Council halts Bing's plan to raze Detroit's Ford Auditorium

[Gistok]

it costs money to mothball a building, whether it's an eyesore or not. Im sure that if the headline read that Bing wanted to not knock it down and continue to pour money into keeping it standing, everyone would be saying it's a continuous waste of money

EVERYONE??? LOL.... yeah right... I doubt you'll get everyone to agree on anything...

[Richard]

It is way cheaper to mothball and reuse at a future date then it is to demo then decide to rebuild two years later when costs are through the roof,of course taxpayers have deep pockets so doing something that actually makes sense is out of the question.

Where is the demolition list for the COMMERCIAL properties slated using fed stimulus funds,is it because those funds were slated for residential properties only and the use on commercial properties would not be within the terms?

[jerrytimes]

Again, the counsel makes another great choice. Lets not demo a building that has been vacated for over 20 years. If there is funding, knock it down. If it's just grass for years to come, fine. A developer is more likely to want to develop land that has nothing on it than land with a useless building.

[Richard]

If that were the case then Detroit would be one big parking lot just as any other city in the US would be,its the dirt that is worth the money if somebody was going to develop that parcel and spend that kind money that it would take then at that time the demo part would be irrelevant.

Just because the money is there it does not mean that it needs to be spent,it is coming out of somebody's pocket and I am sure there are more pressing unsafe structures that could come
down as this one is not a danger to anybody.

[Brian1979]

This is what I don't understand:

"However in March 2011, City Council President Ken Cockrel, Jr. announced that the council members would not approve a demolition until concrete plans for a replacement structure are in place"

Until concrete plans for a replacement structure are in place for what? Who is using this building that there needs to be a replacement?

[jerrytimes]

Well, we know who needs to be removed from counsel next election. With what Cockrel wants, pretty much most vacant building will stay up and vacant because I'm sure there won't be anything replacing most of them.

[Richard]

They are saying do not tear it down and leave an empty space ,concrete plans would be someone saying I have the money here are the plans for the space so tear it down.

[Brian1979]

Well, we know who needs to be removed from counsel next election. With what Cockrel wants, pretty much most vacant building will stay up and vacant because I'm sure there won't be anything replacing most of them.

Yeah really what on earth is there to replace? It's vacant. Cockrel needs to go as does most of the city council.

[Brian1979]

If we're going to be waiting for replacement's on the abandoned buildings in Detroit then someone please tell me why Tiger Stadium was demolished, why Hudson's was demolished, why the Lafayette Building was demolished, why the Statler Hotel was demolished, why the Madison Lenox Hotel was demolished, while other buildings that are standing in the way of improving things sit and rot? Seriously what's worse? An abandoned building or vacant land. It's because of people like Kenneth Cockrel that Detroit is still stuck in the 1960's, Ford Auditorium at this point is a useless structure.

[Brian1979]

I'll tell ya what I'd like seen done with Ford Auditorium and we'll be done with it once and for all. Start a bulldozer at Jefferson drive right into it and let that building sink in the river.

[Gistok]

Richard.... I agree with you.... if the "empty land" folks had their way there wouldn't have been a Book Cadillac, or Fort Shelby Hotels to renovate... and they were empty for about 30 years. And ditto for the Broderic, Whitney and United Artists Towers.

Ford Auditorium is sitting on top of a PARKING STRUCTURE.... you cannot just rip the top off [[or bulldoze) it without remediation work to preserve the parking structure. It's not just a matter of bulldozing...

It appears that in my earlier thread where I mention that have we learned nothing after the mistakes of 50 years ago.... well apparently not everyone has....

[Gistok]

Also... there will be NO developers in the future for this land... it's part of the Civic Center... and will not be developed for a "non-civic" function... when the city told Comerica NO towards building a 30 story HQ on the site... the city said no then, and will continue to say NO now...

[56packman]

just chiming in late here. Re; the organ at Ford, it is still there, although I heard this week that the DSO bought it from the city for a dollar and it will be removed soon. Problem is, they want to marry it to the 1920 Casavant that was originally in Orchestra Hall that they recently received as a donation. The two just don't belong together. Most of you on DY are rock heads, I could explain by saying it would be like a Rolling Stones/Barry Manlow duet album. Apples and oranges.
The Aeolian-Skinner at Ford was a disaster because of the building.

[michigansheik]

if the land around atwater and franklin is going to end up residential and commercial does chene park make sense? i can't imagine buying a waterfront condo and having concert music right next door. taking down ford auditorium and replacing with a chene park like theatres might make sense. hart plaza becomes a greater venue...the rencen will block out concert noise to buffer the planned residential...the positives might outweigh the negatives.

[Gistok]

Um.... the residents at Stroh River Place don't complain about the noise? There's lots of higher priorities for the cash strapped city than to raze the Chene Amphitheatre [[it was built as a 3,000 seat amphitheatre back in the 70s... only to have it rebuilt to seat 5,000 in the 80s. Since it only gets summer use, I don't think it's a big deal for nearby "potential" residents.... whenever and if ever that happens....

[beachboy]

just chiming in late here. Re; the organ at Ford, it is still there, although I heard this week that the DSO bought it from the city for a dollar and it will be removed soon. Problem is, they want to marry it to the 1920 Casavant that was originally in Orchestra Hall that they recently received as a donation. The two just don't belong together. Most of you on DY are rock heads, I could explain by saying it would be like a Rolling Stones/Barry Manlow duet album. Apples and oranges. The Aeolian-Skinner at Ford was a disaster because of the building.

