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  #181  
Old Posted Oct 4, 2006, 3:19 AM
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Michi Michi is offline
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You mean like "DEVOS IS GOVERNOR!!!"?
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  #182  
Old Posted Oct 4, 2006, 7:14 AM
zuelas zuelas is offline
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Oh what the Hell, I had some wine and nothing better to do so I emailed Ms. Spencer about the FBI demolition. I don't expect anything but maybe she could learn more about it. I'd like to see the study and numbers to compare how cost-effective it'd be. Most people don't care but some of us who'd like to see Detroit's bldgs/skyline survive, don't want to see 20+story structures torn down unless there's a good reason for it.
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  #183  
Old Posted Oct 4, 2006, 10:24 AM
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I agree with that. I think without Executive Plaza there our skyline will look really weird.

Heres One Kennedy Square on 7/7/06. This is my first time posting my own photo, so I hope this comes up...
[IMG][/IMG]

Last edited by DetroitSky; Oct 6, 2006 at 9:16 PM.
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  #184  
Old Posted Oct 12, 2006, 2:10 AM
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1,400

Number of new residential units developed in the greater downtown area in the past three years.


83

Percentage of new downtown residents who hold a bachelor's degree or higher.


72

Percentage of new downtown residents with annual incomes of $50,000 or higher.


35

Percentage of new downtown residents who commute to the suburbs.


84

Percentage of new downtown residents who said convenience to dining and entertainment was extremely or very important in their decision to move downtown.

www.freep.com/realestate
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  #185  
Old Posted Oct 18, 2006, 6:32 PM
JonnyFive JonnyFive is offline
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I live just north of downtown and I'm obviously in favor of just about any kind of new development. But One Kennedy Square is really ugly and looks very out of place at Campus Martius.

One new update not related to skyscrapers at all but relevant to the city's future development. Last week Crain's Detroit Business reported that a coalition of woodward area businesses are looking to raise funds for a study to privately fund a people mover expansion. The expansion would be up the woodward/cass corridor to the new center area. For those of us who have been craving a light rail system in the city, this may be the next best thing.
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  #186  
Old Posted Oct 19, 2006, 5:47 AM
zuelas zuelas is offline
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Hey JonnyFive- someone made a thread about the ppl mover expansion in the midwest section bout a quarter way down the page. I'd take it but wonder what that kinda money could build in terms of light rail.

I agree with you completely about One Kennedy Square. What a friggin waste of a great space. It doesn't blend in well at all especially during the day. At night, it might end up being okay once it's occupied with all the lights on. Green is my favorite color and Detroit my favorite city so I'm automatically biased towards any green bldg in Detroit but I think it still sucks. Also, from the park it's never gonna be covered up by anything taller which is even worse. I wonder if in the not-so-distant future this will be one of those easily expendable structures that gets replaced by something bigger and better..... hopefully.
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  #187  
Old Posted Oct 19, 2006, 5:52 AM
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The whole point of Campus Martius was to have a "step down" effect towards the park. It was never meant to be surrounded by skyscrapers, which is one of the reasons Compuware didn't build a taller structure. It's supposed to be more human scaled and mid-rise.
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  #188  
Old Posted Oct 19, 2006, 7:39 PM
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I know that was the point of the park but I think there's enough open space to maintain that effect while having a couple tall ones at the Monroe Block and what would've been at One Kennedy Square. I remember seeing a rendering for a proposal there years ago that looked like it was 20-30 stories and I'm pretty sure it would have fit in just fine. I'm a skyscraper geek so of course I'd be happy with something tall there but I actually think it'd be a nice contrast too next to the shorter stuff.

I was just checking out DetroitSky's pic of One Kennedy Square and it really is a joke. You wouldn't even notice it if it were in the suburbs. The 'spire' does nothing to enhance the bldg, it just looks tacked-on. They should have at least encased it in glass making a triangular prism of sorts around it. Blehk

I'm hoping Greektown comes out nice. Anybody been by there to see what's goin on currently?
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  #189  
Old Posted Oct 19, 2006, 8:58 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LMich
The whole point of Campus Martius was to have a "step down" effect towards the park. It was never meant to be surrounded by skyscrapers, which is one of the reasons Compuware didn't build a taller structure. It's supposed to be more human scaled and mid-rise.
i never realized that (or heard it before) but it makes complete sense. still, it would've been that much cooler if compuware had decided to build that million-or-so square feet up, instead of out.

/hoping that rock decides to build something up
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  #190  
Old Posted Oct 19, 2006, 10:01 PM
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I wasn't actually arguing in favor of a taller building, just a less ugly one. Compuware isn't that tall but everybody compliments the "coolness" of the front entrance. I've not heard a nice thing said about One Kennedy Square. At first it seemed like most people were confused by it while it was still under construction. Compuware headquarters is a modern building that blends into the city. Comerica Tower is a modern building that was designed to match the historic feel of most of the city. One Kennedy Square looks like a miniature green ren cen. It belongs in Troy or on Northwestern Highway.

