  Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk Post Number: 1866 Registered: 11-2005 |
Because this got buried quickly in the other Lafayette thread, I'm reposting this here: Dear friends of the Lafayette Building, Today the head of Preservation Wayne, Andy Linn and an executive at Bank of America spoke before a City Council committee urging intervention to stop the demolition by the Downtown Development Authority. We learned that the ONLY person who can issue a stay of execution is Mayor Ken Cockrel Jr. - and he must stop the DDA BEFORE April 2, a week from today. Please, if you haven't already, send an e-mail to Mayor Cockrel urging him to have the DDA clean up and secure the Lafayette for future redevelopment at a fraction of the cost of a demolition. PLEASE send a quick e-mail or letter to Cockrel below urging him to intervene. This is our last chance. The Honorable Mayor Ken Cockrel Executive Office Coleman A. Young Municipal Center 2 Woodward Ave., Ste. 1126 Detroit, MI 48226 kenneth.cockrel@detroitmi.gov Or you can reach his aide Thelma Brown at: thelma.brown@detroitmi.gov | ||
Dtowncitylover Member Username: Dtowncitylover Post Number: 536 Registered: 02-2008 |
I just started a FB group..."Save Lafayette Building"...look on FB but didn't see any group, so I did it myself...if your on FB please join! And I did my part and wrote to both. | ||
Novine Member Username: Novine Post Number: 1302 Registered: 07-2007 |
You should write to one or the other. No one likes to get inundated with duplicate e-mails. Ask the Mayor to justify spending millions on demolition when there are so many other worthy projects downtown. You can also ask why the DDA doesn't use some of its funds for rehab projects to mothball the buildings. They have the funds, they just don't choose to spend them that way. | ||
Rjlj Member Username: Rjlj Post Number: 853 Registered: 11-2003 |
There is already a group on facebook called Save the Lafayette Building with over 500 members. Please join. If anyone is freinds with Ken Cockrel or any other city leaders on facebook, please invite him to join. | ||
Urbanoutdoors Member Username: Urbanoutdoors Post Number: 1142 Registered: 11-2005 |
DTCL the facebook that is already there is under causes not groups thats why you didn't see it but I think its a great Idea to have a group as well as a Cause for something so important. Thanks for taking initiative. | ||
Urbanoutdoors Member Username: Urbanoutdoors Post Number: 1143 Registered: 11-2005 |
http://apps.facebook.com/cause s/176790/46993394?m=611088da | ||
Detroitnerd Member Username: Detroitnerd Post Number: 3749 Registered: 07-2004 |
Well, Cockrel's justification for using federal funds for the demo of MCS was that if we had the money on hand to demo it, Manny would have to take us seriously and fix up his property or we'd demo it. What will his argument be about Lafayette, I wonder? | ||
Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk Post Number: 1872 Registered: 11-2005 |
Petition to save the Lafayette: http://www.petitiononline.com/ Lafayett/petition.html I got a form letter response from Cockrel (pasted below) that several of my other friends received. from Kenneth Cockrel <kenneth.cockrel@detroitmi.gov> to xxxxxxx <xxxxx@xxxxx.com> date Fri, Mar 27, 2009 at 2:50 PM subject Re: Lafayette Building demolition I understand your concerns. What follows is an excerpt from an e-mail sent to me by George Jackson, Chief Development Officer for the City of Detroit on March 25th. This outlines why this is the only rational course of action here: "The rationale for demolishing the Lafayette Building is that it has been vacant for many years and more important, we have several experienced developers, and DEGC construction professionals that have determined that it is economically not feasible to rehab. We place great emphasis on experienced developers who are required to invest, and find others to invest in properties, then have to make a profit. John Ferchill, Peoples development, Quicken Loans and countless others, have determined that the Lafayette Building should be demolished rather than rehabed. We have offered this building for development since I arrived 7 years ago, and it was obviously available before then. Another reason for demolition is that it is considered urban blight by investors who might want to invest in Downtown Detroit. It makes our marketing and sales pitch harder, it hurts more than it helps. There is also cost associated with this maintaining these structures, which have no possibility of renovation. Demolition remediation is currently underway, and a pre-bid meeting for demolition was held today. We should select a demolition firm shortly." | ||
Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk Post Number: 1873 Registered: 11-2005 |
Link to Facebook group: http://apps.facebook.com/cause s/176790 | ||
Dtowncitylover Member Username: Dtowncitylover Post Number: 537 Registered: 02-2008 |
Thanks for letting me know there was a cause group, that never crossed my mind for some reason. But I'll definately join that too! I think there is room for both. | ||
Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk Post Number: 1875 Registered: 11-2005 |
Can you post the link to your FB group, Dtown? | ||
Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk Post Number: 1876 Registered: 11-2005 |
http://freep.com/article/20090 327/NEWS01/90327072/Preservati onists+rally+for+Lafayette+Bld g. | ||
Dtowncitylover Member Username: Dtowncitylover Post Number: 539 Registered: 02-2008 |
http://www.facebook.com/home.p hp?ref=logo#/group.php?gid=773 67684147&ref=nf | ||
Dcmorrison12 Member Username: Dcmorrison12 Post Number: 138 Registered: 02-2009 |
I sent an e-mail... ^bump | ||
Jasoncw Member Username: Jasoncw Post Number: 516 Registered: 07-2005 |
I wrote an e-mail, but I took too long, and when I went to send it my session expired and I lost the message when I logged back in. I guess I'll rewrite it later. | ||
Russix Member Username: Russix Post Number: 226 Registered: 11-2006 |
Oh no, that sucks, I write stuff out in word or notepad nowadays. It's also occured to me that the DDA be maybe railroading this demolition as if the Lafayette was converted into residential lofts it would be competing directly with the huge investment in the Book-Cadilliac. They've only really sought after commerical re-use because of this. An excess in urban housing, especially mid-market housing would be competing to much with developers viaing to fill lower end units(they never even built the griswald because they couldn't sell enough of the Books condos). So there is no way this building is going to be saved, its a potential competitor. Why do you think Mike Illitch buys lots of land just to flatten to rubble? Sure, someday he might build something, but it's much better to flatten it now and reduce the competion to your investments. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. | ||
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan Post Number: 4336 Registered: 10-2003 |
I just sent off my letter. At risk of boring him, I made it relatively short and simple. | ||
Busterwmu Member Username: Busterwmu Post Number: 577 Registered: 09-2004 |
You know, reading back through that form reply from George Jackson via Mayor Cockrel, and I realized he spelled it "Peoples development." I do believe PEEBLES DEVELOPMENT is the correct name & spelling. With a mistake like that, you have to wonder if their math is right in any demo vs. mothballing costs... | ||
Danindc Member Username: Danindc Post Number: 4646 Registered: 10-2003 |
There are three items in George Jackson's message that I see as contentious: 1. quote: ...at THIS point in time, George. 2. quote: Very few developers anywhere in the country are getting loans for new projects. In DC, where the market was robust before the bottom fell out of the economy, no new projects have been started since October. Compounding this, I understand that Quicken Loans is in no financial position for this sort of undertaking AT THIS TIME. Have these three parties gone on record, and explicitly said that the Lafayette Building should be demolished? It seems that developers aren't in a position to make a recommendation to the City of Detroit as to what to do with property owned by the City of Detroit. Since DEGC is proposing to use public money for demolition, I would pursue any means possible to obtain written statements from the three mentioned parties as to their actual statements. Would FOIA cover this? 3. quote: The key word here is "might". I challenge Mr. Jackson to name names of parties that are waiting for the Lafayette Building to be demolished before they invest in Detroit. My personal opinion is that George Jackson is full of shit. | ||
Ljbad89 Member Username: Ljbad89 Post Number: 111 Registered: 10-2007 |
Hey Rhymeswithrawk, I got the same message. It seems like it's a done deal. =( | ||
Novine Member Username: Novine Post Number: 1306 Registered: 07-2007 |
http://www.peeblescorp.com/ | ||
Busterwmu Member Username: Busterwmu Post Number: 578 Registered: 09-2004 |
Has anyone sent an email to the Ferchill Group inquiring what their official position is on this? If George Jackson used their name, then Ferchill Group should be willing to speak on the issue. | ||
Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk Post Number: 1880 Registered: 11-2005 |
Preservation Wayne has been in touch with Ferchill and Chris Ferchill (John's son) said the company has NOT pressured the city to tear it down, though it has expressed concern about its appearance. | ||
Detroitred Member Username: Detroitred Post Number: 29 Registered: 02-2009 |
Yep just got the same e-mail. More stupidity from our "leaders." | ||
Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk Post Number: 1881 Registered: 11-2005 |
It would be nice if, because he's facing re-election, he at least had someone in his office write something different on the letters. (i.e. keep the form letter part if they must, but when Jackson says something contrary to what you point out ...) The online petition hasn't landed nearly enough signatures. I probably won't bother turning it in at this rate. The city government and the people of metro Detroit have spoken: They don't care enough about the Lafayette or simply don't want it saved. | ||
