  Tetsua Member Username: Tetsua Post Number: 1920 Registered: 01-2004 |
Just received this in the e-mail .... Construction has begun on the new Port Authority Dock & Terminal, planned for the East Riverfront between Hart Plaza and the GM Renaissance Center. Planned by the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority, the project includes a 21,000 square foot Public Dock & Terminal, which, once complete, will be able to accommodate all types of vessels wishing to call on the City of Detroit, including cruise ships, ferries, water taxis, tall ships, dinner boats and navy vessels. The two story terminal will house a processing area for tourists, ticket counters, the authority's headquarters and a public plaza. Due to the construction, East RiverWalk will be temporarily closed to the public, from the eastern end of Hart Plaza to the western end of the GM Renaissance Center and GM Plaza. An alternate route will be provided around the construction site for those enjoying the RiverWalk. The RiverWalk closure will begin on Monday, October 27 and is planned to be reopened in Summer 2009. The Detroit RiverFront Conservancy is committed to fulfilling the vision of a connected, active and engaged Riverfront. The Port Authority project is an important step in bringing this vision to reality. Please stay tuned for more details on exciting development happening on the Detroit Riverfront. | ||
D_mcc Member Username: D_mcc Post Number: 1485 Registered: 12-2007 |
Its a real shame the building was so plainly designed...Well, its not that it's plain, its just like a lot of what we already have on the riverfront, mid-80's glass boxes...Detroit had a real opportunity to design a landmark structure on the riverfront... Eh...maybe next time (Message edited by D_mcc on October 30, 2008) | ||
Bigb23 Member Username: Bigb23 Post Number: 2744 Registered: 11-2007 |
 | ||
Izzyindetroit Member Username: Izzyindetroit Post Number: 123 Registered: 07-2008 |
http://www.portdetroit.com/new sevents/recent_news/publick_do ck_render.htm More plans here. | ||
Crawford Member Username: Crawford Post Number: 416 Registered: 10-2006 |
Can someone explain the point of this project? According to the article, the terminal is for: "cruise ships, ferries, water taxis, tall ships, dinner boats and navy vessels" WTF? How many of these ships currently dock in Detroit, and of those that do, how many need a new terminal to conduct their business? There are currently no cruise ships, ferries, water taxis, tall ships, or navy vessels that serve Detroit. The new terminal will do nothing to change this, because such services are based on demand, not fancy buildings. There are seasonal dinner/tour boats that serve Detroit, but not enough to require a new terminal, and they already have their own facilities. It isn't clear how a new terminal would boost their business. Obviously, this would be a nice amenity, but it's hardly needed, and seems a very poor choice of taxpayer dollars considering the economy. | ||
Bob Member Username: Bob Post Number: 1860 Registered: 11-2003 |
But if there is a nice terminal, it will encourage cruise ships and the like to dock there. | ||
Denbytar64 Member Username: Denbytar64 Post Number: 36 Registered: 03-2008 |
Where is the $$$$$ coming from to build these facilities? How about taking care of more important city issue's first! | ||
Johnlodge Member Username: Johnlodge Post Number: 8977 Registered: 10-2003 |
quote: | ||
Rsa Member Username: Rsa Post Number: 1573 Registered: 10-2003 |
quote: the point is that none of these dock here currently because there are no facilities to accomodate them. henceforth that is why they are building the terminal. also, if you read the rest of the article, you'd see that this will also house the port authority headquarters and that taxpayer money is not financing the project. sidenote; this is the first year that there have not been a cruise ship on the great lakes for many years. the water level of the lakes has gotten too low to easily accomodate them. the good news is that the water level(s) is back on the rise... | ||
Detx Member Username: Detx Post Number: 198 Registered: 07-2007 |
Will private boats and yachts be able to dock there? Will the new dock encourage lake activity like this? http://www.liis.ro/~ema/IOI/Ch icago%20-%20Lake%20Michigan.jp g That would be awesome! | ||
Spiritofdetroit Member Username: Spiritofdetroit Post Number: 1233 Registered: 11-2006 |
