Possible Quicken Loans Building

[Zissou]

You really cant dress up the entire people mover, the money would be rediculous. I did like the lights added at the Whitney station but I think maybe adding lighting or LED's could happen on certain portions, like when it crosses Jefferson Avenue or in an entertainment district like perhaps on Broadway. It could add some excitement and be pleasing to the eye. Im not too worried about it though, its not the most pleasant looking thing but doesnt bother me too much.

[RustTown]

I personally don't get the distate over the tracks. They aren't pretty, but I find them hardly distracting, and interesting when I do notice them, and in a good way. They are a mark of an urban city. Not everything has to be pretty and polished in a city, lest one desires for the city to begin to look phoney, Disneyfied, and antiseptic.

[Michi]

Can someone please explain the perspective of the rendering? What street is that looking down, and where is Grand Circus Park in relation? I'm having a hard time grasping direction in the sketch.

That's all it is. A sketch. If anything was to come of this, there would be many many more drawings and drafts.

[detwaa84]

Can someone please explain the perspective of the rendering? What street is that looking down, and where is Grand Circus Park in relation? I'm having a hard time grasping direction in the sketch.

That's all it is. A sketch. If anything was to come of this, there would be many many more drawings and drafts.

If it was a photo. I would say it's taken standing at the corner of the historic chruch on Woodward and Adams, directly facing the statler and UA sites. If the photo was extended a bit to the left, you would see the David Whitney Building. The trees and greenery at the very bottom is GR Park, and directly above them and in light color, is a line that is supposedly the People Mover.

You are looking at image 2, right?

[Michi]

Yes. I assumed the view is looking down Adams Street (the Kales and Park Ave Buildings would be on the right), but it's still a bit confusing. That would mean the Statler site would be the garage and residential building, but they don't seem to be wedge-shapped like the lot. And would that mean the tall tower is in the place of the United Artists Building or what?

[detwaa84]

Yes. I assumed the view is looking down Adams Street (the Kales and Park Ave Buildings would be on the right), but it's still a bit confusing. That would mean the Statler site would be the garage and residential building, but they don't seem to be wedge-shapped like the lot. And would that mean the tall tower is in the place of the United Artists Building or what?

Michi, they seem to be connected. So bagley and the PM go under the building. That's why you can't make up the shape. And Yes, The taller building would be right next to the UA, which you can't see here.

[RustTown]

Yeah, Bagley looks like it would be vacated creating a superblock. This would fill the Tuller and Statler sites.

[egrguy]

Oh man! I read this thread and was excited that there might be an update finally. It seems like this has dragged on quite a while, but I thought something would be more imminent with their lease to expire within the next few years.

[detwaa84]

Oh man! I read this thread and was excited that there might be an update finally. It seems like this has dragged on quite a while, but I thought something would be more imminent with their lease to expire within the next few years.

Even if they make a decision now, will they have enough time to to construct it and move in by the time the rent expires, or will there have to be some sort of extention?

[RustTown]

They don't have to build a new headquarters. They could just as easily move to some other office building in downtown or the suburbs when their lease expires, so it's not like they are feeling the heat to construct a new headquarters, which has been nothing more than a dream by Gilbert. If anything, the media played this up more than they probably should. All of the unexpected attention may have very well given Gilbert cold-feet as it was almost as if the media was running the plans instead of him.

Another option that wasn't talked about as much among the media or the online community, but one that seems much more likely, now, is that Quicken Loans could move into the unbuilt space on the back of Compuware. Being not as glamorous a proposal, I guess that's why it wasn't talked about much, but Compuware has the ability to create a 325,000 square feet expansion in its phase II if its ever built.

[Jasoncw]

I don't think that's likely because it doesn't have most of the benefits that doing other places would.

But aside from Hudson's, Statler, and those other high profile blocks, there are tons of other empty spaces around downtown where they could build.

A lot of things have pointed towards them considering moving there. It's more than him thinking it would be cool.

