Cass Tech fight in national spotlight

**buildingsofdetroit** · January-13-11, 01:56 PM

NPR just aired this piece on Cass Tech nationally. It includes Jack White, Lily Tomlin and others talking about their alma mater:

http://www.npr.org/2011/01/13/132878...schools-future

Interesting that Richard Baron is in town this week to look at it. We'll see whether anything comes of it, I 'spose.

**DetroitPlanner** · January-13-11, 02:47 PM

Where have Jack White and Lily Tomlin been for the last 8 years? If this school is so important to them and other famous rich people, why have they not rallied to save it? Detroit continues to be in thier rearview mirror and these statements are only made so that they can get a bit of air-time on NPR and sell a few more tickets.

**1KielsonDrive** · January-13-11, 03:00 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

Where have Jack White and Lily Tomlin been for the last 8 years? If this school is so important to them and other famous rich people, why have they not rallied to save it? Detroit continues to be in thier rearview mirror and these statements are only made so that they can get a bit of air-time on NPR and sell a few more tickets.

Yeah, basically true.

**1KielsonDrive** · January-13-11, 03:05 PM

The City of Detroit, which hasn't been able to get it's arms around tearing down vacant, abandoned and derelict homes and buildings for the last 40 years, even those proven to be problems to their neighborhoods and infested with drug dealers, has no problem tearing down Tiger Stadium, the Lafayette Buildinbg, Cass Tech and other buildings which MIGHT, I said MIGHT, be rehabilitated and or redeveloped, in a nano-sec.

**rjk** · January-13-11, 04:51 PM

One would think all those famous alums could pay for some plywood if they were that concerned about it.

**ScienceFair** · January-13-11, 05:18 PM

The title of this thread is a little misleading...I thought there was a brawl in the halls or something.

**GOAT** · January-13-11, 05:22 PM

I agree Detroitplanner. We have a developer in Windsor that has an office in a suburb and then is building a new office in a rival city in their downtown! Talk about a slap in the face!

Perhaps these people who are so fond of Detroit can put their money where their mouth is and either come back and support teh city or fight to keep it from degrading any further.

I will say I'm not sure if these two people have investments or not but both seemed to have fled like teh vast majority of others. They then go on their nostalgia kick and everyone coo's like an idiot over them.

**Hypestyles** · January-14-11, 03:35 PM

...why is it that the wealthy/connected alumni and other folks seem to come up with these 11th hour proposals.. for how long has the old cass been closed, or even go further back when the shuttering was first announced..

**1953** · January-14-11, 04:51 PM

I hope the city finds time to tear down the building near Van Dyke and I-94, which burned and now has one wall hanging perilously over another, waiting for a passerby to crush.

**firstandten** · January-14-11, 05:19 PM

Originally Posted by ScienceFair

The title of this thread is a little misleading...I thought there was a brawl in the halls or something.

You will find very few fights at the CT. If you fight you will soon be going to the school in your hood.

**Matt The Deuce** · January-14-11, 06:34 PM

Jeez....

Why would someone be obligated to invest their money in a real estate deal or saving a building when they don't have any more knowledge [[probably less) about development than you and I?

Are they obligated to pour their money into whatever people on this board think they should?

Is that smart? Wise?

Seriously?

So pathetic it's ridiculous.

I read the article - It sounds like they called up alumni to get their thoughts on their old alma mater - and that's about it.

The extrapolating that has gone on says more about the insecurities and jealousy/envy of the posters on this thread than I think they realize.

**RickBeall** · January-14-11, 09:22 PM

I say tear down the old building. Let the new Cass Tech kids use the open space. They will find a use for it. Make way for the new generation.

If you want to save a retired Detroit school building, save one that is in better shape.

**buildingsofdetroit** · January-19-11, 08:43 PM

Looks like Local 4 is airing a piece during tonight's 11 o'clock news on old Cass Tech. TV was on mute, so I didn't catch what the angle of the piece is. Anyone see the promo?

