Behind the Facade

Ilitch holdings, Inc requested permission from the Detroit Historic Commission on March 29th to demolish most of the Fine Arts Building on West Adams. This request does not include the demolition of the Adams Theater located behind the building. Their plan is to preserve the facade of the 102 year old Fine Arts Building, while constructing a brand new building behind the structure.

I have heard that permission has been granted but this has yet to be reported in the media.

Detroit Elevator Company Building To Be Converted Into Lofts

RDR Real Estate has purchased the Detroit Elevator Company Building on Franklin St. in Rivertown. They plan to convert the 25,000 square ft. building into 23 condo units averaging 1,000 in size to sell for a price of about $235 per sq. ft.. This continues the trend to convert Rivertown into a mixed use district with an emphasis on residetial units with several other condo projects having been previously announced.

Renovation is slated to begin this summer with the goal of a summer 2008 move in date.

A website has been recently launched for this project elevatorbuilding.com.

Parking! Parking!

Olympia Development has received a $104,500 state grant demolish the dilapidated Vermont Hotel at 138 W. Columbia. The vacant building is in an area behind the Fox Theater that has been long rumored to be the planed location of a new hockey arena for the Detroit Red Wings. Olympia plans to tear down the building within weeks, but the only immediate use for the property will be as additional parking.

Hip City Living

Hip City Living has recently updated their web page. It gives a first look at their plans for Brush Park Village North. The ground breaking is set for April 16th.

Model D TV Covers Edmund Place Condos

History vs Parking, Parking Wins

The Detroit Commerce Building is a sliver of its former self.

Demolition of The Detroit Commerce Building is wrapping up. The site of the 81 year old Chicago School style building will be used for a 528 space parking garage for the restored Westin Book-Cadillac Hotel and Residences.

The Detroit Downtown Development Authority has agreed to sell the "Air Rights" for the garage to a local firm that wants to build 80 condos on top of the structure. There has been no word on street level retail being included in
this plan.

Crusin' The Original Woodward Avenue

Woodward Avenue, which just celebrated its 200th birthday, has been getting a lot of attention over the past decade or so. With the corporate co-opting of the Woodward Dream Cruise, summer cruising has become almost unbearable. But how did this traditional rite of summer become the monster money grabbing enterprise that it is today? Arcadia Publishing's Crusin' The Original Woodward Avenue delves into the history of Woodward Avenue and the auto industry that developed along side of it.
This book is another installment in the Images of America Series so the emphasis is on the images rather than giving a detailed history. It is still an interesting read. The early chapters are devoted to the development of this National historic By-way. It reaches back to the original Woodward Plan and moves forward to parallel to rise of the automotive industry along Detroit's main street. The core of Crusin' recounts the cruising experience in Detroit further establishing the link between the Big Three and Woodward Avenue. It includes a range of cruising anecdotes. One teenager had her odometer disconnected to avoid her father's detection of her cruising tendencies, while others received under the table parts and support from engineers. One of the highlights of the book are the pages devoted to cruising destinations. It gives a taste of the drive-in restaurants of yesterday including historic photos and menus from these long gone establishments.

As the auto industry declined in the 70's with the energy crisis so did cruising. Attitude towards cruisers had also changed. Many establishment no longer allowed cruisers to gather in their parking lots without purchasing food. Some forbade anyone eating outside at all. Fortunately, this was not the end of Crusin ' Woodward. The Woodward Dream Cruise was originally launched in 1995 as a fund raiser for a youth soccer field. 250,000 people attended that day. It now attracts over 1.5 million people annually from around the world. Unfortunately, cruising Woodard in July and August has become a corporate affair.
Crusin' The Original Woodward Avenue is the perfect way to celebrate the 200th birthday of Woodward Avenue. The book is packed with historic photos of Woodward Avenue, the Detroit auto industry, and the cars that made it all possible. If you have an interest in the history of crusing in Detroit, you'll definitely want to check this book out.




