Game planners target dilapidated buildings

[Allan]

This is the type of thing I've been waiting for. There's only 164 more days until kickoff....

http://www.detnews.com/2005/business/0508/25/C01-292511.htm

[Jonzo]

Good news.. Do you think it will work?

[rbdetsport]

"I wouldn't want to be on the list," said Michael Higgins, president of Witherell Corp. in Detroit, which owns two older structures -- the David Broderick Tower at Woodward and Witherell, and the Farwell Building on Shelby between Grand River and State in Capitol Park

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I love this quote. I bet he will be on the list anyways. HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

[Allan]

Of course Mike will be on the list. He owns the most prominent abandoned building in all of downtown. Unless they start full scale renovations by the time the list is printed, there's no getting around it.

Wayne County did slap Mike with a nice little lawsuit regarding the Farwell Building not long ago. They stapled the 1/2" thick document to the boards of the building for all to see. It pretty much told him that he has 180 days to get the building demolished or submit plans for a renovation along with proof of financing. The suit was filed April 22...it'll be interesting to see if anything happens.

Mike's properties are difficult to track. He has dozens of businesses set up in the state of Michigan alone, in part to protect him from lawsuits such as these. There are entertainment companies, construction companies, and investment companies. What these companies do is beyond me.

Higgins' Management Company started with nine shareholders back in 1970. I have heard that it is down to six shareholders today, but I do not know that for sure.

The most recent company is Broderick Tower Venture, LLC. The registered office for the company is not at the Ramada, but rather at Harbortown. The more I learn, the more confused I get....

[Ramcharger]

SUPER BOWL XL: The final countdown

Lots of interesting stuff in this article.

"...no other demolitions are planned". Good news.

$300,000 for "light sabers"? It sounds a lot like the crap Rossetti put up on Washington Blvd. that the city just tore down.

Both the Book-Cadillac renovation and the Broderick Tower loft conversion are listed in the "what may never get done" column.

Are any of you guys designing any of these "artistic window displays" mentioned in the article?

[baldy]

The pdf they link to in the article is a great summary of imformation.

I must say it was a pleasant surprise to hear them publically state there will be no more demolishions, but disappointing to see the Madison-Lennox listed in the "done by now" category.

Looking at the map, it really makes me realize how much empty space the MGM would be taking up when and if they finally build a permanent Casino. It a spot that definitely needs infill.

$300,000 for 12 of these path finding light sabers? Yeah, it does seam like a lot of money. It's about time, though, that downtown is going to have some maps around with good old "you are here". For newcomers, and even people that have been down there before, the street layout makes it a difficult to find your way around.

[Allan]

I personally don't know of any classes here who are designing window displays, but there must be some. The semester just started, so who knows....

Realistically, nobody will see anything happen with the Broderick for another year. The building's owners still owe back taxes, and those have to be paid off before they can get finance assistance from a number of organizations, and things like historic tax credits.

The Book-Cadillac deal is being recalibrated. Those I've spoken to are very confident that the project will get rolling again.

Remember that quiet, $8 million handout the state gave the city specifically to demolish buildings in time for the Super Bowl? There is a meeting today to discuss the Fine Arts/Adams Theater & United Artists demolitions that are supposedly happening before the year is out. It'll be interesting to see the results of said meeting.

[hudkina]

$8 million could easily renovate the Fine Arts building into lofts and retail.

[Allan]

Yeah, although you would have to tear out everything except the facade and start over. The inside doesn't have floors. And the floors it does have slope towards the hole.

[baldy]

So? Aren't there a lot of building where the only thing kept were the facade and the structural beams during renovation? I would almost think it would be easier. I know the fine arts is in bad shape, but it's such a great building and I'd love to see it saved.. even though that's probably a pipe dream.

[Allan]

See, that's the thing. Everyone with a brain knows that it can be saved, even though it would be extra work. But in this city they'll take one look at it and say that it needs to be taken down.

The structural beams have to be replaced here though. One of them is snapped in two pieces, while most of the others run at extreme angles or sag several (as in 6+) inches. The only way to save it would be to support the facade from both sides, tear out all the structure, and completely restructure it.

[RustTown]

Yeah, and city leadership just isn't yet creative and patient enough to tackle projects of that caliber. It's really sad, but seems to be true.

[Allan]

Yeah, and city leadership just isn't yet creative and patient enough to tackle projects of that caliber.  It's really sad, but seems to be true.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, you're pretty much right on the mark there. Right now the only thing on the city's mind is "we've got to get it done before the Super Bowl".

I know Joel Landy has had to beg the city to not demolish houses before so that he could restore them. The city is demo-happy. Fortunately the city's demolition budget is not large enough. If it had the money, the city would've taken the Statler, Book-Cadillac, and the Lafayette Building down long ago.

The Lafayette renovation will be a step in the right direction if they do put the parking in the basement on the ground floor as has been previously mentioned. Then again, if they demolish the Detroit Commerce Building for a Lafayette Building parking structure, as has been rumored, we'll know that nothing has changed.