Statler Hotel Demolition Progress

[SNWEB]

rallytoo,

You have to understand the Statler and Madison-Lenox had developers lined up but Ilitch and the city threw them out door and insisting on demolition.

I can see possible demolition when there is no developers, but when this is developers willing and ready to work what is up with that? Now we have 2 new parking lots coming our way!

[rallytoo]

I am working on a list of properties the Ilitches own.  Some belong to the Tigers; others belong to Olympia Development.  Of course they could easily transfer ownership of the Tigers lots to Olympia whenever they feel like it, since the Ilitches own both.  There are quite a few lots owned by various individuals in the area, but the Ilitches could most likely buy them out whenever they feel like it.

2305 Woodward - Fox Surface Parking

28 W Montcalm - Fox Parking Deck

2323 Park - Fox Parking Lot A

119 W Fisher - Fox Parking Lot A

421 W Fisher - Olympia Development

2301 Woodward - Hockeytown Cafe

2301 Cass - Olympia Development

2211 Woodward - Fox Theater Building

67 W Montcalm - Fox Theater Rear Lot

127 W Montcalm - Olympia Development

143 W Montcalm - Olympia Development

231 W Montcalm - Olympia Development

229 W Montcalm - Olympia Development

66 W Columbia - Fox Theater Vacant Lant

2210 Park - Detroit Building/Olympia Development

2211 Cass - Ancient Egyptian/Olympia Development

2203 Cass - Ancient Egyptian Parking/Olympia Development

437 W Columbia - Olympia Development

465 W Columbia - Olympia Development

2154 W Grand River - Olympia Development

2171 Cass - Olympia Development

117 W Columbia - Olympia Development

101 W Columbia - Olympia Development

81 W Columbia - Blenheim Apartments/Olympia Development

2123 Woodward - Fox Surface Parking

100 W Elizabeth - Olympia Development

216 W Elizabeth - Olympia Development

401 W Elizabeth - Olympia Development

237 W Elizabeth - Olympia Development

150 Bagley - United Artists Building/Olympia Development

285 W Adams - Olympia Development

147 W Fisher - Detroit Tigers

161 W Fisher - Detroit Tigers

211 W Fisher - Detroit Tigers

405 W Fisher - Detroit Tigers

146 W Montcalm - Detroit Tigers

2335 Cass - Detroit Tigers

201 W Montcalm - Detroit Tigers

100 W Columbia - Detroit Tigers

2130 Cass - Detroit Tigers

168 W Columbia - Detroit Tigers

2100 W Grand River - Detroit Tigers

501 Park - Detroit Tigers (former Tuller Hotel)

100 E Adams - Olympia Development

327 John R - Olympia Development

200 Madison - Olympia Development

242 Madison - Olympia Development (Former Madison-Lenox)

244 Madison - Olympia Development (Former Madison-Lenox)

246 Madison - Olympia Development (Former Madison-Lenox)

300 E Adams - Elmwood Grill, LLC/Elwood Bar

333 Madison - Gem Century, LLC/Gem Theater

Interestingly, Hotel Vermont, that is supposedly owned by the Ilitches shows up as follows:

138 W Columbia - Hotel Vermont - LUVINA JENNINGS/138 W COLUMBIA ST DETROIT MI 48201-3450

Also, 3 properties show up as being owned by the stadium authority, yet the taxes are paid by some lady who lives in Warren. 

200 W Columbia - Stadium Authority FREDA ALIBRI

171 W Columbia - Stadium Authority FREDA ALIBRI

142 W Elizabeth - Stadium Authority FREDA ALIBRI

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Allan: the ilitches own the Elwood and Gem Theatre??? Where do you get this unbelievably bad info????!

[rallytoo]

snweb: if a good plan was there i would agree, but i haven't seen the proposal (don't know if any of us have or are just passing the message around the circle) and in addition to the proposal for reno...do we have any idea what was offered for the property?

[Allan]

I got the "unbelievably bad info" from the city of Detroit. I did double check my info, and made a mistake when originally composing my post. The Elwood Bar & Gem Theater are owned by the same people who own the State Theater.

[baldy]

Rallytoo, here's the Detnews article for the proposed Madison Lennox renovation

http://www.detnews.com/2005/business/0502/09/C01-84258.htm

[Zissou]

That would have been a very cool adaptation for that building. Just another project Detroit will not be seeing due to stubborn people.

[Michi]

^And that's what I'm getting at. You have leadership in this city that are doing as THEY please as if they are not representing anybody. So, when I say where are all the people during these threatening times, what I'm asking is, why isn't the greater Detroit community getting involved with preserving its very self and identity?

We're at a stage in this city where standards are rising. Corruption is no longer acceptable to the point where you HAVE to ILLEGALLY tear down a building that good-hearted citizens are fighting tooth and nail to save...not just for their own interest, but for the good of the greater community.

The Madison-Lenox could have provided a HUGE stepping stone into the path of a historic resurgence in Harmonie Park. It would have possibly attracted the kinds of people who value irreplacable historic artifacts...the very walls of the buildings. The location, location, location. But instead, we've allowed the few powerful forces to stomp those dreams out as if they were a smoked cigarrette on the sidewalk.

Enough is enough, so all I'm saying is we're emerging into a more informed society regarding our big city, Detroit. Where are all the people who will stand up and care for the drastic changes that are happeing agains our (the community's) will? You know they are out there and there is power in numbers. It's like this in almost every other place on earth!

