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Detroit may get new jail campus


Ramcharger

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Detroit may get new jail campus

I think this would be a huge mistake! While nobody is denying the need for a new police headquarters and improved court and detention facilities, taking all of this activity out of the downtown mix will only doom many of the small businesses that depend on the daily influx of jurors and litigants for their very survival. You would think that city leaders would have learned something from our recent history. When the RenCen opened in the mid 70

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I see it a bit differently Ram. First, we dont know the new location of the complex. It may be in another part of downtown or just outside of downtown. The first place that pops into my head is the north west park of downtown that is just a sea of parking lots. Along with the new MGM they could move a new justice center over there. But removing some of those buildings and hopefully renovating the police department building could do wonders for Detroit. What I envision, and what I think the city sees, is a residential and entertainment district. I see mid-rise and maybe a high-rise residential building with bars and retail connecting Greektown to the Greektown Casino. If it is indeed a residential project then your concerns about foot traffic will be wiped away. I think this could be an exciting development that could connect Greektown to the stadium and theater district in terms of revitalization.

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I never really thought about the employees of that complex using Greektown, although they definitely do. However, I don't think it would necessarily hurt Greektown. It may cause a drop in midday activity, but there will always be tourists and residents strolling about and eating and shopping at the local restaurants and stores. Removing the jail cmoplex will open up a lot of opportunities for new buildings and such, that would actually help Greektown better. Furthermore, Detroit would have a much better image having those awful looking jails out of the downtown. It's sad having that complex by the two most visited areas of the city. I'm all for the construction of a new complex. It would probably look really nice, and maybe help businesses in another part of town.

police.jpg

Jail complex, left; Greektown, right.

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I think that because the property is east of Woodward that there is a great chance it could get developed. That side of downtown is much nicer than the west side and theres a lot of potential. If I was a developer I would look at that area and see a Casino and a great cultural area in Greektown. Those two elements would draw people to live in a development near there. Im not an expert by any means but I definitely see great potential in developing that area between those two places.

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Tiger Stadium isnt a horrible location. Im torn however if this would effect the neighborhood there positively or negatively. It could bring people to Corktown on a daily basis and boost the area in that way but it could also keep people from moving in. If they were to persue that my suggestion would be to put all of the prison cells right next to the freeway and the courthouses towards the neighborhood. That would be most appealing for the residents and the area.

Im glad Matty Maroun keeps mentioning a new convention center incorporating the MCD but his suggestion this time is just moronic. Sure lets open up our waterfront by getting rid of Cobo and instead place prison cells there. I mean the least we could do is give the prisoners a look at the water. I really hope his Cobo plan becomes a reality but not at the expense of losing that riverfront property for something great.

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