Something big in the works for Cass-Temple-Masonic corridor? - Fox 2 News Headlines

"Temple has been kind of a skid row once you get on the other side of Park," said Vietnam veteran Dave Trevino.

He took a break from mowing to describe the bleak, depressing corridor between his VVA post and the Masonic Temple. If not being an easy shortcut from Woodward to the Lodge, daytime traffic, anyway, would be sparse.

"A lot of the buildings have been bought.  They're sitting there empty.  A lot of people just go in there and say if they don't have a place to stay at night, they'll stay in one of the buildings around here," Trevino explained.

Dan Reynolds also belongs to the VVA Detroit Chapter 9 Post.

"I was one of the original 50 members that signed the charter back in 1980.  So, this has been part of my life for a long time."

Now, according to a newspaper report, almost $40-million is coming to put a shine on the Masonic, and the word on the street is that kind of money isn't spent unless -- well, unless something bigger is in the works.

A source tells Fox 2 that in the Cass-Temple-Masonic corridor, Mr. Illitch only has to acquire about five or six more properties before he has a tract of land huge enough on which to build a stadium.

The veterans, who proudly decorate the wall of their post, certainly have been approached by unnamed parties.

"Yes we have been offered I think it was approximately $900,000 for the building," Reynolds said.

"We've actually had three or four offers, and we've been here 30 years. It's an up and down situation for us, so we want to take it and move on, but we need another location," Trevino said.

Then there are the neighboring businesses that could end up right next to something big.

"Obviously, we're very excited, said Paul Silveri with Atlas Bistro.  "We're locked in here for quite some time now."

Lunchtime diners shared his excitement.

"I think that'd be awesome," said Sherita Smith.  "We need as much development going on over here as we can get."

"Absolutely fantastic," said Patrick Lindsey.  "Midtown, Wayne State, DMC, Henry Ford and now you get more development coming toward the downtown corridor, fantastic."

No matter what ends up being built, perhaps even a light rail station, anything is better than what barely stands there now.