Finally. Crawford, as RSA pointed out, there are no facilities currently available to dock the larger ships. Many have requested in the past the ability to dock in detroit, as Windsor has seen a few over the years. I believe there was an agreement with the Great Lakes Cruise line to utilize the Detroit location if built. | ||
401don Member Username: 401don Post Number: 837 Registered: 11-2007 |
Until the states with better economies than Mich. (ie all) start refusing earmarks, I say take as much as you can get from the Feds and say thanks, I love pork! | ||
Raptor56 Member Username: Raptor56 Post Number: 570 Registered: 05-2007 |
I like the idea of this new Port Authority Terminal. The current area where this building is going is an eyesore. However, unless they secretly have a cruise company lined up already, I don't see much point in all this hype. Sounds like they are making a general boating marina with the potential to become a tourist destination maybe sometime in the future. I fear this building will sit mostly empty for quite some time  | ||
Rsa Member Username: Rsa Post Number: 1574 Registered: 10-2003 |
cruise line currently offering great lakes cruises: http://www.greatlakescruising. com/itineraries.php the hapag-lloyd line's ms columbus is also specifically designed to cruise the great lakes. however she currently does not have any great lakes itineraries. hapag-lloyd has stated that she will return once the water levels are back up. | ||
Busterwmu Member Username: Busterwmu Post Number: 561 Registered: 09-2004 |
You're right, it's not an especially attractive building, but I don't find it too offensive. It sure looks a lot better than that parking garage or the backside of the Ford Auditorium! Windsor's Dieppe Gardens is a frequent calling point for Canadian coast guard vessels, naval vessels, tall ships and cruise ships. Detroit does not have the facilities, and this prevents most of these boats from coming here. Once the terminal is open, at least the potential will be here for these boats to dock on our side of the river. They might not come, but at least the opportunity will now be here. The construction trailer showed up in that property about a month ago. This was sort of an isolated segment of the Riverwalk between the Hart Plaza segment and the GM segment. The building only replaces a desolate parking lot, so we're not losing anything by having it. You're also right in that the current tour boat companies all have their own facilities, but it may not be bad to have the tourboats more centralized. Presumably, through the 2009 sailing system, Diamond Jack's will still dock at Hart Plaza, the Princess at Cobo, etc. Let's hope is actually happens this time, rather than the Kwame first shovel full of dirt in 2004 or 2005. | ||
Mikeydbn Member Username: Mikeydbn Post Number: 371 Registered: 04-2004 |
quote: Buster- What kind of agreement does Diamond Jacks have for docking there during the day? Do you anticipate difficulty maintaining that agreement once the terminal opens? | ||
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan Post Number: 6386 Registered: 10-2003 |
RSA, Just a correction but city taxpayers aren't funding this. State and Federal tax dollars are. I agree, though; until earmarks are totally done away with I say take all you have while the getting is good. The initial impact of this development isn't going to be huge, but if the local port authority can milk away some federal earmarks for new digs with the added bonus of getting a port terminal, more power to 'em. | ||
Sstashmoo Member Username: Sstashmoo Post Number: 2794 Registered: 02-2007 |
I wouldn't complain about any sort of progress in the city of Detroit. Given the economic climate and overall health of Detroit. Anything someone wants to build is good news. | ||
Cheddar_bob Member Username: Cheddar_bob Post Number: 2132 Registered: 10-2003 |
What about the progress in SW Detroit, Mexicantown in particular, sstash? Given that a decent percentage of that has been accomplished by undocumented immigrants? | ||
Busterwmu Member Username: Busterwmu Post Number: 563 Registered: 09-2004 |
Mikey, how have you been? Haven't seen you on here in a while! I'm not 100% sure because I'm not on the management side of the operation. Diamond Jack's has the exclusive right to the docking space between the Police Station parking lot and the center stairway (Gateway to Freedom monument) at Hart Plaza. We are not allowed to erect any permanent structures on the dock. The signage we have there is put up at the beginning of the season and removed at the end of the season. We have the use of a sewage flush pipe and a fresh water pipe, but all our electricity is supplied by the generators on the boat. The new Terminal is being built just upriver from where our current docking site is. If we are not invited to use the new facility, then we would continue to run as usual, I presume, from the current location. If we do move our operations to the new terminal (haven't heard anything of this yet), then we'll be slightly above where we currently are. I don't know exactly what sort of facilities would be provided for our boats or passengers. I imagine we'd still have to keep the boats overnight somewhere else, as we currently do during the sailing season. | ||
