Posted November 2, 200618 yr Here are pictures taken today from Detroit's oldest neighborhood. The Corktown Historic District consists of about 300 structures. ^The plaque reads: A WORKERS ROW HOUSE Circa 1840 Three attached, barn-frame row houses A restoration, preservation and museum project by: The Greater Corktown Development Corporation"
November 3, 200618 yr Always reminded me of Milwaukee's northwest side. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
November 3, 200618 yr So, what are the plans for Tiger Stadium? Would they demolish it? Yup. Detroit's good at that. Figuring out what to build next, not so good.
November 3, 200618 yr Tiger Stadium is going to be turned into a mixed use development condos and stores including portions of the stadium. The field, press box, I think the first row of seats are to stay and be included in the development. This was the choice the people of Corktown wanted and now the parking surrounding the stadium can finally be sold off and developed.
November 3, 200618 yr Drawings? Developer? Timetable? Tenants? Pardon the skepticism, but grand plans for Tiger Stadium have been in the works since the 80s. Including, but not limited to, saving the Stadium from closing in the first place. Interest in Corktown is at an alltime high in terms of development, but the wrecking ball is a formidable foe, and any developer has to work with the city as far as Tiger Stadium is concerned. All involved have my most sincere "good luck"! EDIT: Here's the last headline I saw on the subject, from the June 16 Detroit Free Press: "DEMOLITION SET FOR FALL: Tiger Stadium: It's history" http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006606160443 A more sober (if that's possible) article--an opinion piece, actually--appeared about a week ago: "Let market decide Tiger Stadium's fate: The Corner's history shows the way to revive Detroit's empty ballpark" http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006606160443 Contrasting the disconcerting developer-knows-best (in Detroit that means "Ilytch Knows Best") tone of the more recent editorial with Kilpatrick's grand vision for the Tiger Stadium site in June remided me of another grand vision bandied about for the neighborhood: a proposed redevelopment of the Michigan Central Train Station. A hunt for a headline on that sent me all the way back to the Metro Times in 2003: "On track. Hope gains steam for renovation of train station" http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006606160443 Any new movement on that (herculean) project? Please say "yes." EDIT PART DEUX: A fun fact from the annals of Tiger Stadium History: FIRST GAME - April 28, 1896: The minor-league Tigers beat Columbus, 17-2
November 3, 200618 yr It looks like some public improvements have been made to the commercial district in the second-last photo... nice sidewalks and street lighting and baby trees. Was that done recently in hopes of reviving the street?
November 3, 200618 yr It was always my impression that Corktown was a small area that was completely surrounded by large stretches of severe blight. It felt like an island to me. Makes me want to take a road trip to Detroit.
November 3, 200618 yr It was always my impression that Corktown was a small area that was completely surrounded by large stretches of severe blight. It is. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
November 4, 200618 yr I would have loved to have seen Detroit in the 1910s and 20s. Must've been an amazing, booming, bustling, dense, dynamic city. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
November 5, 200618 yr It was always my impression that Corktown was a small area that was completely surrounded by large stretches of severe blight. It is. The art of photographing Corktown is in the cropping.
November 5, 200618 yr I wanna buy a mansion in Detroit. You can get one for about half the price of in the 'burbs because its ...Detroit. I'm going up there for the auto show..I go every year. Good times.
November 5, 200618 yr ^You can do the same in Cincinnati, in the West End for example. But, I'm sure the heating costs are the same. :lol:
November 5, 200618 yr Arent most of those multiple units though? I don't want to deal with the bull#$% involved in updating a home in a designated historic neighborhood. I don't know if the west end is, or if it's just OTR. The mansions in Avondale and Walnut Hills etc are generally expensive as hell. Probably because they managed to build those parts of the neighborhood in a way that's exclusionary.
November 5, 200618 yr ^Probably a good majority, but who knows? Personally I'd rather be in an historic district, its protection on my investments.
November 6, 200618 yr Corktown is also hemmed in by one of those dastardly freeway gullies... It's kind of a small Detroit-Shoreway... the adaptive reuse for Tiger Stadium should help. Also, I don't think it's that far from the Mexican-town district with it's couple lively blocks of (jam-packed) restaurants... But I think that beautiful/awful crumbling Michigan Central (abandoned by Amtrak) depot blocks the 2 nabes -- I don't think they're w/in comfortable walking distance... check out msn's 'birdseye view' maps to get a better idea.
November 6, 200618 yr ^just checked msn; didn't realize how close corktown is to the huge MGM Grand casino; there's even an enclosed walkway connecting the casino to the neighborhood over a freeway... Corktown, obviously, has a beautiful old houses and has a gentrification pulse... I'm pulling for it... but it's got to fill in all those empty lots around it and tie into downtown Detroit... is there any kind of 'trolley' service connecting these downtown areas? Sure could help.
November 16, 200618 yr Housing stock is nice...which should eventually help the commercial area. Something positive has to happen to Tigers Stadium, even if it means tearing it down.
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