Cellus Member Username: Cellus
Post Number: 1 Registered: 02-2006 Posted From: 68.42.122.141
| Posted on Thursday, February 23, 2006 - 2:38 am: | |
anybody have any pics of the construction progress of mgm and motor city casinos that they can post? |
Detroit_stylin Member Username: Detroit_stylin
Post Number: 2509 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 66.202.227.12
| Posted on Thursday, February 23, 2006 - 10:39 am: | |
MGM ismaking good headway on the site... I think right now they are currently putting in the steel work on the third level of the Pking deck I think. So roughly about 25% of the area that the casino is going to be sitting on is well under contruction now... |
Bibs Member Username: Bibs
Post Number: 454 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 198.208.251.23
| Posted on Thursday, February 23, 2006 - 12:31 pm: | |
The ramp from the Lodge to I-96 West Bound is elevated above the construction site. You get a nice view of the construction site. |
Spidergirl Member Username: Spidergirl
Post Number: 155 Registered: 12-2004 Posted From: 63.77.247.130
| Posted on Friday, February 24, 2006 - 12:44 pm: | |
Forgive the quality...merely the camera phone. It's fun to watch from out the windw...reminds me of playing Sim City. Parking Garage Casino Area Hotel
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Bibs Member Username: Bibs
Post Number: 456 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 198.208.251.23
| Posted on Friday, February 24, 2006 - 1:38 pm: | |
What is the average height of the buildings? I'm trying to imagine what it will look like from the free way. How about Greek town buying the building MGM is vacating and create a casino district? |
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan
Post Number: 3233 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 67.172.95.197
| Posted on Friday, February 24, 2006 - 2:07 pm: | |
The parking garage will rise a little over 90' in height (120' or so including the elevator tower), the casino building will be three stories and rise to a height of slightly over 60', and the hotel tower will rise to a height of 190' (and over 200' if you count the elevator tower). This information is courtesy of a Hamilton-Anderson Associates after a little digging. |
Mcpd1300 Member Username: Mcpd1300
Post Number: 54 Registered: 01-2006 Posted From: 68.42.175.57
| Posted on Friday, February 24, 2006 - 2:35 pm: | |
Well if Greektown Casino moved out of Greektown, that would kind of defeat the naming of it... and it would leave a massive hole in Greektown, IMHO. |
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan
Post Number: 3236 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 67.172.95.197
| Posted on Friday, February 24, 2006 - 2:41 pm: | |
Not just that, Greektown is easily the best of the three properties in melding into the neighborhood as best it can, and respecting the layout of the urban fabric. The city doesn't need anymore cut-off superblocks downtown. The old IRS/MGM Building will be just fine, as will the blackhole that will be MGM Grand Detroit. |
Mountainman Member Username: Mountainman
Post Number: 2 Registered: 02-2006 Posted From: 153.90.171.16
| Posted on Friday, February 24, 2006 - 3:57 pm: | |
I'm trying to visualize where exactly these photos are from. Used to live metro Detroit, been away for a couple of years |
Rbdetsport Member Username: Rbdetsport
Post Number: 67 Registered: 11-2005 Posted From: 68.60.133.115
| Posted on Friday, February 24, 2006 - 7:47 pm: | |
I am just glad this thing is finally getting started. Anyone got any pics of the Motorcity Casino area? |
Cellus Member Username: Cellus
Post Number: 3 Registered: 02-2006 Posted From: 68.42.122.141
| Posted on Friday, February 24, 2006 - 9:21 pm: | |
i would like to see some pics of the MotorCity Casino area as well. |
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936
Post Number: 317 Registered: 01-2005 Posted From: 207.200.116.139
| Posted on Friday, February 24, 2006 - 10:05 pm: | |
Interesting. That strip of Michigan Avenue at the Hotel site used to be Detroit's Skid Row. Building after building of flop houses, pawn shops, and bars. I can only remember the name of one bar....the Crow Bar. This would have been in the fifties and sixties; it was pretty well wiped out in the mid sixties. Anyone remember old skid row? |
Aiw
Member Username: Aiw
Post Number: 5329 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 70.48.210.229
| Posted on Friday, February 24, 2006 - 10:48 pm: | |
Virtual Motor City Does! |
Aiw
Member Username: Aiw
Post Number: 5330 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 70.48.210.229
| Posted on Friday, February 24, 2006 - 10:51 pm: | |
While those areas were run down, it's a shame. Looks like some great architecture was plowed under. |
Jimaz Member Username: Jimaz
Post Number: 232 Registered: 12-2005 Posted From: 68.2.191.57
| Posted on Friday, February 24, 2006 - 10:56 pm: | |
Jesus Christ, what a goldmine of imagery! Thanks, Aiw! |
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan
Post Number: 3239 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 67.172.95.197
