 
Mdoyle
Member
Username: Mdoyle
Post Number: 299
Registered: 10-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 08, 2008 - 7:38 pm: |    |
I've heard a rumor that Utrecht Art store will be moving to South University Village when it is complete. This falls in line with other rumors that suggest Wayne State (who own that complex) plan to level the area and construct a large high tech auditorium and lecture hall. Currently the largest auditorium @ WSU is in the Community Arts building which has proven to be much to small for major speakers such as the mayor and more recently Dr. Kevorkian. |
Bearinabox
Member
Username: Bearinabox
Post Number: 474
Registered: 04-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 08, 2008 - 8:05 pm: | |
That doesn't sound like something that should be located along Woodward, if you ask me. |
Charlottepaul
Member
Username: Charlottepaul
Post Number: 2201
Registered: 10-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 08, 2008 - 8:08 pm: | |
"That doesn't sound like something that should be located along Woodward, if you ask me."
An auditorium?? There are many theatres. |
Bearinabox
Member
Username: Bearinabox
Post Number: 476
Registered: 04-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 08, 2008 - 8:11 pm: | |
There's a difference between an entertainment destination like the Fox and a campus lecture hall. |
Mackinaw
Member
Username: Mackinaw
Post Number: 4304
Registered: 02-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 08, 2008 - 8:22 pm: | |
Rebuild Gen Lectures, build a new union with an auditorium over the Student Center, but don't take successful retail off of that part of Woodward. |
Jt1
Member
Username: Jt1
Post Number: 11147
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 08, 2008 - 8:23 pm: | |
WSU dropped the ball (IMO) with their welcome center and their use of eminent domain on the other corner of Warren and Woodward. Hopefully they learned a little from that mistake. |
Digitalvision
Member
Username: Digitalvision
Post Number: 493
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 08, 2008 - 8:27 pm: | |
Actually, the location makes perfect sense for a college conference center - I'm thinking about something like what MSU has with plenty of meeting rooms, etc (Kellogg Conference and Hotel).
The theatres around there are not laid out or sufficient for small to mid-level academic conferences. And putting it on Woodward makes it accessible as well as links it straight to downtown. Not to mention, if you can, for flexibility and cost if you plan on doing a lot of events you want to own the venue. |
L_b_patterson
Member
Username: L_b_patterson
Post Number: 334
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 08, 2008 - 9:31 pm: | |
the rumour I heard years ago had to do with that corner definitely involving a hotel. A major university without a major hotel on its campus? Absurd. |
Jt1
Member
Username: Jt1
Post Number: 11148
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 08, 2008 - 9:40 pm: | |
Adding a hotel changes my opinion drastically. |
Jt1
Member
Username: Jt1
Post Number: 11149
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 08, 2008 - 9:40 pm: | |
Adding a hotel changes my opinion drastically. |
Belleislerunner
Member
Username: Belleislerunner
Post Number: 395
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 08, 2008 - 9:54 pm: | |
Because a dumpy arcade was so much cooler than a welcome center? Good thing that cheese got moved. |
Jt1
Member
Username: Jt1
Post Number: 11150
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 08, 2008 - 9:56 pm: | |
The corner certainly offered more to the average passer by than the current, rarely if ever used welcome center. |
Smogboy
Member
Username: Smogboy
Post Number: 6861
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 08, 2008 - 9:57 pm: | |
Aw shucks, you got me reminiscing about Z's Place and Roscoe's now.
