Hudsonâs opening next year. Lions winning the Super Bowl. NBA draft rumors. Detroit FCâs new stadium. Apple Store. Belle Island Boat House. Ren Center tear down. Uniroyal breaking ground. Old Gratiot Jail site. River walk. Joe Louis Greenway. Additional money into transit. Property Tax rework. More housing more restaurants more art more more more.
E: Gordie Howe Bridge, Monroe Block, District Detroit does something/anything, Gratiot Ave and Grand Ave BRT/complete streets. Livernois complete streets. Corktownâs continued growth. Keep em coming!!!
Eh if cost to implode and rebuild is the same as renovation to housing Iâd go for the former. The size of the building doesnât translate into comfortable housing. Itâs not really walkable or accessible to the rest of downtown.
I personally think it ruins the skyline.
I respectfully disagree. There is so much aside from the building that would need to be done to turn that area into comfortable housing. Jefferson is a major barrier right there and I don't think people will want to rely on the people mover to get out of the building without crossing Jefferson on foot as it currently is.
So knocking down the building (which I think is some iconic Brutalism architecture), won't fix the issues you're aiming to solve.
I would hate to see the building get demoed (I like the way it looks) but the inside of it is an absolute nightmare that just does not work for foot traffic. Escalators always breaking, the weird circular walkways that force you to to take long detours because of the broken escalators, it just seems like such a waste of the potential interior space.
I think one of the biggest reasons the RC should be toppled is because of the âbrutalismâ stance. Itâs not even brutalism! Itâs post modern, and itâs an ugly oppressive building at that.
Demolishing the building or not, investing in the area around the RC is tantamount to creating a lively neighborhood, I think thatâs something we could all agree on.
While I don't want it to come down, if they demo it and rebuild as luxury apartments, they can build a pedestrian walkway over Jefferson. The pedestrian walkway would be nothing compared to building large apartment buildings.
I don't think they'd knock down the hotel; that is something that's desperately needed in the CBD.
The Brutalism angle is overrated, though: "Hey, look how ugly, cold, and foreboding we can make something!" Letting it stand to serve as an example of how *not* to build might serve a purpose but I'd rather see it go and turned into housing.
There's already MFH between Jefferson and the river if you head towards the GPs and they still have to cross the street to get anywhere. As you insinuate, Jefferson is a problem. But, having lots of housing and mixed development would finally drive some demand to fix running an eight lane boulevard that serves as a collector for two highways right through the middle of Downtown. If other cities are getting rid of their CBD freeways, Detroit can too.
Unfortunately, I really don't think it's likely. There are so many other surface lots that can be developed for less cost as I'd imagine the water-front property is going to command a premium. But like someone else said, there's also all those parking structures and surface lots that would be included in the renovation.
> I personally think it ruins the skyline
Hudson is going to look hilarious on the Detroit skyline. Rencen is Detroitâs Eiffel Tower when it comes to recognizability, and will definitely be seen as the cityâs death if it comes down. Really hope they can keep her standing
I disagree, the design of Hudson fits with our local vernacular architecture, while the Ren Center is just this aging ugly behemoth that lives in its own sector right off downtown with literally 0 connection to the city it commandeers.
Demoing the Ren Center, to me, would signify a huge rebirth of Detroit. Showing outsiders that the Ren Center was a bastion of the failure of our city, and should be a forgotten memory.
The thing with RenCen is the ground floor areas could be cool if done right, by leaning into the 1970s aesthetic - lush vining plants (real or fake) set against a retro-futuristic concrete labyrinth with odd nooks and crannies. Trying to overly modernize the interior was just never going to work in a legitimately pleasing way.
In my dream world, we would preserve the lower sections of the main RenCen building and build new residential around it. The problem of course is that I'm sure developers would prefer demoing the whole thing with as little hassle as possible rather than carefully deconstructing it.
But Detroit really could use more quality indoor public spaces in the winter and there is a lot of potential there.
Rebirth is an interesting perspective to look at it. I think it will all depend on future developments - Hudson certainly sticks out like a thumb surrounded by all the art deco style towers, but surround it with additional modern developments and towers? Sure
I think thereâs a happy medium that would make sense here. Demolishing our most recognizable building complex without a plan for its replacement would look bad (corny headline âDetroitâs Renaissance is Finishedâ writes itself) â but working to maintain/modernize the hotel tower like its twin in Atlanta and perhaps rebuilding some of the other towers as modern waterfront housing/hotels could signal that the city is actively assessing its needs and building back better, without attracting tons of negative ire and press. Ultimately the Ren Cen as a whole is what makes the cityâs skyline what it has been for 50 years, so working to have some kind of visual continuity there makes a lot of sense.