Luckycar Member Username: Luckycar Post Number: 110 Registered: 02-2007 |
"city taxpayers aren't funding this".Do they not pay state and federal taxes?Do you think this money,pork,just falls from the sky?Do we not understand that this dockage and all the other earmarks in the federal budget is why we're trillons in debt? | ||
Fishtoes2000 Member Username: Fishtoes2000 Post Number: 735 Registered: 06-2005 |
Here's an interesting video that explains the energy generator being used in this project. http://www.ns.umich.edu/podcas t/video.php?id=499 And here's a story about it. http://www.ns.umich.edu/htdocs /releases/story.php?id=6842 At least U of M can do something right today. | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 7533 Registered: 08-2004 |
RSA, Thanks for pointing out the obvious to Crawford... that many cruise ships anchor on the Windsor side of the river because Detroit doesn't have adequate facilities to do so. I would assume that international boats or boats that access both US and Canadian ports would require some sort of Customs/Immigration facility, which I assume this building will provide. Otherwise the potential for contraband smuggling and/or illegal entry into the US would be compromised. | ||
Crawford Member Username: Crawford Post Number: 438 Registered: 10-2006 |
"Many cruise ships anchor on the Windsor side" Gistok, please clarify this "obvious" claim. Where is this alleged bottleneck of Windsor cruise ships? Is there even one? RSA's link is to a company that only has one summer boat that passes through this part of the Great Lakes, and it doesn't anchor anywhere near metro Detroit. The nearest stops are Niagara Falls and Mackinac Island. | ||
Irish_mafia Member Username: Irish_mafia Post Number: 1473 Registered: 10-2003 |
"Will private boats and yachts be able to dock there? Will the new dock encourage lake activity like this?" Detx, you accompanied that with pictures of sailboats moored off of Chicago. Detroit kicks Chicago's ass for real docking for yachts (sail and power) as well as destination locations for those yachts to head to. Some of it is less visible to the Detroiter driving down the street. Grab lunch at Sinbads in the summer and take it all in. | ||
Rsa Member Username: Rsa Post Number: 1595 Registered: 10-2003 |
you're welcome gistok. the new building will have customs and immigration capabilities/facilities. what are you talking about crawford? of the 6 ships listed, 4 of them pass thru the straits of detroit. the very first ship listed passes by detroit weekly from late june till mid september. there's also the possibility of hapag-lloyd bringing their ship back when the water levels are higher. the "obvious" thing that we were pointing out is that cruise ships don't dock here because there are no facilities to accomodate them. | ||
Gnome Member Username: Gnome Post Number: 2154 Registered: 08-2007 |
Fishtoes2000, excellent! What an interesting link you provided. From the sound of things, the Port Authority, Department of Energy, DTE etc will use this new facility to test an energy generation device as its power source. This experimental device, created out in Ann Arbor, uses flowing water to create electricity. Here is the link to the company http://www.vortexhydroenergy.c om Everyone might want to take a look at that site before you get your undies in a real bunch. I'm not a fan of silly earmarks, but this energy generation might hold real promise for us as a region. My only question is how will they protect the devices from Zebra Mussels clogging up the works. | ||
Jimaz Member Username: Jimaz Post Number: 6906 Registered: 12-2005 |
This VIVACE idea is fascinating. Is a cylinder the optimum surface shape? Why? I wonder if dynamically changing the surface shape during operation might improve efficiency. It reminds me of a toy I once made with different rubber bands stretched in front of an office fan. They would begin to audibly vibrate like an aeolian harp. It really annoyed the coworkers.  Here's an article about the von Kármán vortex street effect. |
