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Is there finally something happening to that building next to Reynolds and Sons?


GR_Urbanist

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I saw that in addition to the fence around the entrance that seems to have been there forever, there were a couple of workers on a tall lift doing something to one of the upper story windows.

I know this is one of those buildings owned by basically a local slum-lord looking for a unreasonable payday, but perhaps he has seen the light in a depressed real-estate market and finally cashed out?

I did notice that the For Sale sign in the window didnt have a sold sticker on it.

[Addition] Why do I keep screwing up "there" with "their"?

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I know this is one of those buildings owned by basically a local slum-lord looking for a unreasonable payday, but perhaps he has seen the light in a depressed real-estate market and finally cashed out?

If history is any indication Jim is doing just enough to keep himself out of court for demolition by neglect. Don't count any much happening beyond this.

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So many have tried and failed to make a go of Kendell building. Unfortunately the economics of it dosent work. It will take someone with deep pockets who will want to do it for the sake of cleaning up that spot, with the hope they can recoup later down the road. If this doesn’t happen, the building will implode on itself soon. It's such a great building, what a shame.

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It looked like today they were securing some bricks on the facade. As Nitro said, probably to avoid liability from falling bricks. The worst part is, the DDA is waiting for someone to do something with this building and the underground areaway in front of it before they rebuild that promenade. Sad too because that area is in BAD shape. The whole thing needs a makeover, even the perimeter concrete walls along the park. Yuck.

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It looked like today they were securing some bricks on the facade. As Nitro said, probably to avoid liability from falling bricks. The worst part is, the DDA is waiting for someone to do something with this building and the underground areaway in front of it before they rebuild that promenade. Sad too because that area is in BAD shape. The whole thing needs a makeover, even the perimeter concrete walls along the park. Yuck.

This intersection is literally a location that can be truthfully referred to as METROPOLITAN CENTER. Its SE, SW, NE & NW corners are a gigantically under-utilized location for a significant combined hub of mixed uses (with streetrail, BRT and linehaul access) that builds on the gravity of mixed uses already there (i.e. – the arena district, the GRPD/regional security industry, the Meijer Majestic theatre district, GR Children's Museum, Veterans Park greenspace, GRCC-Main Campus, The Gallery/UICA, the huge opportunity to go up significantly vertical at the SE corner of GR region's metropolitan center).

Might a revision of concepts from the link below be applicable now with what amazing options for our future are now coalescing around us? We were named GRAND for many reasons but the aspect of who and what we are that most reflects who we truly are is that inner impulse to always want to be more, to always want to outgrow that irritating notion of being “the little kid on the block”, to always want to overcome being the country stepchild of Michigan's SE City, to always push ourselves to move toward greatness. When you're whole region is connected to the moniker GRAND, you limit the region's greatest opportunities by not being willing to take the bumps and bruises that come with the work of pushing our home – the one that is the namesake of Michigan's West Coast – to attain the status of a region that truly reflects all of the superlatives of GRAND.

AN OLD GR QUOTE FROM ISABELLA CHRISTIANA TANNER-TREECE to her three GR children:

"....listen, your job is to reach for the stars - as impossible as that may be - but when you fail and look around you to see where you landed instead, you will see that you landed on a mountaintop and are still far higher than you would have been if you had placed your visions closer to the ground. You know I'm right so just get to it....and get this house cleaned up while I get on this dinner....and stop all the slick little comments RIGHT NOW....you kids get on my nerves...."

LINK: http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=130231530380815&topic=31

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It is just an incredibly difficult building. It isn't just the cost of the building and the renovation either.

For one thing it isn't on a real street, it's on the remaining stub of the old Monroe Center pedestrian mall. I guess the same could be said of Reynolds and Sons, but they're just one retail business, not an entire building looking for residential or office tenants.

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I doubt that you could give this building away for free. I cannot fathom why the city does not make it so expensive for Azzar to continue to hold this crap that he is forced to sell it. How in the world is he not getting fined to death over this thing? Or perhaps he is and he just doesn't care? It makes no sense to me why the guy doesn't just dump the miserable piece of junk to stop the bleeding. No one in their right mind would ever pay money for this thing with the other stuff available nearby that is in much better condition and at far more reasonable prices.

It is just an incredibly difficult building. It isn't just the cost of the building and the renovation either.

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Nitro and I toured this building a few years ago. It has potential as residential, and probably nothing else. Not even the ground floor would make good retail, for reasons mentioned already (primarily lack of parking).

I agree that the city needs to start fining building owners for blatant lack of maintenance.

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Nitro and I toured this building a few years ago. It has potential as residential, and probably nothing else. Not even the ground floor would make good retail, for reasons mentioned already (primarily lack of parking).

I agree that the city needs to start fining building owners for blatant lack of maintenance.

I had a dream once that a McDonalds went in the ground floor and a normal McD's one of those interesting ones like in Europe.. History of GR all over the place and stuff.... I feel like McD's wouldnt need parking...

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There used to be a McDonalds in the basement of the McKay Tower. Not sure why they left, but it's possible they may not even be interested in the downtown core.

The children's museum is immediately next door, isn't it? (Or is Reynold's between the two?) If the children's museum ever felt the need to expand, would the Kendall building be suitable?

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Remember that creepy elevator?

Oh yeah. I thought it was cool. :shades:

I had a dream once that a McDonalds went in the ground floor and a normal McD's one of those interesting ones like in Europe.. History of GR all over the place and stuff.... I feel like McD's wouldnt need parking...

I think a McDonald's today only needs a drive thru.

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