Detroit, Michigan: Friday, June 1, 2007
MGM Grand from 3rd and Forest.
Landscaping the garage along the Fisher Service Drive.
Very little exterior progress.
Gaaah! More pavement. This area is already a traffic disaster. Hopefully, the city and casino will figure out a way to control this intersection where 3rd meets the Bagley ramps and Michigan Avenue all at once. It's pretty messy.
Motor City from the Lodge and Forest.
Woodbridge Estates, Miracles Boulevard.
South University Village.
Bureau of Urban Living, Canfield Street. I goofed on the last update and reported the location in the wrong building.
Bad lighting on a facade rehab on 3rd Street, across the street from the temporary MGM Grand Casino. It looks nice.
Le Book Cadillac. One of my biggest urban planning pet peeves is what has been done with the streets here. It's aweful!
The Pick Fort-Shelby has been fenced off and is itching for its major overhaul to kick into full swing! What a fantastic project.
Greektown is building Detroit's most recent skyscraper, the 30-story Greektown Casino Hotel. The portion seen here is none other than the 60-story garage...(j/k)
The hotel tower starts at level 4, the next level!
This is the picture in the dictionary under "Parking City".
It's just overkill!
RAAR!
Soon to be blocked!
The new Music Hall for the Performing Arts looks great, although I haven't seen it at night yet.
As I was taking these photos, I realized how very little I've photographed this building. It's really beautiful.
Hello from afar.
Harmonie Park actually is under a master planning process right now. The idea is to bring back a lot of the Black Bottom influence of Detroit's better days. Black Bottom was the heart of the black community and arguably Detroit soul. It was shamelessly plowed over by I-75 as an excuse to erase the black, urban ghetto. If that was the case, why bring it back, right? Oh, American history never ceases to amaze me.
Windsor's casino tower making its ascent. I noticed a peek of glass on some of the lower floors.
Rivard Plaza, to open in a few weeks for the 1st annual Detroit River Days Festival. It has a carousel, bike rentals, food, and pavillion facilities.
The riverfront is turning out to be quite magnificent, and the local color is quickly defining something that can only be found uniquely and specifically in Detroit.
Prime riverfront property is patiently awaiting a turn in the economy.
Dodge Fountain in Hart Plaza is proving to people its original true potential as a landmark fountain.
Another a few extras. Look what Cadillac found!
Story Corp. Griot is a traveling trailer that visits cities to engage their residents in sharing African American history and heritage stories. It's been in Campus Martius Park for a while and will be here until mid month.
In its few years, Campus Martius has really become a regional jewell. It has been so much fun to watch the city transform around Campus Martius.
Greening the Garden Lofts, Brush Park.
Brush Park North, John R. Street.
Looks like stairwell and elevator shaft at the Crystal Lofts, Brush Park.
That's all for now.