DDA OKs $3.2M loan for Redico office building

[detroitfan]

The parking garage was built before the building so they couldn't place the docks under it. It'd taken some expensive rebuilding to pull that off

[Ramcharger]

It'd taken some expensive rebuilding to pull that off

Well, of course it would have cost more. Good design and quality always does.

[rbdetsport]

I am sure there could have been other ways to do this without effecting the cost very much. I just still wish they could have left room for some retail on Griswald.

[detroitfan]

Still if it makes the project doable it's a small price to pay than having the perfect building unbuilt. This is all assuming it's even possible the building was built on the exisisting garage coulmns depending where they're placed it can't be done.

[resourcefulidiot]

maybe they'll do Monroe right

[wolverine]

I'm not very knowledgeable about what the ramp is like beneath 1 Kennedy, perhaps I should go down there sometime. But there's that space between Chase Bank and 1 Kennedy that could have been reserved for the loading dock. It's at a street intersection which would make access to it efficient. The dock would be on the least noticeable side of the building. The reason why I mentioned the underground garage is because there is an exhaust vent right there which I'm sure could have been relocated.

Building a ramp downward would be difficult since there is a specified slope for vehicles, especially ones with cargo. You'd need a fairly long ramp, which would be even worse. Every single one of my projects so far in architecture school has required a loading dock. We all want to put them underground, but in the end try to hid them as best as we can. In my last project, I expressed the loading dock as part of the architecture where it actually became an item of interest. During my final presentation, one of the critics said: "I can't believe this is a loading dock, I mean, it's so beautifully done I could just cry!" So there is a way it could have been nicer looking. But remember, it comes down to time and money. We knew ahead of time the cost would yield a cheap building. It didn't come out horrible, but there was plenty of room for improvement that I doubt would have escalated costs.

[Ramcharger]

Wolverine, hurry and get your degree, we need to build some better looking buildings in this town. And speaking of the space between 1 Kennedy and Chase, do you, or anyone, know why the city closed Fort St. between Griswold and Woodward when they built Campus Martius? It makes getting around downtown even harder than it was before.

[wolverine]

That really surprised me as well. But my best guess is to reduce congestion on the traffic circle. Entering from Fort Street is already a bit pesky at times.

LOL, I'll try and get my degree ASAP.

[RustTown]

Campus Martius was a mess before. Even with the closing of Fort Street, I think the intersection is a huge improvement over the tangle that was there before.

[Zissou]

I begin to laugh any time I stumble across some of those old black and white photos of that intersection with trolleys and everything converging on that one spot. It looks like pure chaos.

[RustTown]

And, I was only talking about the intersection immediately before the transformation. I can't even imagine what it must have been like with the streetcars sharing the intersection with pedestrians and automobiles.

[bobjgumby]

It really did look like a cluster_uck.

[hudkina]

Fort St. will reopen, but only as an exit from the traffic circle. Meaning, you can come from the Traffic circle and turn either way onto Griswold or head away from Downtown via Fort St. If you want to get to Campus Martius from Fort St., just turn left at Griswold and right at Michigan Ave. and enter the circle from Michigan Ave. It's really not that hard. I usually enter downtown from Fort St., so I've grown accustomed to the change.

[tapezord]

The traffic circle... I hesistate to call it that, its certaintly not a roundabout... but its not really a traffic circle either... seems to function pretty well. The thing really could work without traffic signals, but the fact you put a park designed for pedestrians in the middle makes it a requirement. There are a few small modifications I might make to the design, namely reducing the number of turn lanes off of Cadillac square to 2 instead of 3. Other than that, the design is great. Its functional and aesthetically pleasing... now all we need is a building on the monroe block!

[RustTown]

Traffic lights really are needed, because very few Americans seem to know how to navigate circles/roundabouts. lol I really like roundabouts and the like as traffic calming measures, and think that most look right.

[wolverine]

The pedestrians crossing right at the Compuware entrace are a traffic calming device as well since they just walk out whenever. They either need to put up a decorative chain fence there or a new crosswalk.

I'll admnit to crossing there though. I don't recall the last time I've actually used the crosswalks at C-Mart.

I mean, ya know....

[resourcefulidiot]

lol, yeah I was going to mention that also...someone will die eventually, suprsied it hasnt happened already. It was almost me a month ago or so

not sure about that Compuware lighting though

[statedude3]

seeing that picture craked me up, wolverine. Just remembering the homeless guy dancing and posing with us in the middle of woodward made my night!!

[Michi]

Will you let me run you over next time, wolverine? I need to test my shocks anyway.

[RustTown]

You live in Detroit, right? Your shocks are put to the test every single day. lol But look at me talking from a city that also has some pretty terrible streets.

[Michi]

Ok, so I just wanted to know what it's like to run over a body. You got me!!

[dtown]

hahaha

[wolverine]

I'll let you know next school year when exams come around, Michi.

I tested my cars shocks on that bridge near Russell Industrial Complex. Horrible pavement.

[jsmyers]

And speaking of the space between 1 Kennedy and Chase, do you, or anyone, know why the city closed Fort St. between Griswold and Woodward when they built Campus Martius? It makes getting around downtown even harder than it was before.

The issue is that the NBD/BankOne/Chase/Cheese Grater Building took a chunk of the Campus Martius public space and there is not now room to have traffic from fort entering the loop.

If you look at the website site plan:

http://www.campusmartiuspark.org/park_siteplan.htm

You can see that if Fort came in, it would run right into where south Woodward veers off. Not a good situation, especially for pedestrians.

CM should really be about 25% longer to the south.

I understand your point, but I think it was a good compromise.

[statedude3]

I've been stuck in East Lansing for finals and stuff for pretty much a month solid. Thank god I finished yesterday!!c

Is that a fountain in front of 1 Kennedy Square that I see on the webcam? or is it just a floral box or something?