We’ve posted about this before and will post again. Colgate’s Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation will build a new children’s Fun Center at the hospital that gets the most votes by February 29. At this moment, Detroit’s Children’s Hospital is a close second to a Houston children’s hospital. We can do this.

THIS IS IMPORTANT: You can vote once daily from any computer, so please vote every day at least once and tell all of your co-workers, family members, and friends to do the same. If there’s one city that isn’t used to getting freebees, it’s Detroit–we always seem to get things the tough way. Now that there’s an easy way, let’s take advantage.

VOTE HERE

…and vote every single day. Spread the word.

But Grand Rapids is. And so is Ann Arbor. And Kalamazoo. And Royal Oak. Even Taylor is a Cool City. But not Detroit. Detroit can be pretty hip, but it’s not Cool.

That’s because Detroit is not one of the Sierra Club’s Cool Cities, a group of cities all over the nation whose mayors have signed the US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, pledging to actively reduce carbon emissions and institute energy conserving programs and build energy-efficient buildings in their cities. It’s an initiative that asks mayors to institute changes that will ultimately save millions of dollars in the long run. Sounds like a good idea to me.

Granted, Detroit has a very, very, very long way to go before becoming an environmentally friendly city. It has myriad problems that need solving, but the naysayers must be put to rest sooner or later and Detroit, if it is going to attempt to revitalize and become one of America’s great cities again, must take an active role in becoming more environmentally conscious. Here’s a copy of the Agreement that Kwame–or the mayor of your particular suburb–should sign.

So please tell him. Here’s Kwame’s phone number and email:

(313) 224-3400
mayor@mayor.ci.detroit.mi.us

He probably won’t answer, but leave a message and maybe he’ll get back with us.

The Downtown Development Authority, (DDA), has approved a design change for the garage being built next to the Book Caddilac which is under construction also. They have authorized two more stories to the parking deck. The Griswold, as it is called, will accomodate 80 condominiums priced between $175,000 and $800, 000. Add that to the new 400 room hotel with 67 uber-condo’s on top and we will have a magnificent addition to the central business district when they are finished next year.

In another development, Quicken Loans which owns the Cleavland Cavaliers and it’s offshoot Rock Financial is coming downtown. The deal isn’t signed yet but it’s a given among those in the loop. I have wondered about its new location. Would they build new or occupy a vacant building? Now it appears they will choose new construction. The DEGC is promoting two sites. The first is the Primier Garage on Woodward. Hudsons once stood at this location and when they built the garage they installed footings for an office building to be built above it of eight stories or less. The second site, and my pick, is the larger site where the Statler Hilton once stood. That would make a fine addition to Grand Circus Park and be great for the business’s surrounding it.

As I made my way near Campus Martius Park yesterday, I glanced to the east for a moment, and a bulge on top of the historic Bagley fountain caught my eye. Originally I had heard that the actual fountain would not be installed and the art piece would remain nonfuctional, but as I got closer, those claims were false, as on all four sides of the fountain, lion heads were spitting out fresh water. See the photo I took at left for a view.

I am not sure how long the new fountain has been in place, but I remember sitting on top of the base a month ago, watching the city go by.

Once again the beautiful fountain designed by renowned architect Henry Hobson Richardson (his only known existing work in the city) flows with water “cold and pure as the coldest mountain stream”, as intended by John Bagley, for whom the fountain is named for, as he gave the funds to build the fountain.

Suprisingly the fountain hasnt operated continuously since 1939, so this is a very special thing to witness.

Though I am not sure if they now intend for the fountain to be a decorative water feature rather then a functional drinking fountain, I did get a drink of the water with a little bit of difficulty. The water flows out on all sides at all times, in a wide spray.

There is a new magazine in town. Michigan In Play is the brain child of publisher Jack Rosenberg of Livonia. He is a contributor to BizX, the “Crains” of Windsor and, in itself, a great publication. Jack wanted to fill a niche by creating a magazine that reports exclusively on Michigan sports. The first issue, printed last week is an excellent example of what you can do if you take the time to do it right. As a prime example, go to their web site to get the answer to the question that everyone has been asking of late. Will Ilitch build a new stadium or remodel the Joe. It looks like my guess was wrong. “New Home for the Wings?” April 10th.

Koser and Probert loom large on the cover and Bob is writing a column for the mag, giving us some insite into the NHL rarely seen. Just about every sport, professional or leisure, is covered inside the pages of Michigan In Play. You can pick up the latest issue at any of 375 locations around SE Michigan, including Cobo Center, Ford Field, the Palace, Ren Cen, auto plants and all major area attractions. Look for it in your favorite Pub and check it out. It’s a great read filled with information, interviews and photographs of sports in Michigan.

