Sunday, October 19, 2008

Lafayette Towers



Lafayette Towers, originally uploaded by A Dubs.

Friday, October 03, 2008

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.

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

@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.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

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.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Catching Up With Ike



Catching Up With Ike, originally uploaded by A Dubs.

Thursday, September 04, 2008

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*

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Belle Isle Aquarium


Belle Isle Aquarium, originally uploaded by A Dubs.

Kahrtooned


Wednesday, August 13, 2008

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.

Something Stinks!

An administrative hearing for a fired Detroit Fire Department employee Douglas Bayer, who recently sued the city alleging he was retaliated against for information he had about the rumored party at the Manoogian Mansion, was abruptly halted today after his lawyer refused to stop recording the proceeding.

Douglas was allegedly fired for taking heart monitoring cables equipment from an ambulance without authorization. He claims that he returned the cables to the hospital that owned them.

*Excerpts from various media sources*

-An appeal hearing for a fired Detroit Fire Department emergency medical technician was abruptly terminated Wednesday morning after city officials objected to attempts by the former EMT worker's lawyer to tape record the hearing.

-Yatooma said he was tape-recording the hearing because its administrator, Deputy Fire Commissioner Seth Doyle, continuously told a stenographer to go on and off the record when Yatooma addressed the three-member panel.

-Detroit Fire Commissioner Tyrone Scott refused the media access to the hearing saying their presence would be a “disturbance.” (THE FIRST REPORT WAS THAT THEY WERE TOLD THAT THE ROOM WAS FULL)

-Scott then rejected a plea from a lawyer for the Detroit Free Press to open the hearing to the media. Brian Wassom, a lawyer for the Free Press who showed up at fire headquarters, was also prohibited by Scott from making an argument on the record.

-Wassom argued that closing the hearing violated the state open meetings act.

A portion of the Fire Department’s General Rule regarding trial boards says: “Also remember your conduct and involvement is on public display; i.e., the newspaper reporters and authorized observers may be present.”

-Action News contacted city of Detroit spokesperson Denise Tolliver asking why the press could not attend the hearing. Tolliver said they were not allowed to cover it and hung up.

-Before the hearing ended, a union representative for Bayer said he stepped down from the three-member appeals panel "under duress" at the request of city officials.

Bayer chose Wisam Zeineh, the president of his union. But Wednesday morning, city officials said Zeineh should be removed from the panel because he could be a potential witness.

Zeineh said he stepped down under pressure after officials reminded him he is still a city employee.

Today, Bayer’s former partner Fawn Colombatto said she was suspended without pay three weeks ago for being a co-conspirator in taking the equipment.

Something stinks! The Fire Department seems to be making it easier for the city to make another cash pay-out.

Monday, August 11, 2008

Mayoral Wanderlust

What's being overlooked in this latest controversy over the mayors travel is the amount money he has wasted on one-way flights, car rentals, hotel rooms, and gas as Mayor Kilpatrick tools around the country on his quest for solitude.

One can only imagine how much additional money Kilpatrick is soaking the city for by flying out to events and driving home, or has he been flying Suave Air? Steve Wilson should be doing his quarterly audit of the Mayor's credit card statements.

Christine Beatty also traveled to Atlanta this summer on her job search. There should be an investigation to see if the mayor and her were in town at the same time.