Proslack · January-20-11, 09:57 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

Where have Jack White and Lily Tomlin been for the last 8 years? If this school is so important to them and other famous rich people, why have they not rallied to save it? Detroit continues to be in thier rearview mirror and these statements are only made so that they can get a bit of air-time on NPR and sell a few more tickets.

why don't the resident that live here take care of sites they deem important instead of always waiting for someone else to come and settle business for themselves? The only people that are responsible for Detroit issues are Detroiters and the region

**English** · January-20-11, 10:24 AM

Simple -- the folks who didn't want Cass Tech to come down who live here don't have any MONEY or POWER. We have a hardworking preservation community. The fight for Tiger Stadium proves that your words just aren't true.

Just because people don't have billions to invest in revitalization projects doesn't mean they can't have an opinion OR engage in activism around the issue.

**daddeeo** · January-20-11, 10:44 AM

This whole thing is pathetic.
Haven't we seen and heard this whole story countless times before?
Amazing how Tiger Stadium got torn down but the Michigan Central building
continues to stand as a symbol of a great city gone to ruin.
I'd love to preserve things but if the dough and will to do it isn't there, let it go.
Having stripped down and gutted structures is dangerous and damn ugly.

**iheartthed** · January-20-11, 12:45 PM

Originally Posted by RickBeall

I say tear down the old building. Let the new Cass Tech kids use the open space. They will find a use for it. Make way for the new generation.

If you want to save a retired Detroit school building, save one that is in better shape.

So arguably the most famous school building in the entire state of Michigan isn't worth saving? No wonder that place looks like it does...

**beanietek** · January-20-11, 01:22 PM

if they did end up rehabbing the building - parking would be a major issue.....

**iheartthed** · January-20-11, 01:39 PM

Originally Posted by beanietek

if they did end up rehabbing the building - parking would be a major issue.....

You're right. So the best solution is to make the building into a parking lot.

**Lombaowski** · January-22-11, 01:29 AM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

So arguably the most famous school building in the entire state of Michigan isn't worth saving? No wonder that place looks like it does...

Good Posting

**downtownguy** · January-22-11, 09:18 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

Where have Jack White and Lily Tomlin been for the last 8 years?

Detroit's Clark Park field a hit again, thanks to Jack White

http://detnews.com/article/20090910/...-to-Jack-White

As this article shows, some celebrities prefer to keep their philanthropy private. For all we know, Lily Tomlin does as well. By agreeing to comment on the situation, Tomlin and White may have given a boost to the efforts to save Cass Tech. To question where they have been in the last 8 years is to rely on negative evidence. And even if they haven't contributed a dime to this cause, if I were one of the folks actively involved in saving Cass Tech, I would be thrilled with their endorsement.

**R8RBOB** · January-22-11, 12:32 PM

There is no fight for Cass Tech because the school is not on the closing list. As for the former building that once housed the school. well according to this post http://www.detroityes.com/mb/showthr...ight=cass+tech it is on it last legs. If someone have hundreds of millions of dollars to renovate it then fine but if not then step out of the way.

**Danny** · January-22-11, 01:37 PM

Detroit Public School Board wants those former Cass Tech Alums to come up with the money in 30 days or the deal is no good. Demolition of the Old Cass Tech High School Building will commence after the Cass Tech Students finish the 2011 School Year.

**erikd** · January-23-11, 04:51 AM

Originally Posted by Proslack

why don't the resident that live here take care of sites they deem important instead of always waiting for someone else to come and settle business for themselves? The only people that are responsible for Detroit issues are Detroiters and the region

There are a ton of recent examples where that has happened, from smaller buildings rehabbed into restaurants up to skyscrapers rehabbed as hotels and apartments. The issue with Cass Tech has nothing to do with Detroiters waiting for someone else to come in and settle business, but the fact that DPS failed to properly secure the building and allow that process to happen. Instead, they left the building open for vandals, vagrants, and scrappers to destroy, and now they want to waste $3 million to destroy a building that could have been reused if they would have simply handled the situation in a prudent manner.

**jerrytimes** · January-23-11, 10:28 AM

Why do you people want to hang on to a building that is old and unused? Why keep it around? They probably want to tear it down before other things because the land can be used due to it's location. The same people here bitching because there are other things to tear down are the same people that if old Cass Tech wasn't torn down and was still standing empty in ten years, you'd be bitching because Detroit didn't tear Cass Tech down. please....