| Posted on Friday, February 24, 2006 - 10:58 pm: | |
Yeah, before the Lodge and the Fisher finished off the area, it looked to have been a cohesive, quaint(Physically: narrow streets, human scaled), if even run down, neighborhood. I don't think I'll ever get over that many individual lots, acres, and entire streches of streets being vacated to make place for one giant, Las Vegas-sized, casino complex in the context of an otherwise urban downtown. I wish the city would have just asked for even a little more intergration with the downtown area. |
Royce Member Username: Royce
Post Number: 1482 Registered: 07-2004 Posted From: 70.236.187.104
| Posted on Saturday, February 25, 2006 - 8:56 am: | |
Lmichigan, how many times are you going to lament about this issue? The area was destroyed by the freeways, not the casino. MGM's permanent casino location is the best thing that could have happened to the area. It's the best thing that could repair the damage caused by the freeways. The only other development that was best suited for that area would have been the parking lots. So, Lmichigan, take your pick, a casino or parking lots. |
Lowell Board Administrator Username: Lowell
Post Number: 2315 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 66.167.211.61
| Posted on Saturday, February 25, 2006 - 9:35 am: | |
Great shots Spidergirl, thanks. From that viewpoint, you have earned your name. |
Wmuchris Member Username: Wmuchris
Post Number: 246 Registered: 06-2005 Posted From: 204.39.224.35
| Posted on Saturday, February 25, 2006 - 7:20 pm: | |
Spidergirl, Were those pictures taken from Edison's Cisler Building? |
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan
Post Number: 3243 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 67.172.95.197
| Posted on Saturday, February 25, 2006 - 7:33 pm: | |
It sure does looking like the DTE Center. So, what corner is it that the hotel tower will be closest too? I'm having a hard time with the street layour since it's all torn up, now. I know which direction we are looking in each, but the streets are a little less obvious for me. |
Reetz12 Member Username: Reetz12
Post Number: 31 Registered: 09-2005 Posted From: 69.246.61.199
| Posted on Sunday, February 26, 2006 - 9:22 pm: | |
The hotel will be on the northwest corner of third and michigan ave(bagley exit off the lodge.) If you look at the hotel pic above, you see the bagley exit running along michigan ave. |
Ptero Member Username: Ptero
Post Number: 16 Registered: 12-2005 Posted From: 141.210.48.142
| Posted on Sunday, February 26, 2006 - 9:46 pm: | |
my my my. It's too bad they couldn't save that flash in the pan... Plum Street. Maybe a brass plaque commemorating it on the floor somewhere inside the casino. ptero... learning to drive where the Plum once reigned... Plenty of streets and stop signs, no houses. |
Harsensis Member Username: Harsensis
Post Number: 23 Registered: 07-2005 Posted From: 71.227.102.82
| Posted on Monday, February 27, 2006 - 12:25 am: | |
Seeing how close that is to Tiger Stadium it would be nice to see that incuded in the project some how. |
Goat Member Username: Goat
Post Number: 8145 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 70.53.97.130
| Posted on Monday, February 27, 2006 - 10:25 am: | |
Does anyone think that the sites chosen for the casino's will benefit Detroit? They (other than Greektown) seem to be islands unto themselves. |
Detroit_stylin Member Username: Detroit_stylin
Post Number: 2517 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 66.202.227.12
| Posted on Monday, February 27, 2006 - 11:04 am: | |
Spidergirl has about the same vantage point of the consteruction site that I see on a daily basis. Thought she was in the same area I was until I saw how much closer she was to the site. I think that she must have taken them from DTE. It's the only other place that makes sense in that area. |
Bibs Member Username: Bibs
Post Number: 457 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 64.12.116.204
| Posted on Monday, February 27, 2006 - 11:13 pm: | |
Lmichigan - Thanks for getting the height of the building. Since the freeways are below grade, the three story casino will look six stores tall. Optical illusion of course. I agree with you that the Greek Town Casino is well integrated into the surrounding neighborhood and generates foor traffic which makes people fell safe etc. From what I have read, Casino traffic normally funnels money away from local businesses such as restaurants so having the casinos in a seperate district might not have a negative effect on Greek Town. I think the local economy is going to have a negative affect on the casinos in the short term! They get most of their businesses from the surrounding community. Better get those long haul coaches warmed up! |
Huggybear Member Username: Huggybear
Post Number: 161 Registered: 08-2005 Posted From: 70.236.169.121
| Posted on Tuesday, February 28, 2006 - 1:18 am: | |
quote:Does anyone think that the sites chosen for the casino's will benefit Detroit? They (other than Greektown) seem to be islands unto themselves.
