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Twelve Weston (Formerly known as 35 and 41 S Division)

ModSquad

By ModSquad
in Grand Rapids

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localtalent Hamlet

localtalent

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From what I've seen, it's going to uncover some pretty cool old signage. I could make out some lettering (still pretty vibrant in color) when I walked by on Monday. I love these little hidden gems from the past.

 

Joe

 

Battle Ax Chewing tobacco and something about 'combination heaters'.

 

Really cool looking....

Edited by localtalent
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GRDadof3
GRDadof3

It's coming...12 stories...

wingbert
wingbert

Apparently this was the design spec provided to the architect/designer.  

GRDadof3
GRDadof3

I say we petition to have the hole brought back. At least with that painted wall ad it had character.  When I was growing up I went to an Elementary School that was built in the 60's. Then the la

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x99 Burg

x99

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Battle Ax Chewing tobacco and something about 'combination heaters'.

 

Really cool looking....

 

Yup.  These probably now take the position of the best-preserved (visible) early building advertising in GR.  Not quite as interesting in terms of local history as the sign that was uncovered when the old parking ramp came down on Fulton and Division, but still pretty neat.  A combination heater was a device that typically made hot air heat along with steam heat or hot water.  Battle Ax was a huge brand of chewing tobacco in the 1890s.  Lots of goofy old ads for the brand out there.

 

I miss the old buildings already.   :(

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GRDadof3 Ecumenopolis

GRDadof3

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So my question is, via the process of demolition, was it obvious or confirmed that structurally these buildings were as bad off as it appeared from the leaning facades?

 

The problem wasn't really the structures themselves, the problem was the bad soils underneath. The foundations were sinking, per the city engineer. It's pretty hard to tell a foundation is sinking once you have all of the structure torn up.

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joeDowntown Metropolis

joeDowntown

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I know they spent a few days doing internal demolition. I'm sure anything salvageable will either show up at Pitsche's store, or they sold it to architectural antique stores.

 

Joe

 

Does anyone know if the materials torn down from these building is kept?  Are any of them available for purchase?  I have to imagine there are some pretty cool fixtures and pieces of antique hardware from there.  I'd love to take a look at them.

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organsnyder Hamlet

organsnyder

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Does anyone know if the materials torn down from these building is kept?  Are any of them available for purchase?  I have to imagine there are some pretty cool fixtures and pieces of antique hardware from there.  I'd love to take a look at them.

 

Have you been to the Pitsch salvage store? It's always hit-and-miss (depending on what they've torn down recently), but they usually have some interesting antiques. When I was there last, they had large pieces of the old Ottawa Hills building.

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GRDadof3 Ecumenopolis

GRDadof3

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I did actually see the "McCurren" sign, probably made of granite (?) basically free standing with brick just under it, but the crane just knocked it over into the pile building up on the roof. I was surprised no one was looking to save it. Maybe they did?

 

 

post-2672-0-95217600-1411825584_thumb.jp

 

 

This is interesting, it appears that SIBSCO (Secchia family of developers) has their eyes on the property, and plans to build an undetermined sized office building. About the only way I see them preserving the wall sign is by doing glass walls on that side of the building where you can see the signs from inside the office building. Not visible to the public probably.

 

http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2014/09/sibsco.html#cmpid=nsltr_strybutton

 

Or they could do a courtyard on that end of the building to expose the sign, much like Vern Barry Place did with the wall murals.

 

An office building in that spot would probably make 15 Ionia more desirable? Maybe?

 

With a 13,000 sf-ish footprint, it could make for a pretty sizable office building.

 

post-2672-0-77593700-1411826266_thumb.jp

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