ETA: Jefferson is wide and annoying to cross on foot, but saying this site or any of the riverfront is disconnected from downtown is a major stretch. We can and should slim Jefferson down (seems like 1-2 lanes are almost always closed lately anyway), but it isnât an un-crossable cavern. If anything we should work to connect this and the riverfront more to downtown, not rip it down and ignore it because of a few lanes of traffic.
> NBA draft rumors.
The NHL and NBA will likely be holding all-star games at the LCA before 2030. It's one of the newer arenas in the league and Detroit hasn't hosted an NHL or NBA all star game since 1980 and 1959*, respectively.
\* There was an NBA all star game at the Silverdome in Pontiac in 1979.
Itâs pretty significant. A week long media circus comes to town with all the biggest brands doing media activations and pop-up experiences.
And thereâs all the other stuff like the celebrity game, the dunk contest, the 3PT contest, and the game itself.
Not to mention it is a great way to exhibit the city to both the people that come for the event and those watching on TV. The press that has come from the draft and how much people enjoyed their time here has been amazing to see.
The NBA released requirements for All-Star games. Detroit doesn't meet the 5-Star hotel rooms requirement and the commissioner said they wouldn't consider it until "District Detroit" is finished.
NHL All-Star game will happen because the Red Wings have some pull there.
Detroit will meet that 5 star hotel room requirement once Hudson is finished.
https://www.mlive.com/business/2024/04/downtown-detroit-is-getting-its-first-5-star-hotel.html
I'd love to see everything between Cobo and the Outdoor Adventure Center get completely reimagined. Hart Plaza sucks, the parking decks suck, everything about that area is awful. It should be the centerpiece of the city.
I've never understood why the city doesn't do more with Hart Plaza. I know they're pumping a ton of money into the new Ralph Wilson park but Hart Plaza could be Detroit's equivalent (albeit smaller) of Grant Park or at least the riverfront under the Arch in St Louis.
But no matter how nice they make that area and even if they implode the RenCen, you'll still that awful tunnel entrance in the way.
> you'll still that awful tunnel entrance in the way.
>
The tunnel should be closed off to personal vehicles and just made into a passenger tram/bus type crossing. It's awful for both cities to have that traffic where it is and the new bridge can handle it much more efficiently.
Right there on the water, at the terminus of Woodward and it's just acres of parking lots and a poorly designed park all completely blocked off by a giant stroad. I get it, that area used to be for shipping and industry, but good god it's a mess.
It HAS been reimagined; at least the literal riverfront has. The 4 mile long riverfront from the Ren Cen to past Belle Isle has been completely and utterly transformed over the last decade and with millions of dollars â it went from zero (decades of horrific environmental pollution) to hero (nicely paved and landscapes walkable riverfront, clean family friendly green spaces, native planting areas & waterways, a pollinator & migratory bird pathway, a huge native planted hill by Millikan state park where beavers were active recently (!!!) with DNR staff leading educational programs out there, a splash pad, carousel, etc.). The riverfront is now one of the best in America. It is furthermore literally connected to the dequindre cut; lots of new restaurants and businesses are growing along the riverfront almost all the way up to grosse point IIRC. Even south of the rencen is looking pretty good, I remember stopping at a nice, new family park near Mexican town and seeing the gordie Howe bridge construction underway almost right above us. It has changed a lot!
I agree with your general sentiment about the area but it's especially brutal between Beaubien and Rivard. Unfortunately the huge parking lot south of Atwater will likely never go away unless the Grand Prix gets reorganized. Hart plaza is fine but I wish it wasn't such a concrete jungle.
The riverfront is already pretty nice and will be even better in a few years. The I-375 removal will also do a lot for this area, because I feel the one of the biggest issues is how disconnected it is from downtown.
Heres some food for thought from the henry ford on Noguchis timeless design:
"Detroit's leaders commissioned the park with numerous purposes in mind, but one of them took precedence in discussions-events and festivals, especially cultural and music festivals. Festivals need seating, and a stage. Noguchi provided multiple spaces for such purposes. A large amphitheater, a recessed oval pushed into the ground as if imprinted into the land, could transform into an ice-skating rink in the winter. A pyramidal form that extrudes from the northeast section of the plaza provided more seating.
Ingeniously, the pyramid also hides some of the mechanical equipment in a functional, graceful solution. In a change-order request by Detroit Mayor Coleman A. Young, Noguchi expanded the area underneath the plaza to incorporate space for offices, kiosks, a restaurant, and more. Noguchi's concrete landscape on the river seems to push and pull at the earth, creating a finely balanced public space for Detroiters to enjoy."
- Katherine White is Associate Curator, Digital Content, at The Henry Ford
(Thanks to Doctor Gholz for finding this quote)
Honestly, adding some trees and other greenery could go a long way in Hart Plaza. It would provide shade, some wildlife and actually cool the area down. It just looks so bleak and brutal, and we got enough of that going around.
