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Demolition Spree

Allan

By Allan
in Detroit

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Allan Metropolis

Allan

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Detroit seems to have been a little demolition happy lately. I don't know...maybe it's just me...or maybe the city is trying to turn all decaying structures into grassy fields for the big game.

First the Madison-Lenox

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Earlier this year we lost the Detroit Screw Works

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Then the Statler

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Now we've lost the Soup Kitchen....

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...And The Spot [i have to wonder where the 30+ homeless people who lived inside the building went to]....

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...And Spacely Sprokets & BC's

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This weekend I drove down Trumbull in Woodbridge, only to discover that this apartment building, which I had been told was to be renovated, was half demolished.

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I have to wonder...what is next?

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Michi Burg

Michi

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^lol STOP! ;)

Seriously, when you have a mayor rolling around the city like some sort of atomic science experiment illegally destroying historic heritage structures, you have to wonder.

I had no idea the Soup Kitchen Building was demolished. And for what? Hmm, a parking lot? I wonder if the Trumbull Building suffered fire damage of some sort.

I was looking out my window this morning before leaving for the library, staring at the distant, vacant Lee Plaza. I couldn't help but wonder how much longer it is going to stand without a blaze obliterating the entire structure. Last winter, I was able to witness numerous abandoned building fires on the east side of the city.

I'll be Kwame:

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Allan Metropolis

Allan

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I always thought the master plan was to bulldoze all of downtown for a surface parking lot that would service the world's largest Walmart store, which will be constructed in 2009 where Tiger Stadium is now. :lol:

I don't doubt that Lee Plaza won't make it much longer. The building deteriorates more and more with each passing day, and I have heard nothing that came from the RFPs that the city issued in April. It is a shame too, because it is a truly unique building with some of the most amazing views of the city.

'tis the season for abandoned building fires. Bums always try to stay warm by lighting fires. Quite frankly, I don't blame them, but lighting a fire on the floor of a wood-framed structure isn't a very smart idea.

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wolverine Town

wolverine

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Lee Plaza is a concrete and steel structure. I have no idea how it could burn with all that watersoaked plaster everywhere. Such a shame my favorite spot to take pictures of the city has the potential to dissapear. It's an architectural beauty as well.

I plan to go through there with a massive group of people to take pics in Lee Plaza. It appears no building owners in this city give a crap if 200 people walk into their buildings as long as they don't break anything. Yeah, I'm talking to you Michigan Central Station! Most of Detroit's abandoned buildings are quickly becoming tourist attractiioins. When was the last time I ever explored an abandoned building without meeting a group of other explorers??

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RustTown City

RustTown

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Actually, this may be going against popular opinion, but while there may have been a short burst recently (past few one or two years) of demolitions, most of the demolition of the city happened long ago. There just isn't that much to bulldoze, anymore. If the same preservationist groups in the city today were around in the 60's and 70's, they would have gone crazy at the amount of demolition that was taking place. Now, we have a few prominent structures here and there being torn down, but nowhere near the same amount during the times of urban renewal.

Now, with all of that said, I would definitely agree that the demolitions taking place these days are MUCH less worthwhile for the simple fact that most of what is being torn down today is not being replaced by much of anything.

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Allan Metropolis

Allan

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I plan to go through there with a massive group of people to take pics in Lee Plaza. It appears no building owners in this city give a crap if 200 people walk into their buildings as long as they don't break anything. Yeah, I'm talking to you Michigan Central Station! Most of Detroit's abandoned buildings are quickly becoming tourist attractiioins. When was the last time I ever explored an abandoned building without meeting a group of other explorers??
I still need to go through the apartments on 11-17. There isn't much in most of them, but in some you find some really crazy things. Personally I get really caught up in the lives of the people who lived there. The community was very tight knit. They all sent Christmas cards to each other and whatnot.

The train station, while not owned by the city, is a total joke. I love taking massive groups there. It is a tourist attraction. If Matty would charge like $15 he could make a ton of money.

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Michi Burg

Michi

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I still have to go in there with you guys sometime.

I found a little tea server thingy on ebay from the Lee Plaza. I bought it from a lady in Florida, and it was only like $2! :)

On the bottom, it says something like, "Made exclusively for the Lee Plaza, Detroit, MI".

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Michi Burg

Michi

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Yah, the Chatsworth made me cry, but I can accept the demo of the Park Shelton Garage. I parked my car in there for 1 year when I lived there, and it was a VERY tight squeeze. Most of the time, a parker had to leave their keys with the attendant because your car was forced to be parked in by others' cars. Anyway, hopefully now, that garage will be able to serve the neighborhood around it and not just the PS. ie, The Inn on Ferry Street, WSU, etc...

The Chatsworth has been replaced with...a volleyball court. UGG!

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hunchentoot Crossroads

hunchentoot

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The garage was historically interesting, but it was not a senseless demolition and the garage going up isn't super-ugly, although it appears to have slanty exterior walls, which always puts me off.

But WHY tear down Chatsworth Annex? So people in Ugli Towers can walk directly to the UGL? I? I sure am glad there is some freshly layed sod and a sandy area with nobody playing volleyball on it now. This whole thing must have been planned by the same designer who prints things on the ass of sweatpants.

There doesn't appear to be anything wrong with the psychology building, which is about to get all smashed up. Does anyone know the actual plans on what is coming down on Warren between Cass and Woodward and what is going up?

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Allan Metropolis

Allan

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Probably, although at a dinner function not too long ago Kilpatrick said that he'd like to see the Fine Arts renovated. Haha, yeah right! I'd like to see them pull that one off. The best they could do is save the facade and build an entirely new building.

Atanas Ilitch had proposed putting a Jazz club in the Fine Arts back in the early 1990s. We got Hockeytown instead.

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detroitfan Whistle-Stop

detroitfan

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I had no idea the Soup Kitchen Building was demolished. And for what? Hmm, a parking lot?
The demolitions are part of the city's RFP of it's East Riverfront parcels the land for the most part will be completely cleared.

The one expection seems is this building, anyone have a shot of it?

While the majority of buildings and above-grade improvements will be removed from this parcel starting in October 2005, interested bidders are encouraged to explore the potential for adaptive reuse for the building located at 1500 Woodbridge. This building appears to have potential for adaptive reuse and its retention would provide a touchstone to the District
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