Michigan Avenue - Detroit

[Allan]

I found these photos from last year on my computer, so I figured I'd post them. Michigan Avenue is one of the spoke roads that radiate from downtown. Also known as US 12, Michigan Avenue goes all the way to Chicago. The area has been undergoing a renaissance lately, with many projects under construction.

The abandoned Michigan Central Station from across Roosevelt Park. There was talk of it being turned into the new DPD headquarters.

The CPA Building at the corner of W Vernor and Michigan

The Mercury Bar is currently being renovated, and will have lofts on the upper floors.

Unlike other areas around the city, Michigan Avenue has retained a lot of 19th century commercial buildings.

Buildings getting renovated on Michigan

Looking east towards downtown

A lonely old building

Tiger Stadium

Newly restored buildings

This building next to Tiger Stadium has unfortunately been vacant for years.

A former bank

Buildings along the north side of Michigan

Nemo's

Downtown peaking through the buildings

After suffering a fire a couple of years ago, the old Roosevelt Place Hotel is being converted into condos.

[satalac]

i never realized that tiger stadium looked like a round factory building. the deserve something better than that. maybe it would help them win some games

[Allan]

Tiger Stadium has not been used since 2000. It has since joined the list of decaying buildings in the city. Rumor has it that the Ilitches have inquired about building a new hockey arena for the Red Wings on the site. Tiger Stadium holds a special place in a lot of people's hearts, since it was where they saw their first baseball game. However, of all the abandoned buildings in the city, this would be the one I wouldn't mind seeing get demolished.

The Tigers currently play at Comerica Park, seen here as nightfall was approaching two weeks ago.

Here is a better view of the Stadium from the roof of the Penobscot Building last July.

[boo]

corktown would be much better off if they got rid of that stadium and developed the plot into "smart" residential or commercial. the window to turn the stadium into condos or lure a soccer or minor league team there is closed. the stadium is just a big waste of space for most residents, regardless if some think it is charming. while there are small victories in corktown (new irish restaurant, upcoming bbq restaurant) with the michigan central train station in view there are two visible reminders of the lack of forward momentum in the area.

[Allan]

I definately agree that the best thing would be to level the stadium, restore the street grid, and then build urban housing on the site. Hopefully this would fuel some more redevelopment in the areas north of Michigan, since thus far most of the development has occured south of Michigan. The various proposals floated for the stadium over the years just haven't made sense. Just put the building out of its misery, because I would be surprised if they used it ever again.

The area is definately coming back. This is most apparent in the residential areas south of Michigan, but redevelopment is occuring along Michigan as well. I will be posting photos of Corktown's residential areas in the near future.

[Scott]

Thanks Allan, interesting stuff.

[satalac]

i was not aware that they weren't using it anymore. shows how closely i follow baseball. haha. that would be awesome to see a mixed use area come out of tiger stadium. it will be rough for some of the fans because of the sentimental value. comerica park is very nice btw!

[Allan]

Tiger Stadium has sentimental value to tens of thousands of people, including me. It was where I saw my first baseball game. I have many fond memories of my times at the stadium. However, it is just not practical to renovate it. Everything from lofts to stores to a museum have been proposed. Groups have tried to bring minor league teams, and one group even tried to bring the Montreal Expos to the stadium.

The stadium opened in 1912 and is one of the oldest major league ballparks in existance. The lack of maintenance the last five years have really caused the stadium to deteriorate. The last several years it was in operation the stadium was not being maintained like it should have been, since they knew that they would be building a new stadium.

A few years ago a movie was filmed in the stadium. The general public was invited to fill the stands. To my knowledge, that was the last time the old stadium was used. There is a group devoted to preserving the stadium, and apparently they want to bring Major League Soccer to the stadium.

[BrandonTO416]

This street is just begging people to move onto it and take care of it.

The charm can be heard in the history of the buildings.

[Brother Ray]

Just saw this tidbit about Nemo's Bar in Corktown on Michigan Ave:

Detroit's Nemo's Named One of America's Top Three Sports Bars

Sports Illistrated magazine named Nemo's, in Detroit's historic Corktown neighborhood, as one of the

nation's top three sports bars.

Unfortunately, you need a subscription to SI.com before you can read the article.

[Loughlin]

Do you think alot of people in the city would be mad if it was gone , cuz i know in boston there would be riots if they tore down fenway.

[Aaron]

Do you think alot of people in the city would be mad if it was gone , cuz i know in boston there would be riots if they tore down fenway.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Tiger Stadium opened the same day as Fenway in 1912, and baseball's been played at that site since 1896. Some of my earliest memories of Detroit and dearest anywhere are from my visits to Tiger Stadium as a kid. Still, there really isn't much you can do with an old ballpark except play baseball in it, which isn't going to happen with a big-league team nearby and minor-league action in Toldeo. Any other options just aren't feasable, at least not in Detroit's economic climate.

I would love to just get one last chance to be inside...but I have to say that the longer it sits vacant the more dignity it's going to lose. It has to be torn down. There's been some talk among forumers of reviving the old street grid if/when it goes down, and maybe the neighborhood will pick up even more.

[Jonzo]

Do you think alot of people in the city would be mad if it was gone , cuz i know in boston there would be riots if they tore down fenway.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'll tell ya, I would really feel like rioting if they tore Tiger Stadium down. It is the last of it's type of classic ballpark along with Wrigley field in Chicago and your own beautiful Fenway Park. There is so much history there and it is home to my earliest memories of Detroit. Many of the cities officials claimed that Tiger Stadium was falling apart and that they needed a new stadium, while many engineers claimed that the stadium was in as good a shape as it ever was. There was no real way of knowing. I know that one argument used by the officials for a new stadium was footage of police cars being burned after a celebration party for the tigers win in the '84 world series got out of hand. They claimed that the Tigers needed a "nicer, safer place to prawl." Although I have grown to like Comerica (it is pretty) There is too much history in tiger stadium (although that never stopped the city from razing other, even more historic buildings in the city..)

[rbdetsport]

I think Tiger Stadium should stay. That was where I had my first memories of a real major league baseball game. It would cost a lot more to demolish it and redevelop it then to just renovate it. Does Detroit really need another gapping hole?????

[Jonzo]

I think Tiger Stadium should stay. That was where I had my first memories of a real major league baseball game. It would cost a lot more to demolish it and redevelop it then to just renovate it. Does Detroit really need another gapping hole?????

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Couldn't have put it any better myself.

[Allan]

It would actually be much cheaper to demolish it than to renovate it. It is so out of date...all the mechanical systems need to be replaced, and it has deteriorated quite a bit since it closed. Besides, what on earth would you redevelop it into? My first memories of a major league game are also at Tiger Stadium, but they are just that - memories. It's time to put the building out of its misery.

[Allan]

I swear...people from the news media must read this forum. Either that or they can read our minds.

The city still wants to do something with the stadium. Of course they said the same exact thing two or three years ago.

http://www.detnews.com/2005/business/0503/03/E01-106015.htm

[rbdetsport]

LOL, your toldly right. I read that news article. I bet they do read this.