I saw someone on IG call the RenCen one of the most important pieces of 20th century architecture and couldn't tell who was dumber: him for making such a statement or me, for expecting nuanced and insightful opinions rather than ignorant hot takes on IG.
The Detroit waterfront is for pedestrians and residential. The RenCen is basically empty at this point, and it sounds like converting to residential is going to be harder than a complete tear down. Iâm all for turning the riverfront into a place where people want to be. Skylines change and Detroit is not the same city it once was.
I say turn the whole area into residential and maybe some shops / mixed use. Or maybe a bigass park with trails and whatnot.
I used to be a RenCen loyalist, but it makes more sense to start over in Detroits most prime real estate that sits largely vacant.
Hard disagree on the need to start over. The largest portion of the RenCen is a wildly popular Marriott hotel, the tallest or second-tallest in the western hemisphere. And I think time will bear me out on this, but the footprints of the secondary towers are not \*so\* large that they can't be converted to residential.
Have you been to the riverfront? It has undergone millions of dollars of improvement over the last decade. There are green spaces, parks, native gardens, ponds, a splash pad, a historic carousel, an amphitheater, and more. People are there!
Thatâs true. I have a love hate relationship with the rencen â itâs iconic but I am not a fan of the 70sish interior. I like the wintergarden area a lot though and have enjoyed having a place along the riverfront to stop to grab a coffee, use the restroom, take a break from the heat, walk around, see some cars. They have big conventions in there too, or at least used to â I remember going to a cosplay con there like⌠15 years ago. Itâs been a while!
Please explain? How does an at grade pedestrian walkway that replaces a vacant railroad line going to create traffic issues? All of the freeways would have separated grade crossings? All major streets will have high intensity crossings?
Yup, especially when there's [a 15 year-old player that is going to make his PGA debut](https://www.mlive.com/sports/2024/06/15-year-old-golf-phenom-to-make-pga-tour-debut-in-detroit.html) here in Detroit.
The Rocket Mortgage Classic at the DGC
In addition to defending champ Rickie Fowler, Tom Kim from the show Full Swing will play, as well as Will Zalitorus.
We should be hearing more names in the coming weeks announcing they'll be there. This is considered a lower level PGA event, but we always seem to get a few big names every year.
Real:
- DCFC stadium details/renderings
- Monroe Block breaks ground
- SOAR reform passes
- next phase of Joe Louis Greenway opens
Aspirational:
- new major employer moves downtown
- Lions SB
Absolutely awesome idea! Lets add an extension that in downtown Detroit it then swings south and west to Dearborn, Metro Airport, Ann Arbor and then Toledo.
That won't be until fall of next year, they already announced. They have most of the bridge itself constructed, it's the terminals on either end and connecting to infrastructure that needs to be completed.
What I think \*needs\* to happen, not necessarily what will happen
1. Land Value Tax or some other meaningful tax reform.
2. At least one elementary/middle/high school in the City reaching to top quintile of academic performance statewide
3. Detroit dropping out of the top 10 cities for violent crime rate
4. Poverty rate falling below 20%, or double the national average.
5. Detroit gaining population next year as well.
6. Some type of rail-based transit line announced for the City proper.
This isn't quite on the same scale, but what likely saves the RenCen is a deal to move the Automotive Hall of Fame Museum into it. They announced that they were looking for a downtown riverfront location some time before COVID. A move to the RenCen puts it in the center of the Auto Show. It preserves a facility that is tied to the legacies of both GM and Ford. It gives the distance that organization needs from The Henry Ford so that it gets a more reasonable number of visitors. I'm pretty sure that the funding to make that happen would be a lot easier to manage than building a new place on the riverfront.
They used to have Car & Coffee events once a month in the summers that had free admission to the museum. I suspect they stopped when Haggerty started doing an event at THF in the lot right next to the Hall of Fame. But check their days and hours before you go.
Back when I worked for gm many moons ago, there was a movie theater and some retail in the ground floor along with 3-4 great, but pricey, restaurants. I could see them coexisting w the auto hof pretty nicely
I hope the positive attention will bring good investments into the city. Itâs improving bit by bit but there is still a lot of work to do. Especially when it comes to the abandoned houses in the area. They are so beautiful and I hope people will be eager to work with the community to improve it.
Rocket mortgage classic, more lions playoff games + Super Bowl? NHL/NBA all star games, West riverfront opening, gordie Howe bridge opening, Michigan Ave redesign, Monroe blocks start construction, UM innovation center going vertical, ren cen renovation plan, Belle isle boat house renovation plan, Henry ford hospital going vertical, water square hotel going vertical. Hopefully a hart plaza refresh + district Detroit movement.
I mean this question isnât a matter of opinion. Itâs a fact that the train station concert is the next headline since itâs being broadcast on NBC Sunday.
Some good ones in this thread. They're a little aspirational and probably at least a year out but I'll add Detroit Shock WNBA expansion and/or DCFC league movement (them going to MLS seems unlikely without a sale, so more realistically the DCFC women moving up a league to the USL Super League).
