  Busterwmu Member Username: Busterwmu Post Number: 588 Registered: 09-2004 |
Monday, December 1, 2008 Library to proceed with razing Board to market site despite Conyers' pitch to sell New Center building to campaign donor. David Josar / The Detroit News DETROIT -- The Detroit Public Library is moving ahead with the demolition of a former storage building in the New Center neighborhood despite a dustup with City Council President Monica Conyers, who asked the library to consider selling it to a campaign donor. The building, which the library bought in 2001 for $400,000 from the city, had become too run-down to affordably use, and now the organization will either sell the land or target the property for a future expansion project. "Who knows what's going to happen," said Ed Thomas, head of the library's building committee. Since 2006 the library has tried to sell the building at 801 W. Baltimore, but after two potential buyers bowed out after offering upwards of $2 million and a third offer was deemed low, the library commission opted to raze the structure and sell it as a vacant parcel. The plan appeared threatened in October when Conyers lashed out at Tim Cromer, the library's finance director, during a City Council meeting and peppered him with questions about fundraising for capital improvement projects. She questioned him about the plan and accused Cromer of trying to strong-arm her and the city into giving the library land on the riverfront in exchange for the building, according to a review of meeting minutes. "You owe me an apology," she told Cromer as he and other library staff came before a City Council audit committee. Cromer responded by saying he was there to talk about an audit and nothing else. Conyers continued: "You specifically said to me if this person wanted to buy that building from you that I had to give you land on the water," she continued. "I just thought that was very insulting." Members of the Detroit Library Commission, which oversees two dozen facilities, said they were puzzled at the outburst. "I just don't understand what that was about," said Sherry Washington, president of the commission. "Council has no oversight of us." The library is self-sustaining and does not get assistance from the city, aside from money for a voter-approved bond for building renovations. The city's auditor general still reviews the library's books, however, which prompted the visit to the council. Conyers staffers explained the tiff by saying the council president received an inquiry to see if she could help a business acquire the parcel. "She got a letter from a constituent and she was trying to help and look out for the city," said Denise Tolliver, Conyers' spokeswoman. "That was all." Tolliver said Tyrone Jarrett, director of operations for Sky Group Grand LLC, a land-acquisition company that also owns the building the city partially leases for its Central District Police Headquarters, had written Conyers for help in trying to buy the building. SkyGroup officers have given Conyers more than $3,000 in campaign donations since 2006, according to elections records. A call to Jarrett was not returned. The building on Baltimore -- known as the Briggs Building -- has become an albatross for the library, said Thomas, who also is corporation counsel for Wayne County. When the library bought the building, officials planned to use it to house its Technical Services and Information Systems departments. They quickly found that the building's maintenance costs were too expensive. The library had spent $100,000 annually just on utilities and basic repairs, and in 2006 the commission decided to sell. They got three bids to purchase the building that included $200,000 from the Farbman Group, $2 million from Metro Development Group Investors of Detroit and $3 million from Eugenio Company LLC of Grosse Pointe Woods. Upon further investigation, library officials believed they could better market the property once the building was razed, Thomas said, much like the strategy the city took in knocking down most of Tiger Stadium in hopes of attracting a developer. You can reach David Josar at (313) 222-2073 or djosar@detnews.com. http://www.detroitnews.com/app s/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200812 01/METRO01/812010374 Anyone have a photo of the building in question? | ||
Daddeeo Member Username: Daddeeo Post Number: 319 Registered: 09-2008 |
Sounds like Conyers is sticking her nose in where it don't belong. It's (the nose) is disjointed enough. | ||
Detourdetroit Member Username: Detourdetroit Post Number: 422 Registered: 10-2003 |
of course Detroit illogic rules the day. the difference between the Tiger Stadium situation and this one is that there is still a substantial piece of Tiger Stadium intact to provide history and context for the site. how is knocking down the entire building...a 7 story streetwall building...like the Tiger Stadium??? And how is that land any more marketable than any of the multitude of vacant properties in the city? DETROIT NEEDS A MORATORIUM ON DEMO UNTIL WE CAN GET OUR DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY STRAIGHTENED OUT. | ||
Detroitnerd Member Username: Detroitnerd Post Number: 3804 Registered: 07-2004 |
If I remember correctly, it's just a crummy little building near the Fourth Street neighborhood. | ||
Wolverine Member Username: Wolverine Post Number: 647 Registered: 04-2004 |
Is it the 7 story bldg or the long 2 story one? I used google maps and it pointed to the 7 story one, but in most cases the address is usually off. | ||
Detroitnerd Member Username: Detroitnerd Post Number: 3805 Registered: 07-2004 |