And yeah, it was a dumpy arcade. Z's Place is now Z's Villa up on PIquette & Woodward- great pizza as well. |
Jt1
Member
Username: Jt1
Post Number: 11151
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 08, 2008 - 10:00 pm: | |
I thought that Zs villa was open at the same time as Z Place and has stayed open. |
Smogboy
Member
Username: Smogboy
Post Number: 6863
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 08, 2008 - 10:06 pm: | |
Jt1, you might be right. I never ventured up to the Villa when the Place was right there for me to enjoy a frosty beverage & a slice of their pizza. |
Jt1
Member
Username: Jt1
Post Number: 11153
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 08, 2008 - 10:12 pm: | |
I could be wrong too - time blurs together. Can anyone confirm definitively? |
Rocket_city
Member
Username: Rocket_city
Post Number: 523
Registered: 04-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 08, 2008 - 11:16 pm: | |
Yah, I'm pretty sure the intention is to clear the Woodward/Warren site to develop a hotel and conference center. I just wish that there would be care taken with the few historic buildings that are there. From my understanding, there isn't much consideration regarding them...kind of like the Chatsworth when they were demolished. |
Tiorted
Member
Username: Tiorted
Post Number: 108
Registered: 02-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 - 12:55 am: | |
quote:Jt1 wrote:
The corner certainly offered more to the average passer by than the current, rarely if ever used welcome center.
obviously you haven't been to the Welcome Center, it is a very high use building on campus |
Tiorted
Member
Username: Tiorted
Post Number: 109
Registered: 02-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 - 12:58 am: | |
I don't think this is related to any possible development but I saw that the Christian Science Reading Room on Cass south of Warren has vacated |
Mortgageking
Member
Username: Mortgageking
Post Number: 20
Registered: 12-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 - 12:59 am: | |
I'd hardly say the Welcome Center is "high use."
I'd reckon that the only reason most students have even visited the Welcome Center is to pick up their student ID.
I could be wrong, but the building seems strangely empty to me. |
Tiorted
Member
Username: Tiorted
Post Number: 111
Registered: 02-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 - 1:08 am: | |
quote:I'd reckon that the only reason most students have even visited the Welcome Center is to pick up their student ID.
I could be wrong, but the building seems strangely empty to me.
you are wrong, here is a list of all the offices in the building:
financial aid
undergrad admissions
transfer credit
parking
one card
cashiers office
grad admissions
accounts receivable
international student services
(Message edited by tiorted on January 09, 2008) |
Mortgageking
Member
Username: Mortgageking
Post Number: 21
Registered: 12-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 - 1:20 am: | |
Point taken,
However, most of those offices are quite small, requiring few employees and even fewer student contacts.
Financial Aid, Parking, and One Card (aside from getting your picture taken) are mostly done online or over the telephone.
I don't know what type of traffic the Grad Admissions and Cashiers offices get, but I stand by my original point, that the building seems strangely empty and ill-used. I work next-door to the building, and seemingly the only time when the building is busy, is when Wayne is doing New Student orientation. |
Mdoyle
Member
Username: Mdoyle
Post Number: 301
Registered: 10-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 - 8:15 am: | |
The welcome center is really only busy with students during the summer for new student orientation. During that time its jammed with new students. It makes a pretty good impression on newcomers also. But the rest of the time its primary function is an office building and its also pretty full. If you've been to the upper floors you find it is a very poorly layed out building which might give it a sense of emptiness. Id really like to see something big on the opposite corner. |
Johnlodge
Member
Username: Johnlodge
Post Number: 4475
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 - 9:06 am: | |
Good news for CCS students, their walk will be slightly shorter.
It was a bummer when they moved out from the ground floor of the Park Shelton to consolidate Utrecht and Charrette's <sp> at the current location. That was basically an art store right on the campus of an art school. Seemed to make a lot of sense to me, but I guess it didn't have as much space as the other location.
I also miss Z's Place. Their jumbalaya was some of the best around. |
Mdoyle
Member
Username: Mdoyle
Post Number: 302
Registered: 10-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 - 10:18 am: | |
"Good news for CCS students, their walk will be slightly shorter."
Their walk will actually be quite a bit longer. Utrecht is currently at Warren and Woodward and would be moving to Woodward between Hancock and Canfield. That's Further away for everyone. |
Johnlodge
Member
Username: Johnlodge
Post Number: 4487
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 - 10:29 am: | |
Oops, you're right.
Ah well, Michiganders need more exercise. |
Viziondetroit
Member
Username: Viziondetroit
Post Number: 1352
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 - 10:54 am: | |
"WSU dropped the ball (IMO) with their welcome center and their use of eminent domain on the other corner of Warren and Woodward. Hopefully they learned a little from that mistake."