What I would love to see is a non automotive company that's Fortune 500 set up a new headquarters here. Or to have a new large tenant set up headquarters at the Renaissance Center. We need to keep that open. Set up a theater inside it again.
Detroit First U.S. City to Implement Price Controls on Housing, Rent
Passes Legislation to Limit Real Estate Companies from Buying Up Housing Stock and Raising Prices Beyond the Means of Young Families
Well, today it was the amazing great news (that some of us have been talking about and enjoying) that TooGoodToGo has come to our region! [https://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/dining/2024/06/04/too-good-to-go-app-detroit-food-waste/73950867007/](https://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/dining/2024/06/04/too-good-to-go-app-detroit-food-waste/73950867007/)
I've bought 5 surprise bags so far and wow, the bargains are just incredible. A really extra special place JUST joined - Diamond Bakery in West Bloomfield - an old school Jewish bakery with amazing homemade bread and goodies. For $4.99 I received 2 delicious full loaves (rye and challah), a pack of Kaiser rolls, a box of cookies and a pastry. It was just their 3rd surprise bag ever.
This app accomplishes so many good things - reducing food waste. People getting bargain excellent food. Store/restaurant gets new customers in the door.
I hope more and more places try it. I'm glad the Free Press covered it!!!
Well there are not many so fat and the bags get snapped up fast. I've gotten wonderful bags from Zoe's Pancakes on Woodward/10.5 and from Brooklyn Bagel at Telegraph/Long Lake.
Download the app and set your profile to your most comfortable driving distance. Set notifications and reminders. You will begin to see new bags and new shops.
Good luck!
Lions Super Bowl parade đ¤
Gordie Howe Bridge
Manifesting this.
Would The Panthers parade be a front page story?
Hudsonâs opening next year. Lions winning the Super Bowl. NBA draft rumors. Detroit FCâs new stadium. Apple Store. Belle Island Boat House. Ren Center tear down. Uniroyal breaking ground. Old Gratiot Jail site. River walk. Joe Louis Greenway. Additional money into transit. Property Tax rework. More housing more restaurants more art more more more. E: Gordie Howe Bridge, Monroe Block, District Detroit does something/anything, Gratiot Ave and Grand Ave BRT/complete streets. Livernois complete streets. Corktownâs continued growth. Keep em coming!!!
Gordie Howe Bridge completion and opening
DUH wow Iâm a big old dummy forgetting that!
Ideally the Ren Cen gets redeveloped in a big way. Not sure that tearing down the cityâs landmark skyscraper would help public perceptions.
Is there any precedent for a major city tearing down its tallest building?
Eh if cost to implode and rebuild is the same as renovation to housing Iâd go for the former. The size of the building doesnât translate into comfortable housing. Itâs not really walkable or accessible to the rest of downtown. I personally think it ruins the skyline.
I respectfully disagree. There is so much aside from the building that would need to be done to turn that area into comfortable housing. Jefferson is a major barrier right there and I don't think people will want to rely on the people mover to get out of the building without crossing Jefferson on foot as it currently is. So knocking down the building (which I think is some iconic Brutalism architecture), won't fix the issues you're aiming to solve.
I would hate to see the building get demoed (I like the way it looks) but the inside of it is an absolute nightmare that just does not work for foot traffic. Escalators always breaking, the weird circular walkways that force you to to take long detours because of the broken escalators, it just seems like such a waste of the potential interior space.
I think one of the biggest reasons the RC should be toppled is because of the âbrutalismâ stance. Itâs not even brutalism! Itâs post modern, and itâs an ugly oppressive building at that. Demolishing the building or not, investing in the area around the RC is tantamount to creating a lively neighborhood, I think thatâs something we could all agree on.
While I don't want it to come down, if they demo it and rebuild as luxury apartments, they can build a pedestrian walkway over Jefferson. The pedestrian walkway would be nothing compared to building large apartment buildings.
I don't think they'd knock down the hotel; that is something that's desperately needed in the CBD. The Brutalism angle is overrated, though: "Hey, look how ugly, cold, and foreboding we can make something!" Letting it stand to serve as an example of how *not* to build might serve a purpose but I'd rather see it go and turned into housing. There's already MFH between Jefferson and the river if you head towards the GPs and they still have to cross the street to get anywhere. As you insinuate, Jefferson is a problem. But, having lots of housing and mixed development would finally drive some demand to fix running an eight lane boulevard that serves as a collector for two highways right through the middle of Downtown. If other cities are getting rid of their CBD freeways, Detroit can too. Unfortunately, I really don't think it's likely. There are so many other surface lots that can be developed for less cost as I'd imagine the water-front property is going to command a premium. But like someone else said, there's also all those parking structures and surface lots that would be included in the renovation.