[MJLO]

sick some of the people from the Grand Rapids Historic Preservation Commission on them, those people act like dieties in the misdt of Kent County, You cant even get disgusting buildings that are blighted with no historical sigificance replaced over in G-Rap. They might be able to help you out.

[Fletch]

People who complain about economic reality complain about the real world itself. Look, all these buildings are indeed historical/architectural treasures. Nobody denies that the M-L and Statler in a perfect world would have been saved and renovated. Nobody denies that I should be driving a 2005 Corvette with all the options instead of my piece of cr** 1990 Honda Accord LX with 160000 miles on it. My point is that we all live in a world of limits. Some limits are tighter than others. In Detroit today, they couldn't be tighter. Rule 1 Private developers, who will supply most of the finance package, don't give a sh** about preservation, history, architecture, beauty, or really the community-at-large. They sink or swim on profit considerations and nothing else, whether their name is Ilitch or not. For them, that means what is the risk-adjusted return on investment? Their thought process is the following: "I can invest 80-100 million dollars anywhere on this planet. Where is it going to yield the highest return?" Rule 2 It's local government's obligation to supplement whatever private funds appear in order to benefit others in the community that profit-seeking businesses don't give a cr** about. This is what's called "the wedge." If it costs, say, 150 million dollars to refit the Statler and private funds max out at 100 million, then government has to make up the difference. If it can't, then the building sits vacant until demolition finally occurs. The City's track record isn't good here. Let's face it, Detroit had to beg the State through the C.M.I. just to demolish the Statler. Rule 3 Sometimes, however painful, it's time to cut your losses. The Statler has been a vacant hulk for thirty years. Thirty Years! Meanwhile, "the wedge" grows every day as the elements deteriorate the structure. At some point, City officials decided that it is impossible to renovate this building . Given the imminent prospect of receivership, the City simply can't afford to preserve its history. Corrupt? No. Reality? Yes. Mournful?

[Michi]

You're speaking to the choir. How about walking to the beat of a different drum?

And in my opinion, not yours, tearing down a building illegally and at will is corruption. There's something not right with it. All the pieces don't fit. Somewhere something went wrong. I can't understand how that works...blah blah blah...

[wolverine]

Michi, about your post at the top of the page, the poeple basically thought it was sad Detroit was losing so many buildings, especially the beautiful ones. I think a lot of us sometimes think "everyone else" doesn't remember these buldings, but they do remember them enough to realize their existance. And they do appreciate them to some extent. They are eyesores, but many people do know that they have the potential to be renovated and look beautiful once again. And it seems that many people only seem to see and hear the postive in some news clip or article they saw months ago that said these buildings would be renovated. So when they saw them being demolished, they were a bit shocked. And seeing how empty this part of the core has become, people have the right to joke about Detroit being a hole, a massive parking lot. Well, I hope people keep complaining, and I hope Detroit gets a bunch of negative columns on this matter, because it may be the only way the city will change its ways.

MJLO mentioned historical preservation in G-Rapids. Just imagine how the Statler could have looked like the Amway Grand. They both share very similar architecture.

AMWAY GRAND HOTEL

STATLER HOTEL

[SOSaD]

Any photo updates? Damn, I wished I lived in Detroit.

[tapezord]

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

nicely framed.

[Michi]

I was downtown last night watching the Piston's game at Campus Martius Park and walked home afterwards past the Statler. The whole top white ornamentation is gone.

[SOSaD]

I was downtown last night watching the Piston's game at Campus Martius Park and walked home afterwards past the Statler. The whole top white ornamentation is gone.

[Zissou]

Michi how was watching the game from CMP? Sorry its not about the Statler.

[RustTown]

I stopped crying over the loss of the Statler the minute they started taking it down. It's gone, no need to keep harping on it, IMO.

[SNWEB]

Yep the Statler dies a slow and painful death while the Madison-Lenox was quickly put out of her misery. Statler had to be taken down slowly due to the no-people mover.

It is supposed to be completed by '06

[Zissou]

There's no need, but the appearance looks dramatically different now, than in a few months where there are tumble weeds blowing by and that one car that parks at the old Statler site is in the lot.

Watching the game at CM Park was a neat experience.  It was fun knowing that there was no alcohol being served and all ages and races were gathered around the little TVs at AuBon Pain and cheering (and booing at the end of the game).  The fountain shooting off was a nice effect too until it was turned off at 11:00.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Oh I thought maybe they busted out the big screen for the game. How many people were crowded around those plasmas?

I apologize again if im hijacking the thread.

[Michi]

There's no need, but the appearance looks dramatically different now, than in a few months where there are tumble weeds blowing by and that one car that parks at the old Statler site is in the lot.

Watching the game at CM Park was a neat experience. It was fun knowing that there was no alcohol being served and all ages and races were gathered around the little TVs at AuBon Pain and cheering (and booing at the end of the game). The fountain shooting off was a nice effect too until it was turned off at 11:00.

[Fletch]

Any news on when the Statler is supposed to be finally demolished? At least the Madison-Lenox was bumped off quickly. With the Statler job, it seems they're subjecting Detroit to a summer of torture.

[Michi]

^There was probably not more than 200. A good handful sitting, some standing, and many just patronizing. It was fun.

[SNWEB]

I've began a diagram to show how much has been done to the structure. I will update when something significant happens.

red means that that portion of the structure has been demolished

[Zissou]

Thats pretty cool. Whats the building floating in the middle of Washington Blvd?

[gmm1]

Thats pretty cool.  Whats the building floating in the middle of Washington Blvd?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That would be the demo'ed Trolley garage.