  Gsgeorge Member Username: Gsgeorge Post Number: 682 Registered: 08-2006 |
This is inspired by the recent events at the Roosevelt Warehouse, which can be read about in its appropriate thread. This is an opportunity to deliver a message to Mr. Maroun, even though he may never read it. But it is time to speak out. I have been to the Roosevelt Warehouse many times, and I find it to be one of the most striking examples of urban decay & policy failure in the world. But I also find it shocking that it sits in the state it is in. It looks as if the fire that happened 21 years ago actually happened last week. It is truly a sore, an embarrassment for this city. After all these years, after the stunning blow dealt to the city at the time this fire happened (a warehouse full of unopened textbooks burns while DPS is struggling to supply students); after all these years, NOTHING has been done to clean this place or secure it from trespassers and the elements. You can still find shrinkwrapped textbooks there. Boarding up the windows and putting a fence up is not enough. And this leads me to Manuel "Maddy" Maroun. This man has no sense of what is right and decent in America today, and he is only concerned with making more money off of his ridiculous enterprises, while at the same time not returning any of that money to the community. The man wants to build another bridge, not so he can "leave his legacy" on Detroit, as he claims, but rather so he can reap more benefits from our ever-growing international trade. Whoever heard of a privately-owned international border crossing anyway? That should be outright illegal; the governments of each country should have joint ownership over such a structure. And while we sit here wallowing in urban decay, Maddy reaps millions -- billions -- from his bridge, and warms himself up in Warren or Sterling Heights or wherever, while at the same time touting his "commitment to" and "love for" the city and the region. What a pile of crap. Mr. Maroun, if you are somewhere out there, please read this... Maddy: no one will consider you a hero and someone who cared for this city if you decide to build another bridge, against the wishes of our own government, because it is an obvious attempt to simply acquire more capital for yourself. No one will look at the bridge and say "Gee, that Mr. Maroun sure cared about this city." You know why? Because they will see the embarrassing mess you left behind and did nothing about: the Michigan Central Station & the Roosevelt Warehouse among them. Yes, it is true that you are not responsible for the abandonment of these structures. But your refusal to secure them, let alone renovate them or find an alternate purpose, while at the same time making billions off of a questionable and greedy enterprise -- this shows you for the greedy and selfish man you really are. You alone are responsible for the current state of these buildings. If you want to leave a legacy on this city, then do the right thing, and renovate Michigan Central Station with a group of your wealthy friends and investors. Rename it Maroun Plaza for all I care. Fill it with shopping, apartments, offices. Restore its proud opulence and restore Detroit's pride in the process. This could be your true legacy. People would gaze upon a gleaming, restored station and say, "You know what, that Maroun really DID care for this city." Don't you see that this is the right thing to do? Don't you see that people will love you if you turn the station into a bustling center for the community? Mr. Cockrel, if you care about this city, as I believe you do, then please put this to a stop... As we well know Mr. Maroun's only obstacle in the way of his new bridge is Riverfront Park. Please, I am begging of you, use this as leverage against Mr. Maroun to get him to DO SOMETHING about the monstrosities that he lets decay in "his city". Allow the sale of Riverside Park ONLY in the event that Mr. Maroun agrees to put down several million towards the restoration of the Michigan Central Station. It should be part of the deal. This structure should no longer sit and rot. It is too painful for the citizens of your city to bear. And it is not right for this city to be under the vice grip of a greedy mogul. Here is your opportunity... Use the park to get Maroun out of his office and give back to Detroit. It is the right thing to do, and the city will be better for it. Maroun's Mess:      MR. MAROUN, YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF. PLEASE KEN, HELP YOUR CITY. GET MADDY TO CLEAN HIS MESS! photos (C) Geoff George | ||
Dannyv Member Username: Dannyv Post Number: 531 Registered: 08-2007 |
I subscribe to the above^^^ | ||
Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk Post Number: 1645 Registered: 11-2005 |
My name is 'rawk, and I approve of Gsgeorge's message. | ||
Bragaboutme Member Username: Bragaboutme Post Number: 586 Registered: 02-2008 |
I too agree Gs, some pressure needs to be put on these owners to clean and secure their properties. | ||
Artistic Member Username: Artistic Post Number: 89 Registered: 09-2006 |
May the poor soul who froze to death in his building have peace. | ||
Mauser765 Member Username: Mauser765 Post Number: 2923 Registered: 01-2004 |
If people could understand what has been left behind at Roosevelt they would be horrified. Public school children records going back decades, complete with SS#s, mental health history, grades - anything in a permanent record. There was a mountain of boxes of microfiche containing millions of file images - all mentally disturbed children or all with some psychiatric issues. Some are recent enough for identity theft to be a real issue. But we've known about this warehouse for ages. MetroTimes even did an article on it - I think in 05. They got a tour from someone who lived in it. Why do we let billionaires treat the city like this ? And everyone looks at it and says Detroiters dont take care of their city, or "look how poor people choose to live". No..no...no... This is how BILLIONAIRES live. United Artists Building, the Statler, D.Broderick, Packard, D.Whitney.................etc. | ||
Bearinabox Member Username: Bearinabox Post Number: 1165 Registered: 04-2006 |
quote:Well, not how they live. Moroun lives in Grosse Pointe, and I'm gonna take a wild guess that his house isn't a bombed-out wreck full of bums, dead people, rotting school supplies, and hipsters with hockey sticks. More like "how they treat other people's communities." | ||
Mauser765 Member Username: Mauser765 Post Number: 2924 Registered: 01-2004 |
"and hipsters with hockey sticks." lol thats a good one ! | ||
J_to_the_jeremy Member Username: J_to_the_jeremy Post Number: 166 Registered: 03-2007 |
Right. And then the people who live there get made fun of by other well-off people because their city is such a wreck. It's terrible for such huge, dangerous eyesores and reputation killers to be owned by someone with no vested interest in the city besides milking it for his own personal gain. | ||
Gthomas Member Username: Gthomas Post Number: 141 Registered: 09-2004 |
That's my point I was proven to many that praises ilitches, who I don't appreciate how he transform foxtown into a mega block filled with ugly surface parking lots while tearing down detroit's history in return. He turned the area into a non pedestrian-friendly area, not walkable nor landscaped. I really careless how pretty it looks, actually its done worse than better in a long run to have a thriving densely entertainment district. Our city billionares are not detroit's savior as many praise em.... | ||
Ongowwah Member Username: Ongowwah Post Number: 196 Registered: 03-2008 |
Maybe the question that needs to be asked is how did these properties GET into that shape? Is it wrong to believe a building that is not mine, vacant or not, should be left alone and not trashed. And if I were a renter, I would respect the property I was fortunate enough to live in. It's the root causes that need examination here, not a chop on the owners. | ||
J_to_the_jeremy Member Username: J_to_the_jeremy Post Number: 167 Registered: 03-2007 |
They got into that shape because they were never properly sealed. It's no secret that almost every vacant building gets broken into in this city. MCS and the Roosevelt Warehouse look bad because they person who owns them couldn't give two shits as to whether or not they look good, or are even structurally sound. Or if people die in them. | ||
Realitycheck Member Username: Realitycheck Post Number: 304 Registered: 08-2004 |
DetroitYES! at its best, right here. Well-done, Gsgeorge. Thanks for speaking out so articulately and vividly, and for focusing on what matters most. | ||
Scooter2k7 Member Username: Scooter2k7 Post Number: 197 Registered: 10-2007 |
Gsgeorge, your heart is in the right place and I agree whole heartly with you. But, sir, you are dillusional. How do you expect a city to enforce simple building codes when its former mayor is a criminal, its city council is filled with criminals, and is too broke to provide basic city services. A quicker fix would be to elect competent, capable, honest politicians. Detroit does not have that. Clean up city hall and then you can clean up the city. | ||
Gthomas Member Username: Gthomas Post Number: 144 Registered: 09-2004 |
So true....yet ashame! We as citizen should stop this, make a law of some sort. Any billionare or just a property owner that has vacant property in this city and is neglecting it shall be punished in law if failed to improve, renovate of some sort to their property or be punished. | ||
Gthomas Member Username: Gthomas Post Number: 145 Registered: 09-2004 |
Get these crooked cop off the streets, revamp and demolish all city council, mayor, senate etc... that has stolen from this city and rob us a citzens to serve us right. Its time to change this quickly because I'm getting fed up with it. We need a truthful mayor to come in and clean up all this mess and apply stricted agreement to all property owner, either commercial or residential to upkeep their property or be fined. Offer some programs for citizens to get stimulus housing grants to apply some help....and make it mandatory. Its sad that it takes this type of action to get across to all the political mess that's whiping out detroit day by day. | ||
Luckycar Member Username: Luckycar Post Number: 142 Registered: 02-2007 |
As I said on another thread,drag him down there in chains and make him brick up this mess or have him pay to have them leveled.There are laws on the books I'm sure.Get him in court tomorrow morning and take action.Or maybe we should protest in front of his home.Shame can work wonders. | ||
Hubbardfarmer Member Username: Hubbardfarmer Post Number: 37 Registered: 10-2008 |
Hey,'Rawk, I respectfully disagree. I wouldn't give Moroun Riverside Park in exchange for anything. He doesn't deserve it. He should be held accountable for how he manages his property like any other property owner. Making deals with him will just validate everything he's done, and no one will be able to hold him accountable to his end of the deal anyhow. Otherwise, I think Gsgeorge's message is on target. | ||
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan Post Number: 4044 Registered: 10-2003 |
Gsgeorge, We don't have to wait for Maroun to read this. I'd say that if we can collect enough poignant harangues, you could send them off to: quote: (Message edited by lmichigan on January 29, 2009) | ||
Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk Post Number: 1652 Registered: 11-2005 |
"Hey,'Rawk, I respectfully disagree. I wouldn't give Moroun Riverside Park in exchange for anything." I live in Hubbard Farms. I do not support giving him the park. He shouldn't be bribed to do what he should be doing. I agreed with GSGeorge's post, but not that part of it. I should have clarified. | ||
