  Urbanoutdoors Member Username: Urbanoutdoors Post Number: 632 Registered: 11-2005 |
http://www.crainsdetroit.com/a pps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/2007 1129/REG/71129006/1016/-/-/for mer-free-press-printing-plant- sold Its a start, although there is already a waterfront trail there. | ||
Gsgeorge Member Username: Gsgeorge Post Number: 369 Registered: 08-2006 |
Cool. Can't wait to ride my bike from Belle Isle to Riverside Park. | ||
Bearinabox Member Username: Bearinabox Post Number: 415 Registered: 04-2006 |
I was at Riverside Park a couple weeks ago, and everything east of 24th was fenced off by Homeland Security. For now at least, I think a bike path would have to end east of the bridge or be routed up to Jefferson for a few blocks. (Message edited by bearinabox on November 30, 2007) | ||
Hairybackjoe Member Username: Hairybackjoe Post Number: 26 Registered: 06-2005 |
Unfortunately, Gsgeorge, you will first need a permission slip from Matty Maroun. | ||
Rocket_city Member Username: Rocket_city Post Number: 482 Registered: 04-2006 |
Good to see there wasn't huge fiasco over all the interested parties, and the deal was settled w/o a multi-year corrupt lawsuit over land. | ||
Lifeinmontage Member Username: Lifeinmontage Post Number: 17 Registered: 10-2007 |
good improvement. but i'll be happy when mike decides where he's gonna put his new ice arena, when king kwame, ficano, and LBP come to some agreement on a new convention center ($600M to renovate and add only 300k sq ft when Washington's brand new convention center cost $850M for 2.2M sq ft?), and we can open up the riverfront between hart plaza and the bridge with more of the riverwalk or some other public space (is the land in front of the riverfront towers closed to the public?). source for washington convention center cost: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02 /18/AR2007021801431.html | ||
Corktownmark Member Username: Corktownmark Post Number: 357 Registered: 12-2004 |
Bearinabox why? Does Matty own the Rail yard? | ||
Thejesus Member Username: Thejesus Post Number: 2901 Registered: 06-2006 |
that's pretty sweet...they could have just been granted some crappy little easement for a pedestrian path along the river, but instead they ended up with 26 acres...lots of development possibilities there | ||
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul Post Number: 2074 Registered: 10-2006 |
Think that the conservancy has any use for the 360' x 600' building, or is it simply going the way of the concrete silos? | ||
Rbdetsport Member Username: Rbdetsport Post Number: 416 Registered: 11-2005 |
I envision the West Riverfront to be a more high rise district rather than an East Riverfront. It is a totally different area. The East has the history that needs to be preserved in a low-rise to mid-rise community. There is not much left of the history on the West Riverfront, so there is no boundaries. I believe that is what the city wants as well. Which is why they saved it for later. | ||
Eric Member Username: Eric Post Number: 1019 Registered: 11-2004 |
That plant is going the way of the silos. We'll get a better idea on Monday what exactly they plan on doing with the land. Land deal clears way to extend RiverWalk Conservancy to unveil Monday how it will use former printing plant site. David Josar / The Detroit News DETROIT -- The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy on Monday is expected to announce plans for the 22-acre piece of land that had been owned by Detroit Media Partnership and was acquired by the conservancy Nov. 19. Carly Strachan, a spokeswoman for the conservancy group, said the property is important because it will clear the way for the first substantial piece of the RiverWalk to extend from Cobo Center south toward the Ambassador Bridge. The site has about 2,000 feet of frontage along the Detroit River. http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.d ll/article?AID=/20071201/METRO /712010351/1408/LOCAL | ||
Lifeinmontage Member Username: Lifeinmontage Post Number: 28 Registered: 10-2007 |
Even though there may not be an obligation to preserve history on West Riverfront, that doesn't mean they have to close it off to the public by building more high rises. Why not keep the foot traffic going towards the bridge, maybe even connecting to Mexicantown? That neighborhood has always been a little disconnected because of the placement of the bridge, border crossing, and 96. The city of Detroit has a real opportunity here; let's hope they use it. | ||
Eric_c Member Username: Eric_c Post Number: 1125 Registered: 11-2003 |
