DDA OKs $3.2M loan for Redico office building

[Zissou]

I was thinking the same thing Lmich. Comerica will be able to replace those tenant because it is such a nice building. Getting more people near the core of downtown will only help further development.

I do hope that they put a modern office building on Kennedy block. Detroit needs more innovative and modern architecture, especially in such a visible place as Campus Martius.

Just curious when does the big fountain open up for the summer? I keep checking the park website but it says nothing and the web cam doesnt show that its working yet either.

[rbdetsport]

Just curious when does the big fountain open up for the summer?  I keep checking the park website but it says nothing and the web cam doesnt show that its working yet either.

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The fountain is already working. I saw on the webcam the water shooting out.

[Zissou]

The fountain is already working. I saw on the webcam the water shooting out.

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The webcam does show water but the large center fountain is not shown working. Thats the main draw of the park and what im looking forward to seeing.

[rbdetsport]

The webcam does show water but the large center fountain is not shown working.  Thats the main draw of the park and what im looking forward to seeing.

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Thats what I'm talking about. I saw on the webcam the center fountain working.

[Zissou]

Then i have no idea. Every time i check the webcam i dont see anything that looks like a 100 ft fountain in the middle of the park. It appears to me that the smaller fountains within it are working as they were through the winter.

[Allan]

The 100 foot part of the fountain has not been turned on yet. We're still waiting on that one. Actually, most of the fountains around the city are still dry.

[Zissou]

The 100 foot part of the fountain has not been turned on yet.  We're still waiting on that one.  Actually, most of the fountains around the city are still dry.

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No idea when it will open? I was hoping by Mothers Day but that has passed now. I really want to get the full experience of that park.

[Allan]

I'd hope within the next week or so. The various water features at the park seem to be on randomly. For instance, some days the water feature at the base of the Soldiers & Sailors Monument is on, and some days it isn't.

[Allan]

And we have a rendering:

It's more impressive than this, but I still don't particularly care for the design. It's ok, but it could be better.

Ernst & Young will be moving 300 people from Comerica Tower, and 100 people from Troy to the new building. Visteon is also bringing 500 IT workers from the suburbs, 450 of whom work for outside suppliers.

Details here: http://www.detnews.com/2005/business/0505/15/D01-181645.htm

[dnast]

At least it has night lighting. I don't care for it too much as shown in the rendering, but I don't think it will look so bad in reality.

Overall, I'd say it's an assest. I'm happy it's bringing 600 new workers downtown.

[hudkina]

Ok, it's officially not a tower.

But It's not bad. And it looks to be taller than 10 stories, assuming that is more than just an architectual flair. And it's going to bring in close to 1000 new people to the center of the city!

[Zissou]

I think the design is ok. Im just glad it isnt a box on that block. In the article it said that the designer wanted it to contrast with the masonry buildings in the area and i think it will achieve the desired affect. Especially with its exterior lighting and spire. Im just pleased that more retail and people will be working downtown. Hopefully this developement will speed up the process of getting the Hudson and Monroe blocks built up as well.

[wolverine]

It isn't too bad. It is sure a lot better than the giant glass box idea in the grand plan for CM park area. The structure is honest. Sure they could have attempted to make it look "classic" like the other buildings, but it would have looked fake. I think the green glass will compliment Compuware well. And acoording to a detroityes forumer, "If the "spire" is the sloping top, then the "cheese-grater" should be right at home next to a "door stop". I guess that is a valid point

Does anybody think that this building would also look good as an 80 story building? I'm not saying in relation to its surroundings, but as a stand alone building, raised 8 times higher, this building would be kick-ass.

[Allan]

Does anybody think that this building would also look good as an 80 story building?  I'm not saying in relation to its surroundings, but as a stand alone building, raised 8 times higher, this building would be kick-ass.

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I was thinking the same thing...although I was thinking more like 60 stories, not 80.

[RustTown]

I agree; this building looks as if it should by many times it's height.

I like this one, but it does look a bit stubby, and like someone dropped a glass and just left it there without sweeping it up. Almost like a deconstructive architectural piece.

[Zissou]

Yeah it looks like one of those buildings that is striving to be bigger but is on a smaller scale then it should be. A spire on a 10 story stucture is somewhat of a humorous idea.

[atperry]

More than anything else, this building's height is probably limited by the size of the parking deck below-which was a key selling point. The taller you are, the more parking you have to build. (Which is why the Ren Cen is surrounded by acres of parking decks

[RustTown]

I'm sure that has much to do with it, but the main thing here is that downtown is not capable, right now, of saturating the Class A market with more space than what was proposed. I'm sure they tried to build as much as they thought they could fill. Otherwise, we would have seen a huge proposal for the Monroe Block or somehwhere else downtown for office space.

Kennedy Square was said to be able to hold 15 stories, I heard.

[wolverine]

I always wondered if Compuware will expand. The back portion of the building that has that 3 story section has a bunch of steel coming out of the roof. I always thought it would be cool if that could support more floors than the rest of the building, resulting in a tower at the back..

[tapezord]

I'm almost certain that compuware was designed to be able to expand. The back of the building is constructed with a cheaper material (a grey siding) than the limestone present on the Monroe and Woodward facades .

I vaugly recall an e-mail that I got from Doug Kuiper of compuware when they were in the very early stages of construction in which he verified this very fact.

[RustTown]

Yes, the back of Compuware can be expanded upwards which is why the facade on the back looks (and is) temporary. I guess if the company ever decides to grow it's downtown presence even further we'll see it fill in.

[Zissou]

I dont think Compuware will be expanding anytime soon though. The company originally planned to have another building downtown east of the Ren Cen but the money wasnt there. I believe Compuware is downsizing somewhat world wide and cutting benefits so I dont think they are in any position to be expanding their operations. It is a cool thought though. Perhaps when the downtown office market picks up they will expand and become a multi-tenant building. That would be interesting to see.

[rbdetsport]

How could Compuware be downsizing? They have been doing very well lately. How tall can the edition be?

[Zissou]

I read in the newspaper a while back that the company was doing fine but has to cut some of its benefits for its employees. I believe the article also said that they would be cutting back on employees mostly internationally though. I just dont think the company is in any position right now to be expanding its operations. The cutting of employee benefits i think is a good indicator of that.

[RustTown]

Compuware is doing...all right, not spectacular, not horribly but just all right. If anything, though, they'd be losing a few employees trying to streamline the company.

BTW, the expansion would just rise in the back the same height as the building. It would just be the wedge to fill in the back. You'd never be able to tell. You can easily see where the missing wedge is with the supports rising off of the roof of the ground floors: