  Viziondetroit Member Username: Viziondetroit Post Number: 1859 Registered: 11-2003 |
As many of you know I work with/for many event promoters and venues and I was speaking with my buddy that hosts events on Friday nights over there. He told me they are moving to Elysium as Asian Village wasn't cleared to function as a club in their lease. He said GM basically pulled the plug on them since they don't want a club on the riverfront. I asked were the club functions the only thing being shut down, he said that Asian Village as a whole will be shut down as of tomorrow. I wonder if GM is going after some sort of breach of contract suit against Andrew and the other owners down there or are they just allowing them to back or are they revamping the interior AGAIN to function as a restaurant as it was intended to be. Once I get more concrete information, I will pass it along to the forum. | ||
Spiritofdetroit Member Username: Spiritofdetroit Post Number: 1044 Registered: 11-2006 |
Interesting.... keep us updated | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 5144 Registered: 02-2005 |
GM can certainly do what they want with their various properties but this is squelching one of the few corners of their east riverfront holdings that currently has life, and will cost them lease income that they could probably use. Seems like a strange move. It also makes you wonder what will be welcomes uses in this mixed-use area. Thanks for posting this. | ||
Detroitrise Member Username: Detroitrise Post Number: 2886 Registered: 09-2007 |
mm hmm, it's a shame to hear this... But, it sure does help to prove my point on this thread. (Message edited by DetroitRise on July 20, 2008) | ||
Viziondetroit Member Username: Viziondetroit Post Number: 1860 Registered: 11-2003 |
DetroitRise.... your link takes us back to the topic we are in now. | ||
Hunchentoot Member Username: Hunchentoot Post Number: 93 Registered: 03-2005 |
I was eager to dine at Asian Village before it opened, but three times in a row I showed up to eat and it was either a private event or behaving like a club and I ate elsewhere. To me it was another in a very long line of business in the city not understanding how much consistent hours and accessibility matters. | ||
Viziondetroit Member Username: Viziondetroit Post Number: 1861 Registered: 11-2003 |
I can really only speak for events after about 9PM on Fridays and Saturdays but any other time I've been down there which was quite often it was open to the public. I don't think it was a good move to open it as a club all the time. At first it started out as Saturday nights after 10PM, and then they started letting it become a lounge which is still cool because it's not a club and then the club events started and it was a wrap. I think Sunday night would have been a cool club night as the club scene is dead in Detroit on Sunday as compared to other nights. One of the owners I got pretty cool with was eager to do what it took to get the business in, he should have just opened a club elsewhere since that made more money for them than the restaurant ever would. | ||
East_detroit Member Username: East_detroit Post Number: 1857 Registered: 11-2003 |
I would rather get carryout at Moy's and eat in Fisher Body 21. | ||
Digitalvision Member Username: Digitalvision Post Number: 1001 Registered: 11-2003 |
Ditto, Huncentoot. Frankly, it's not going to hurt GM one bit. They may have some issues going on, but they're not worried about that lease space revenue. They want to make sure, just like in all of the Rencen properties, that they've programmed the types of businesses they want. I've been directly told this; they are controlling the community inside and around them and the libertarian parts of me say since they own the property I feel they have every right to. Frankly, it's a good thing. It's about damn time someone actually enforced some policies around here. I'll admit, I'm biased - I don't like clubs, I think they take away from property values and attract the wrong kinds of traffic for safe, sustainable development. I've seen numerous studies that show that clubs drive away retail as well as property owners, and are actually a negative for a neighborhood of any sort. I also know the stories from those who have bought property near clubs and have come to seriously regret it due to safety, noise, and other concerns. | ||
Viziondetroit Member Username: Viziondetroit Post Number: 1862 Registered: 11-2003 |
.....sounds like another ballot in favor of zoning. People seem to hate it but then they see the need when it hits them in one capacity or another. I'm all for tighter zoning laws! | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 5146 Registered: 02-2005 |
DV, it depends on the type of club (whether or not it's upscale, and also how large it is-- i.e. are there lots of people standing in line on the street every night?), but the point is correct and you probably hit the motive behind GM voiding the lease. Zoning for usage is probably not the issue here. Maybe Asian Village scared away certain developers (for whatever reason): http://www.renshorecondos.com/ | ||
Leland_palmer Member Username: Leland_palmer Post Number: 570 Registered: 08-2004 |
Renshore is a GM development. Although, I doubt we will see it anytime soon with GM's cash situation and the problems with @water, Watermark, etc. | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 5147 Registered: 02-2005 |
Yes true, although I thought they had some partners in it. I just wanted to mention that long-lost proposal, but I know the market is holding it back like you say. | ||
