  Detroitdecor27 Member Username: Detroitdecor27 Post Number: 37 Registered: 10-2003 |
As a kid one of my family's vacation destinations was always Traverse City. In the distance of the camp ground we would go to was the ruins of the old Traverse City State Hospital aka the Northern Michigan Asylum for the Insane. When I was in my teens my cousins and I would wander the grounds swear that we saw ghosts in the windows but anyways that's not the point.... the Hospital was closed in 1989. I hadn't been up to Traverse in about ten years but just this past summer I was there and they opened the village at grand traverse where they completely restored the old hospital and all the surrounding buildings. They took the old buildings ( about 20-30 buildings) and have restored them. The have turned the buildings in residental and commercial spaces. They include condos, restaurants, art galleries, cute little stores, medical facilities, a deli, yoga, and many other companies. I look at this restoration project and I just wonder why this hasn't been done in the city. I know that Detroit does not have sprawling acres of land but I don't see why this couldn't be done with a series of building in Detroit. Do you think this could work? Heres the website for the village: http://www.thevillagetc.com/si te.html I think it is a great idea! | ||
French777 Member Username: French777 Post Number: 330 Registered: 10-2006 |
O yeah I 've drove through there many a time and I really like how they have kept the Victorian Feel to it. | ||
Pgn421 Member Username: Pgn421 Post Number: 371 Registered: 02-2005 |
thats to easy for Detroit.They have to find the hardest and most expensive way to do things. Tear it down and start from scratch. | ||
Thegryphon Member Username: Thegryphon Post Number: 36 Registered: 11-2007 |
Are you saying it is cheaper to rehab a blding. vs. tearing it down? I find that a gross miscalculation, Pgn. | ||
Detroitdecor27 Member Username: Detroitdecor27 Post Number: 38 Registered: 10-2003 |
It can be cheaper depending how it is done. Certainly by just gutting the building and leaving the exterior masonary work it can be cheaper than starting new. You can't duplicate the work that was done back in the day. But if you want to keep some of the remaining interior you have to deal with things like asbestoes and that could increase the costs greatly. But if you just want to keep the building as a shell it could be cost effective than just tearing it down and starting over. | ||
Broken_main Member Username: Broken_main Post Number: 1434 Registered: 06-2005 |
I will have to get a closer look at them this weekend. We are having a family gathering in TC this weekend. Going to do some winetasting in the Old Mission and the kids will spend two great days in Th Great Wolf. This is only our third trip to Traverse City but it is becoming a must do destination for us. I am definitely going to check this out on day one. I will probably check it with my Father in law. i don't want to get the wifey too excited for she has yet another lil broken_main in the tummy and she is about 6 weeks away. Ironically enough, the last trip to TC was while she was expecting and she delivered 3 weeks after and was 6 weeks away . Hmmm. |