The $64, 000 question in the D’ lately seems to be whether or not Mike Ilitch will replace Joe Louis Arena with a new, modern facility or remodel? With the lease at the Joe up in 09′ Ilitch must make a choice soon. Speculation was high last week when Olympia Development announced that they will raze the building at 138 W. Columbia. The consenses is that any new arena will be in Fox Town.

My opinion is that it’s already too late to build new in time for the lease to run out. Although that problem can easily be solved with an extention, it seems to me that he should have started last year. Ilitches do not own every parking lot or building in the area bordered by Cass and Woodward, Montcalm and W.Adams. The law has changed on eminent domian so he must negotiate selling prices with other owners. I have spoken to a few and they all agree, they won’t go easily. So you can see that, just the problem of optaining the neccessary land to build the arena, not to mention the parking structure, is daunting and could drag on for months.

It is estimated that to renovate the Joe’ would cost around $200 million. That’s alot less than the $250 million for a new home for the Wings plus another $100 - $150 million for a parking structure. Ilitch bought the Wings in 82′, Tigers in 92′ and Marian purchased the Motor City Casino in 2005 so they certainly can support the financing either way. He is known as a very schrewd businessman and I am betting he will stay with the venue he has. As a disclaimer, I have to admit, I am a lousy gambler so don’t beat me up too bad if it goes the other way, k?

In the middle of all the new building construction going on in the downtown area, it’s sad to report that a historic one is coming down. Ilitch Holdings Inc. has asked the Detroit Historic District Commision and other groups like Preservation Wayne for permission to demolish the Fine Arts Building at 44 W. Adams. Built in 1905 as an office building, it also contained the Adams Theater.

Originally called the Kunsky theater, The Adams was added on to the rear in 1917. The entrance was in front of the Fine Arts and a tunnel connected its patrons to the theater. From the beginning until closing in 1988, the Adams offered movie goers a wide range of entertainment. Vaudeville, silent flics, talkies and, in the fifties, CinemaScope, cutting edge cinematography in the fifties. The marquee was condemed in 99′ and removed. Towards the end of it’s run it was an adult theater.

That’s the bad news, the good news is that I remember reading somewhere that Ilitch wanted to restore the Fine Arts because his offices at the Fox were busting at the seams. Now with the request to tear it down, they probably will have to agree to replace it with new construction. I live in the Kales next door and I sure hope they don’t build too high and block my view of left field at Comerica Park!

Baseball fans will be able to take a last look at Tiger Stadium next year in April. The city has recently invited auction companies to Michigan and Trumbull to check out the possibility of having a sale either live or on the net.

Before that happens though, the public will be allowed to visit the stadium one last time. You won’t be able to remove any memorabilia but you can take pictures on the pitchers mound and around the park.

Oh yea, and this little tid bit was told to me by a “reliable sorse.” Word is that Joe Louis Arena will remain where it is. There just isn’t any room in the CBD for a new NHL home. We shall see. Illitch’s lease is up in three years and it takes about that much time to build a new arena so a dicision should be coming very soon.

On behalf of Detroit Metrobloggers, our talented authors and myself, we would like to wish everyone Happy Holidays

Greektown Casino is in diar straits. The Michigan Gaming Control Board rejected their request to extend deadlines it has for revenue goals in order to justify a financing agreement to build their new casino. In order to continue construction, they must meet revenue goals and they say they will be $23 million short in 2008. If they miss the mark they must put their holdings up for sale. Wow, Let’s all start saving now. I can see the name up in lights, “Detroit Metrobloggers Casino & Hotel. LOL

Being a geek, I get a kick out of checking out the local Bell Telephone central offices (COs), most which were built in AT&T divestiture days (pre 1984). This site has some cool pictures of the local COs.

Ma Bell used to build 3-4 story buildings, usually very ornate, to house their switching equipment. Nowadays, the telephone switches are all digital and take up very little space. Back in the 1920s-1980s the switching was done by electromechanical switches usually several stories high. When you would make a call, the machine would connect your circuit much like when they had an operator - by physically connecting things together. The arms of the machine would slide up and down to where your slot was and connect your call. An old AT&T employee once told me a story of the Birmingham CO in 1968 after the Tigers won the Series how the groud outside actually shook from the switches moving so much.
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