Bye Bye Madison Lenox

[Frankie811]

OK guy, I agree that this is a horrible shame, but if it could have been stopped it would have.  This was a strategic maneuver to get rid of the building and it seems to me that most people involved in this thread also regard this as a tragedy.  Providence is a long way away from Detroit..

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm curious as to what politcal pressure, if any, came from city hall. The office of the mayor can have great effort on local issues, if it cares enough on a subject or issue. Did they bark, or lie down?

[mn_body_detroit_hrt]

I'm curious as to what politcal pressure, if any, came from city hall. The office of the mayor can have great effort on local issues, if it cares enough on a subject or issue. Did they bark, or lie down?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

"the gloves came off"

Days after Kwami was quoted making this statement a "covert" task force was sent to the M/L to take some pretty aggressive chunks out of the blds. Initially it was unknown who was responsible for the demo, but come to find out that it was ordered by Detroit

[Frankie811]

"the gloves came off"

Days after Kwami was quoted making this statement a "covert" task force was sent to the M/L to take some pretty aggressive chunks out of the blds.  Initially it was unknown who was responsible for the demo, but come to find out that it was ordered by Detroit

[Zissou]

Detroit is a different beast than Rhode Island unfortunately. City politics make it hard for people to do anything in the city and then theres the city's poor image. People tend to stay away because of Detroit's image although things could be good and primed for development.

[Frankie811]

Detroit is a different beast than Rhode Island unfortunately.  City politics make it hard for people to do anything in the city and then theres the city's poor image.  People tend to stay away because of Detroit's image although things could be good and primed for development.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I understand what your saying. I think a strong mayor with a vision can change things around. Yes, Detroit has a reputation which cannot be changed overnight. But purhaps it can shine, even just for one weekend when it hosts next years superbowl. Detroit has the opportunity to roll out the red carpet and let the world know that it's ready to do business. Detroit is in an elite group of cities in that it's one of the few Northern cities to host a superbowl. Detroit can't be too friendly in winter.

[Frankie811]

So what's the story on this Ilitch Holdings Inc? Good guys, bad guys? Developers, builders, investers? Commercial landlords?

[Michi]

What a shame. This could NEVER EVER happen here in Providence where 22% of all properties listed in the National Trust are in this area. It's almost impossible to tear down an historic building here. The Madison-Lenox Hotel could/should have been saved.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yah, but how many of your historic buildings that are of risk are abandoned?

[Michi]

I'm curious as to what politcal pressure, if any, came from city hall. The office of the mayor can have great effort on local issues, if it cares enough on a subject or issue. Did they bark, or lie down?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Oh they lied alright! They mayor has his own agenda, leagal or not. Preservationists, law enforcement, lawyers, developers, architects, planners (any professional) really has no say when it comes to the mayor's initiative. He's a condescending liar who gets his way or beats someone up because he was full back in football or something. He's also the thug mayor, so let's keep things real, y'allz...that's how we'z play'n it'n th'D.

[Michi]

Detroit is a different beast than Rhode Island unfortunately.  City politics make it hard for people to do anything in the city and then theres the city's poor image.  People tend to stay away because of Detroit's image although things could be good and primed for development.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There's also the fact that the Detroit market is THEE most difficult to get financial backing from banks. Plagued by the worst economy in the nation, one of the highest unemployment figures, and a stagnant job force, it's no wonder why it is so difficult to convince important stake holders to commit to projects that many people believe can work. We're working our way out of a lose-lose situation here. Detroiters are fighters...we've been doing it for 40-50 years now...and really even longer than that.

[Michi]

So what's the story on this Ilitch Holdings Inc? Good guys, bad guys? Developers, builders, investers? Commercial landlords?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ilitch's claim to fame was his restoration of the Fox Theater. A blessing? ABSOLUTELY! Does that excuse him from being an ethical, reputable citizen and community advocate? NO! He has a personal obligation to the city of Detroit to preserve its past in order to generate the future. Instead, he has put his foot down ON THE CITY and is raping it for personal wealth and prosperity.

The Park Avenue district (behind his Fox Theater in north downtown) is one of the only truely authentic blocks of the city that remain in tact. Yes, it is a "ghost town" and his properties are rotting away, but one cannot help but do stand down on one of those abandoned streets, close your eyes and imagine a scene of when this place was new. It could be new again with the exact same effect. But with Ilitch as the prime suspect and slumlord, it is a sad outlook...a foreshadowing of days to come by what occurred at the Hotel Madison Lenox.

ALLAN: can you give a tour of the Park Avenue district? Any photos? It is one of my all-time favorite locations downtown.

[Allan]

I'll put together a Park Avenue tour later tonight. It is one of my favorite areas also. I have explored the Charlevoix Building & the Detroit Building on Park Avenue...I may post those at a later time also.

[DetroitBazaar]

I'll put together a Park Avenue tour later tonight.  It is one of my favorite areas also.  I have explored the Charlevoix Building & the Detroit Building on Park Avenue...I may post those at a later time also.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It all depends on if you're into historical buildings or parking and barbed wire. Look out for 2007 because "Holdings" has some great options. Perhaps a new Red Wings arena with plenty of parking? I don't know for sure, what I do know is that he cut a sweet deal with the city- the people of the city- back in the 90's to option for parking. He owns the Fine Arts and I believe the United Artists theaters. Those may not come down- maybe though- but west of Woodward Ave is almost entirely controlled by him. Good? Bad?, depends on how you look at it. I'd say, sell or produce something that integrates into the communtity. He's not listening though it seems. Johnny Rockets and national chains are what he's after to front Woodward- along with the corrupt city. Just opinion. Ok, another opinion, and I love business mind you, he is apparently the nation's biggest slumlord, either by effort or default. Let those who care with money and have an eye for history restore the core of our city! The Fox was nice- city money involved-But it's time for the "family" to invest in something else.