[statedude3]

I don't think that's likely because it doesn't have most of the benefits that doing other places would.

But aside from Hudson's, Statler, and those other high profile blocks, there are tons of other empty spaces around downtown where they could build.

A lot of things have pointed towards them considering moving there. It's more than him thinking it would be cool.

Would the riverfront be a reality for any coprorate headquarters? I recall seing a compuware concept on the river back in the day. I would think that the high visibility, new developments and accesibly location would make this a more popular concept. Perhaps the Ford Auditorium site?

[Allan]

The Ford Auditorium site was one of the proposed sites for Comerica's headquarters. The idea went over like a lead balloon. We've been reclaiming the riverfront from private development & industry since the 1890s. Why give away a prime riverfront spot to corporate America?

There are other better places for corporate headquarters, like the Monroe Block, Hudsons Block, Statler Block, or any number of empty/underutilized blocks downtown.

[Jasoncw]

My understanding is that they're doing the CM blocks in a certain order, and that Hudson's is before Monroe. If someone wanted the Monroe block, what would they say? Are they doing the blocks in an order to manage their resources (doing a good job on each, one at a time, instead of promoting them all at once and doing a bad job with all), or what.

[Allan]

The order has to do with how easily they'd be redeveloped. For instance, it would be easier to develop the Hudson's block than the Monroe block because it has underground parking already created, whereas the Monroe block would need to have some sort of parking garage constructed. I'm sure if someone came forward with plans and the right financial backing and wanted to develop the Monroe block, the city wouldn't turn them away.

[RustTown]

Allan's last sentence is key. There is a preference in when each block gets developed, but if a excellent proposal were to come by for the Monroe Block (i.e. one that didn't require a whole lot of city participation (tax breaks)), I'm sure the city would be more than happy to break the order of development. It's not set in stone; it's a suggestion. It wouldn't even be legal, anyway, to deny development based solely on the fact that a city wants an order to developing the blocks.

Also, Jason, it has been hinted that having put off the idea for a new construction, for now, Gilbert is considering simply moving into a test spot in Compuware, anyway, and it would be much cheaper for them to expand along the back of Compuware in the long run. I'm not under the impression, any longer, that Quicken is definitely looking for their own space, downtown. I think, right now, simply moving into Compuware is probably just as likely, if not more, than them deciding to start back up talks for a new site.

[detwaa84]

This develpment has been removed from Rossetti's website!

What have I done!?!

[Michi]

lol! Well, I'll at least give you a delicious cookie for keeping us inspired!

[hudkina]

Can I have that second one!

[detwaa84]

Can I have that second one!

No! sorry.

[Jasoncw]

Does anyone know how many square feet of office space they want? And how much hotel and residential space they want?

[statedude3]

Does anyone know how many square feet of office space they want? And how much hotel and residential space they want?

No idea but it sure would be neat if they built on the Statler site and turned the Whitney Bldg into their res/hotel space.

[RustTown]

They never released any of that to the public, if they even knew, themselves. What we do know is that a few sites and concepts were shopped around for them, though. It was speculated on the net that with the number of employees they had they'd need around 500,000 square feet of office space. The residential/entertainment component was kind of an after-thought or loosely-conceived add-on, from what I understand. So, I'm not sure if they'd even got that far in the planning. I get the feeling that we thought they (Quicken and the City) were doing much more behind the scenes then they probably really were.

[Jasoncw]

Thanks!

That's exactly what I needed.

[Michi]

I'm kinda loosing any real hope that this is going to happen anytime soon. I still think it may happen, but considering all the media talk over the last few years and the most recent tone of uncertainty, really makes me think that this was nothing more than a dream of capitalizing on Detroit and putting the company on a high-profile pedistal. The company will still prosper as one of the best in the USA, but I don't think the leadership, aside from Mr. Gilbert really cares that passionately about raising the profile of the company like Compuware did, or GM with its sign 725 feet above the US and Canada.