Discuss Detroit » Archives - Beginning July 2006 » The Cobo Quaqmire.. « Previous Next »
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Digitaldom
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Username: Digitaldom

Post Number: 456
Registered: 08-2004
Posted From: 24.192.148.150
Posted on Monday, July 31, 2006 - 8:01 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Creatively I wonder if Demoing the place and creating new convention center a bit farther out (in the city of course.. Maybe the old central Depot.. as someone said in another thread, a hotel would be a perfect fit for the old central depot building).. might be better..

The land COBO sits on could be used for some very cool new buildings..And a park that extends to the river front as well.. Just a thought I know I will get blasted on this.. But with COBO hall, COBO arena..

And the new Olympia (yeah my prediction of what the new hockey arena will be called).. My guess in the UA Theatre district.. I still hold on to that thought btw..What has been the progress on Cobo..

Just curious what the ideas could be if Cobo was no more.. Thoughts.. Yeah it's nice to dream in threads sometimes..

Sorry to thread jack.. I will create another to discuss this..
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Detroitkev
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Username: Detroitkev

Post Number: 77
Registered: 04-2005
Posted From: 69.136.149.27
Posted on Monday, July 31, 2006 - 8:29 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I think it would be cool to extend Jefferson, and have one side all park land to the riverfront, and the other side high rises for offices & condos
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Detroit313
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Username: Detroit313

Post Number: 167
Registered: 02-2006
Posted From: 12.45.2.184
Posted on Monday, July 31, 2006 - 9:21 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Detroitkev, that was the same thing I was thinking, have a sort of front yard along the river and extend W. Jefferson.313
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Digitaldom
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Username: Digitaldom

Post Number: 459
Registered: 08-2004
Posted From: 24.192.148.150
Posted on Monday, July 31, 2006 - 9:29 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Yep that is exactly what I was thinking DetroitKev and Detroit313.. How cool would that be.. A HUGE green space.. With some really cool residential towers..
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Detroitplanner
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Username: Detroitplanner

Post Number: 80
Registered: 04-2006
Posted From: 205.188.116.137
Posted on Monday, July 31, 2006 - 9:35 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

How about we turn the old Cobo into a giant gambling hall and use the revenues from that to pay off bonds to replace it with something bigger?

Instead of meeting rooms we can fill the place with restraunts like the Cheesecake Factory, House of Blues, Hooters, California Pizza Kitchen, and the Polish Yacht Club, South?
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Genesyxx
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Username: Genesyxx

Post Number: 555
Registered: 02-2004
Posted From: 71.159.22.100
Posted on Tuesday, August 01, 2006 - 10:12 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

How about we move Cobo down to the MCS and turn the existing one into a mall?
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Detroitstar
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Username: Detroitstar

Post Number: 99
Registered: 01-2006
Posted From: 35.8.144.6
Posted on Tuesday, August 01, 2006 - 10:17 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Seriously, what dumbass desided to build a one million sq. foot convention center on some of the most expensive real estate in Michigan?? I liked Cobo because of it's convenience of location downtown, but the more I think about it, the rivefront could be much more prosperous without it.
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Andylinn
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Username: Andylinn

Post Number: 165
Registered: 04-2006
Posted From: 64.141.144.2
Posted on Tuesday, August 01, 2006 - 10:18 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

would... this mall be mixed use (first floor retail w/ mixed income housing above?)
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Tkelly1986
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Username: Tkelly1986

Post Number: 109
Registered: 01-2004
Posted From: 68.251.38.199
Posted on Tuesday, August 01, 2006 - 12:20 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Where would you put the convention space? In back or the depot over the tracks? How many houses would need to be torn down in back of the depot to fit the needed space? I like this idea, but what I would do to improve it would be to incorporate a new Amtrak/light rail station/stop under the facility using the existing tracks/depot that can come in from Ann Arbor and the Airport, along with a new gray hound terminal. This could be a hub for transit and be the ideal situation for convention visitors. Very attractive to potential new conventions as well, and it will include an onsite hotel. Now, these tracks can be extended to downtown to a new Amtrak/light rail depot built on the massive amount of land left vacant by the demolition of Cobo Hall. Here solves 2 problems. With this, you could either use the light rail to end in this depot and go back and forth to the new Cobo or extend the people mover to the station with another loop that would go out along the river and come back through corktown……….many ideas to ponder here.
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Viziondetroit
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Username: Viziondetroit

Post Number: 640
Registered: 11-2003
Posted From: 65.42.23.2
Posted on Tuesday, August 01, 2006 - 12:47 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

MCS is just no close enough to anything regardless of what kind of transportation available..

