I voted in favor of the proposed demolition of the J. L. Hudson building on Woodward Avenue for the following reasons:
The Hudson's building presently stands as a stark example of the decline of downtown Detroit. The demolition of the Hudson's building will pave the way for hastened development of not only the Hudson's site, but the entire Woodward corridor as well.
Although the demolition of the Hudson's building is important for future development in Downtown Detroit, the process by which the decision to authorize the demolition of the building was made leaves much to be desired. The City Council should insist that the Downtown Development Authority, the Greater Detroit Partnership and the City Administration articulate a coordinated vision for development. The vision need not be specific, but it is essential that the vision be clear.
Clarity of a coordinated vision for Detroit is important so the development community will know which direction the city intends to proceed. The Greater Downtown Partnership has contracted with a consulting company for a study of the downtown area which is to be completed at some point in 1997.
My decision to vote in favor of the demolition of the J. L. Hudson's building was made primarily by the personal due diligence and research I did on my own. The community as a whole and the development community in particular suffer when the City of Detroit over-all objectives are not articulated in public. With the current policy of disseminating information, goals and objectives to the City Council piecemeal and not holistically, the administration, the Downtown Development Authority and the Greater Downtown Partnership lessen the impact a coordinated effort would possess. This is particularly unfortunate because an overwhelming majority of City Council Members appear to share a desire for a redeveloped Detroit, a revitalized downtown, and a regenerated spirit in the City.