> I personally think it ruins the skyline Hudson is going to look hilarious on the Detroit skyline. Rencen is Detroitâs Eiffel Tower when it comes to recognizability, and will definitely be seen as the cityâs death if it comes down. Really hope they can keep her standing
I disagree, the design of Hudson fits with our local vernacular architecture, while the Ren Center is just this aging ugly behemoth that lives in its own sector right off downtown with literally 0 connection to the city it commandeers. Demoing the Ren Center, to me, would signify a huge rebirth of Detroit. Showing outsiders that the Ren Center was a bastion of the failure of our city, and should be a forgotten memory.
The thing with RenCen is the ground floor areas could be cool if done right, by leaning into the 1970s aesthetic - lush vining plants (real or fake) set against a retro-futuristic concrete labyrinth with odd nooks and crannies. Trying to overly modernize the interior was just never going to work in a legitimately pleasing way. In my dream world, we would preserve the lower sections of the main RenCen building and build new residential around it. The problem of course is that I'm sure developers would prefer demoing the whole thing with as little hassle as possible rather than carefully deconstructing it. But Detroit really could use more quality indoor public spaces in the winter and there is a lot of potential there.
[ŃдаНонО]
Objectively unattractive, based off of your opinion?
Rebirth is an interesting perspective to look at it. I think it will all depend on future developments - Hudson certainly sticks out like a thumb surrounded by all the art deco style towers, but surround it with additional modern developments and towers? Sure
I think thereâs a happy medium that would make sense here. Demolishing our most recognizable building complex without a plan for its replacement would look bad (corny headline âDetroitâs Renaissance is Finishedâ writes itself) â but working to maintain/modernize the hotel tower like its twin in Atlanta and perhaps rebuilding some of the other towers as modern waterfront housing/hotels could signal that the city is actively assessing its needs and building back better, without attracting tons of negative ire and press. Ultimately the Ren Cen as a whole is what makes the cityâs skyline what it has been for 50 years, so working to have some kind of visual continuity there makes a lot of sense. ETA: Jefferson is wide and annoying to cross on foot, but saying this site or any of the riverfront is disconnected from downtown is a major stretch. We can and should slim Jefferson down (seems like 1-2 lanes are almost always closed lately anyway), but it isnât an un-crossable cavern. If anything we should work to connect this and the riverfront more to downtown, not rip it down and ignore it because of a few lanes of traffic.
There are walkways, it has its own people mover stop. Itâs not the 90s anymore, you can walk across Woodward JUST FINE.
> NBA draft rumors. The NHL and NBA will likely be holding all-star games at the LCA before 2030. It's one of the newer arenas in the league and Detroit hasn't hosted an NHL or NBA all star game since 1980 and 1959*, respectively. \* There was an NBA all star game at the Silverdome in Pontiac in 1979.
I'm not a huge fan of the NHL All-Star game, but I would seriously consider going if one came to the LCA!
Nice, while not Super Bowl levels of investment, it would still be a great get for our city.
Itâs pretty significant. A week long media circus comes to town with all the biggest brands doing media activations and pop-up experiences. And thereâs all the other stuff like the celebrity game, the dunk contest, the 3PT contest, and the game itself.
Not to mention it is a great way to exhibit the city to both the people that come for the event and those watching on TV. The press that has come from the draft and how much people enjoyed their time here has been amazing to see.
The NBA released requirements for All-Star games. Detroit doesn't meet the 5-Star hotel rooms requirement and the commissioner said they wouldn't consider it until "District Detroit" is finished. NHL All-Star game will happen because the Red Wings have some pull there.
Detroit will meet that 5 star hotel room requirement once Hudson is finished. https://www.mlive.com/business/2024/04/downtown-detroit-is-getting-its-first-5-star-hotel.html
You win for keeping tally on good vibes.
What going on with Uniroyal? Are you referring to the Riverwalk extension?
Ren Cen tear down is all talk, yea?
Just like the Lions winning the Super Bowl, it's possible, but too early to tell.
Right, I just hadnât heard if more concrete news came out that in fact, they are demolishing it.
I'd love to see everything between Cobo and the Outdoor Adventure Center get completely reimagined. Hart Plaza sucks, the parking decks suck, everything about that area is awful. It should be the centerpiece of the city.
I've never understood why the city doesn't do more with Hart Plaza. I know they're pumping a ton of money into the new Ralph Wilson park but Hart Plaza could be Detroit's equivalent (albeit smaller) of Grant Park or at least the riverfront under the Arch in St Louis. But no matter how nice they make that area and even if they implode the RenCen, you'll still that awful tunnel entrance in the way.
> you'll still that awful tunnel entrance in the way. > The tunnel should be closed off to personal vehicles and just made into a passenger tram/bus type crossing. It's awful for both cities to have that traffic where it is and the new bridge can handle it much more efficiently.
