Detroit Casino Megathread

[RustTown]

Someone at Rossetti told me that even the newer renderings are not fully complete, and some tweaking will be done.

[Zissou]

Good or bad?

[detroitfan]

Yeah they're intentionally gonna make the design worse

[Zissou]

Oh silly me. I couldnt have been curious if the tweaking involved a nicer street level presence, or a larger parking garage or scrapping the nice glassy facade for a stone one. I mean I really didnt want Lmich's opinion on the changes either. What I was really curious about was did Rosetti make the design worse intentionally. Thanks for answering, now Lmich doesnt need to respond at all.

[RustTown]

No need for the sarcasm, especially since all they told me was that they were refinning the design. When they responded to me, they gave me no detail on what they were going to do to the current design. Just for future reference, if I ever have some important information, and have not been told that I need to keep it to myself, it will be posted.

[wolverine]

When an architect refines, it usually means cutting stuff out. I can't wait to see a solid a glass box on top of a brick base, not won't that look great!

[speck76]

Those pics are older. The one Lmich posted was in the newspaper recently and is the most up to date. The ones you got there Speck are from when Greektown planned on moving. It has decided to stay put and expand at its current location.

I like the older design better....it looks less like a bank

[Zissou]

I think the new design fits in better with its new neighborhood. I dont think the new one could have gone at the original site on Gratiot and vice versa.

[RustTown]

Exactly. The old design would have fit at its site, but not at the current site.

[Michi]

Progress is being made on the mysterious MGM Grand. Maybe it will go the way of the I-94 Gateway bridge and look like a football (standing upright) lol

[Zissou]

Anyone know what the construction timeline is on MGM?

[RustTown]

Completion in late 2007/early 2008, depends on how fast (or slow) they get the thing up.

[Marcel]

anybody have any photos of how the motor city casino construction is coming along?

[speck76]

ugh...that picture looks cold

[rbdetsport]

Michi, I can't see any of your pictures anymore. I could yesterday, but today I can't. Did you change something with them?

[detroitfan]

Only in Detroit could a building be 4 months into construction with three big ass cranes on site and no clue whatsoever what thing is going to look like. Seriously has anyone heard of something like this happening before?

[RustTown]

This has happened to most projects going up in downtown. Remember when no one knew what Kennedy Square was going to look like until right when it started construction, or was it after? I guess it's the "Book Cadillac Effect" in that developers and such don't want to show project renderings until the thing is well out of the ground. But, yeah, it is so hard to glean information about Detroit's developments. But, I partly see it as a plus. In many cities, they often prematurely announce projects getting people's hopes up, and then dropping them. Dare I say I like being kept better in the dark concerning these developments than every second-rate developer and their momma announcing projects they know they could never put together.

[Zissou]

I agree. This is common on other cities and especially when it involves casinos. Im pretty sure out in Vegas the final designs arent known until the thing is finished. Wynn Las Vegas comes to mind.

[Michi]

Michi, I can't see any of your pictures anymore. I could yesterday, but today I can't. Did you change something with them?

No, the photos were acting up from the moment I posted them. Sometimes they would all show, sometimes just some of them, and then sometimes none of them. I still have to look into the problem to figure out what is happening.

Re: construction of MGM...I drove by the site yesterday and noticed the first of the structure above the ground. It's like a puny little 2 or 3-story chunk. I'm imagining it as being part of the casino space, since the hotel tower would have a much larger, sophisticated foundation (I'm assuming). There's a great view of the property directly on the west side of the Lodge Freeway behind the Grinnell Lofts that I hope to photograph soon. Once the tower starts to go up, it will look pretty neat from that vantage point as well.

[speck76]

I agree. This is common on other cities and especially when it involves casinos. Im pretty sure out in Vegas the final designs arent known until the thing is finished. Wynn Las Vegas comes to mind.

Although MGM-Mirage has been very open with the designs of their other projects.....especially the $7BILLION Pelli-designed Project Citycenter

[Zissou]

I will take that thing in Detroit.

I dont know perhaps their policy changes depending on the market. Maybe they dont want to show their hand to Motor City or Greektown since their plans can still be changed.

[speck76]

I will take that thing in Detroit.

I dont know perhaps their policy changes depending on the market. Maybe they dont want to show their hand to Motor City or Greektown since their plans can still be changed.

I agree....there was an article yesterday that $2Billion was added to the project

http://www.hotel-online.com/News/PR2006_1s...CityCenter.html

I guess $5Billion was not enough cash to throw down on the Strip.

I think part of the issue on why something like what is above will not be built in Detroit is due to a lack of competition. If Detroit really wanted to get 1st class casino hotels/resorts, they would allow a few more to be built.....

The current casinos seem to operate at an equillibrium....not much they do is going to increase or decrease their take.....if that equillibrium gets set out of balance, they will get more inovative, and the people and city will on the prospering end.

[Zissou]

Can the market take a few more though? Between the native american casinos scattered throughout the state and the Windsor Casino still being competitive im not sure the Detroit market is strong enough to build a few more. And even if they did allow a few more licenses Im not sure you would see that Vegas mentality of one-upsmanship take place.

[wolverine]

Oooh, what a beautiful building. I wonder when we'll start getting into frequent photo updates of the construction. It will be quite interesting.

[speck76]

Can the market take a few more though? Between the native american casinos scattered throughout the state and the Windsor Casino still being competitive im not sure the Detroit market is strong enough to build a few more. And even if they did allow a few more licenses Im not sure you would see that Vegas mentality of one-upsmanship take place.

If a few Native American casinos go out of business....does it matter?

There is nothing like competition to fuel innovation....and adding a few more players to the market would certainly cause others to take notice, or be left behind. There is nothing less efficient than a monopoly, which is what the current casino market is....nobody can get in to upset the current players.

What would be even better is if the casino licenses were conditional. No temporary casinos permitted.....and you have to redevelop an existing building, and include certain facilities.

I am sure if Detroit said "We have 5-7 casino licenses up for grabs, the 5-7 players must each build 500 hotel rooms, and together must build a major convention center, XX number of parking spaces, XX number of restaurants, a park, XX number of garage parking spaces" companies would jump at the idea.