There's no reason you can't have both, Life. There could be high-rises behind the promenade and park and it can all link to Mexicantown. | ||
Bearinabox Member Username: Bearinabox Post Number: 419 Registered: 04-2006 |
It's a good idea, but the way I-75 curves in that area, it'd be hard to find a route that goes straight to Mexicantown. Jefferson to St. Anne to Bagley or Vernor (depending on whether the new pedestrian bridge across I-75 is bike accessible) seems like the best bet, but St. Anne is a residential street with on-street parking, so it doesn't seem like there'd be much room for a bike path. Routing the path under the Ambassador along Jefferson and up West Grand Boulevard might work better, with the additional advantage of incorporating Riverside Park, but as a route to Mexicantown it's a bit less direct. | ||
Fareastsider Member Username: Fareastsider Post Number: 702 Registered: 08-2006 |
The sidewalk along the river in front of that property is certainly a hidden access to the water I would be 99% of metro Detroiters would not know of. As far as the ratio of Detroityes users I would say about 30% dont know about that waterfront sidewalk! This is great news it will be a good use for that large patch of open land! | ||
Billk Member Username: Billk Post Number: 176 Registered: 09-2005 |
This is great news. I would hope they will put up some benches and trash cans before 2012. | ||
Billk Member Username: Billk Post Number: 177 Registered: 09-2005 |
Demolition begins on Free Press Plant http://www.crainsdetroit.com/a pps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/2007 1203/REG/71203001/1025/-/-/dem olition-begins-on-free-press-p lant | ||
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul Post Number: 2084 Registered: 10-2006 |
Jeez. Wasted NO time. Usually you need to have a few demo drawings. Is it just a one story building? | ||
Tompage Member Username: Tompage Post Number: 46 Registered: 01-2005 |
I think it's great that the Free Press plant is being torn down. Should never have been put there in the first place. I really look forward for this portion of the Riverwalk to link with the eastern portion. We truly will have a world class riverwalk before long. Let's not forget, though, that the Detroit Media Partnership (Free Press and News) moved the printing plant operations, and all the jobs that were related to it, out of Detroit. That's why the riverfront plant was available in the first place. Yes, I'm grateful that the plant will be torn down and the land will be put to public use. I do think it's a real shame that the City's namesake newspapers don't print their papers in the City. By the way, the same same goes for Detroit (rather, Wixom) Public Television. | ||
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul Post Number: 2092 Registered: 10-2006 |
"By the way, the same same goes for Detroit (rather, Wixom) Public Television." Are they not up there just a few blocks north of New Center anymore? | ||
Johnlodge Member Username: Johnlodge Post Number: 3979 Registered: 10-2003 |
" do think it's a real shame that the City's namesake newspapers don't print their papers in the City." Understandable, though from a distribution standpoint, the new facility is a lot more centralized (and advanced). | ||
Tompage Member Username: Tompage Post Number: 47 Registered: 01-2005 |
Charlottepaul, no, Detroit (Wixom) Public TV moved to Wixom a few years ago, claiming they couldn't find a suitable space in Detroit! (http://www.wtvs.org/) Their web site shows their Wixom address, and still shows a TV studio address on Second in Detroit, no phone or e-mail. I don't know that this is in operation. Johnlodge, the suburban facility may be centralized from a distribution standpoint. However, many of their drivers and workers were from southwest Detroit. Sterling Heights isn't central to them. I just think that institutions such as public television and daily newspapers should be challenged when their location decisions contribute to wasteful sprawl. | ||
Johnlodge Member Username: Johnlodge Post Number: 3983 Registered: 10-2003 |
Ehh, Sterling Heights isn't exactly "sprawl" at this point. | ||
Burnsie Member Username: Burnsie Post Number: 1217 Registered: 11-2003 |
Somebody asked if Moroun owns the RR yard by the riverfront-- No, Norfolk Southern Ry. owns it. | ||
J32885 Member Username: J32885 Post Number: 54 Registered: 11-2005 |
Yep, NS owns the old Wabash Boat Yard. I would like to see more park space, another boat launch/marina, and residential development on West Riverfront. | ||
Billk Member Username: Billk Post Number: 182 Registered: 09-2005 |
Who owns the plot of land directly west of the Riverfront Apts./Condos? |