Photos reprinted with permission from Crusin' The Original Woodward Avenue, by Anthony Ambrogio, Sharon Luckerman. Available from the publisher online at www.arcadiapublishing.com or by calling (888) 313-2665.

David Broderick Tower

David BroderickTower, originally uploaded by A Dubs.

The View From Compuware

The View From Compuware, originally uploaded by A Dubs.

Greektown Rising

The Greektown parking garage/hotel is finally getting off the ground.

The Stinky Rose

The Stinky Rose Resturant & Martini Bar was torched this past Friday. It was still quite Stinky this afternoon. The building was originally home to the Woodbridge Tavern which held the first alcohol license in Michigan post-prohibition. It re-opened as the Stinky Rose in 2005.

Crystal Lofts

The Crystal Ballroom was gutted this winter in preparation for its conversion to lofts and retail space. Phase one the Crystal Lofts project will include 17 lofts ranging from 950-2,200 square feet and 14,000 square feet of first floor retail space plus indoor parking.

Historical photo from Virtual Motorcity

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.

Dark Skies

Dark Skies, originally uploaded by A Dubs.

The Detroit Commerce Building (Center) is halfway through its demolition.

Home Improvement *Updated*

Here's a look at a couple of completed restorations in Brush Park.

This House is located on Winder

This is 255 Winder and an address to be named later.

Above is Edmund Place at Brush Park. 291 Edmund Place was built in the French Second Empire style for Frederick Butler in 1882. It has been converted into 4 condo units.

Monroe Ave

Monroe Ave, originally uploaded by A Dubs.

The Griswold

The Roxbury Group unveiled this Kraemer Design Group rendering of the parking garage/condo development that is replacing the Detroit Commerce Building. If this rendering is anything close to the final product, it will definitely mitigate the loss of the Commerce Building.

David Broderick Tower

David Broderick Tower, originally uploaded by A Dubs.

Hip City Living!

The elements have taken their toll on this house on Erskine in Brush Park. This house is slated to become part of Brush Park Village North. Will it survive the experience?

TechTown Detroit

Model D TV has put together a piece on the future development of TechTown. It gives a glimpse at the proposed $1.3 billion, 43-acre, 12-square-block multiuse renewal project partnership with Wayne State University, Henry Ford Health System and General Motors Corp.

City of the Strait

City of the Strait, originally uploaded by A Dubs.

Detroit's Downtown Movie Palaces

Detroit's Downtown Movie Palaces is a walk back in time to the Golden Age of Cinema. Authors Michael Hauser and Marianne Weldon have done a wonderful job stitching together the history of movie going in Detroit. Using photos from local archives, as well as Hauser's personal collection, the book provides glimpses of the city's lost treasures as well as rare looks at the survivors of that by gone era.

The origins of Detroit's movie palaces can be linked directly to the city's original entertainment district centered upon Monroe Street. Hauser and Weldon highlight the recital halls, vaudeville houses and burlesque theaters that dominated that area before moving on to cover the establishment of Grand Circus entertainment district. They detail the jewels of the necklace district with chapters devoted to the Capitol, Michigan, Fox, United Artists, Wilson, and Gem Theaters. The book wraps up with a look at the lost theaters of Downtown Detroit.

Detroit's Downtown Movie Palaces provides a comprehensive photographic record of the dozens of theaters that existed downtown during the first half of the last century. The interior photos of these opulent theaters, both lost and restored, are the true treasures to be found within these pages. It is a tragedy that so many of these architectural gems have been lost or damaged beyond repair. For younger Detroiters who weren't a part of the theater-going experience during that fabulous era, Hauser and Weldon have given us wonderful a taste of what it must have been like.

This is another quality addition to Acradia Publishing's Images of America series. Without question, you should make it a part of your own personal reference library.

Photos reprinted with permission from Detroit's Downtown Movie Palaces, by Michael Hauser & Marianne Weldon. Available from the publisher online at www.arcadiapublishing.com or by calling (888) 313-2665.

Cobo Arena

Cobo Arena, originally uploaded by A Dubs.

Continental Motors

Continental Motors, originally uploaded by A Dubs.