  Emu_steve Member Username: Emu_steve Post Number: 516 Registered: 11-2006 |
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pb cs.dll/article?AID=/20071204/E NT04/712040388 Will something start to happen now that the museum is official dead and the site turned back to the city? Sounds like the city (and Ilitch) would have the same problems with parcel assembly if he wanted to build an arena there. | ||
English Member Username: English Post Number: 618 Registered: 10-2003 |
Thanks EMU Steve... as a huge Motown fan, it's too bad for the museum, but it will be interesting to speculate on what (if anything) gets built there. Bringing the Wings to that area would really revitalize it. Also, a thought: the mistake was in making it just a Motown museum. I've long said we should have a Detroit music museum. Showcase the reason why we are Detroit Rock City (and Jazz, and Soul, and Techno, and Gospel, and...) | ||
Viziondetroit Member Username: Viziondetroit Post Number: 1305 Registered: 11-2003 |
^ I will co-sign that idea | ||
Greatlakes Member Username: Greatlakes Post Number: 87 Registered: 07-2007 |
"The group paid a professional fundraiser $87,500 in 2004, yet the center only raised $30,000 in contributions, gifts or grants, tax records show." Hmmmm... | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 4092 Registered: 02-2005 |
Not another superblock. Mid/High density housing, please. New buildings to complement the upcoming residential rehabs of the lower Cass Corridor (i.e. Eddystone). That neighborhood is just a gash of emptiness in the central most neighborhood of the city, and is awkward being across from the filled-in Brush Park. It needs a quick, but quality, fix. | ||
Eric Member Username: Eric Post Number: 1025 Registered: 11-2004 |
You're going to have a superblock almost anywhere you put the arena. Like with Tiger Stadium, the important thing is to make sure it doesn't interfere with major streets. And there is much better chance of doing here than trying to stuff it behind the Fox. | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 4095 Registered: 02-2005 |
I know the arena will require a superblock, but I don't think this is the place for one. | ||
Apbest Member Username: Apbest Post Number: 652 Registered: 03-2006 |
an arena there doesn't seem to fit into its context across from crosswinds like that...however look at Chinatown in DC after the Verizon Center (MCI) was built. Imagine if something like this stood at the famed corner http://upload.wikimedia.org/wi kipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/Mci _center_jan2006b.jpg/800px-Mci _center_jan2006b.jpg | ||
Atwater Member Username: Atwater Post Number: 121 Registered: 09-2007 |
Wow! No setback! If only things like that got built in Detroit.. | ||
Atwater Member Username: Atwater Post Number: 122 Registered: 09-2007 |
Also, what ever happened to the rather large development that was supposed to fill the area just north of the Motown museum? It was supposed to be rather high-density, with ground-floor retail, housing above, and fill many blocks. It was going to line Woodward.. and it was reported on for a while as definite. Now I'm realizing I haven't heard a word about it for a couple years. That can't be a good sign. It may have been called something like "Woodward Village"? Anybody know what I'm talking about? | ||
Emu_steve Member Username: Emu_steve Post Number: 517 Registered: 11-2006 |
Maybe, just maybe, waiting all year for Quicken and finally getting rewarded we'll get something next year for this site? Then again we could get really lucky and get a new arena in foxtown and housing Mackinaw wants at Woodward/75? Those of us hoping for Quicken and a new arena announcement in '07 just need to be a little more patient. Rome wasn't built in a day and Detroit won't be rebuilt in a day either. | ||
Emu_steve Member Username: Emu_steve Post Number: 518 Registered: 11-2006 |
Apbest, Verizon Center opened 10 years ago yesterday. That building was 'shoe horned' into a block. DaninDC can help, but I think it is literally one city block (7th street, 6th street, etc.). They didn't close any streets either. Interesting is that it is only ONE building in a whole street of buildings. It might be compared with say Madison Square Garden where NYC needed to put the arena in a tight area and not have much extra land to work with. | ||
Detroitduo Member Username: Detroitduo Post Number: 895 Registered: 06-2005 |
That entire side of Woodward has been one disappointment after another. When I first moved into Brush Park across the street, we were excited about a Motown Museum across the street. But I had reservations that Mr. Gordy was ever going to be successful to make it happen. I can't believe this was allowed to drag on for 6 years!•••• It is very sad, however, because I would have loved a Motown Museum across the street. I would absolutely accept a development like the Verizon Center (MCI) in that location, but I am not convinced that such a development would even be considered in Detroit. They just love to add space between developments! :-( Finally, the Woodward Village in Cass Park was dead years ago. The development was given to Crosswinds, but they didn't move on it quickly and it was taken away. Then it was reawarded to a new company (not sure who), but they also haven't moved on it. I believe that the whole development is back out, looking for developers, but in the current condo market, I am not sure who could do it. I would go for some nice rental Apartments over there... or perhaps a development similar to what the University is building just up the street! In My Opinion, an Ellington style building on the corner of Woodward/75 service dr. would be optimal for the location and a great start to potentially a great group of blocks. But I don't think we will see such development for 5 years... and that is only if our economy turns around in the next year or two. | ||
Iheartthed Member Username: Iheartthed Post Number: 2294 Registered: 04-2006 |
I'd like to see a new Red Wings arena at either Woodward/I-75 or on the site of Tiger Stadium rather than behind the Fox. Sad that the Motown Museum is a no go, but I'm not really surprised. | ||
Downtown_remix Member Username: Downtown_remix Post Number: 548 Registered: 03-2007 |
Crosswinds could build some high destity housing with retail simular to the Ellington or university village apt. Even in our current market, rental property could realy take off on this block. | ||
Mallory Member Username: Mallory Post Number: 218 Registered: 05-2006 |