Amgasper01 Member Username: Amgasper01 Post Number: 55 Registered: 02-2008 |
I love the map on the above link...what is the difference between "Coming Soon" and "Future Development?" Let's just call it what it is...surface parking lots surrounded by parking structures. | ||
Detroitrise Member Username: Detroitrise Post Number: 2887 Registered: 09-2007 |
"Coming Soon" means something will actually happen. "Future Development" means that it could happen with the push from someone, but it's not actually happening. | ||
Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 7495 Registered: 02-2004 |
Well another doomed to failure psuedo-Chinatown like Asian Village. Mr. Pangborn see it coming. Folks didn't want to see Asian community that looks like American and the location near the riverfront is all wrong. There goes millions of dollars of profit Mr. Pangborn back to the drawing board. Create a REAL CHINATOWN that is in the brownfields. | ||
Digitalvision Member Username: Digitalvision Post Number: 1002 Registered: 11-2003 |
Problem is that if you start trying to decide WHICH clubs you get into a sticky wicket, so you end up having to ban them all as a practical matter for legal reasons. You can't write a law that says "X" club is OK but "Y" is not and have it stand; there are lots of ways to find loopholes, drag it through court, play the race card, etc. (and I only say this because I've seen it done). It's almost impossible to write a policy that narrow and have it be enforceable. Here's what I'm most disappointed about. We were told there was going to be a MARKET. Here's a quote and a link. Very obviously, there is no market and in fact I was quite disappointed when I've walked by and it looked like there wasn't going to be one. Also, if this was part of the lease deal and he reneged, no wonder he got the heave-ho. quote: http://www.portdetroit.com/mat erials/06-02-21_TomWalsh.htm | ||
Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 7496 Registered: 02-2004 |
That's was yesterday's news, Digitalvision. Asian Village is DEAD! like Detroit's Chinatown. | ||
401don Member Username: 401don Post Number: 659 Registered: 11-2007 |
I still think a plain old Chinese restaurant would do great in the Ernst & Young building on CMART. | ||
Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk Post Number: 1332 Registered: 11-2005 |
We have enough Asian downtown with Bangkok Crossing and Orchid Thai a block or two apart. | ||
Detroitrise Member Username: Detroitrise Post Number: 2891 Registered: 09-2007 |
^^^Uh, but they're not Chinese... I think a Chinese restaurant (buffet rather) would do nicely in downtown Detroit.  | ||
Digitalvision Member Username: Digitalvision Post Number: 1004 Registered: 11-2003 |
Everyone forgets here that 90% of your average people won't walk more than two blocks from their work for lunch on a regular basis. There is a reason why there is a Starbucks on almost every corner in Manhattan. I sometimes wonder if the people who dream of downtown and midtown as this urbanist mecca have ever truly lived in another major urban city AND know what downtown Detroit's layout is actually like. There is a REASON there is a Jimmy Johns in the Ford Building and in Compuware. That right there is too far to walk for most people to be properly served - that's what, 3 blocks crossing Campus Martius? Use that as your guide for distance that people are willing to walk for lunch save for once a month or so. And frankly, we're talking a lunch crowd only still. | ||
Jams Member Username: Jams Post Number: 9436 Registered: 10-2003 |
Too many "owners" with too many different "visions" of how to make the place work. I'll leave it to the former employees to expand on that. | ||
Curly98 Member Username: Curly98 Post Number: 34 Registered: 06-2007 |
Ok, the failure to mention the following could be apart of this as well: 1. One to three people could get locked up every night, fighting, disorderly conduct, etc. 2. Has anyone noticed the call girls there, four every night, easily noticed, the same guys with four different girls every night 3. Not even up to code, living on temporary permit since day one Ok, thats just a couple to wet your mouth, more to come, as in what Riverfront Holdings, Gm and Hines Mgmt. has to say about it. | ||
Tetsua Member Username: Tetsua Post Number: 1723 Registered: 01-2004 |
quote: Amen to that. | ||
Urbanoutdoors Member Username: Urbanoutdoors Post Number: 997 Registered: 11-2005 |
Curly keep us updated I know you have a good handle on the happenings down that way. | ||
Bvos Member Username: Bvos Post Number: 2284 Registered: 10-2003 |
I had the misfortune of eating a Fusia (the restaurant portion of AV) a few months ago. It was the worst dining experience of my life. My wife and I would have had a better experience eating at an Applebees. No surprise what so ever that this place closed. What is surprising is that it didn't happen sooner. Shawn Mac now has two restaurant ventures in a row that crashed and burned incredibly quickly: the Twingo's redux and now Fusia. Sounds like Shawn needs to leave the management to someone who actually knows management and stay in the kitchen where he actually knows what's going on. | ||
Tetsua Member Username: Tetsua Post Number: 1724 Registered: 01-2004 |
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs .dll/article?AID=/20080721/BUS INESS06/80721045 | ||
Viziondetroit Member Username: Viziondetroit Post Number: 1870 Registered: 11-2003 |
Thanks for posting the article GOMAB | ||
Tetsua Member Username: Tetsua Post Number: 1726 Registered: 01-2004 |
GOMAB |