As for the comment about it becoming expendable, I was wondering the same thing about some other developments. I wonder if this city really gets off its feet in 20 years if they dont start plowing over some of todays brand new developments for bigger and better stuff.
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  #191  
Old Posted Oct 19, 2006, 10:23 PM
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pardon my unworthy tastes, but i actually kinda like one kennedy, save for the wall on the backside. like compuware, i feel its modern styling contrasts the historic structures well, and its marble matches nicely with the cheese grater next door.

i surely like one kennedy a hell of a lot more than any of the parking garages recently built or about to go up... now those are some expendable structures worthy of plowing over at any moment.
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  #192  
Old Posted Oct 19, 2006, 10:44 PM
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The rendering for Campus Martius Park shows different buildings on the site of One Kennedy and Monroe Block. I thought those buildings were ugly, but they might have been just "filler" so they didn't have to show parking lots.
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  #193  
Old Posted Oct 20, 2006, 1:29 AM
JonnyFive JonnyFive is offline
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Quote:
i surely like one kennedy a hell of a lot more than any of the parking garages recently built or about to go up... now those are some expendable structures worthy of plowing over at any moment.
I totally agree. I like to think of those absurdly enormous structures as temporary until mass transit enters the city. A city cannot grow in the way it should if every massive building requires an equally massive parking structure. It's absurd.
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  #194  
Old Posted Oct 20, 2006, 3:19 PM
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Some great news...
@water construction will be coming soon...
"Among the housing units will be several penthouses likely to be priced as high as $1.5 million, Belyue said"
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll.../BIZ/610200358

The Globe Trading Co. building will be redeveloped soon...residential and retail
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a.../1017/BUSINESS
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  #195  
Old Posted Oct 20, 2006, 7:07 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JonnyFive
As for the comment about it becoming expendable, I was wondering the same thing about some other developments. I wonder if this city really gets off its feet in 20 years if they dont start plowing over some of todays brand new developments for bigger and better stuff.
Well, if that's the case, then there is 2 options:
1) Destroy all the new parking garages

2) Destroy the historic residential projects

Other than that, there is no new building in Detroit (of significance anyway).

You have a valid beef with One Kennedy Square, but that's what happens when you try to put up a building in record time with no real committment from tenants. Not to mention that its local architects and developers whose names are on it. In other words, suburban-minded folk. Local Detroit planners, designers, architects, engineers, developers (with few exceptions) know nothing other than the suburban way and it's been that way for a very long time. It's too bad too because, as evidenced by the old city, we use to perfect urbanism.

That's why, in my opinion, it is ever so important at this stage in the game to get as much out of state influence as we can. Brush Park new homes...GREAT, but enough cookie cutter townhouses already...inspired by Novi developer Crosswinds.
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  #196  
Old Posted Oct 26, 2006, 3:20 PM
JonnyFive JonnyFive is offline
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Quote:
Well, if that's the case, then there is 2 options:
1) Destroy all the new parking garages

2) Destroy the historic residential projects

Other than that, there is no new building in Detroit (of significance anyway).
uhh... what about the hideous condos in Brush park that are less than five years old or the new loft building in Brush Park that is equally hideous. New Woodbridge homes that look like they belong in Novi? Hundreds of ugly, ugly units all over midtown.

The destruction of those new parking structures is a lot.... just think... those could all be skyscrapers.....

I'm a dreamer...
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  #197  
Old Posted Oct 26, 2006, 7:50 PM
mhays mhays is offline
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Sounds like a fun time to live in Detroit! The rehabs in particular.

The best part is that the current development ought to help bring additional development, due to momentum and due to the fact that redevelopment helps create its own demand. It's easy to imagine Downtown Detroit and nearby neighborhoods really filling in over the next decade or two.

One of these days I'll visit. So far just the airport...
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  #198  
Old Posted Oct 27, 2006, 7:37 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JonnyFive
uhh... what about the hideous condos in Brush park that are less than five years old or the new loft building in Brush Park that is equally hideous. New Woodbridge homes that look like they belong in Novi? Hundreds of ugly, ugly units all over midtown.

The destruction of those new parking structures is a lot.... just think... those could all be skyscrapers.....

I'm a dreamer...
We dont' necessarily need skyscrapers. Detroit never really was a highrise city. Although, I think promotion of higher structures should seriously be considered. It's more about contents of what a city is. For instance, think of the 1001 Woodward Garage and its physical and psychological role in the cityscape. Yes, it is a pretty large structure, is built up to the sidewalk, and creates a contiguous, urban "wall" on Woodward. But in reality, all it really is is a bunch of hollow concrete where people store their empty metal contraptions called cars. So, despite this huge, massive structure, all that's really there is a pharmacy.

Do you see my way of thinking? I'm not undermining the importance of parking, because it is a HUGE chunk of making downtowns work. But at the same time, this piece of real estate, in the heart of the CBD, arguable the most valuable land in greater downtown, is 98% parking.

To conclude, I 100% agree that it's obsurd to have to built massive parking with massive new construction. The 1001 garage was built to accomodate the residences in the high rise, and serves the municipal needs as well. However, it is not a full garage. Therefore, it is my understanding that development in such a downtown should craftfully mix and match separate developments together with parking needs and parking availability. If I lived at Merchants Row, there is no way in hell I would park at the elevator garage. I would park either underground at the Millenium Garage or at 1001. Same goes for if I lived at one of those new loft conversions at Griswold and Grand River that are taking forever to construct. Consider where those people will park when those open up. Will they demand that they build a garage on Capitol Park? I think not.

mhays, come to Detroit any time. You're always welcome to come see how we're digging out of this mess.
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  #199  
Old Posted Nov 1, 2006, 11:15 PM
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did anyone happen to save the "rocketship" rendering of motorcity casino, that appeared on the news/freep websites? the only one i can find online is the second most recent.



the reason i'm asking has something to do with google earth+sketchup.

()
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  #200  
Old Posted Nov 2, 2006, 10:10 AM
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Another floor added ?
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