Old MGM Grand Casino to be new Police HQ

[detroitsgwenivere]

Just great. The cop palace a block from my house....

[detroitsgwenivere]

And it just makes sense that they will be in direct proximity to the Fed building and the DEA building. Their own little compound, like it isn't hard enough to walk or drive through that part of downtown.

[Detroitnerd]

It's win-win.

Detroit police destroyed their Albert Kahn designed headquarters. Let's let them destroy a new building and let Adamo demolish the old one. Meanwhile, we can give the well-connected casino owner a bounty for a building that was designed to have one purpose only, in a city where we knock everything down instead of repurposing it. Makes perfect sense to me.

[DetroitPlanner]

It's win-win.

Detroit police destroyed their Albert Kahn designed headquarters. Let's let them destroy a new building and let Adamo demolish the old one. Meanwhile, we can give the well-connected casino owner a bounty for a building that was designed to have one purpose only, in a city where we knock everything down instead of repurposing it. Makes perfect sense to me.

Don't worry DN, you can always tender the City an offer on the property and restore it yourself!

[Gistok]

Anyone who thinks that the current [[empty) temporary MGM Grand Casino building looks garish, probably doesn't remember what the Brutalist style old IRS Building looked like....

It made the Boulevard Building [[NE corner of Woodward & Grand Blvd.) look absolutely beautiful...

I'm rather disappointed in this being the Police HQ. I was hoping for a Magic Johnson Movie Complex... the kitschy facade would fit perfectly!

[Detroitnerd]

Don't worry DN, you can always tender the City an offer on the property and restore it yourself!

Oh, yeah. That's just a super-witty comeback, man. Don't like this gargantuan waste of resources and palm-greasing on a scale of millions upon millions of dollars? Why don't you step up? Hahaha. That's fuckin' rich, dude.

[Hypestyles]

will the property be exclusively used to house the public safety departments, will there be other types of development as well...

[Motown]

I'm still glad they can afford this while talk about laying off Police and Firefighters has come up again.

[DetroitDad]

I think this is a great move!

Of course, they will be using parking garages in place of surface lots and street parking, right?

The added street parking, formerly dedicated to police parking, in Greektown, the Financial District, and near Ford Field will be nice, and help add a little more income for the city. Of course, around the new site, street parking currently sits unused.

[DetroitDad]

I'm still glad they can afford this while talk about laying off Police and Firefighters has come up again.

I believe that conditions in the old buildings have gotten so bad, that it is actually being required that a new building must be found. If I remember correctly, renovating the old building would cost much more than this move, and cause a greater disruption to operations.

[HazenPingree]

I just don't see why we need to create another abandoned historic building.

[Meddle]

Or maybe not:

http://www.freep.com/article/2010061...336/1001/rss01

Seems the land was deeded to the U.S. Department of Interior on behalf of the tribe in 1992.

Tribally owned lands cannot be sold without the consent of the federal government, and the Interior Department is not allowed to approve the sale of such land without direct congressional authorization, Stupak said.

[detroitbob]

It's win-win.

Detroit police destroyed their Albert Kahn designed headquarters. Let's let them destroy a new building and let Adamo demolish the old one. Meanwhile, we can give the well-connected casino owner a bounty for a building that was designed to have one purpose only, in a city where we knock everything down instead of repurposing it. Makes perfect sense to me.

So as I drove by the DPD Headquarters just the other day, tell me exactly how they DPD destroyed their Albert Kahn designed headquarters. The building has had little exterior changes and if anyone has done any business inside the office areas you certainly have to realize that even a complete gut and rebuild wouldn't make it functional in todays world.

[Patrick]

So what happens to the old HQ? Surface lot?

[Gistok]

Thanks for the link on the Greektown Casino... Meddle. Looks like Bart Stupak... who is not running for re-election this November to his upper Michigan congressional seat.... may have a new employer waiting in the wings.... the Sault St. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians....

[Gsgeorge]

What is to say that the current building won't have some other city or department moving in after the police leave? Why is demolition always the first thing people think of?

[Gsgeorge]

Just great. The cop palace a block from my house....

...and it will soon be a block from mine.

[Bearinabox]

What is to say that the current building won't have some other city or department moving in after the police leave? Why is demolition always the first thing people think of?

This is Detroit.

[jams]

Plenty of parking and near a bus stop when you report your car stolen.

[DetroitPlanner]

The current structure is not in terrible condition, but it does need a great deal of maintenance and upgrading. You simply just can't conduct business in a building while removing asbestos, working on plumbing, installing new wiring, windows......

The current location would lend itself well to offices for Lawyers or others who do business with the courts being that it is so close to the jails and Frank Murphy.

[detroitbob66]

I agree totally that the DPD need to find a new HQ very soon, and I also agree that the old IRS/MGM building is acceptable. I think it is certainly better then the Michigan Central Depot. That building is in way too bad of condition to be used again, and if anyone who has actually been inside MCS knows what I am talking about. [[Sidenote: I want to see it stay though) I think that the old MGM casino needs to be used for something and they have been paying security to watch the building since it closed up shop. I thought I remember that a movie production company was moving into the building though, does anybody remember this? Or was it a dream that I had one night? LOL

[bailey]

And Councilwoman JoAnn Watson said the city should be factoring in the loss of $2 million a year in property taxes from the former casino site. She said she thinks the $6.32 million price tag is too much.
"Why would you give away $2 million in taxes," Watson said. "They ought to pay us to take it off their hands."
And she said she wanted to see proof that the city needs to move quickly on the deal because there are other interested buyers.
"I don't believe anyone else is in line to buy this closed casino on a road to nowhere off the John C. Lodge," Watson said

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20100615/...#ixzz0qx2m0ch5

Can't say I don't disagree. Shades of the old regime here.

[ghettopalmetto]

I just don't see why we need to create another abandoned historic building.

Because it's "old" and "outdated" and has "awkward floor plates". Really, just pick your favorite excuse for laziness and a culture bereft of dignity.

Never mind that people in other countries live and work in buildings from the 13th century.

[bartock]

Can't say I don't disagree. Shades of the old regime here.

You'd probably have to double the purchase price if it were the old regime, and probably double the renovation costs as well. Bobby Ferguson doesn't come cheap.

Regarding the taxes, Brenda Watson is one to talk.

The idea of the old building becoming legal offices, etc., is actually a very feasible one. The Mayor's office did say that there were private parties interested in purchasing it and the FD building.

[kraig]

The only thing holding 1300 Beaubien in place is birdshit. Whether the former MGM Grand site is the best option remains to be seen. But, the police do need to move out of there. A good percentage of their consent decrees will go away just by them moving.