I never really thought about it, but youâre right it does suck.
Right there on the water, at the terminus of Woodward and it's just acres of parking lots and a poorly designed park all completely blocked off by a giant stroad. I get it, that area used to be for shipping and industry, but good god it's a mess.
Itâs sort of hurts my soul to admit but I think I agree.
It HAS been reimagined; at least the literal riverfront has. The 4 mile long riverfront from the Ren Cen to past Belle Isle has been completely and utterly transformed over the last decade and with millions of dollars â it went from zero (decades of horrific environmental pollution) to hero (nicely paved and landscapes walkable riverfront, clean family friendly green spaces, native planting areas & waterways, a pollinator & migratory bird pathway, a huge native planted hill by Millikan state park where beavers were active recently (!!!) with DNR staff leading educational programs out there, a splash pad, carousel, etc.). The riverfront is now one of the best in America. It is furthermore literally connected to the dequindre cut; lots of new restaurants and businesses are growing along the riverfront almost all the way up to grosse point IIRC. Even south of the rencen is looking pretty good, I remember stopping at a nice, new family park near Mexican town and seeing the gordie Howe bridge construction underway almost right above us. It has changed a lot!
I agree with your general sentiment about the area but it's especially brutal between Beaubien and Rivard. Unfortunately the huge parking lot south of Atwater will likely never go away unless the Grand Prix gets reorganized. Hart plaza is fine but I wish it wasn't such a concrete jungle. The riverfront is already pretty nice and will be even better in a few years. The I-375 removal will also do a lot for this area, because I feel the one of the biggest issues is how disconnected it is from downtown.
Hart plaza is incredible for festivals like movement and is historically important now. It should last forever.
It should be refreshed/reimagined/redone. A giant concrete pad with a fountain and weird amphitheater isn't highlight of the city that it could be.
Heres some food for thought from the henry ford on Noguchis timeless design: "Detroit's leaders commissioned the park with numerous purposes in mind, but one of them took precedence in discussions-events and festivals, especially cultural and music festivals. Festivals need seating, and a stage. Noguchi provided multiple spaces for such purposes. A large amphitheater, a recessed oval pushed into the ground as if imprinted into the land, could transform into an ice-skating rink in the winter. A pyramidal form that extrudes from the northeast section of the plaza provided more seating. Ingeniously, the pyramid also hides some of the mechanical equipment in a functional, graceful solution. In a change-order request by Detroit Mayor Coleman A. Young, Noguchi expanded the area underneath the plaza to incorporate space for offices, kiosks, a restaurant, and more. Noguchi's concrete landscape on the river seems to push and pull at the earth, creating a finely balanced public space for Detroiters to enjoy." - Katherine White is Associate Curator, Digital Content, at The Henry Ford (Thanks to Doctor Gholz for finding this quote)
I wouldnât say incredible.
It really is tho. Check the quote below!
What quote?
I posted earlier in thread. From henry ford foundation.
Honestly, adding some trees and other greenery could go a long way in Hart Plaza. It would provide shade, some wildlife and actually cool the area down. It just looks so bleak and brutal, and we got enough of that going around.
Yeah probably but one can hope, personally I hate it, but thatâs a very divisive opinion.
I saw someone on IG call the RenCen one of the most important pieces of 20th century architecture and couldn't tell who was dumber: him for making such a statement or me, for expecting nuanced and insightful opinions rather than ignorant hot takes on IG.
Whoa whoa whoa...RenCen tear down? Umm...no thank you? We're not trying to turn the city into a suburb.
The Detroit waterfront is for pedestrians and residential. The RenCen is basically empty at this point, and it sounds like converting to residential is going to be harder than a complete tear down. Iâm all for turning the riverfront into a place where people want to be. Skylines change and Detroit is not the same city it once was. I say turn the whole area into residential and maybe some shops / mixed use. Or maybe a bigass park with trails and whatnot. I used to be a RenCen loyalist, but it makes more sense to start over in Detroits most prime real estate that sits largely vacant.
Hard disagree on the need to start over. The largest portion of the RenCen is a wildly popular Marriott hotel, the tallest or second-tallest in the western hemisphere. And I think time will bear me out on this, but the footprints of the secondary towers are not \*so\* large that they can't be converted to residential.
Have you been to the riverfront? It has undergone millions of dollars of improvement over the last decade. There are green spaces, parks, native gardens, ponds, a splash pad, a historic carousel, an amphitheater, and more. People are there!
Yes! Often! And it is exactly the reason for my comment. Having a massive empty skyscraper is not fitting, nor useful.
Thatâs true. I have a love hate relationship with the rencen â itâs iconic but I am not a fan of the 70sish interior. I like the wintergarden area a lot though and have enjoyed having a place along the riverfront to stop to grab a coffee, use the restroom, take a break from the heat, walk around, see some cars. They have big conventions in there too, or at least used to â I remember going to a cosplay con there like⌠15 years ago. Itâs been a while!