Many houses would need to be torn down, it's just not a good business decision to put it there. It's a helluva idea, but it's just not practical.
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Mike
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Username: Mike

Post Number: 679
Registered: 11-2003
Posted From: 68.41.93.235
Posted on Tuesday, August 01, 2006 - 1:05 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I kind of like Cobo being downtown... makes going to the AutoShow funner.

It sort of gives it a uniqness as not too many convention centers that large are in downtown.
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Tkelly1986
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Username: Tkelly1986

Post Number: 112
Registered: 01-2004
Posted From: 68.251.38.199
Posted on Tuesday, August 01, 2006 - 7:33 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

It is not that far out of downtown; something that could be easily reached by mass transit and could spur infill development. We are not talking like Novi or Auburn Hills, this is the difference between Corktown and the financial district; walking distance if need be…..I have walked it before, it’s like 20min. The people mover could be expanded out there which could really help the neighborhood and the potential development along of the west riverfront if you make one of the routs out to the MCS along it. This is a looooooooooooog shot idea, but it could be feasible and really good for the neighborhoods in between current Cobo and the MCS.
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Viziondetroit
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Username: Viziondetroit

Post Number: 641
Registered: 11-2003
Posted From: 69.246.10.173
Posted on Tuesday, August 01, 2006 - 7:39 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

we live in the days of demand and supply Tkelly...

back in the day yes you could have made a big investment and develop this grand scheme.. but it's not gonna happen. It would take to much prep in the area BEFORE work even began on the "convention center" u can't stick a convention center in the middle of a neighborhood that can't support the traffic nor provide the comfort of being close to a hotel regardless of what transportation is available...
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Tkelly1986
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Username: Tkelly1986

Post Number: 113
Registered: 01-2004
Posted From: 68.251.38.199
Posted on Tuesday, August 01, 2006 - 7:51 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Well, the hotel was assumed to be the MCS itself......I know this is not going to happen, and yes, I know we like in a day of demand and supply, but McCormick Center is not that near to "downtown", about the same distance and does not really have hotels around it besides the Hyatt…….like I said, this is a long shot, but with foresight and governmental cooperation, grants for road improvement, money for a new off ramp near the new “convention center”ect…….., its is not impossible. Will it happen, NO, the money is not there, but the idea could work…..simply dreaming out loud
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Viziondetroit
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Username: Viziondetroit

Post Number: 643
Registered: 11-2003
Posted From: 69.246.10.173
Posted on Tuesday, August 01, 2006 - 7:55 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I feel you.. but Detroit is special and we have to think special and not like any other city.

We all know what works in other places dont work in Detroit and vice versa
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Tkelly1986
Member
Username: Tkelly1986

Post Number: 115
Registered: 01-2004
Posted From: 68.251.38.199
Posted on Tuesday, August 01, 2006 - 8:03 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I know what you are saying. It’s just a shame ideas like these are shot down before they start because of Detroit’s unique state……it discourages people to continue to dream big; and if that mindset sets in we are doomed for the future. Hopefully, momentum will continue to grow and more people will take larger risks so that we can discuss ideas like this as a serious solutions someday.
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Viziondetroit
Member
Username: Viziondetroit

Post Number: 645
Registered: 11-2003
Posted From: 69.246.10.173
Posted on Tuesday, August 01, 2006 - 8:07 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I kinda like the idea of big dreams being shot down because we have had too many next best things in Detroit. It causes people to move out off of speculation, causes some to jack up prices and things never happen. The postivie aspect of this is the fact that it makes people thing LOGICALLY and have their plans tight even before the speculative stage.

think back to the mini neverland amusement park Jacko and Barden wanted to put on the river front.... seemed like a great thing to some but not practical.... at that time we did not have enough hotels to support it, and it just wasn't a good idea for Detroit.

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