Tiger Stadium Detroit

[Brother Ray]

Earlier this summer I took a drive down to Tiger Stadium just to see how she was holding up. The pictures say it all, she's hanging in there but seriously in need of some loving care.

The most famous corner in Detroit!

The old ticket stand advising all to go to Comerica Park for tickets

Even a little sweeping up around the corner would show some respect for what this building means to the people of the City

I was shocked to see that even the Tiger's logo is left to deteriate.

A sleeping gem, just waiting for the right owner. I pray she makes it, for I have too many memories of this park from my childhood.

[Fruit Cove]

a shame, why wasnt it demolished if it wasnt going to be maintained? god only knows what kind of shape the field is in.

[Allan]

a shame, why wasnt it demolished if it wasnt going to be maintained? god only knows what kind of shape the field is in.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Because the city has no money to demolish it. The demolition budget for the entire city is only around $10 Million per year. That is enough money to demolish one large building and a few hundred houses. The 18 story Statler Hotel downtown is going to cost roughly $5 million to demolish. If the city had the money, Tiger Stadium, the Book-Cadillac Hotel, the Statler Hotel, the United Artists Building, Broderick Tower, the Whitney Building, the Pick-Fort Shelby, and others would've been demolished long ago.

Thanks for posting these pics! I fear that Tiger Stadium will continue to sit and crumble until it is demolished in five or ten years. There have been plans for redeveloping it into lofts, shops, and even a museum, but nothing has materialized so far. The latest rumor is that Marian Ilitch has inquired about demolishing the city and building a new arena for the Red Wings on the site.

[PghUSA]

Ty Cobb is rolling over in his grave . . . then again he probably already did with the CRA of 1964 lol

[wolverine]

It is all hard decisions for the city.

I'm sorry.

Architecturally, Tiger Stadium is a wreck. The only reasons why I like it is because of my own memories of going to games there when I was young. Yes, some great games happened there. But the Tigers, or any other professional team are not coming back to Tiger Stadium. Just look at it. Today, it stands a mass of sheet metal. It only embodies the spirit of baseball now gone. It has to go. We can't hold onto this building. We talk about redevelopment of this building, and turning it into something it is not is just ridicululous. We can renovate a Madison Lenox into lofts, or a United Artist building into offices, but we can't turn Tiger Stadium into a museum or a mall. It just doesn't look right. And already, parts of Detroit don't look right. We tear down the wrong the buildings, and leave some of the most insignificant ones standing. Any new buildings that are built, are constructed on the wrong spot. And then we tear down more buildings to make a sprawling parking lot. But Tiger stadium, it needs to go. Build rowhouses, a new commerical district, something that could revive life back into Corktown. Tiger stadium has no importance to me anymore. I love what Comerica park looks like, with its decorative steel arches, stone tigers, and brick and masonry facades over an off-white, steel covered, rusty framework.

EDIT

And Illitch. What is he thinking. Another arena for Detroit. Why don't we make the whole city arenas? Allan knows, I don't like Illitch, as I feel he is an endangerment to the CBDs historical integrity. If Illitch wants to level Tiger Stadium and build a new arena on the spot, fine. Just be sure to level the Joe Louis arena so I don't have stare at it off the people mover when it becomes abandoned someday. I mean, does anyone here think the Joe looks nice? But it better not end up being a gravel parking lot. I want to see density.

[PghUSA]

Why not the Tigers AA farm team? or use it for the Women's softball league team or just open it up as a community ballpark hold high school soccer, football, baseball there (the championships) there is some colleges in the city of detroit that would love to adopt that as their home right?

[PghUSA]

possibly use it as an ampitheater if nothing else, bluesfest, jazzfest hell Eminem could adopt it and put on acts all year!

[Brother Ray]

But the Tigers, or any other professional team are not coming back to Tiger Stadium.  Just look at it.  Today, it stands a mass of sheet metal.  It only embodies the spirit of baseball now gone.  It has to go.  We can't hold onto this building. 