In one sense, it doesn't matter. From the standpoint of anyone but the casino owners, casinos as constituted right now primarily serve the purpose of generating tax revenue for the city. If this is how you view their best and highest purpose, they work better as islands. After all, if your choice is between having people spend money at a casino (where the city takes a big cut) and having them spend money at surrounding businesses (where the city's take is very, very small by comparison), you would probably choose the former - and an island is desirable. On the other hand, if you value spillover more and municipal revenue less, you'd hate islands. In terms of spillover as it's developed, I'm not sure if one experience is overwhelmingly better. Greektown is more integrated but integrated into an area that was already a tourist attraction - and to my understanding, the casino owns and collects rent on a lot of the "spillover" property like the former Trappers Alley. If it's charging these outside tenants percentage rent (i.e., collecting a cut of their profits), then it comes one step closer to the economics of an "island." On the other hand, the two island casinos (MGM and Motor City) don't add much if anything to street level but take the place of what would have been two big vacant lots (IRS and the Wagner Bakery) - no doubt following an expensive demolition process. |
Spidergirl Member Username: Spidergirl
Post Number: 156 Registered: 12-2004 Posted From: 63.77.247.130
| Posted on Tuesday, February 28, 2006 - 9:26 am: | |
Yeah...from DTE. Someone has the layout of the casino from an article in the Detroit News, but I haven't been able to find it online to post... |
Jdkeepsmiling Member Username: Jdkeepsmiling
Post Number: 42 Registered: 01-2006 Posted From: 208.50.91.234
| Posted on Tuesday, February 28, 2006 - 9:51 am: | |
Does anyone have links to renderings of what these things are supposed to look like when completed??? Just wondering. |
Spidergirl Member Username: Spidergirl
Post Number: 157 Registered: 12-2004 Posted From: 63.77.247.130
| Posted on Tuesday, February 28, 2006 - 12:33 pm: | |
Not the best quality, but here's the supposed site plan I was talking about. Does anyone have the link to the original from the Detroit News?
|
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan
Post Number: 3253 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 67.172.95.197
| Posted on Tuesday, February 28, 2006 - 2:11 pm: | |
Wow, I had never seen the layout out. What was the date of that article? It is not surprising to see that there is more parking than casino space, though. |
Spidergirl Member Username: Spidergirl
Post Number: 158 Registered: 12-2004 Posted From: 63.77.247.130
| Posted on Tuesday, February 28, 2006 - 2:48 pm: | |
The self-park structure will be 9 stories high and will be shared with DTE for their downtown employees/contractors, with a walk-way through to one of the buildings. |
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan
Post Number: 3257 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 67.172.95.197
| Posted on Tuesday, February 28, 2006 - 2:56 pm: | |
Again, do you know when the article was posted, just wondering? |
Reetz12 Member Username: Reetz12
Post Number: 33 Registered: 09-2005 Posted From: 216.144.213.130
| Posted on Tuesday, February 28, 2006 - 4:50 pm: | |
More parking only because I believe there is a state law at how much gambling space is actually allowed. Now walkways throught the casino are not gaming space, just areas of where tables/slots are actually locaated. BUt the state of Mich only allows so muchg. |
Spidergirl Member Username: Spidergirl
Post Number: 159 Registered: 12-2004 Posted From: 63.77.247.130
| Posted on Tuesday, February 28, 2006 - 5:07 pm: | |
Sorry Lmichigan - no clue when the article came out... |
Goat Member Username: Goat
Post Number: 8149 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 70.54.68.57
| Posted on Tuesday, February 28, 2006 - 5:46 pm: | |
HuggyBear, thanks for the response. I never thought of it that way. I do agree with your post. Thanks for the insight. |