The gutting of Cobo Arena is well underway. The space is being converted into a 40,000 square foot ballroom capable of seating 2,600 people for dining and 5,000 for general sessions.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
Comerica Park Scoreboard Exposed
The scoreboard at Comerica Park made news last week as the Detroit Tigers released an artist's rendering and specs for the rehabbed board, along with other improvements being made at the park this off-season
Saturday, February 18, 2012
30 Clifford Street
You may remember 30 Clifford Street from such films as 8 Mile (where it stood in for the Shelter), Transformers: Dark of the Moon and Red Dawn.
It has received a significant face-lift since then and the owners of Louie's Ham & Corned Beef in Eastern Market have been working on turning the location into Bar/Eatery.
It has received a significant face-lift since then and the owners of Louie's Ham & Corned Beef in Eastern Market have been working on turning the location into Bar/Eatery.
Labels:
30 Clifford,
Detroit,
Michigan,
redevelopment
Location:
167 Bagley St, Detroit, MI 48226, USA
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Buffalo Wild Wings Set to Fly into Detroit
You may recall that the City tried to have the building demolished in 2008 after high winds caused the back of the building to collapse in April of that year. The City later relented.
Sunday, February 05, 2012
The Slow March to Rehab
Monday, January 30, 2012
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Little House on the Urban Prairie
I spotted this house under construction in 2008. It was built just east of Eastern Market by two graduates of the master's program at the Cranbook Academy of Art as part of their thesis project on affordable single family housing. The 900 Square foot home had a budget of $60,000 and was constructed using cinder blocks and a rubber-coated roof.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
It's Official!
There will be no Shield's Pizza franchise in the Kales Building.
Detroit pizza plan in default
Shield's Pizza to Abandon Detroit Again?
Four Years Gone.
Detroit pizza plan in default
Louis Aguilar-The Detroit News
The attempt to bring a Shield's pizza restaurant back to Detroit has ended up in a large pile of dough owed to the bank.
The Troy-based chain left Detroit, where it started, in the mid-1980s and focused on suburban growth. In 2007, the chain announced plans for a franchise to open a street-level eatery at the Kales Building Lofts at downtown's Grand Circus Park.
The plan never came to fruition. Earlier this week, the lenders of an $819,000 loan filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court charging the investors behind the downtown plan defaulted on the loan signed in 2008. The outstanding balance is $798,777, according to the suit.
Shield's Pizza to Abandon Detroit Again?
Four Years Gone.
Friday, December 09, 2011
Sunday, October 09, 2011
The Golden Hour
Labels:
ALDS,
Baseball,
Comerica Park,
Detroit,
Tigers
Friday, October 07, 2011
Sunday, October 02, 2011
Thursday, September 01, 2011
Tuesday, August 02, 2011
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Four Years Gone
Way back in 2007 Paul Andoni, co-owner of Shield's Franchise Restaurants LLC, announced that Shield's Pizza was returning to Detroit. The company began to build out space on the ground floor of the Kales building for a summer 2007 opening. That never happened. Construction stalled due to an issue with the exhaust ventilation that necessitated the installation of a 19-story shaft to the roof.
As late as June, 2008 Andoni still planned to open the bar and resturant at the Grand Circus Park location. At some point afterwards a "Construction has been halted" sign was posted and space was abandoned. This recent sign confirms the obvious. Shield's has abandoned the city once more.
As late as June, 2008 Andoni still planned to open the bar and resturant at the Grand Circus Park location. At some point afterwards a "Construction has been halted" sign was posted and space was abandoned. This recent sign confirms the obvious. Shield's has abandoned the city once more.
Labels:
Detroit,
Downtown,
Kales,
Shield's Pizza
Location:
28 W Adams St, Detroit, MI 48226, USA
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Growing Lafayette Greens
Work has commenced on Lafayette Greens. The community garden, located at the site of the the demolished Lafayette building, is one of two gardens announced by Compuware back in March.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
Sunday, July 10, 2011
The Red Grape Lounge Replaces the 5 & 10 Bar
Labels:
Bar,
Detroit,
Kresge Building,
Lounge,
Woodward
Location:
Unknown location.
Sunday, June 05, 2011
Defacing the Schwankovsky Temple of Music
According to Detroit Moxie a "Pop-Up" performance space has opened up inside the Schwankovsky Temple of Music called vitaminwater uncapped LIVE: Detroit. One of the "Features" of this performance space is a showcase for art. This showcase consists of graffiti painted on the interior of the 120 year old building.
According to Moxie "The juxtaposition between the old architecture and the new graffiti and street art is compelling." Really? Defacing the interior of a beautiful, viable building is compelling? It's not even remotely acceptable! Will vitaminwater, which is underwriting this atrocity, pay to have the interior restored when their event disappears June 18? I don't think it is very likely.
Labels:
Detroit,
Schwankovsky Temple of Music,
Vandalism
Location:
Downtown, Detroit, MI, USA
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Nothing Special at Capitol Park
The reconstruction of Capitol Park is complete and I will have to agree with the majority opinion, it is nothing special. I was underwhelmed by the design when I walked through it last week. The one thing that it did have going for it was the lack a homeless people milling about. If the new park is to become a catalyst for the regeneration of that section of downtown, as intended, that is an important first step.
