12 replies to this topic

[Rybak 187]

Here is an article that is more of an overview of the project.
Here is a more in depth article on part of the project.

[pachucoboy]

sounds  like autoworld all over again, Bay City style.

[Rybak 187]

pachucoboy, on Aug 19 2007, 11:00 AM, said:

sounds like autoworld all over again, Bay City style.

One thing that you have to remember though is that the seaport part is on 8.5 acres of the 48 acre area.

[wolverine]

This is that collection of old factory buildings south of downtown right?

[Rybak 187]

Yes, it is in the area between the old Sears and the Breaker Cove condos.

[Rybak 187]

Here is an article about the maritime heritage center.
Here is an article Public-private group taking over the project.

[ScheuerJD]

I have never understood this project. If there really was a marketable use for the property, someone would have bought by now. Hell, it took them 25 years just to get the Double Tree built.

Edited by ScheuerJD, 22 August 2007 - 07:08 AM.

[Rybak 187]

What held it up at first I think is that they were trying to have it done all at one time, but now they are breaking it up into its individual parts. What would have them do with the area?

[ScheuerJD]

I would have prefer if the city never bought the property to began with because knowing Bay City, the land is either going to sit empty for years, or it's going to be rushed and end up a big mess.

[Rybak 187]

I don't know. I'd rather see anything other than the stone piles that were there previously. They were not the best thing to see as an entrance to downtown from the south.

[ScheuerJD]

Rybak 187, on Aug 22 2007, 11:21 AM, said:

I don't know. I'd rather see anything other than the stone piles that were there previously. They were not the best thing to see as an entrance to downtown from the south.

The stones may not be pretty, but at least the land was used for something. Now it sits empty and will continue to sit empty for at least five more years at my guess.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-growth and would like something nicer along the river, but I seriously doubt if Bay City can support a project like this. This is not a growing city. It doesn't have very many people or companies that could really back this with the money needed to really make this something. Also the city is not lacking in marinas or available condos, two things that always seem to come up in plans to develop the area. Then you add that the city government is a player (which is not known for getting things moving), you have in my view a project that has nothing up a steep uphill battle ahead of it.

[Rybak 187]

At Monday night's meeting they transferred it to a public/private partnership that will be lead by Art Dore and Paul Rowley. They are both big Bay City businessmen.

[Rybak 187]

Here are some pictures of the buildings that are on the Uptown site.