[Allan]

The fall of the Detroit Statler is a story that spans over 40 years. With the rising popularity of suburban hotels the Statler struggled to attract business. It was modernized in 1963. It changed hands several times, and occupancy continued to fall. The occupancy for the Detroit Heritage Hotel, as it was known at the time, fell to a mere 20% in the summer of 1975.

The hotel could not afford to pay property taxes or school taxes. The hotel was also unable to pay its utility bills, and Detroit-Edison threatened to shut off the building's electricity and steam service. A rescue package for the hotel was drawn up. It included a $475,000 loan from the Teamsters Union Central States Pension Fund. The entire package totaled $950,000, and was provided by six local banks and loan organizations. Unfortunately Metropolitan Savings refused to cooperate with the Teamsters and the six Detroit banks were in disagreement about their share of the loan.

Again on October 8, 1975, Detroit-Edison threatened to shut off the hotel's electricty and steam service. They backed off when Muhammad Farouk Kahn, a Pakistani financier, announced plans to buy the Heritage for an undisclosed amount and wired a cash deposit on the hotel. The deposit would be enough for the Heritage to pay off its debts of approximately $700,000. Unfortunately, Kahn's funds got held up by the Bank of England.

Sick of waiting, a week later Detroit-Edison shuts off the hotel's electricty and steam service, and the hotel closes its doors. A couple days later hotel sources claimed that a $10,000 check from Kahn had arrived, allowing Detroit-Edison to turn on the electricity. The company denies ever receiving the money. By this time the hotel owed the city $139,923 in back taxes. The city gave the hotel until July 1, 1977 to come up with the money before the city foreclosed. The $88.8 Million in hotel bookings were mostly kept inside the city, thanks to the cooperation of the other downtown hotels. The deadline for Kahn's deal passed and the sale of the hotel fell through.

In the first half of 1976 everything inside the hotel was sold off. Everything from matresses to paneling to the chandeliers was sold. After the sale the hotel still owed the city $57,000 in unpaid taxes. In June of 1979 the city aquired the hotel. Of the three hotels closed at the time, the Tuller, the Heritage, and the Fort-Shelby, the Heritage was considered least likely to reopen, since it would cost so much to re-equip.

In 1981, Ann Arbor Richard Berger proposed to renovate the hotel into a hotel named 'Inn on the Park'. However, he backed off because he believed it would not be cost effective to rehab.

In April 1984, developers from suburban Oakland County announced plans to convert the Statler into Le Gran Atrium, a 300 unit apartment house. The $13 Million project received funding from several sources. Unfortunately the cost of renovation kept rising, and changes to the federal tax code threatened the project. Renovation never begins, and the hotel sits vacant.

Four years later, in April 1988, the developers announce that they had secured funding for the project, then known as "Atrium Place." 334 Apartments and a 400 car parking deck would have been included. Their financing failed to fall into place, and the project died.

In December 1988, with the North American International Auto Show coming to town in January, the city spends $70,000 to install awnings on the building to help with the area's image. Over time the awnings faded and got torn up. Several are still hanging on the building to this day.

The city lets the building sit and rot. To my knowledge there was no discussion of the hotel's redevelopment during this time.

In the summer of 2000 city holds RFPs (requests for proposals) on the Statler and the nearby Kales Building. The state funded a $2.5 Million cleanup of the Statler. Developers came back with proposals, but gaps existed between what the developers were willing to invest in the Statler and what the renovation cost would be. Depending on who you ask, the gap ranged anywhere from $40 & $80 Million. The city was not willing to bridge the gap, and began trying to get the building demolished. The historic district commission approved the demolition, and the city got state funds to demolish the building.

Preservationists tried to find developers for the building. HRI came up with a plan for the Statler in late 2004, but the city decided to move forward with the demolition. Demolition work began in January 2005, and will continue through this summer.

When completed, the site will be planted with grass. The city seems to think that it will find a developer to construct a midrise residential tower on the site. Unfortunately, a lesser development will probably be constructed on the site. And no new development will ever live up to the grandeur of the Statler Hotel.

[SNWEB]

The main reason is the city is too damn stupid to maintain the building so they let it deteriorate to what it is today!

[Allan]

SaveTheStatler.Com, on Mar 7 2005, 04:27 PM, said:

The main reason is the city is too damn stupid to maintain the building so they let it deteriorate to what it is today!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Pretty much. They let it sit for years without trying to find a developer! And heaven forbid they properly mothball the building!

[Allan]

These are from Friday, March 3, 2005. This is probably my last significant photo posting for a while. Certain people at other websites seem to think that there is no such thing as the U.S. copyright law. Apparently nobody has heard of asking permission, and that it is now ok to just take things.

Anyway....

