Olympia Development to Bring New Parking Opportunities to Downtown Detroit

The Downtown Development Authority has approved $2.5 million in state-funded grants to demolish several buildings owned by the Ilitch family. The funds are part of a pre-Super Bowl state allocation targeting Detroit’s most dilapidated structures. Unfortunately, four of the buildings shown below appear to be structurally sound. From various reports, the only building that is in danger of collapse is the Fine Arts/Adams Theater Building.

Taxpayers are once again being forced to foot the bill to demolish more of Mike Ilitch's dilapidated properties. Paved parking lots will replace the buildings. The only saving grace is that in an agreement with the Historic District Commission, the facade of the Fine Arts/Adams Theater building will be saved at an estimated cost of $500,000to to Olympia Development. It hasn't been specified whether or not the Adams Theater Auditorium itself will face the wrecking ball or what will go behind the facade.

479-481 West Columbia

Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order of Noble Mythic Shrine 2203-2211 Cass Ave

145 Elizabeth Street

Elizabeth Street Lofts 2030 West Grand River Ave

The Fine Arts/Adams Theater Building

Collapse?

There is a mystery on Woodward right now. A few weeks back the one story building next door to the Broderick Tower on Woodward was reduced to rubble. The question remains did it collapse or was it demolished?

Here are a few shots of the building from September, 2004 when part of roof caved in.

Lafayette Towers

Lafayette Towers, originally uploaded by A Dubs.

Cadillac Centre Project Next To Tank?

The New York-based developers of the $150-million Cadillac Centre have failed to meet certain pre-development milestones according to the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation. The Northern Group Inc. was to have submitted a site review, title clearance and environmental review of the site to DEGC by July 7. In light of that failure, Northern Group. asked permission to offer a modified plan for the site near Campus Martius. That request was rejected by the quasi-public arm of the city.

This does not mean that the project is dead, the project could be renegotiated, but that is highly unlikely. The project was announced in January, just prior to the release of the text messages that brought down former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. Skeptics, at the time, proclaimed that the Cadillac Centre was just another one of the Mayor's pie in the sky projects that would never come to fruition. It appears as though those skeptics may have been right.

@Water Lofts Fail

Detroit developer Dwight Belyue's proposed 480-unit luxury condominium project, @Water Lofts, has been canceled. Detroit Economic Development Corp. has pulled the plug on a $119 million housing development. Belyuet was unable to meet deadlines in his agreement with the city.

Dave Bing's Watermark project continues to advertise and market its units at this time, but it remains to be seen whether or not that development will come to fruition.

The Troll Under The Bridge

Matty Moroun has grabbed parts of two City of Detroit Parks near the Ambassador Bridge and he’s banned photography from what remains of the publicly-owned park.

Joel On The Road has the scoop!

and his follow-up.

Posting about the Softball Game

*UPDATE* WDIV announced on the 11pm news on Thursday that the Mayor said Matty has no right to have fences at Riverside Park.

Catching Up With Ike

Catching Up With Ike, originally uploaded by A Dubs.

Ford Auditorium to be Demolished Next Month?

In tonight's farewell speech former Mayor Kilpatrick announced that the city has finalized plans on a new riverfront amphitheater in Hart Plaza and that the Ford Auditorium will be demolished next month.

*Demolition Progress*

*Ford Auditorium Today*

Belle Isle Aquarium

Belle Isle Aquarium, originally uploaded by A Dubs.

Kahrtooned

Kahrtooned

McCrazy

Sharon McPhail has asked Gov. Jennifer Granholm about the possibility of pardoning Kwame Kilpatrick in the criminal case against him in exchange for Kilpatrick agreeing to testify at the removal hearing she will conduct.

First of all the Mayor hasn't yet been convicted of a crime, so how can the Governor offer a pardon? Secondly, what makes Sharon McPhail think that the Mayor's testimony is valuable enough to wave 10-12 felonies.

He is being provided an opportunity to defend himself in his own words, if he doesn't want to do that, he doesn't have to. He isn't being compelled to testify. He wouldn't be doing anyone a favor in giving testimony but himself.

Besides, after McPhail accused the Governor of trying to railroad the mayor, i don't think she'll be receptive to anything from the mayor's mouthpiece short of resignation.