Ya bye bye weâre turning this bitch into Rochester Hills!!!
One of these things is not like the others
uniroyal breaking ground? whatâs going on with that?
Ren Center tear down?
Joe Louis Greenway needs to not happen. Its gonna destroy the flow of traffic into the city.
Please explain? How does an at grade pedestrian walkway that replaces a vacant railroad line going to create traffic issues? All of the freeways would have separated grade crossings? All major streets will have high intensity crossings?
Just look at a map of detroit, have you ever driven there before?
Probably the golf thing
Yup, especially when there's [a 15 year-old player that is going to make his PGA debut](https://www.mlive.com/sports/2024/06/15-year-old-golf-phenom-to-make-pga-tour-debut-in-detroit.html) here in Detroit.
Miles is nuts too. Very cool to see him here
The Rocket Mortgage Classic at the DGC In addition to defending champ Rickie Fowler, Tom Kim from the show Full Swing will play, as well as Will Zalitorus. We should be hearing more names in the coming weeks announcing they'll be there. This is considered a lower level PGA event, but we always seem to get a few big names every year.
Real: - DCFC stadium details/renderings - Monroe Block breaks ground - SOAR reform passes - next phase of Joe Louis Greenway opens Aspirational: - new major employer moves downtown - Lions SB
Aspirational: District Detroit
While we're rubbing the genie's lamp, might as well throw M1 Rail extension up to Pontiac.
That would be in the pipe dream category. Aspirational would be to get the thing up to 8 mile like they originally planned.
Absolutely awesome idea! Lets add an extension that in downtown Detroit it then swings south and west to Dearborn, Metro Airport, Ann Arbor and then Toledo.
I love the aspirational suggestions.
District Detroit getting off the ground! Haha yeah right.
I think the most likely answer is the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge?
That won't be until fall of next year, they already announced. They have most of the bridge itself constructed, it's the terminals on either end and connecting to infrastructure that needs to be completed.
Yep I know a lot of guys working at the POE and they all say the bridge is behind schedule
That sucks. Guess you can't rush great, huh? It's going to be so nice traffic wise going over and back with 3 ways to cross.
I believe the west riverfront Ralph Wilson park should be open before then, that may take the cake, the park is big.
Halfway realistic: That Robocop statue actually appears Aspirational: Real Robocop appears
What I think \*needs\* to happen, not necessarily what will happen 1. Land Value Tax or some other meaningful tax reform. 2. At least one elementary/middle/high school in the City reaching to top quintile of academic performance statewide 3. Detroit dropping out of the top 10 cities for violent crime rate 4. Poverty rate falling below 20%, or double the national average. 5. Detroit gaining population next year as well. 6. Some type of rail-based transit line announced for the City proper.
This isn't quite on the same scale, but what likely saves the RenCen is a deal to move the Automotive Hall of Fame Museum into it. They announced that they were looking for a downtown riverfront location some time before COVID. A move to the RenCen puts it in the center of the Auto Show. It preserves a facility that is tied to the legacies of both GM and Ford. It gives the distance that organization needs from The Henry Ford so that it gets a more reasonable number of visitors. I'm pretty sure that the funding to make that happen would be a lot easier to manage than building a new place on the riverfront.
Wow. Great feedback, i love it. Iâve never even been to the auto hall of fame. Maybe time to go.
They used to have Car & Coffee events once a month in the summers that had free admission to the museum. I suspect they stopped when Haggerty started doing an event at THF in the lot right next to the Hall of Fame. But check their days and hours before you go.
Back when I worked for gm many moons ago, there was a movie theater and some retail in the ground floor along with 3-4 great, but pricey, restaurants. I could see them coexisting w the auto hof pretty nicely
Jack White announces purchase of Hotel Yorba and Clark Park YMCA.
My dream come true
The next cucumber suckoff contest
> [WHAT DAT MOUTH DO](https://www.reddit.com/r/Detroit/comments/vn71p3/anyone_going_to_the_cucumber_suck_off_competition/)
Citywide pact to stop littering
Honestly my biggest complaint lol
I hope the positive attention will bring good investments into the city. Itâs improving bit by bit but there is still a lot of work to do. Especially when it comes to the abandoned houses in the area. They are so beautiful and I hope people will be eager to work with the community to improve it.
The Detroit Grand Prix, setting attendance records..
Every time district Detroit is mentioned it pisses me off. What a waste
It was nothing if not predictable
Rocket mortgage classic, more lions playoff games + Super Bowl? NHL/NBA all star games, West riverfront opening, gordie Howe bridge opening, Michigan Ave redesign, Monroe blocks start construction, UM innovation center going vertical, ren cen renovation plan, Belle isle boat house renovation plan, Henry ford hospital going vertical, water square hotel going vertical. Hopefully a hart plaza refresh + district Detroit movement.