[SNWEB]

Allan do you know the purpose of the draping?

[atperry]

SNWEB.ORG, on Mar 10 2005, 03:48 PM, said:

Allan do you know the purpose of the draping?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My guess is it is to lessen the risk of things falling onto the people mover

[Allan]

That's my guess too. The draping still won't stop beams from falling onto the track and damaging it though. Then I will laugh because anyone with any common sense knows that the people mover will not come away undamaged. I had heard that they were going to build a plywood enclosure around the people mover. I guess they decided that this fabric stuff would be more cost effective. Haha.

[Brother Ray]

Allan, on Mar 10 2005, 05:17 PM, said:

These are from Friday, March 3, 2005.  This is probably my last significant photo posting for a while.  Certain people at other websites seem to think that there is no such thing as the U.S. copyright law.  Apparently nobody has heard of asking permission, and that it is now ok to just take things. 

Allan,

Sadly, this happens all the time. Next time it does happens, replace the "highjacked" link with a picture of something completely off the wall. For example, someone uses a link to your Statler photos, replace the stolen one with some ducks along the river at Belle Isle. Trust, they will stop using your links........

- BR

[Allan]

Brother Ray, on Mar 11 2005, 01:12 PM, said:

Allan,

Sadly, this happens all the time.  Next time it does happens, replace the "highjacked" link with a picture of something completely off the wall.  For example, someone uses a link to your Statler photos, replace the stolen one with some ducks along the river at Belle Isle.  Trust, they will stop using your links........

- BR

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Oh, I know it happens all the time. I've had people from three websites take my photos without asking. The same people do it over and over again. I really need to get my own site. Then I will be able to control who links what. Now I've got some people pissed off at me, but I don't care. I did probably go overboard yesterday - I have been going crazy lately because of family issues. At least my photo got removed.

I replaced it with this:

[baldy]

That's a great replacement Allan! Sort of ironic that people that sole YOUR pictures are pissed because of something you did with YOUR pictures!

Maybe there should be new forum rule added stating that any user who republishes someone else's copyrighted material without their permission will result in a suspension from the site or something like that.

This post has been edited by ebaldy: 11 March 2005 - 01:23 PM

[Lmichigan]

*EDIT* Nevermind

This post has been edited by Lmichigan: 11 March 2005 - 03:55 PM

[Allan]

All I ask is that people ask my permission first, before posting my photos. I have never said "no" to anyone who asks to use my photos. It is not, however, very polite to just go ahead and post photos without asking the photographer first.

[monsoon]

ebaldy, on Mar 11 2005, 03:22 PM, said:

That's a great replacement Allan!  Sort of ironic that people that sole YOUR pictures are pissed because of something you did with YOUR pictures!

Maybe there should be new forum rule added stating that any user who republishes someone else's copyrighted material without their permission will result in a suspension from the site or something like that.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree. We here at UrbanPlanet have a policy of removing any photos that might get posted here incorrectly. Fortunately the maturity level of the forumer that posts here is fairly high so we rarely get any complaints.

Its unfortunate the so called "staff" at other forums (that seem to be mostly children anyway) don't have the same respect for intellectual property. This is one of the reasons I don't bother with SSP anymore. Its really nothing more than a teeny bopper chat room.

[Lmichigan]

You don't bother with it because you are no longer welcome. You were banned, right?

This post has been edited by Lmichigan: 11 March 2005 - 06:53 PM

[monsoon]

Lmichigan, on Mar 11 2005, 08:53 PM, said:

You don't bother with it because you are no longer welcome.  You were banned, right?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Nope. I've never been banned or even suspended. You may check if you like. I don't even know if I have an id there anymore as I havn't bothered to logon to SSP in at least a year or so.

As I indicated above I simply left because it is a useless site for discussing urban matters. And I get PMs almost daily now from forumers thanking us for creating UP.

When "the staff" such as yourself steals photos I think that speaks volumes as to what is wrong with SSP.

[rbdetsport]

Alright back to the Statler Demolition.

[Brother Ray]

Hotel demolition alters People Mover schedule
Out late tonight?


The Detroit People Mover will shut down three hours earlier as workers prepare to demolish the old Statler Hilton Hotel. The train will operate from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. today and Wednesday.


Out late St. Patrick's Day?


No problem. The People Mover will resume its usual schedule of 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.

[Brother Ray]

I think I'll head down there again today and get more facts on what's happening tonight. Might this be the first wall to come down????

[Allan]

I thought the plan was to start at the south end of the building and work north. Maybe that has changed...I don't know.

[wolverine]

This sucks. I was in Detroit on St. Patty's, and even though we got off at the GCP station, I didn't even think to take one last good look at the Statler before walls started falling.

Wish it could have been saved.