onions

I wonder what Brooks Pattersons take is on that development!!!

**Detroitnerd** · May-07-10, 11:37 AM

I think, ultimately, this is an argument for regional vision. We can't just lay concrete and hope prosperity follows. We should find a way to harness tax revenues region-wide to fund a sustainable vision for the area, with a working central city, desirable suburban environments and -- that far out -- farmland. [[Although it goes against the vision of every leader since Gov. Cass!)

**Baselinepunk** · May-07-10, 01:03 PM

Tear That Shit Down!

**Russix** · May-07-10, 01:40 PM

Originally Posted by slick

I wonder what Brooks Pattersons take is on that development!!!

Originally Posted by Baselinepunk

Tear That Shit Down!

That is it!

**Jimaz** · May-07-10, 02:33 PM

I couldn't find this in Google without going down to Street View.

**Detroit Stylin** · May-07-10, 06:11 PM

OC wanted to be Detroit so bad they actually BUILT a ruin too!

**Jimaz** · May-07-10, 07:35 PM

Originally Posted by Detroit Stylin

OC wanted to be Detroit so bad they actually BUILT a ruin too!

Good one. Race to the bottom! LOL

**313WX** · May-07-10, 08:04 PM

What's funny about that article is if you just take L. Brooks Patterson and Bloomfield Township out of the text, one would easily think they're talking about Detroit.

I guess the moral of the story here is you should never try to take the city out of the city,

**Novine** · May-08-10, 09:28 AM

Brooks loved this plan. He blocked an effort to undue the annexation while touting the abilities of a developer who had never attempted a project of this scale. The developer and his financiers were also fools to start this project when they did. By the time construction started, it was clear that the national economy was heading for bad times and the market for commercial and residential projects was collapsing. Perhaps they had so much sunk into the project, they didn't see any alternative but to move forward. But I bet that fewer dollars would have been lost if they had simply pulled the plug on the project and waited until the economy recovered.

**Hermod** · May-08-10, 10:10 AM

Originally Posted by Novine

Brooks loved this plan. He blocked an effort to undue the annexation while touting the abilities of a developer who had never attempted a project of this scale. The developer and his financiers were also fools to start this project when they did. By the time construction started, it was clear that the national economy was heading for bad times and the market for commercial and residential projects was collapsing. Perhaps they had so much sunk into the project, they didn't see any alternative but to move forward. But I bet that fewer dollars would have been lost if they had simply pulled the plug on the project and waited until the economy recovered.

Lot of time, a good idea turns into a mistake by external factors, but the project takes on a momentum of its own.

**tallboy66** · May-08-10, 01:25 PM

did not allow 'skyscrapers' in their master plan.

LOL! since when did a 7 story building become a skyscraper? Have they torn down everything in the Detroit area that this is considered tall?

Why don't the surrounding communities just annex the whole city and rename it...Auburn Waterfield.