Detroit Off Topic

[Allan]

Yeah, free parking on Washington is great. The parking there has been free since they started redoing the street months ago. Unfortunately it's about to come to an end. They also finally installed meters on the west side of Farmer, between the people mover columns. That wasn't very cool. The city is trying to force me into paying to park, but it's not going to happen.

Detroit needs meters that you can pay for using credit cards. I never pay cash for much of anything, and I certainly don't have all kinds of spare quarters to feed the meters. It would also save the MPD work, since they wouldn't have to empty the meters so often. After all, a meter only holds about $10 in change. At the very least they could at least make it so that you can also pay with nickels & dimes. In every city I've ever been to you can pay the meters with nickels, dimes or quarters...except Detroit, that is.

I can't imagine why the city would want or need those All Star banners anymore. The city has a giant rummage sale each year at Cobo Hall. That would be your best bet, although it's certainly no guarantee.

[Ramcharger]

All of The meters in Chicago (if you can find one) only accept quarters. It has become nearly impossible to find on-street parking in downtown Chicago. Shortly after 9/11 they removed the meters and banned on-street parking adjacent to any large building for security reasons.

[Zissou]

Yeah, free parking on Washington is great.  The parking there has been free since they started redoing the street months ago.  Unfortunately it's about to come to an end.  They also finally installed meters on the west side of Farmer, between the people mover columns.  That wasn't very cool.  The city is trying to force me into paying to park, but it's not going to happen. 

Detroit needs meters that you can pay for using credit cards.  I never pay cash for much of anything, and I certainly don't have all kinds of spare quarters to feed the meters.  It would also save the MPD work, since they wouldn't have to empty the meters so often.  After all, a meter only holds about $10 in change.  At the very least they could at least make it so that you can also pay with nickels & dimes.  In every city I've ever been to you can pay the meters with nickels, dimes or quarters...except Detroit, that is.

I can't imagine why the city would want or need those All Star banners anymore.  The city has a giant rummage sale each year at Cobo Hall.  That would be your best bet, although it's certainly no guarantee.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Any idea when the sale takes place? I thought about getting my hands on one of those banners as well.

[wolverine]

The question is, where can you get them before they attempt to sell them. I was searching for the vehicle and crew that was removing them so I could ask for one. I wasn't thinking about forking over money for something the city was likely going to throw in the trash.

[Allan]

Grand Circus Park, 1907

From left to right, the Church of our Father, Hotel Tuller, Hotel Charlevoix, & the Fine Arts Building can be seen.

[ironchapman]

^ Kind of reminds me of London or Paris (without the Eiffel Tower)

[Allan]

It's funny that you mention that, because Detroit was once known as the "Paris of the Midwest." People often say that Detroit's street plan was modeled after Paris'; however, Detroit's street plan was developed decades before Paris began rebuilding the city in its current plan. Detroit's street grid was actually modeled after L'Enfant's plan for Washington, D.C. Detroiters abandoned the plan after just a few years, so only downtown resembles anything like Washington.

Woodward's 1806 Plan

Downtown as it was constructed

[ironchapman]

Some of the photos of Detroit's bigger streets (like Woodward) that I have seen like like a smaller version of the Champs Elysees in Paris.

[rbdetsport]

I like our streetgrid right now. Woodward's plan made too many odd shaped lots. But if you think about it, the odd lots could have pushed for some very unique buildings.

[ironchapman]

You could have had a Detroit Flatiron or two, but you're right, while that street plan would make for a nice view from a building or airplane, it would be heck trying to navigate it.

Edited July 23, 2005 by ironchapman

[Allan]

The plan did make for some interestingly shaped buildings. There are a couple that are triangular in shape. The plan also made for some interesting lines of sight. I really like the little enclaves that the plan created - Harmonie Park & Capitol Park in particular. As inefficient as it is, I wish they had fully carried out the plan.

It can be very hard to give directions to people visiting the city, since the streets go every which way. Then you've got streets like Lafayette & Fort that exist in two parts. There's East Fort, but that doesn't connect with West Fort. And all the road construction doesn't help any....

[wolverine]

I know, I get asked for direction a lot and it's hard to describe places to people. I've been asked by several people were the Gem Theatre was. At that time, the people were on the corner of Washington and some other side street. I had a hard time describing how Witherell street went because they wanted their directions in N/S/E/W Uhm, it's a curve!

[wolverine]

A proposed development to remove from our list

The 15 story tower proposed by Detroit's Central United Methodist Church by Comerica Park has decided not to build the tower at this time. I received this info from a reliable source who works within that church and knew a lot about the devleopments going on downtown. He said his community felt it wasn't the right time to build a residential tower while other new buildings downtown are trying to fill up. Such buildings included Kales, several buildings on Woodward, and now the Broderick Tower. The thought of a tower won't be gone for good. But this specific proposal will be scrapped.

[Zissou]

I guess its a good thing not to over saturate the downtown housing market but I was really looking forward to this tower going up relatively soon.

[rbdetsport]

So was I. That would have been a good spot to put a residential tower. I think it would have boosted Grand Circus Park a little bit more.

[atperry]

So was I.

Edited July 27, 2005 by atperry

[rbdetsport]

Yea that proposal is ugly. I hope if it comes back to the drawing board, that it will be ".....more architectually sound....." I would have liked to see a tower there though.

Edited August 6, 2005 by rbdetsport

[Zissou]

I actually was looking forward to that particular design. Detroit needs much more architectural diversity and this building would have helped that. I dont think the rendering is very flattering for the design either though.

[rbdetsport]

I just think it looks bland and very low wealth almost like it should be in a poor neighborhhod.

[RustTown]

Yeah, it looks like a public housing project, and from the 1970's at that. Detroit has enough of those to fill up a smaller city's skyline.

[wolverine]

Uh oh, looks like Fiddy and his G-Unit crew are causing trouble in good ole B-ham. I didn't realize they'd hang out in the suburbs over Detroit. hmmmmm

Metro Times Article

[bobliocatt]

What's the story behind Brush Park and the area around Cass Tech? Both seem to be prime areas for suture urban development. Does the city own most of the land?

[RustTown]

Future urban development? It's already experiencing and urban redevelopment with the exception of the original project, many who would argue it is suburban.

Both of these areas, historically, were very large farms, like much of Detroit's original "ribbon" farms that extended linearly away from the river. Both were later mansion districts and stayed that way until they hit decline, though Cass Park was more of a commercial area.

[bobliocatt]

Yeah, I noticed a couple of urban infill and loft projects. However, not much has seemed to change in these areas from what was going up last year. The location and what's left, is dynamite though.

[Allan]

The state of Michigan is conducting a historic preservation survey that will help to determine the course of preservation in the state through 2010. Please take a few minutes to fill it out.

http://www.michigan.gov/printerFriendly/0,...23535--,00.html