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Stott Building to be converted to Residential?

Allan

By Allan
in Detroit

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Allan Metropolis

Allan

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Last month's Urbanity Now magazine featured a story about the Capitol Park area of downtown. It mentioned that the David Stott Building may be converted into condominiums.

It contains the once notable Farwell Building, featuring design by Tiffany, an Albert Kahn building, as well as the currently occupied David Stott building, which could become condominiums. The United Way building anchors the block.

What are the chances of this happening? The building is currently less than 50% occupied, so it would be nice if the entire building could get filled. It seems to me that they would have to build another parking deck though, either where those short, vacant buildings just to the south of the building are located, or across the street where Cunningham's Drug Store used to be. Unless the city wants to bury a garage under the park. Like that'll happen!

You can read the entire article here:

Capitol Park rises with promise

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rbdetsport Burg

rbdetsport

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Last month's Urbanity Now magazine featured a story about the Capitol Park area of downtown.  It mentioned that the David Stott Building may be converted into condominiums. 

What are the chances of this happening?  The building is currently less than 50% occupied, so it would be nice if the entire building could get filled.  It seems to me that they would have to build another parking deck though, either where those short, vacant buildings just to the south of the building are located, or across the street where Cunningham's Drug Store used to be.  Unless the city wants to bury a garage under the park.  Like that'll happen!

You can read the entire article here:

Capitol Park rises with promise

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It mentioned construction workers at the book-cadillac..... Is that true?

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wolverine Town

wolverine

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Honestly, I could care less if Capitol park got ripped up for the installation of a parking garage beneath. It looks like crap right now. If the Stott were renovated to condos, they'd have to move some tenants around, and probably to the lower floors since I expect condo owners would like to be on higher floors. I have heard about this proposal for some time. I thought it was all talk... just like the stuff we hear about Book Tower.

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Allan Metropolis

Allan

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Burying a parking garage under the park is the best solution to parking in the area. It would allow tunnels to be built from the Stott, Farwell, and maybe even Book Cadillac into the garage. Then we could get rid of those surface lots and that ugly garage at Grisworld & Grand River. Because the bus terminal is moving to Times Square, this would be an excellent time to do this. However, the city is broke, so I don't think it's going to happen now.

I would assume that the condos would go on the upper floors. Leasing in the building isn't very strong, so I doubt there would be many people to move. Only half of the floors are even available for leasing, and of those I'm sure that there are quite a few empty floors.

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Allan Metropolis

Allan

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I don't remember off the top of my head. I will look it up later. I know some people who asked the owner if they could see the view from the roof, and the owner said "no." But we for sure won't ever get roof access if we don't ask.

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Chow Unincorporated Area

Chow

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Well digging up the park would mean disturbing the ©remains of Stevens T. Mason, Michigan's first governor. I recall hearing plans to build a parking deck on the surface lot behind the BC, but that was a long time ago. Perhaps tenents could arrange some sort of deal with the 1001 garage or replace that low building to the south.

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Allan Metropolis

Allan

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Not many people realize that Stevens T. Mason is even burried in Capitol Park. Moving him to a more prominent location in Lansing wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing...certainly much better than the bus terminal location he's at now.

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Allan Metropolis

Allan

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True, but would you want to be burried in a bus terminal? I wouldn't. It was just an idea I had...I don't even want to guess what kind of controversies might emerge if there were actual plans to move the body.

I suppose they could always try to build the garage around the grave. LOL.

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Chow Unincorporated Area

Chow

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Not many people realize that Stevens T. Mason is even burried in Capitol Park.  Moving him to a more prominent location in Lansing wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing...certainly much better than the bus terminal location he's at now.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's the catch though. Mason has absolutely nothing to do with Lansing, he died before the capitol even moved. It was from Capitol Park (then the capitol of course) that he led the militia onward towards Toledo. All of the history is in that small triangle. Plus its just his ashes, sort of hard to move =)

There definitely needs to be a better marker on that site, so much history overlooked...

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Allan Metropolis

Allan

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That thought never even crossed my mind. Still, you'd think they could at least put up a legible marker of some kind. There is a stone marker from like 1929 there, but I'm not even sure what it says, and it's pretty weathered, so it's hard to read. Do you know if that marker mentions anything about Stevens T. Mason?

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Chow Unincorporated Area

Chow

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Do you know if that marker mentions anything about Stevens T. Mason?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If I remember correctly, there is a statue of him there, but thats about it. Hopefully the park can get an overhaul after the new transportation center thing is built over by Times Square. It really shouldn't serve as a bus depot.

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Allan Metropolis

Allan

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There is a stone marker near the statue though. I'm not sure if it just talks about the park being the site of the first capitol, or if it also talks about the first governor. I stopped briefly in the fall to take a photo of it, but because it was getting dark the photo did not turn out.

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