^^ Mistake? did I miss something in the news? |
Jt1
Member
Username: Jt1
Post Number: 11156
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 - 11:08 am: | |
I was talking about the design and use of the building at such a prominent corner. The main floor is typically empty and doesn't really lend itself to any feeling of that being a vibrant area.
The mistake comment is that it is my opinion the design of the building and use of the corner was a mistake by WSU.
(Message edited by jt1 on January 09, 2008) |
Digitalvision
Member
Username: Digitalvision
Post Number: 495
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 - 11:31 am: | |
It's a conference center - in an urban area as WSU is, you could easily stick Starbucks and other college and conference related food businesses in there and they'd make money. It's not an exclusive thing.
WSU needs a development like this because WSU needs to have the trappings of the level of school that it is to further complete it's mission, as well as anything that can be done to improve a main thoroughfare's look and feel I'm for. Beyond that, it'll generate way more economic activity than what is there now, as well as interest.
I say do it, and I'll be cheering all the way. This one makes sense in the big picture. |
Bvos
Member
Username: Bvos
Post Number: 2256
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 - 1:01 pm: | |
Yes, the idea of making that corner a conference center and hotel has been kicked around at WSU for a while.
I doubt the hotel would be built, mainly because of all the new hotel rooms that just came on line. It's also a challenging site to place a hotel. It's not impossible, but you'd have to have a pretty good guarantee of room reservations before investing the money needed to make the site work for a hotel.
It will be interesting to see what happens to the Rackam (sp?) Auditorium as a result of this development. It would be great to see it put into more use, despite its small size.
An auditorium and meeting facility would be a great use for the site. As stated above, the businesses there are fairly low grade and/or the buildings poorly maintained. WSU will almost certainly continue their successful ground floor lease spaces on new buildings with the main building uses on rear/upper floors.
As for the Welcome Center, it's a pretty nice building on a marquee corner of Detroit, let alone the WSU Campus. Can't you find something better to bitch about? |
Digitalvision
Member
Username: Digitalvision
Post Number: 496
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 - 1:29 pm: | |
I don't know - the new hotel rooms online are downtown. If you have the choice of staying on-site for a conference or downtown, people overwhelmingly choose on-site, even for more money.
Not to mention, there aren't many visitor-friendly ways to get from downtown to midtown right now.
It's a draw of it's own and I think would totally justify a hotel. There isn't a lot as far as hotels in midtown, and frankly, people want to stay on-campus and walk to where they're going when on a trip.
Not only for conferences, but parents coming into town for graduations, DIA events, etc. etc. |
Jt1
Member
Username: Jt1
Post Number: 11157
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 - 2:30 pm: | |
quote:As for the Welcome Center, it's a pretty nice building on a marquee corner of Detroit, let alone the WSU Campus. Can't you find something better to bitch about?
I wasn't aware that people were only limited to critique one topic. Thanks for clarifying that.
My opinion is that it is an underused building on a marguee corner. WSU dropped the ball on the welcome center in my opinion.
Please be sure to let me know what I can and con not critique since I am limited to one topic in your opinion. |
Bearinabox
Member
Username: Bearinabox
Post Number: 478
Registered: 04-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 - 2:45 pm: | |
quote:As for the Welcome Center, it's a pretty nice building on a marquee corner of Detroit, let alone the WSU Campus. It is also a building that is used exclusively by people associated with the university. To me, it makes sense to place buildings like that in areas where they are convenient to the university campus, but where there is little outside traffic, since such locations aren't really viable for anything other than university buildings. Woodward and Warren are both major thoroughfares with high volumes of non-university traffic, so it seems logical to use that highly visible and accessible space for buildings that would be seen and used by non-university as well as university people. The Welcome Center isn't the worst thing that could have been built there, but it is kind of a waste of that space. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I'd like to see the Welcome Center torn down, but I don't think Wayne should make a habit of placing campus buildings along major roads. |