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.

Eaton Beacon

Originally named Eaton Tower, the David Broderick Tower was fully lit for the World Series.

Garden Theater Revival

C. Howard Crane's 1912 Garden Theater on Woodward is receiving a $12.3 million dollar makeover. It is being renovated into a performance space with a capacity for 1,300 people. This is the third phase of the Woodward Garden Block redevelopment.

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.

Hot Taco Detroit!

Please welcome the latest addition to Park Avenue, a Taqueria. Hot Taco is located in the Iodent building next to Centaur.

Spring Cleaning

A freshly scrubbed David Broderick Tower

Comerica Park Scoreboard Exposed

The scoreboard at Comerica Park made news last week as the Detroit Tigers released an artist's rendering and specs for the rehabbed board, along with other improvements being made at the park this off-season

Buffalo Wild Wings Set to Fly into Detroit

Diversified Restaurant Holdings of Southfield have announced that they will be bringing a Buffalo Wild Wings franchise to downtown Detroit. The 12,000-square-foot restaurant will occupy three floors of the Temple of Odd Fellows Building at the corner of Randolph and Monroe. The building was built in 1874. Reconstruction will begin in April for a projected November opening.

You may recall that the City tried to have the building demolished in 2008 after high winds caused the back of the building to collapse in April of that year. The City later relented.

The Slow March to Rehab

There seems to have been a lot of interest in the M@dison building after the open house last week. I've decide to go back to my archive and post some never before released photos of rehabilitation.

WXYZ Tours the David Whitney Building, Discusses Aloft Boutique Hotel

Miracles Really Can Happen

Work is really picking up on the Broderick Tower.

Baby Steps?

It looks like the last vacant building on 100 block Watson street in Brush Park will be saved.  The Devon building, built in 1905, is slated to be converted into four 1,300 square feet condos.  With the rehabilitation of the concrete building, the restoration of this particular block will be complete.  That's not to say that it couldn't use a few more buildings for infill.  The art deco facade will be saved, but the rear of the building will be demolished and rebuilt with floor to ceiling windows.  This will also make room for new garages to be build along the alley.

Construction is set to begin in the first quarter of 2011.  However, work will not begin until all four units are sold.  The expected price per unit will be $220,000.

Spaulding Court Revival

You may remember last fall that Faded Detroit pointed out the clean-up work going on at the neglected Spaulding Court apartment complex in Corktown. In August crews began doing renovation work at the site. They plan on rehabilitating two apartments at a time.

Park Avenue

Today's post is a quick re-hash of the revitilization of Park Avenue.

Cliff Bell's

The Park Bar and Bucharest Grill opened towards the end of 2006.

Gutted

Built in 1919, this historic Albert Kahn designed print shop in Midtown has been gutted in preparation for a conversion into a retail/medical complex with indoor parking in the rear.