jsmyers

The biggest problem with the Met is the extremely low floor to floors (something like 8' I believe). The 2nd problem is the shape and the lack of windows on the street. I also think you may underestimate the size of a floorplate.

I live right behind that building, which looks like a virtually perfect mirror image of mine. I believe that all three on that corner where built together. FYI: the larger building with the ivy on the right is the one with the recent fire.

You mean the state. The vast majority of the funding and all of the control of Michigan Ave is through MDOT. It is in bad shape, but you can't blame it on Detroit.

It is cheap office space. I'm sure it has a relatively high vacancy rate. Why does the Book Tower look abandonded?

You could almost certainly FOIA them if you really wanted to.

I tried to send him to http://www.detroit.com, where many will gladly give him advice. Hopefully he sees either this post or he saw that one before it got deleted. That said, I'm guessing it is an Urbanplanet policy, and has nothing to do with Detroit or Detroiters.

I think it would be moronic for the city to allow auto-focused development in this part of the city. I don't want a gated community or a parking lot on Woodward.

It is actually only a 100 yards or so from the gandy dancer, right past and underneith the other side of the bridge the photo is taken from.

Wordsmith, I think you are thinking of shed 1 (post #1013). It was demolished with the construction of the freeway.

It is the same water that is in Lake Huron and Lake Erie. Lake Erie is one of the cleanest bodies of water in the world by many measures. There is a lot of polluted fill and sedement, but the water is pretty clean.

Cleaned up? Sandblasting? First of all, look at the picture. I'm pretty sure it is clean. Second of all, you can't sandblast brick without destroying the building.

This one will really look different when it is done. More of a reuse than a rehab. It reminds me of a warehouse I resently saw in Milwaukee's old 3rd ward. It had balconies hung off of the sides, that made the building look like it was built 5 years ago.

Things are changing so fast in the Cass Cooridor that I don't think that "a side of town that could use some help" is a good way to characterize it. It is true that change and development has generally been moving south from WSU, and this is South of Mack, but the area doesn't "need help." It needs to continue to change just as it has been for the last few years, slow and steady. Joel Landy (who runs Cass Avenue Develpment) has been doing great work in the area for years. (He has lived in the area for 25+ years.) I'm not sure, but I would guess that he is one of the primary reason that anybody ever talks about moving to the Cooridor. He is also responsible for this school rehab: http://www.lelandlofts.com/intro.php I've also read a rumor (that is right, a rumor) that he is looking at or wants to convert old Cass Tech in a similar fashion. Here is a feature story about him in the Freep: http://www.freep.com/features/living/riley12_20040312.htm Here is an old story about the trend (and Joel) in the News: http://www.detnews.com/2001/realestate/010.../b01-240427.htm

Allan, How about some neighborhoods, cross streets, or addresses when you post pictures of buildings that not everybody knows about. For instance, what is the "side of town that could use some help?" There aren't that many sides of town (N,E, W,...S?), and this is pretty general and value-laden description.

From detroit.com http://127.0.0.1/forum/messages/5/38923.html?1109710614 The building isn't going anywhere.