Gthomas Member Username: Gthomas Post Number: 146 Registered: 09-2004 |
I agree....LMichigan | ||
Blueidone Member Username: Blueidone Post Number: 463 Registered: 03-2007 |
I totally agreed with Gsgeorge! | ||
Gsgeorge Member Username: Gsgeorge Post Number: 683 Registered: 08-2006 |
quote: Amen quote: You're right. But we talk ad infitum about how to solve those problems. We know them well. Maddy has the power to stop them. Money talks. He has boundless influence. If he just did the right thing, it would help... don't get me wrong, it won't solve Detroit's problems in a heartbeat. But at least it would be a step in the right direction. quote: Amen brother. You are right about city government... and it looks like the cleanout is starting. We should ask this question of our mayoral candidates: would you toughen up with slumlords and landowners to tell them to clean up? Would they confront Maroun and tell him to clean up his properties or he won't get his bridge? quote: quote: I can sympathize with this point. I think there is a middle ground in the sale of the park. The part he really needs is just the baseball fields at the foot of the bridge. The open space with benches along the river could be preserved. Sell him half, keep the other half. Let JW Westcott and the fireboat stay right where they are. Tell him to donate some to help clean up the park too. If he wants to take half of it, he needs to make the other half a great place to spend a summer afternoon, with no overbearing security presence and no idling cars with crack addicts staring vacantly across the strait. Here's the thing with Maroun... he's not gonna go away. I don't like it any more than you do, but I think there is something to be said for meeting him in the middle on a matter like this. In all truth Maddy will circumvent the local government no matter what. And a dual span is not necessarily bad for the city. It's just bad that Maroun gets all the money. But he won't get it if we decide not to budge on that park until he agrees to give something back to the community. It is so frustrating to see a man naively destroy a community for his own gain. Those great people who reside in the shadow of Maddy's bridge -- the workers in Corktown, Mexicantown, Hubbard Farms, -- unfortunately must bear witness to this mess, and deal with it daily. Some legacy Maroun is leaving behind. But if he puts us through all this misery, and the payoff is a restored MCS, a restored community -- then it would be worth it one hundredfold. | ||
Gthomas Member Username: Gthomas Post Number: 151 Registered: 09-2004 |
Weren't their talks about making MCS into DPD Headquarter...that will be the best thing for revamping and restoring this historic structure. Clean up the police department and move them in. It will boost public safety around there and maybe spur much needed future development to create a safe, walkable neighborhood. | ||
Gsgeorge Member Username: Gsgeorge Post Number: 684 Registered: 08-2006 |
It was a great idea, promoted by Kwame, that fell through due to lack of funds. It will cost upwards of $200 million to restore the station. But last I checked Maroun has several billion... | ||
Ongowwah Member Username: Ongowwah Post Number: 210 Registered: 03-2008 |
J-to-the-Jeremy:They got into that shape because they were never properly sealed. It's no secret that almost every vacant building gets broken into in this city. So then you agree with me? It's the people who don't respect others property that "breaks into" the buildings, right. Matty doesn't break into his own building does he? Did the poor soul who froze to death have Matty's permission to enter the building? Do we know for sure the man didn't meet up with foul play and was dumped there? To someone who respects the law does it matter if a building is sealed? If it isn't yours and you don't have permission and you enter, it's on you. | ||
Gravitymachine Member Username: Gravitymachine Post Number: 1683 Registered: 05-2005 |
quote: i tend to agree, but another damning example of just how poorly matty maintains these hulks are the apartment building and former elementary school just across 14th street. they've been sealed up tight as a drum for a couple years now, and if someone got in, it was fixed immediately | ||
Iheartthed Member Username: Iheartthed Post Number: 3688 Registered: 04-2006 |
quote: Yeah... His company's office isn't even located in the city. Ain't that some shit. | ||
Scooter2k7 Member Username: Scooter2k7 Post Number: 199 Registered: 10-2007 |
What was the movie with in the 1980s with I want to say Joe Pesci where the slumlord was ordered by the court to live in one his delipadated buildings? I want to say "The Super"? Anyways, that is what should happen to Matty Mouron, order him to live in the MCS. I will never understand why billionaires like Mouron think they can take their money with them when they die. Lets face the facts, he will probably be dead in 10 years. If he is a caring person and has a soul, why not use some of his billions to restore the train station and do something positive for the city. He made his money in the city, why not give something back. But I guess he is not a caring, compassionate man. The "well its business" slogan does not work. Because 1. he is very, very rich and 2. he is very, very old. | ||
Michmeister Member Username: Michmeister Post Number: 290 Registered: 10-2006 |
The movie that was mentioned was probably based on the life of Leona Helmsley, a real-life slumlord in New York who got just that very same treatment, had to reside in one of her own rat-infested tax-writeoff holes. I don`t know if made any kind of lasting impression, but it was some kind of justice, for a while anyways. |