It amazes me that there was a "lack of support" for the museum. It's not like Berry himself doesn't have a few $$ tucked away. And you mean to tell me that there isn't anyone in the music industry (artists, writers, performers, celebrities) that wouldn't support such a museum? In seven years there were no fund raisers, no benefit concerts, nothing? I find that very difficult to believe. So the great history of the worldwide phenomenon known as Motown will continue to fade in a little, run down house on West Grand Blvd. Truly a shame. Thank you Esther for keeping the flame lit. | ||
Genesyxx Member Username: Genesyxx Post Number: 825 Registered: 02-2004 |
I loved the renderings when this plan was first brought up, but in all actuality, I'm glad this didn't get built. It would have been a waste to build such a big facility in such a marketable area. I don't agree with the new hockey stadium being built there either for the simple fact that there probably won't be a new stadium coming. Plus, the area would need a major overhaul in order to make visitors feel safe as walking a block east or west would leave people kind of nervous late at night. I'm all for retail in the area (as I've been harping on it for 4 years now), but the theme seems to be condos, condos, condos.. so I wouldn't be surprised if I saw something along those lines. | ||
Rob_in_warren Member Username: Rob_in_warren Post Number: 35 Registered: 11-2007 |
Genesyxx, I think building a hockey arena there is good for the exact reason you say its not. We need to bring life (and safety) to the areas north of I-75. I hope they build the Arena a few blocks north of I-75 on Woodward, so hopefully the area between the Fox and the potential new Arena will become more marketable. -- Don't knock over the Atlas though ;) | ||
Bobj Member Username: Bobj Post Number: 3143 Registered: 11-2003 |
The Arena at that site would help start moving development up Woodward to connect Midtown and Downtown. No close Peoplemover stop is a downside | ||
Detroitstar Member Username: Detroitstar Post Number: 819 Registered: 01-2006 |
A hockey arena at that site would do 3 things in my mind: 1. fill a major gap along that road, and bring the number of "undesirable blocks" between GCP and WSU down to 2 by my count. 2. Provide another reason to improve transit along the Woodward corridor, and also connect the walkable DMC area with downtown. 3. Encourage the rebirth of areas along the cass corridor in a single shot. | ||
Sciencefair Member Username: Sciencefair Post Number: 28 Registered: 10-2007 |
Memphis has their "Rock and Soul" Museum, a collection of displays and memorabilia celebrating Memphis music history from Sun to Stax located in the complex of their new basketball arena. It's a nice little museum and it's tied into the fabric of the entertainment district without having to stand on its own. Perhaps this would be a better solution than trying spring up another Motown museum, the one on Berry Gordy Jr. Blvd. is still cool. | ||
Thejesus Member Username: Thejesus Post Number: 2929 Registered: 06-2006 |
"an arena there doesn't seem to fit into its context across from crosswinds like that.." I think it would be fine...there could still be a row of houses or retail or whatever along Woodward with the arena behind all of that | ||
Iheartthed Member Username: Iheartthed Post Number: 2298 Registered: 04-2006 |
An arena on that site would also eliminate the need to raze more buildings to build the arena elsewhere. | ||
Emu_steve Member Username: Emu_steve Post Number: 519 Registered: 11-2006 |
quote: "In My Opinion, an Ellington style building on the corner of Woodward/75 service dr. would be optimal for the location and a great start to potentially a great group of blocks. But I don't think we will see such development for 5 years... and that is only if our economy turns around in the next year or two." Detroitduo you are obviously much closer to this then I. But, my seat of the pants guess is that an arena could be built as soon as Ilitch could acquire the parcels he needs. Housing would be much more dicey as the new riverfront housing is dicey because of problems with housing and lending. | ||
Lo_to_d Member Username: Lo_to_d Post Number: 27 Registered: 07-2007 |
There needs to be zero lot line retail along woodward there or else it will not encourage further development up woodward. If they build a CoPa like stadium there with parking lots on woodward, I will shoot myself and midtown will have one less resident. | ||
Iheartthed Member Username: Iheartthed Post Number: 2300 Registered: 04-2006 |
quote: That would be silly. The city shouldn't have even allowed the lot to be built in front of CoPa... Nor the one between Montcalm and I-75. | ||
401don Member Username: 401don Post Number: 111 Registered: 11-2007 |
COPA could not sit directly on Woodward because of the two churches as well as the centerfield skyline view they wanted. Ilitch supposedly is marketing those lots on Woodward but he should have been given a 5 yr. deadline for development or the land reverts back to the city similar to the Motown land deal. | ||
Rob_in_warren Member Username: Rob_in_warren Post Number: 36 Registered: 11-2007 |
The parking lots across from the Fox are a joke. It makes those theatres look like a strip mall. My parents took us to see Cats at the Fox 10 or 15 years ago, and I remember thinking I was going to the Star Gratiot Movies. In hindsight, what an underwhelming downtown experience. In a dream world, I'd hope we build a modern Olympia style arena north of I-75, complete with a huge marquee hanging over the Woodward sidewalk. Make the Palace feel second rate! | ||
Detroit313 Member Username: Detroit313 Post Number: 568 Registered: 02-2006 |
I think Detroit would be better off selling the Motown land to Crosswinds and building a Wings arena behind the Fox. If Quicken Builds on the Statler site, It would create a nice entertainment destination clustered in the necklace district. instead of spreading it out like the casinos already are. Crosswinds has been pretty successful thus far. And building more mid/high end residential space west of Woodward would really compliment the area. <313> | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 5854 Registered: 08-2004 |
Sigh... if only we could get Freda Alibri to sell her 3 parking lots and the CC Bar to sell his partially completed rebuild to Mike Ilitch... then that the west Foxtown area would work. Until then... West Foxtown is a no-go. |