Peace to you all!

[Frankie811]

Yah, but how many of your historic buildings that are of risk are abandoned?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

All of the historic buildings downtown are occupied. Many of them have been rehabed into loft apartments. http://www.westminsterlofts.com

[WBG4]

Wow those things are much more then i thought they would be per month. Where do the people who live in them work?!

[Frankie811]

Wow those things are much more then i thought they would be per month. Where do the people who live in them work?!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Bankers, financial services, retirees, corporate, educational, artists, business leaders.......etc They go fast.

[baldy]

Here's an update from Tuesday, June 14th

Good to see this well needed parking lot looks like it will be done in time for the All Star game . . .

Has anyone seen the demolision crew setting up else where? I'm just curious since it sounds like the city got $8 million to destroy Detroit's history and there has to be others on the chopping block. At least this time a lot more people are paying attention and hopefully we can prevent senseless demo.

Also, I heard on WDET last week about forcing the Madison Lennox to be re-built. Did anyone else hear this? I highly doubt this will happen because they can't even get Illitch to maintain his current properties, so how do they expect something to be re-built on the site. I still believe the city should try to re-po the property back from him and sell it to a developer.

[Zissou]

Nice to see the parking lot coming along quickly. I was walking through Harmonie Park on my way to the Tigers game yesterday and it sort of caught me off guard when i walked by this site and saw that there was no rubble left and they were grading it for the parking lot. The city should take this property back and give it to someone who will do something with it.

[Michi]

That's such a TINY parking lot. Once the posh, extravagant landscaping is put in there'll be spaces for about...4 CARS!!...

I had the pleasure of listening to a speaker from Philadelphia last night. She has been involved in a project called the North Village in Philly which is a grass roots organization that built their community from the ground up.

She was a very moral speaker and here closing comments were regarding how people who sit on property, land, and buildings to let them waste away are no people of society. They are the community destroyers, and it is our civic responsibility to become proactive against them. She was so motivated that the words she chose made it sound like people who own vacant lots or vacant buildings but are nowhere to be found or are absent, have no right to object when people take action on their property.

I started imagining a developer working with a community group in Detroit to start obtaining deeds and permission to take over our slums (Park Avenue) wheather something is privately owned or not. Because we all know there is no plan for our community in this spot, there is no hope for it, there is no future for it except its demise.

If we as the people OF this city want what the owners own back in our community, it's just as much of a right to us as it is them.

IT WAS VERY MOVING!

That's how their grass roots were planted in the village in Philadelphia. They took private vacant lots and planted gardens on them, built sculptures on them, and eventually in the future, were able to obtain them and reclaim them as part of their community that was going from drugs and crime to employment and hope.

http://www.villagearts.org/

[wolverine]

Your post was moving to me, lol. Such organizations in Detroit could do a lot. She's right that people who sit and do nothing with their property are in the way of progress. There are so many people in Detroit who should not be owning buildings.

And btw, I was glad to hear several Tigers fans today comment how sad it was "that old red brick building over there" was gone. It was satisfying to know that people looked past the broken windows and grime and saw something beautiful. Little did they know teh pizza they paid for went to the man who let that building go to waste. But it seem the ML has not been forgotten by many.

[Zissou]

Yeah i go to Tigers games but I try to support Illitch as little as possible. I dont by any food and purchase the 5 dollar skyline seat. Then i move to the front row of the lower bowl. That showed him.

[Fletch]

Michi, much thanks for the provocative remarks on grass-roots urban renewal programs. I agree that absentee landlords are responsible for a large share of urban blight, but I don't know how legally an organization would go about ownership transfers. There are only two parties that legally have standing in court over any transfer or demolition proceedings: the owners and the people (represented by the City). Given the dangerous conditions many of the abandoned structures are in today, the City can move to forced renovation or demolition. It has unfortunately been reluctant to do so, despite the fact that these structures contain multiple violations of safety codes. Serious enforcement of existing law, exacting numerous fines on owners, and vigorous use of forced renovation or demolition proceedings, I think, is a useful channel to progress on these properties. As for vacant lots, you know better than I about the work going on in Philadelphia, but it has fascinated me why more parking space isn't developed into green space by the City. I can't believe that such parcels of land are that valuable that the City couldn't offer to buy them from developers, or, in the upcoming case of the Statler, develop green space directly on site. Granted, the properties wouldn't then generate revenue (or cost) streams, however, significant spillovers would be generated instead. Green grass is more attractive to adjacent properties than (mostly) empty concrete parking stalls. There is less opportunity for crime to occur, hence lower draws on police. As has been seen before (Tuller House), promises to quickly turn over the property often go unfulfilled. I'm no urban planner, but it seems to me a smarter strategy for the City to hedge occasionally and ask whether these lots will ever again be developed commercially. I know that Mike Illitch couldn't care less about properties adjacent to his own. He's in this game strictly for profit. But top city officials are hired to care and if not, who is exactly? These questions need to be asked now that the M-L is lost and the Statler is on its way.

[RustTown]

I just found this photo on Forgotten Michigan. Wow, look at what was lost not just in terms of architecture but also in terms of urban fabric to tie thing together...

[Zissou]

The Madison Lenox gave Harmonie Park a lot of character and gave the area the density that made it a unique place. I dont know if that area will ever be the same or have the same potential as it once did.

[baldy]

Great find Lmich! This view really shows how much parking was really needed in the area ... Plus, the black alley walls which are now showing are definitely a nice "welcome to Harmonie Park". Thanks KK and Mike.

[Zissou]

Such a catastophy.