What would you like to see happen on UA/Statler site?

[Jin Kim]

While none of us probably has any real input as to what happens, we can dream and may be even come up with something that could inspire others who do.

So what are your ideas?

[Zissou]

Twin 20 story towers that are modern but fit in well with the surrounding neighborhood. I would like to see it mixed use and interact well at the street level. Lots of residential. And maybe a fancy skybridge between the two structures just for kicks. A development like this would really close in GCP and give it a more urban Campus Martiusy feel.

[Jin Kim]

Maybe we could also cite example projects from elsewhere?

[Zissou]

Maybe this lousy doodle will revive this thread.

[RustTown]

Why are none of your photos showing up for me? lol

[Zissou]

I dont understand it. Sometimes they show up sometimes they dont, i had the same problem in another thread. Ill try again.

[Zissou]

[Allan]

Maybe the forum doesn't like Webshots?

I don't know...as long as I do the whole right click thing I don't have any problems.

[Zissou]

Ive used imageshack before and gotten a similar result.

[Jin Kim]

When I go to your Webshots page, it only shows two galleries as being publicly viewable. Is the image you're linking to posted on the Chicago or New York gallery? Maybe it was posted to one of your private galleries and that's why it doesn't show.

Too bad.. I really would like to see what you envisioned.

[Ramcharger]

Right click on the missing image and select "properties" then copy the URL and paste it to the address box of your web browser.

[wolverine]

I can't see the UA building, is it that salt cracker thing behind those blue things? I like the trees on the blue things. I kid, I kid. I like your drawing. A sort of unique shape, that changes as you move up, but still fits with the site is something I was thinking as well.

[Jin Kim]

I've tried. I get...

"You don't have permission to access /50/4/73/68/2715473680073857472MorQbG_ph.jpg on this server."

Which is why asked if it were posted on a private gallery.

[wolverine]

I saved his image onto my webspace. Do you guys see it now?

[Allan]

There was a server upgrade yesterday, and additional changes were made to the forum today. Maybe the upgrades are causing it too (though I doubt it, since it works fine for me).

[RustTown]

I like the massing, but would actually like to see something shorter, there so as not to completely overpower everything else around the park. Barring the Broderick, which was probably more of a fluke than anything else, it looks like they tried to keep the feel of the park more intimate than say Campus Martius. I think that 250' would be a good limit for the height, around the same size as the David Whitney, and a bit taller than the Statler.

[wolverine]

I kind of disagree. Detroit is using up all of it's parcels that would be prime for highrise development. The goal is to build up the height of the center of the city, and what better place to do that that GCP. The only other locations would probably be around bricktown, and even those lots are disappearing to lowrise development and parking structures.

[Allan]

I'd have to agree with Wolverine. GCP could use some more height. Not like 85 stories or anything, but something in the 40+ story area would be nice.

We could use some tall towers over in the vast sea of parking lots between Washington, Michigan, the Lodge, & the river too...something to balance out the Ren Cen. If the Book Needle had been constructed, it would've done the job...stupid Depression!

[RustTown]

There are quite a few under-utilized garages and surface lots in the lower Financial District, and then Bricktown and the east side of dowtown that could add height to the core. I don't know, I just don't like the idea of anything overly tall on Grand Circus Park.

[wolverine]

Well, the Brody is 34 floors and I think it looks fine. It helps having the Whitney next to it which is 20 I think. So a 40+ story building on the STatler site with a 30 story building on the UA site wouldn't be bad at all. Also remember that Washington Blvd is a highrise district. You have the book tower and industrial apartments which are kind of tall.

[RustTown]

All the mor reason to have a step-down effect into the park. Really, the only places that I'd like to see anything over 20 stories on are the Woodward entrance/exit into and out of Grand Circus Park. Of those four corners, all but the two on the north side (at Adams) sizeable highrises. It's just different taste, I guess. I've always like the idea of the Financial District grib below Campus Martius holding all of the tallest of the city leaving the necklace district for more intimate and fancy high-rises.

[Zissou]

I can't see the UA building, is it that salt cracker thing behind those blue things? I like the trees on the blue things. I kid, I kid. I like your drawing. A sort of unique shape, that changes as you move up, but still fits with the site is something I was thinking as well.

Im just happy that 20 minutes and 6 markers revived this thread.

I was sort of going for a Time Warner building effect. I really like the way that building works with Columbus Circle in New York. Plus Detroit could use a very modern glassy building. And NO, Kennedy block does not count.

[hudkina]

I have to agree with the others. Grand Circus Park was designed to accomodate massive buildings. Another Compuware would be way too small for this area. Whatever gets built doesn't have to be a supertall, but it definitely needs to have the massing of the Statler with a greater height.

[wolverine]

I don't think Detroit has setback rules. But in certain districts, buildings must be setback at a certain height to not only let light shine down onto the street, but put the lower levels at a more human scale. For example, the street facade may only be... say 5 stories in height. 15-20 feet back from that would be the tower portion that could rise to any height. This might be good for GCP if you are trying to go for a more intimate feeling. To be honest, an intimate feeling can be achieved anywhere. Areas west of woodward near the downtown can have new buildings that are more midrise and lowrise style.

The core is our highrise district. We need tall buildings to have a definitive skyline and highrise density. I would prefer not to sacrifice smaller and older buildings in the CBD for highrise development, rather build them on vacant downtown parcels.

Around Bricktown and a little west of Greektown, and some parts west of the downtown would be somewhat okay for building up the skyline. But that real big city feel would be felt with highrises around GCP. It was intended to be a highrise district in the past remember.

Just check out how Central park in NYC was done.

[RustTown]

It all depends on what you mean by high-rise. Just about everything currently on Grand Circus is a high-rise, and I like the current build of the area as is. It it were meant to be a skyscraper district, it would have been. To me, everything south of GCP is where all of the true skyscrapers should be. I know I'm alone here, but my opinion hasn't changed a bit on this. A replacement as tall as the Statler seems perfect for me, give or take a few dozen feet in either direction.