Five Windows

Five down, hundreds to go. Rehabilitation should be complete by the middle of the 22nd century.

Five down, hundreds to go. Rehabilitation should be complete by the middle of the 22nd century.

DPD Crime Lab

The infamous Detroit Police Department Crime Lab inside the former Stephen Foster School in Brush Park.

Beaubien Party Store

 July, 2004

November, 2012

This is what the building looked like in 1976, and just after its collapse in 2012.

Nouveau Ruins?

A certain never completed Brush Park development was found exposed to the elements last month.  Construction began in 2007, but the site sits abandoned today having never been occupied.  How long will it be before it is reclaimed by nature?

Just Another Hole in the Ground

245 Edmund Place never really stood a chance.

 April, 2005

November, 2012

HQ

The process of converting the old IRS building/MGM Grand temporary casino into the new public safety headquarters is well underway.

Whole Foods - Midtown

Opening Spring, 2013

Cobo Phase III

Corktown Development

Unable to find a suitable location in Midtown, the Two James Spirits Company has settled on a location on Michigan Avenue in the shadow of the Michigan Central Station.  Owners Peter Bailey and David Landrum will convert a former taxi garage into a distillery and tasting room for their gin, whiskey and bourbon.

When Two James Spirits opens in early 2013, it will be the first licensed distillery in Detroit since prohibition.

Next Door Neighbors

As Buffalo Wild Wings readies for its grand opening, it was revealed today that a Bagger Dave's Legendary Burgers franchise will be moving in next door.  T. Michael Ansley, president and CEO of Diversified Restaurant Holdings has announced that the company has signed a long-term lease for the restaurant to occupy the building that once housed Shaw's Grooming Center on Randolph Street.

Diversified Restaurant Holdings operates several Buffalo Wild Wings franchises in Michigan and it is the owner, operator, and franchisor of the Bagger Dave's chain.

Almost Done

Detroit's first Buffalo Wild Wings didn't meet its goal of opening in time for the Thanksgiving Day parade, but it's getting closer.

Temple of Odd Fellows

The Price of Progress

Soon after Wayne State University announced that it was converting New Center's Dalglesish Cadillac building into a $93 million biotech research center, the conversation quickly turned to what would be lost amidst the university's largest construction project ever undertaken.

Albert Kahn's 127,000 square foot building, which was built for Walter J. Bemb Buick-Pontiac in 1927, will receive an extensive rehabilitation and a 75,000 square foot addition.

Unfortunately, another Kahn built structure at the site will meet the wrecking ball.  Kahn's 1908 American Electrical Heater Building will be demolished this summer to make way for a parking lot at the development.

The building was renamed American Beauty Electric Irons after the the company's popular product line.  The firm was world renowned for its toasters, irons, curling irons and room heaters.  At one point the company was the largest manufacturer of small electrical appliances in the world.

An online petition has been started in hopes of preventing the demolition.

Work Continues on the New Cobo Center

Replaced

The missing bronze plaque dedicating the "Gateway to Freedom" sculpture in Hart Plaza has been repaired and re-installed.  The plaque was removed by the Detroit Recreation Department after it was damaged by scrappers trying to steal it in 2010.  It had been replaced with a construction barrel until recently.

Rivertown Loses Another

The once proud and thriving Rivertown district has suffered another loss. The Troester Building was built in 1911.  It was located at the corner of Riopelle and Franklin. It was the home of the Rhinoceros Club.

October, 2003

April, 2012

April, 2012

Dan Gilbert's Next Purchase ... Apartments.

Dan Gilbert's next purchase ... apartments | Crain's Detroit Business

All That's Left

The former site of Ford Auditorium.

Jeffries East Becomes Cornerstone Estates

The low-rise Jefferies East housing project was torn down in 2008.  Work proceeds on the site today as it continues its transformation into Cornerstone Estates, a 180-unit mixed-income affordable housing rental development.

Detroit, a Series of Tubes

You may be familiar with the shiny tubes that traverse Jefferson and Randolph avenues.  You may have even used one of the tubes that link the JLA garage to Joe Louis Arena and Cobo Center. There's even one that links the St. Regis Hotel in Detroit's New Center to Cadillac Place. Yes, Detroit seems to have its fill of human habitrails, but the city is about to get one more.

The Greektown Casino already has one skywalk linking it to a garage, but one just isn't enough.  It seems that the casino's valet service isn't fast enough.  The casino, which didn't have enough money to build out the performance space it was required to when its original license was granted, is going to build a valet parking garage behind Monroe Street. The reason?  The casino wants to cut the time gamblers have to wait to flee the city from 20-30 minutes down to 5-7 minutes.

This reduction in vehicle retrieval time does not, however, come without a cost.  In order to facilitate a speedy escape, Greektown plans to demolish a building containing one of the oldest restaurants in the city.  The Laikon Café was established in the 1920's and the current owners held a 10 year lease on the building.  However, a dispute over that lease forced the restaurant to close, allowing the casino to purchase the vacated property.  In the building's place, the casino will build yet another skywalk across Monroe linking the casino to the new garage.

One of the main selling points for allowing to casino to remain at its temporary location was that it would be integrated with the neighborhood, building synergy.  Instead, with this latest skywalk, Greektown will become a little less greek and foot traffic will be further reduce as customers, along with their winnings, are "tubed" from the casino to their vehicles without ever having set foot upon a city street.

At least the crater that used to be New-Hellas Restaurant has finally been filled it.  Unfortunately, this was only done to create a staging area for the new construction.