I can't argue with the general idea about Detroit and the midwestern US.
I would, however, enjoy the ability to use Detroit landmarks and buildings in the game.
Here's a short, off-the-top-of-the-head list for anyone to consider for construction:
1. The General Motors Renaissance Center - this is the world HQ for GM, located right on the Detroit River. I've noticed some nice add-on HQ rewards from what I picked up from the talented folks off the STEX . . . BellSouth and Coca Cola HQ come to mind. If anyone wanted to do the GM Ren Cen, it would be neat to have it done in similar reward style. The lot, essentially, would be expanded from a normal skyscraper lot . . . it's a main cylinder tower with multiple towers that surround it. Link w/photos here: http://www.buildingphotos.com/detroit/DE-rencen.shtml Plus, a solid wiki link here (for description): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaissance_Center - the wiki link reports 8,000 workers for the GM Ren Cen, so that should be the comparable figure for a landmark w/jobs.
2. and 3. Joe Louis Fist & Spirit of Detroit - of all the landmarks in the link to follow, the Joe Louis Fist is probably the most famous, in my opinion. 2nd on the list (and most famous, according to the article from the link) is the Spirit of Detroit monument. You can view Detroit's landmark monuments here:
4. Hart Plaza - Before the subterranean modds, this large, mostly concrete park would not have been possible. As of today, it can be done. Hart Plaza is best known to electronic music fans as the site of the DEMF/Movement/Fuse electronic music festival. Hart Plaza features the Dodge Fountain monument, so it could be created as a dual park/landmark. The park Hart Plaza is best understood from an aerial view, and the best way to get the general shape (for all buildings, really) is through Google Maps. The address to search is 1 Hart Plz, Detroit, MI 48226. The satellite image of the park comes up well . . . the Dodge Fountain is the tiny cylinder in the middle of the large concrete area. Towards the street, to the n/w, is the subterranean bowl is located, which is the main stage for the music festival. The plaza itself is somewhat of a river walk, too. The shape of the park is irregular, but anyone who would do this park could get away with squaring the shape. Hart Plaza would be a fantastic seaside park/landmark for any city with canals/rivers. Links to photos in the park: http://pubnix.org/~mikeyd/pics/demf2000/detroitart001.JPG (<-- dodge fountain) + http://www.thed.us/hartplaza.htm (various photos) + (
(<--subterranean stage area, the bowl) +
(<-- closeup aerial of plaza on a parade day)
5. Cobo Center ( link: http://www.cobocenter.com/ ) - this complex was host to a number of Super Bowl 40 festivities. from L-R, Cobo, Hart Plaza, and the GM Ren Cen rest along the river. The link has an interactive floor plan for the Cobo.
6. Campus Martius Park ( link: http://www.campusmartiuspark.org/ ) - the city has focused in recent years on this park as the 'signature landmark' of Detroit. In the winter, the park hosts ice skating.
Notes on construction of a SEMI/Ontario region . . .
Detroit is difficult to grid because it follows a street design similar to Washington, D.C.'s circular pattern. Woodward is the main city street, and it radiates from the river to the n/w . . . there are a few diagonal streets, but anyone looking to attempt Detroit won't be able to do the circular streets near the epicenter (Woodward, Jefferson, and the river). North of the city, starting at it's city limit, the suburbs of Detroit follow an easier pattern. Numerous e/w streets are named 8 mile/baseline (city limit boulevard), 9 mile, 10, mile, and so on into the 30s, progressive from Detroit's city limit northward. The city of Detroit almost goes hand-in-hand with the city of Windsor in Ontario. The cities are connected by the Ambassador Bridge and the Windsor tunnel. The city of Detroit is generally considered as an urban renewal state, given the vast amount of western Detroit remaining in early-20th Century decay. That land is mostly turn of the 20th, and it's littered with older houses and crumbling industrial. The western side of Detroit and the suburbs are generally unremarkable and easily left open for creative urban planners. The city itself does not have a reliable mass transit, either, so there is plenty of room for improvement. The general reason, in my opinion, for lack of mass transit in a metro area which holds over 3 million people . . . the city flourished under the automotive companies, so the lack of mass transit served to keep the automobile as a necessity to move around the area. In this age, the auto companies do not have the clout they once enjoyed, so the scenario is wide open for creative minds.
I hope some of this information may be helpful to those who are interested.
