Historic Apartments at Cass and Henry to be Demolished by Olympia/Ilitch

[Gistok]

I tend to agree Southen.... the Ilitch's are repeating their acres of parking arund their sports venue, just like they did with Comerica Park. They will likely have similar results... on non-game days it will be a massive dead zone. Just look at how difficult it has been for them to get restaurants into the Fox Buildings. With what they had in the past it was either feast [[game/Fox performance days) or famine [[nothing going on at the venues). Businesses just can't survive in that type of climate. Employees that only work one day out of three will just look elsewhere.

The arena district will be an enclosed fortress surrounded by non-pedestrian friendly acres of parking. It's just another self fulfilling prophecy.

[emu steve]

I tend to agree Southen.... the Ilitch's are repeating their acres of parking arund their sports venue, just like they did with Comerica Park. They will likely have similar results... on non-game days it will be a massive dead zone. Just look at how difficult it has been for them to get restaurants into the Fox Buildings. With what they had in the past it was either feast [[game/Fox performance days) or famine [[nothing going on at the venues). Businesses just can't survive in that type of climate. Employees that only work one day out of three will just look elsewhere.

The arena district will be an enclosed fortress surrounded by non-pedestrian friendly acres of parking. It's just another self fulfilling prophecy.

" They will likely have similar results... on non-game days it will be a massive dead zone."

This should be interesting in that there won't be that many non-game days. Comerica or LCA should be in usage about 250 days per week, about the same is the number of standard work days in a year.

One of my constant themes has been that the District Detroit concept is a mini-city with many commercial establishments, residences [[those attached to LCA and others ringing it like Hotel America), etc., WSU school of Business, etc.

Hopefully in 12 - 18 months enough will be in place to see the transformation. We will be in 'uncharted territory.'

No other city in the U.S. [[not NYC, L.A., BOS, CLE, etc.) will have a sports and entertainment district like it... [MLB/NHL/NBA alone should be 175+ events per year.]

Should be about 5 - 6M patrons per year.

[Bham1982]

No other city in the U.S. [[not NYC, L.A., BOS, CLE, etc.) will have a sports and entertainment district like it... [MLB/NHL/NBA alone should be 175+ events per year.]

Should be about 5 - 6M patrons per year.

And thank God for that.

Those cities [[excepting Cleveland) are actually vibrant, functioning cities, that don't want to turn their city cores into parking fields, blank-walled stadia, and game-day traffic sewers of suburbanites chasing away urban vibrancy.

Maybe we should put Detroit Metro Airport right downtown. Hell, they get like 35 million annual passengers, so imagine the "vibrancy" we would be getting then. Take that NYC and Paris!

[313WX]

And thank God for that.

Those cities [[excepting Cleveland) are actually vibrant, functioning cities, that don't want to turn their city cores into parking fields, blank-walled stadia, and game-day traffic sewers of suburbanites chasing away urban vibrancy.

Maybe we should put Detroit Metro Airport right downtown. Hell, they get like 35 million annual passengers, so imagine the "vibrancy" we would be getting then. Take that NYC and Paris!

The bolded makes no sense.

For many years [[as recently as the early 2010s), downtown was a ghost town outside of game days at Comerica / Ford Field. highways and avenues in / out of the city were also heavily underutilized during rush hour. It was the "game-day traffic sewers of suburbanites" that made the city actually feel like a real city for a few hours.

[Bham1982]

The bolded makes no sense.

For many years [[as recently as the early 2010s), downtown was a ghost town outside of game days at Comerica / Ford Field. highways and avenues in / out of the city were also heavily underutilized during rush hour. It was the "game-day traffic sewers of suburbanites" that made the city actually feel like a real city for a few hours.

Downtown was much more vibrant prior to the construction of Comerica/Ford Field. The 1980's and early 1990's had far more foot traffic than today.

And no, I don't see urban vibrancy when I go to a game. I see a bajillion cars headed downtown, and then people walking from the parking lots into the stadium. Then everything empties out after, and nothing but garbage left behind.