BWL mentioned that when they shutter the plant, redevelopment ideas include keeping the chimneys. For what? I have no idea what you could do with them in their entirety. It'd be cool to have at least one of them turned into an observation deck.
I could see multi-floor "platforms" built at different levels using the stacks as a base to build the floors and perhaps as the elevator shafts. The floors could be something like four levels on one stack then four levels up on the next stack leaving open space between the floors all the way to the top. I could see gardens on the roofs of the different levels growing up and over the edges of the roofs. The main building could house a lot of office/classroom/manufacturing space, as well as an attraction like an aquarium or an indoor zoo/winter garden with Michigan animals. The build would be great looking if they remove all the electric rigging and pollution collectors, the stacks would be even more visible and sculpture-like. I have dreamed about this on the page before, It would be cool to include river sports in this development. Water flowing over the dam could be directed into a rapids channel for kayaking races or an engineered permanent wave for river surfing! Just dreaming! I am really hoping they don't just leave it standing there empty like what happened to the REO complex years ago. There was only a short time between the closing of that plant and it becoming totally vandalized and burned to the ground.
I must admit, I was rather annoyed when they painted that lovely, patina'd ceramic brick on that historic gas station with white paint a few years back. But I was willing to forgive them since I love their tacos!
That is truly a bummer! My desk-side window looks out at this building, and I have noticed that no one has been doing anything over there for at least eight months or more. Some fool did crash his truck into the parking lot taking out the street sign and fire hydrant the other day! But that is about all the action that has taken place over there. I hope even though it would be convenient for me, that it will not be bought for a pot shop.
I have been wondering about the brewery up the street. This is another location where work had been stopped for months. They really did a lot of renovations on this space already it would be a shame if they did not get it finished. A bit further up the street, the QD building is up for sale and they have removed the tanks above and much of the machinery that was in the building. It is kind of sad, I always like seeing the bottling machine running in the window. I don't know who would buy this complex of buildings, maybe they will save the little old apartment building on the corner, I hope so. that is where we would park and wait for my Dad to get out of work at REO.
I'm with you on saving the old building on the corner at the QD site, I'm kind of hoping to see the rest of it torn down though. It may be too much to hope for but seeing a new multi-floor building with some residential go up here would be nice.
I spy out my window today that workmen are clearing out the old service station on the corner of S Washington and Elm. Looks like they may be collecting the tools etc that Pablo's left in there. I wonder if the building has sold?
I am getting out of town now before tomorrow's gun nut demonstration, stay safe everyone!
Remodeling work has restarted on the small office building on the corner of Elm and S Washington. Seems as it had been over a year since any work was going on there. It is good to see and I hope that the building will be occupied soon. Nothing going on at the brewery site, I wonder if they have just given up on that project. The Quality Dairy building looks totally abandoned and has been boarded up since the first Black Lives Matter demonstration, maybe some windows were broken then, the Church on the corner also has the Washington Ave side windows and doors boarded up. The brewery building did have one window broken then as well. One day soon peace will return and they will take down the boards!
Yeah, with indoor bars and restaurants closed down and the pandemic going until at least next year, it wouldn't really make sense for them to plan for a completion of the project anytime soon. I'm actually surprised more residential and commercial projects haven't been cancelled/shelved, quite honestly.
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I must admit, I was rather annoyed when they painted that lovely, patina'd ceramic brick on that historic gas station with white paint a few years back. But I was willing to forgive them since I love their tacos!
I am getting out of town now before tomorrow's gun nut demonstration, stay safe everyone!