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Bankruptcy Sale: Detroit 2020
07-24-2013, 02:01 AM
(Note: Still working on next SNW episode. If anyone every makes grief to you about LoGG, Rob, let me know. -_- 
*cross between carnival barker's voice and auctioneer's voice* "Step right up, folks! We got the former Automobile Capital of the World up for grabs tonight!"
Anywho, just for kicks, let's assume that the Butterfly Effect managed to put off the bankruptcy declaration of Detroit for about seven years. With Fenspace now firmly established, WHO do any of us think would purchase WHAT in Motor City, both city owned or similarly in dire straits, assuming that if any landgrabbing was performed it was legal so long as site was filled back in?
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I can't find a list of what the city is selling... considering that this would be right around the construction of Castle Borealis, Wave Convoy and company have probably tied most of their formerly liquid capital up in the expansion and won't have significant amounts for further investment until 2025 or so anyway.
Rock Sugar's _Straight (Up) to Rock City_ is sure to be involved in some way, though.
ETA- if some of the manufacturing infrastructure is up for grabs, there'll be Gearhead interest at least.
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If the art museum contents are up for sale, Myk-El would at least want to buy Howdy Doody.
However, if JMC could manage it, buying up the whole art museum, making it Unreal Estate, and parking it near Stellvia would probably be a thing to do. 
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Myk's got a lot of fight from Vulpine Fury for THAT. Almost as much as for Mister Moose from Captain Kangaroo.
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Considering that the most common articles I did find were news reports of a judge ruling that the museum was not eligible for the block I think you're probably out of luck.
I repeat though, lyrics from Paula Abdul's Straight Up Now Tell Me to the music of Detroit Rock City by KISS - Could there possibly be a better musical accompaniment to turning parts of Detroit into space habs? I don't care who, someone has got to use that.
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"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
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DeputyJones Wrote:Anywho, just for kicks, let's assume that the Butterfly Effect managed to put off the bankruptcy declaration of Detroit for about seven years. With Fenspace now firmly established, WHO do any of us think would purchase WHAT in Motor City, both city owned or similarly in dire straits, assuming that if any landgrabbing was performed it was legal so long as site was filled back in? If the entire city is up for sale, StellviaCorp is buying the Motown studios - and leaving them in place for as long as possible, and operational.
EDIT: And judging from the reviews on yelp, the old Omni looks to be a decent fixer-upper for Stellvia Hotels. Again, leave it operational (do the renovation in stages) and in place as long as possible.
ClassicDrogn Wrote:I can't find a list of what the city is selling... Presumably because nothing's up for sale yet.
ClassicDrogn Wrote:ETA- if some of the manufacturing infrastructure is up for grabs, there'll be Gearhead interest at least. I suspect all of the manufacturing concerns would want a piece of that - John Henry, Hephaestus, maybe even StelOil.
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Rob Kelk
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I think the city is bankrupt, not the individuals/companies within...
Ross Van Loan
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Dr. D's buying the Hart Plaza Stargate...assuming it goes on the auction block : if it doesn't go up for sale he'll still acquire it, just through different channels.
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Stingray Motor Engineering rents a small assembly plant in an old warehouse on Concord Street sometime in 2023. It's a few dozen people assembling crated-in parts to dodge import tariffs. Annual output is modest, but enough to cover costs of the operation. Detroit-assembled machines have a 'D' added to the end their model code, bear a UAW stamp next to the frame number and have a few unique modifications to headlights, fuelling and exhaust systems to meet US NHTSA and CARB standards.
Effectively, the business operates as a self-contained sub-unit, purchasing components from its parent, then assembling them onsite before selling them on direct to customers using the Tesla model.
Once the cost of purchasing components from the parent have been accounted for, along with employee benefits, the Detroit subsidiary operates at a small loss - enough to minimise tax burden. Current strategy so far has been to permit organisation, with the Union itself seen as a large potential market.
(Incidentally, anyone have a recommendation for someone capable of fulfilling a mundane management role? Some space travel required. And yes, if I got the geography right, that is the Packard Plant - at least, part of it.)
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Heck, I'd give whomever it is one of the names from abandoned brand names.
North American Examples: Packard, Hudson, Pontiac, Cord, Nash, Tucker, Plymouth, Studebaker (Technically still around, it had a name change and is the company that produces Military Humvees)
I'm sure there are plenty of usable European ones, like Cooper, Robin, Sterling, etc.
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...
First of all: Vultures. You're all vultures and I am very disappointed.
Second, most of the things you want to steal aren't city property.
Mr. Fnord interdimensional man of mystery
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I did say "both city owned or similarly in dire straits" at the start of it, Mal! =^_^=
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Which does nothing to ease my disappointment. I expect better from you people than to carve up a city like a fucking Christmas turkey.
Mr. Fnord interdimensional man of mystery
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I do recall saying "leave in place and operational"...
And if those reviews are accurate, the old Omni needs a cash infusion of some sort or it's going to go bankrupt by 2020. Then Detroit'll have nothing but chain hotels - who wants that?
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I noted the "for as long as possible" there too.
Look, I'm down with the idea of Fen industry revitalizing Detroit. That's a neat idea and it gives Fenspace more of an in with the 'Danelaw. I am not down with the idea of Fen looting the city of everything up to and including the architecture and stashing it away in their own private hoards. You are not Smaug, people. Don't act like it.
Mr. Fnord interdimensional man of mystery
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*thoughtful* What if any buildings taken are replaced with better (from daneside perspective) ones?
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honestly most of the buildings and areas that would be for sale in this would be good for nothing but razing to the ground and building something new on anyway.
and I call dibs on the vehicle museum, its already on the block with a starting price of 1 mil
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I just went through this conversation on IRC, so I'm repeating what I said there in my mod voice:
I am not going to sign off on any writer looting a city because they think their den or their hometown needs more shiny geegaws.
Time for a new plan, guys.
Mr. Fnord interdimensional man of mystery
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M Fnord Wrote:I noted the "for as long as possible" there too. If the city becomes a ghost town, there's no point keeping a hotel or a studio running... Anyway.
One hotel, with a good view of Windsor, likely to need a cash infusion by 2020 (if they don't already) - perhaps an "affiliate program" (read: minority holding, cash up front in exchange for preferential bookings later) rather than a complete buyout.
One successful recording studio - no, not up for sale. Forget this one.
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Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."
- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012
Ross Van Loan
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Whoops!
07-25-2013, 06:33 PM
... I keep forgetting the earnestness of some of my fellow Fen. Dr. D. has no intentions of going actual villain : he's having way too much fun playing at it. Also, the Patrol & Jail are no fun.
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