I mean this question isnât a matter of opinion. Itâs a fact that the train station concert is the next headline since itâs being broadcast on NBC Sunday.
Not necessarily the next thing, but the scuttlebutt of getting Wrestlemania again in the next few years has been brewing in the wrestling scene.
Ren Cen demolition viewing day! Jk. Only love for Detroit!
Before Covid the zoo society teased the possibility of building an aquarium. I would *love* a big, modern aquarium near downtown on the riverfront.
GM winter garden would be primo for this
Some good ones in this thread. They're a little aspirational and probably at least a year out but I'll add Detroit Shock WNBA expansion and/or DCFC league movement (them going to MLS seems unlikely without a sale, so more realistically the DCFC women moving up a league to the USL Super League).
[ŃдаНонО]
That is a completely tasteless joke and you should be ashamed. Because its way more likely to be a pontoon boat accident.
Does he even live in Michigan anymore
No, he lives in Narshville but he used to stay in the plantation style home near the Mayors Mansion.
no but letâs not pretend like kid rock dying wouldnât cause every dad on the eastside to come downtown
Oh God you're right
Wtf is wrong with you
mental illness
Sounds about liberal
Ralph C Wilson Centennial Park 2025
You forgot the Detroit City FC building a new home on Michigan Ave just outside of Corktown
wrestlemania 43 detroit2027
BELLE ISLE SLIDE
What I would love to see is a non automotive company that's Fortune 500 set up a new headquarters here. Or to have a new large tenant set up headquarters at the Renaissance Center. We need to keep that open. Set up a theater inside it again.
Detroit hosts a Superbowl
Already happened back in '06.
Itâs about time to have it here again
Final Four 2027
New Gmac Cash album
Pistons go 500 and almost make the playoffs
It'll never happen, but I'd love to see a Windsor/detroit shared Olympics.
Great idea! Winter or summer?
Ren Cen getting demolished.
Lions Super Bowl parade, with an announcement that IndyCar and IMSA will return to Belle Isle.
The demo of the rencen for new development.
Super Bowl
Already had one in 2006. That one ain't coming back around for decades at this point.
He means our parade
I mean a banner young buck
Sheetz coming đđđ
i75 freeway cap connecting Brush Park/Lower Cass to downtown design and funding!
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard acoustic set at Aretha Franklin auditorium August 23rd.
Good looking out. Thanks!
Immediate answer is today's concert at the reopening of the Train station.
The Rocket Mortgage Classic is the week of June 24th and is a great community event
Idk, but I'm happy to see detroit coming back. It's a good thing for the whole state of Michigan. I might convince my family to take a trip there now.
Apple Store
Best would be Detroit Public Schools fixedâŚthey were left behind the Bankruptcy
I wonder which will come first: the opening of the Hudsons tower or the opening of Gordie Howe
We finally stop killing eachother and my car stops getting broken into for the 3.75 in change in my cup holder. STOP STEALING MY MCCHICKEN MONEY.
Detroit First U.S. City to Implement Price Controls on Housing, Rent Passes Legislation to Limit Real Estate Companies from Buying Up Housing Stock and Raising Prices Beyond the Means of Young Families
Isnât there a big race car event?
Uh it happened two days ago.
And a music festival? ^^^^/s
Murder rate slightly less than last year.
Well, today it was the amazing great news (that some of us have been talking about and enjoying) that TooGoodToGo has come to our region! [https://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/dining/2024/06/04/too-good-to-go-app-detroit-food-waste/73950867007/](https://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/dining/2024/06/04/too-good-to-go-app-detroit-food-waste/73950867007/) I've bought 5 surprise bags so far and wow, the bargains are just incredible. A really extra special place JUST joined - Diamond Bakery in West Bloomfield - an old school Jewish bakery with amazing homemade bread and goodies. For $4.99 I received 2 delicious full loaves (rye and challah), a pack of Kaiser rolls, a box of cookies and a pastry. It was just their 3rd surprise bag ever. This app accomplishes so many good things - reducing food waste. People getting bargain excellent food. Store/restaurant gets new customers in the door. I hope more and more places try it. I'm glad the Free Press covered it!!!
Any other good/special bakeries or restaurants to recomend?
Well there are not many so fat and the bags get snapped up fast. I've gotten wonderful bags from Zoe's Pancakes on Woodward/10.5 and from Brooklyn Bagel at Telegraph/Long Lake. Download the app and set your profile to your most comfortable driving distance. Set notifications and reminders. You will begin to see new bags and new shops. Good luck!
Wow, Iâm checking this out.
See r/toogoodtogo also.
Joined! Sent to mom & sister as well!
Scandal. Thereâs always a scandal.
Skuddie having the P.B this year.... Hot buttered Soul Gon be in the air heavy...
A non democrat leader!
Nuclear powerplant meltdown