I think this is it. Looks bigger from the air than I thought it would be. http://tinyurl.com/5be5em | ||
Bearinabox Member Username: Bearinabox Post Number: 1049 Registered: 04-2006 |
That was the first building that sprang to my mind when I saw this article, but there is no way that building's address is 801 W. Baltimore. Could it be this building? | ||
N7hn Member Username: N7hn Post Number: 96 Registered: 02-2008 |
Id vote that 2 million for something the city paid $400,000 shoulda been a done deal. Especially considering it was a $100,000 a year maintenance bill and and "albatross".... Why spend more money to tear it down IN HOPES it'll be more marketable. sigh. Far as I can see anyone willing to buy a property for that amt in detroit should be allowed to do so. Least it would increase the collectable tax revenue on that parcel and release the city of any further expenses | ||
Ednaturnblad Member Username: Ednaturnblad Post Number: 38 Registered: 09-2006 |
Bear - I think you've got the right building. Was just by there an hour ago and the wrecking ball was swinging away. | ||
Detroitnerd Member Username: Detroitnerd Post Number: 3807 Registered: 07-2004 |
Yeah, you guys are right. That building is a DPL building, but it's on Third, not Baltimore. (Reading comprehension problem?) | ||
Ocean2026 Member Username: Ocean2026 Post Number: 35 Registered: 11-2008 |
What would it take for the reporter to put a picture of the building in with the article - so I would have to open up maps with each post lol. Maybe if the wrecking company also got confused and that ball went right through the reporters room at the Detroit News -they would get the picture ( so to speak). | ||
Hunchentoot Member Username: Hunchentoot Post Number: 112 Registered: 03-2005 |
Once again: a short-sighted and unfortunate decision. Why would the person offering two million not want the vacant lot right next to it? Because buildings are more meaningfully valuable than vacant lots. People are idiots. SMASH!!!! SMASH!!!! | ||
N7hn Member Username: N7hn Post Number: 97 Registered: 02-2008 |
apparently there is a shortage of vacant lots in detroit........ | ||
Detroitnerd Member Username: Detroitnerd Post Number: 3811 Registered: 07-2004 |
Maybe it's just payola for Detroit's demo companies. For the longest time I've heard that Detroit has the largest cluster of demolition companies in the U.S. They need work! | ||
Hunchentoot Member Username: Hunchentoot Post Number: 113 Registered: 03-2005 |
Especially infuriating is the following: "'Who knows what's going to happen,' said Ed Thomas, head of the library's building committee." I don't know, how about you *sell the building* for *two million dollars* since you don't know what's going to happen with your new *worthless gravel lot*? Too bad Conyers is crazy. Council should be upset about this, but she's upset for the wrong reasons. | ||
Detourdetroit Member Username: Detourdetroit Post Number: 423 Registered: 10-2003 |
agreed hunchentoot. Let Council and DPL hear it! http://www.ci.detroit.mi.us/le gislative/CityCouncil/Default. htm http://www.detroit.lib.mi.us/c ontact_us/Contact_us.htm | ||
Burnsie Member Username: Burnsie Post Number: 1543 Registered: 11-2003 |
Sounds like the DPL didn't do the due diligence on what the costs would be before it bought the building. The building appears to be a very old factory or warehouse-- typical reinforced concrete with re-done windows. | ||
Danindc Member Username: Danindc Post Number: 5273 Registered: 10-2003 |
Buy new books? Maintain existing facilities? Fuck it! We've got demo to do! | ||
Royce Member Username: Royce Post Number: 2842 Registered: 07-2004 |
Ok, let me get this straight. First of all, the building was purchased by DPL from the city for $400,000. That means the building belongs to DPL. Secondly, DPL had a chance to sell the building for $3 million and they passed? The $100,000 cost per year for seven years on the building were for maintenance and upkeep, right? Were there any capital improvements? Even if there weren't any capital improvements and DPL wanted to recoup the 1.1 million that they put into the building(purchase price plus maintenance costs for seven years), wouldn't selling the building for 3 million be a huge profit ($3 million - $1.1 million = a $1.9 million profit)? I'm not exactly sure what Monica Conyers is upset about, but if it's about DPL passing up on a $1.9 million profit, then I can understand. What SkyGroup and riverfront property has to do with all this, I haven't a clue. BTW, the building is on Baltimore. It is or was at the intersection of Baltimore and Third. | ||
Hunchentoot Member Username: Hunchentoot Post Number: 114 Registered: 03-2005 |
If the building is sold at a profit to the library, it is of no benefit to anybody but the public. But if it is demolished at a loss and the library pays a demolition crew, it is of benefit to the demolition crew. I will stick my neck out further and speculate that the only reason this would make sense is if the person hiring the crew received a kickback from them. I'd be curious to see a News or Free Press investigation of this to find out for real rather than going on my internet jaw-flapping. Meanwhile, the steps in front of the Main Library are still barricaded off because there allegedly isn't enough money to fix them. What garbage. I created a website with video of the demolition to commemorate another in a long line of wise development decisions by public officials: http://www.jmnxc.com | ||
Andylinn Member Username: Andylinn Post Number: 1105 Registered: 04-2006 |
good site for a casino. (my attempt at humor.) |