Labels:
Capitol Park,
Construction,
Detroit
Location:
Capitol Park, Detroit, MI 48226, USA
Sunday, May 08, 2011
Cass Tech Destruction
Demolition work continues on the annex of Old Cass Tech. The demolition of the remainder of the school will begin in June, once the current school year has been completed.
Labels:
Cass Tech,
Demolition,
Detroit,
School
Location:
Briggs, Detroit, MI, USA
Friday, May 06, 2011
Nothing Growing at Compuware Gardens
Back in March of this year, Compuware's art and community program manager announced Compuware's urban gardening project. Community gardens will be established on the former sites of the Lafayette and Hudson buildings. Compuware employees will plant and tend these gardens with the produce harvested from the space going to local non-profits, such as Gleaners. Thus far, there are no visible signs of any development on either of these sites which are set to open in July.
Labels:
Compuware,
Hudson Building,
Lafayette Building,
Urban Garden
Location:
Downtown, Detroit, MI, USA
Thursday, May 05, 2011
Port Authority Terminal Almost Ready to Weigh Anchor
The Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority Public Dock and Passenger Terminal will debut next month. Final preparations are underway and the first cruise ship is set to dock in July.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
More Funding Coming to Detroit Green Spaces
Governor Rick Snyder signed a bill this week approving $102 million in grants to the Natural Resources Trust Fund. Close to $35 million from that grant will go to William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor, Detroit Riverwalk and the Dequindre Cut. The following acquisition projects were recommended for funding:
- $20 million would be used to acquire three to six large private inholding parcels and trail easements along the Detroit Riverfront as additions to the William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor.
- $9 million would be used by the DNRE to acquire 48,000 square feet of built-out space in the
Globe Building for the William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor Adventure and Discovery
Center in downtown Detroit.
- $5 million would be used by the DNRE to acquire public use easements and land acquisitions along the
Detroit River from the Ambassador Bridge to the MacArthur Bridge as part of a 5-mile-long
public greenway.
- $375,000 would be used to acquire a 0.7-mile section of abandoned rail corridor in downtown Detroit that continues the Dequindre Cut north, connecting the Detroit Riverfront to the historic Eastern Market.
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Thursday, March 24, 2011
*UPDATE* Seldom Blues Space to Host New Restaurant
*Joe Muer’s Seafood is slated to open inside the Renaissance Center in early September. The former Seldom Blues location won out over sites at the Compuware Building and Asian Village. Muer's will be run by Andiamo Restaurant Group. The company purchased all the original Joe Muer licensing agreements, recipes and trademarks.*
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Detroit 2.0: Hudson, Lafayette Building sites to be Community Gardens
Compuware employees will tend community gardens on the sites of the Hudson building (Premier Garage) and the Lafayette Building. What a great use for an underground parking structure that was constructed to support a 15 story structure above it. There is dumb and then there is Detroit dumb!
Saturday, March 19, 2011
North Korea Edges out China in Invasion of Detroit
MGM has taken advantage of the time it spent in bankruptcy to re-brand the villains in its "Red Dawn" remake as North Koreans instead of Chinese. An attempt to court potential distributors prompted the change. Distributors were concerned that without changes, the portrayal could alienate the Asian superpower and affect their ability to do business in the country. The studio will spend about one million dollars to re-edit, re-dub, and digitally alter the film to remove as many Chinese references as possible. If MGM is unable to find a distributor the film could end up going straight to DVD.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Wednesday, March 02, 2011
Your "New" Cobo Center
Cobo Center officials today unveiled details of a $221 million facelift of the convention center. The plan also reconfigures Cobo’s existing spaces crating more than 100,000 square feet of extra exhibition space. View the fly-through
Labels:
Cobo Center,
Detroit
Sunday, February 06, 2011
Another Brush Park Setback
The Inn at 97 Winder in Brush Park is up for sale. My only hope is that someone will buy it soon and put it to a fitting use. I would hate to see it end up in the same situation that the Lucian Moore House restoration is in.
$2.5M price tag on Detroit mansion an eye-opener | The Detroit News
$2.5M price tag on Detroit mansion an eye-opener | The Detroit News
Friday, January 14, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Baby Steps?
It looks like the last vacant building on 100 block Watson street in Brush Park will be saved. The Devon building, built in 1905, is slated to be converted into four 1,300 square feet condos. With the rehabilitation of the concrete building, the restoration of this particular block will be complete. That's not to say that it couldn't use a few more buildings for infill. The art deco facade will be saved, but the rear of the building will be demolished and rebuilt with floor to ceiling windows. This will also make room for new garages to be build along the alley.
Construction is set to begin in the first quarter of 2011. However, work will not begin until all four units are sold. The expected price per unit will be $220,000.
Labels:
Brush Park,
Delvon,
facadectomy,
redevelopment,
Rehabilitation,
Watson
Location:
Midtown, Detroit, MI, USA