The Ruins of Detroit

[Speedbag]

Well, the Aztek wasn't the ruin of Detroit as a whole, but Pontiac for sure. 

[the_Journeyman]

People, can we just have at least one thread that doesn't turn into an Aztek bashing-fest. 

Would you prefer be bash the Mayans?

JM

[Grappa]

I thought this thread was going to be about a new, first person shooter video game. 

[the_Journeyman]

I thought this thread was going to be about a new, first person shooter video game. 

Ooh, we should pitch that to a developer.  All the maps are old, abandoned buildings and you have to fight off bums, scrappers and meth-heads all while not attracting the police!!!!

JM

[badgalbetty]

wow! I spent quite a bit of time looking at both the Camden NJ and and the Richmond CA pictures having been to both. It seems that when you work on ships the places that are ports of call in some states are truly a nightmare. When I visited these places 30 years ago they looked like they do now for the most part, except in some cases some things have improved. When I went to Richmond CA there was a ghost fleet anchored does anyone know if its still there?30 years ago the ships appeared ready for the breakers.......and the area was pretty rough as well.
Throughout my travels around the world(to about 40 or 50  countries or so) I have taken many pictures and there is one underlying thing in common.....after the greatness comes decay.I have seen it many times. Ship yards,ports and heavy industrial areas are like giant skeletons these days,the meat picked clean and the steel hulks left to fend for themselves against the elements.
In Portland 25 years ago the northwest industrial area was full of hookers ,the down and outs and junkies.........railroad tracks intertwinned various disused warehouses,that were once part of a great economy.....weeds grew in the sidings, roofs caved in on buildings and every now and then a body was found either murdered or with a needle in her or his arm. The property developers moved in... They have revitalized the area and completely transformed it. It is now called the pearl district because at night the lights from the new condos and fancy high rise buildings shine like pearls....light rail, swanky shops and a really nice community has sprung up. Some of the old warehouses have been converted into lofts and they are expensive($400,000+) because of the location. You could be a 10 minute walk from downtown and the business district if you lived there.
Some of the older buildings have remained and I am glad for that. What lies in their future I dont know  but these older buildings have an importance. They tell the story of the pacific northwest. Seeing a hundred and fifty year old warehouse support beam that is 18 inches square made from a single piece of wood 75 feet long is beauty to me. Wood like that is not found in second or third generation timber, so yes, these old buildings are worth saving, every time that you can.
BGB

[gojira]

I used to be in commercial real estate and can tell you that saving old buildings, while nostalgic & architecturally eye-pleasing, very often boils down to the costs of retrofitting in order to comply with today's building codes. They may have been built passing the codes of their time, but to meet ADA requirements (especially the requirements to widen load-bearing doorways, which can be tricky), earthquake codes and numerous others, it becomes economically unfeasible to restore. The numbers say it's better to tear them down.

We almost bought a turn-of-the-(20th) century building in downtown Seattle that is very much a architectural gem but before there could be any sale, the city required an immediate, complete top-to-bottom retrofit to meet earthquake codes. No thanks.

[MendoDave]

When I visited these places 30 years ago they looked like they do now for the most part, except in some cases some things have improved. When I went to Richmond CA there was a ghost fleet anchored does anyone know if its still there?30 years ago the ships appeared ready for the breakers.......and the area was pretty rough as well.

There still is a ghost fleet at Richmond but I believe they are starting to break those up http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2011/02/03/mare-island-receives-first-vessel-from-mothball-fleet/
Richmond is slightly better, but it's still one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the bay. http://richmondconfidential.org/tag/homicide/

[B.Rock]

The ghost fleet is in the Suisun Bay, they just starting breaking those things down in Vallejo, at the remnants of Mare Island. Other than the Iowa, which will be saved. 

Richmond is still weird. At least they're trying and making some headway. Vallejo is the other example nearby which it seems is attempting to make itself as screwed up as possible.
If you're interested in awesome old stuff that's saved in Richmond, check these out. They're awesome.
http://www.richmondplunge.org/
http://www.craneway.com/ (part of the old Ford plant - other parts are sectioned off for industrial use again after 50 years)

[badgalbetty]

The Craneway...awesome pictures!
What an awesome space to have available on the water to boot as well.

[Privateer]

coming from the land of nothing-older-than-1990, it'd be nice to have some older commercial/light industrial buildings around for those of us who'd like to open a small shop, but can't afford the rent a brand new strip mall costs.

Seems that's what we do around here:  tear down old buildings and build a mall that sits half vacant.  used to be auto dealerships but then yeah, that happened.

I'd love to have an off-site man cave/workshop to share with some buddies but i can't afford it, even split 10 ways.  we tried.


That said, it's my understanding the residents of Detroit are getting a little fed up with the decay-journalism.