Stromberg2 Member Username: Stromberg2 Post Number: 184 Registered: 10-2006 |
I signed the petition. Stromberg2 | ||
Birdie Member Username: Birdie Post Number: 146 Registered: 04-2007 |
rhymes, the petition has only been available for a couple days. i think the number of signatures is a reflection of that; not of the wishes of the people of metro detroit. | ||
Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk Post Number: 1884 Registered: 11-2005 |
That may be, Birdie, but we're gonna need at least 1,000 names before Cockrel would probably even consider its merit. We're at 174. The DDA selects its demo firm on Thursday. | ||
Busterwmu Member Username: Busterwmu Post Number: 582 Registered: 09-2004 |
I think with this being a weekend might be a bit to our disadvantage.... as word spreads among non DetroitYESsers, it will hopefully continue to grow... I see lots of people from the EMU Historic Preservation program are on there, hi classmates! Don't forget, the city spent $350,000 to gain a clear title to this building back in 2004. Seems like a waste of valuable dollars to spend 6 figures on it one year and then just a few years later, AFTER there has been some serious interest, let's spend some more money to negate what we've already spent! Also, if you haven't taken just a minute or two to drop Mayor Cockrel a personal email about this issue, please do so. Here's to hoping Monday morning's inbox is shockingly full of messages in favor of preservation/mothballing/respo nsible uses of tax money! Kenneth.Cockrel@detroitmi.gov | ||
Rokk_krinn Member Username: Rokk_krinn Post Number: 32 Registered: 10-2003 |
Maybe I missed it, but what is the Bank of America connection at the top of this thread? Intrigued that a local bank executive would speak in front of council recommending preservation. | ||
Rjlj Member Username: Rjlj Post Number: 857 Registered: 11-2003 |
The Bank of America connection is that just as the movie industry has been coming to Michigan for the tax incentives, with the increase of Michigan Historical tax credits and combining them with Federal Historic and New Market Tax Credits, Bank of America was TRYING to explain to council that redeveloping historic buildings can be done at a 50-70% discount. BofA is saying that they want to invest in these types of deals becasue of the money that is available but the city is turning their backs on them. A 30$ million renovation would actually cost you half that amount. Sadly, once the building is gone, so is the potential to use that money. Try explaining that to people who can’t even balance their own checkbooks. The city will never find a developer to build on that oddly shaped lot. To fill that space for 15$ million might get you the equivalent of a one or two story strip mall looking building or worse. (Message edited by rjlj on March 29, 2009) | ||
Russix Member Username: Russix Post Number: 230 Registered: 11-2006 |
^"The city will never find a developer to build on that oddly shaped lot. To fill that space for 15$ million might get you the equivalent of a one or two story strip mall looking building or worse." You can't even find anyone to build on a nice rectangle thats ready to go with it's own parking deck underneath. Do the signatures have to be electronic? I'm sure I could dig up 174 signatures in a couple hours just walking around downtown with a clipboard or atleast by loitering outside the coneys during a busy night. | ||
Patrick Member Username: Patrick Post Number: 2446 Registered: 10-2003 |
Ferchill wanted it taken down due to the fact that it gives the BC a bad name and plus it's so close to the BC. That's basically it. | ||
Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk Post Number: 1888 Registered: 11-2005 |
That was the rumor, but Chris Ferchill has told Pres. Wayne that they did NOT tell the city to tear it down. Clean it up, sure. | ||
W_chicago Member Username: W_chicago Post Number: 108 Registered: 01-2008 |
This is happening too much. Is civil disobedience off the table? Why not occupy the building, and symbolicaly show what the building could become. We could put the Mayor in a delemnia situation, where it will be a win-win for preservationists... meet the demands of not demolishing the building or repress the movement, thereby growing it and risk loosing his legitamacy as a mayor. | ||
Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk Post Number: 1891 Registered: 11-2005 |
W_chicago, That might be our only hope. Desperate times, desperate measures. | ||
Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk Post Number: 1896 Registered: 11-2005 |
Three days and counting till the building's fate is sealed by the DDA and George Jackson. Now's the time to act if you haven't already. | ||
Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk Post Number: 1901 Registered: 11-2005 |
To those who wrote, thanks for trying. C. Howard Crane thanks you, as do I. It appears that this mayor can't make a sensible decision for himself. So long, Lafayette. Sorry you had to fall to the same nonsensical decision like so many others in this town. |