Thank you, 56packman!! BTW, do you know the disposition and opus number of the Casavant? Is it well-travelled? What is the chamber layout at Orchestra Hall?

Also, what do you think will become of the FA portable stage divisions [[IIRC great, positiv, and highly borrowed pedal on iron-wheeled platform)?

Inquiring minds will be grateful for whatever info you can provide

[BrushStart]

I am siding with the Council on this one. The city should not be demolishing any building in the downtown area without solid plans for what will replace it. I only wish the Council would have taken this position when it came to other buildings [[such as the Lafayette) that are now weedy lots.

I am surprised by those of you who usually complain about the "tear it down" mentality, but are now criticizing the Council for this decision. The Ford Auditorium isn't hurting anyone. It doesn't look blighted. Leave it alone until someone has a viable plan for what will replace it.

Personally, I am bit surprised, but very happy that the Council is able to look beyond the immediate future for once. If they had adopted this mentality sooner, there might be many more buildings standing downtown.

[Searay215]

A nice park by the water near downtown...is a great replacement....Duh!!! Tell me why we need another building? The current vacancy rate in downtown is at 31.1% Now.....

[southen]

i think having some plans in place before going ahead with the demolition isnt a terrible idea. werent there some renderings floated around a few years back that showed what hart plaza would look like if they tore down the auditorium and redeveloped it for more parkland and an amphitheater?

[BrushStart]

A nice park by the water near downtown...is a great replacement....Duh!!! Tell me why we need another building? The current vacancy rate in downtown is at 31.1% Now.....

Ford Auditorium is probably not included in the vacancy rate, but even if it were, under your logic we should be tearing down 31.1% of the buildings because they're presently vacant. Genius.

[Detroitnerd]

I'd be willing to let the auditorium go, but, meh, I don't see the need for ANOTHER theater. Shouldn't this be PARKLAND instead of willy-nilly dropping down a Chene Park here, and amphitheater there, etc...

[Gistok]

I'd be willing to let the auditorium go, but, meh, I don't see the need for ANOTHER theater. Shouldn't this be PARKLAND instead of willy-nilly dropping down a Chene Park here, and amphitheater there, etc...

Agreed... the city already spent enough money on the building and then 10 years later re-building and expanding the Chene Park Amphitheatre.... it doesn't have the money to do it a 3rd time in Hart Plaza....

[401don]

Council to reconsider fate of Detroit's Ford Auditorium



BY STEVE NEAVLING
DETROIT FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER



The fate of the once-venerable Ford Auditorium in downtown Detroit could be determined today.
After refusing March 8 to approve the demolition of the vacant downtown waterfront venue on Hart Plaza, the Detroit City Council is expected to reconsider at 2 p.m. after getting more explanation for the razing from Mayor DaveBing's office.

The council previously denied the $755,000 demolition, saying tax dollars shouldn't be spent on a project that doesn't have plans to replace the building which was designed as a memorial to Henry and Edsel Ford.

When the Bing administration announced demolition plans in November, the hope was to replace the building with a 5,000-seat amphitheater. Those plans, however, aren't solid, leaving the potential for more unutilized land in the city, council members said.

Bing wants to move forward because the decaying building sits on the revitalized riverfront, a popular spot for festivals, biking and sightseeing.

Supporters say the auditorium is a gem and could be restored by improving the acoustics, which dogged the building from the beginning.

So Council will probably get a 2 minute further explanation and then they will vote again. This is what I find so annoying. Do they not bother to ask any questions before an item is brought before them for a vote or does the administration refuse info or just assume council isn't interested?

[Detroit500]

For whatever reason, this era sprung modern auditoriums with horrific acoustics, not just in Detroit but also in New York. Do we need another Theatre? Maybe, maybe not... the Masonic's days might be numbered... Beyond that, however, I cannot imagine that if this building were expanded and reopened there might be more of an interest in people renting it out. I'm also not convinced anyone needs an ampitheatre. The question with Ford Auditorium is, does anyone really see it getting used in the future? People looked at the Book Cadillac and said, "Why can't it be a hotel again", very few people are looking and saying, "Can't the DSO move back to Ford Auditorium?"

[Gistok]

Council to reconsider fate of Detroit's Ford Auditorium



BY STEVE NEAVLING
DETROIT FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER



The fate of the once-venerable Ford Auditorium in downtown Detroit could be determined today.
After refusing March 8 to approve the demolition of the vacant downtown waterfront venue on Hart Plaza, the Detroit City Council is expected to reconsider at 2 p.m. after getting more explanation for the razing from Mayor DaveBing's office.

The council previously denied the $755,000 demolition, saying tax dollars shouldn't be spent on a project that doesn't have plans to replace the building which was designed as a memorial to Henry and Edsel Ford.

When the Bing administration announced demolition plans in November, the hope was to replace the building with a 5,000-seat amphitheater. Those plans, however, aren't solid, leaving the potential for more unutilized land in the city, council members said.

Bing wants to move forward because the decaying building sits on the revitalized riverfront, a popular spot for festivals, biking and sightseeing.

Supporters say the auditorium is a gem and could be restored by improving the acoustics, which dogged the building from the beginning.

So Council will probably get a 2 minute further explanation and then they will vote again. This is what I find so annoying. Do they not bother to ask any questions before an item is brought before them for a vote or does the administration refuse info or just assume council isn't interested?

... not quite as annoying as trying to figure out where your quote ends and your comments begin... and what the heck are those 2 "links to nowhere" at the beginning of your article cutp/paste?