I'm sure the folks in Boston and New York are happy they saved their stadiums. New York closed Yankee Stadum for over a YEAR to fix up their gem. Both Boston and New York have the two oldest American League stadiums remaining in baseball. And they are the most profitable and thriving teams of all MLB!!! Let's not even talk about Wriglely Field and the Cubbies. Why couldn't we fix this gem of our own up? Historical significance means nothing to the majority of Detroiters (I'm not suggesting that is what you said, my fellow A2 mate).

I must admit, I love Comerica Park. It is beautiful and offers everything a park could for the Tiger fans and the city. But there is no Cobb, Geringer, Kaline, Gibson, etc... blood in that field. No historical anything except tributes for each decade designed to hide the support beams.

It's too late now, Tiger Stadium has been dealt a bow and she either has to go or be completely renovated to be something she was never ment to be (did someone say lofts? ). Thus, you would think a lesson would be learned about preserving other buildings within the City of Detroit. Aparrently people still don't get it, and that is a shame.

As for that game against State yesterday......

[wolverine]

I would love to see it restored if possble. People are suggesting minor leagues in that stadium. But how would it be funded? The difference between all those cities you listed and Detroit is that they have money. The owners of the teams have money. Detroit has a growing deficit, and the current owner of the stadium has buildings across the city that sit in ruins. Although Illitch wanted to build his foxtown district, another reason for the team leaving the stadium was the maintenance issues. That stadium is very expensive to take care of. If it has to be converted into something else today, it would have to be significantly sized down to lower costs of keeping it in operation. As I said before, it's not like an actual building like the Statler, UA, or BC that are to an extent easily maintainable. These buildings are structures that create a downtown, a city. A stadium doesn't. If I had to choose a structure that would face the wrecking ball first in front of all of these gems, Tiger Stadium would be first to go. If something good comes to the site of TS in the future, we can't hold on to it because we have great baseball memories. This is for the future of Detroit. We need to do whatever we can to make the city thrive once again. I would also like to mention once again, that a professional baseball team Can Not move into Tiger stadium. There are league rules determining distances between two MLB stadiums for reasons I do not know. The Chicago White Sox and the Cubs have stadiums that exceed the required distance.

I'm willing to see the stadium converted. I have seen some amazing plans for that site that have unfortunately fallen through. One plan even called for a residential skyscraper to be built onto the side. If plans work well to convert it, I am for it. I'm in favor in nearly every building to be renovated in downtown Detroit. I don't like to see things face the wrecking ball that have Architectural significance. Unfortunately, I've moved on with TS, and if it has to come down, I won't lose any sleep.

EDIT: and yes, I was at the state game yesterday, and I found it to be absolutely amazing! I may post pictures soon.

BTW Brother Ray, are you a student at Michigan? I noticed your pictures have already been removed. You know the university offers free webhosting. I usually put all my pictures on my university space, and I usually don't end up even deleting them.

[Brother Ray]

BTW Brother Ray, are you a student at Michigan?  I noticed your pictures have already been removed.  You know the university offers free webhosting.  I usually put all my pictures on my university space, and I usually don't end up even deleting them.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I am not a student. That was many moons ago. I just happen to be smart enough to live in this wonderful city. As for the pictures previously posted, they are still coming up for me. Let me know if you still can't see them.

[Allan]

I agree with Wolverine. If any vacant landmark in Detroit were to come down first, I would choose Tiger Stadium. Architecturally it is a disaster. It looks like an ugly metal warehouse! I have many memories from my childhood there, but I wouldn't really mind too much if it is demolished. The building has been rapidly decaying since it closed. Heck, even before it closed it was decaying. Tiger Stadium needs to redeveloped or demolished. It is time to put it out of its misery.

[SNWEB]

Yep same here guys.

It should be demolsihed right now. The city is paying for its lawn to be cut and maintained everyday, costing the city $$

[rbdetsport]

Thank God the city didn't have enough money to demolish the beautiful buildings. I'd have abandoned buildings rather than no buildings.