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Donovan Building to be Demolished


Allan

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In a move of classic Detroit stupidity, the public lighting department decided that today would be an excellent day to replace the light pole on the I-75 service drive in front of the Donovan Building with one of those new fancy poles. In talking to a worker on the demo site, I learned that the Donovan will be demolished either late tonight or starting first thing in the morning. Who wants to bet that the brand new light pole will get destroyed when the Donovan starts to fall?

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LMAO, very clever hudkina.

I have a question. How many of you are in favor of not having a Motown Museum in this location. I think it would be a killer of downtown density. I'm envisioning a 2 (3 at most) lowrise with a lot of motown imagery plastered all over the building. I'm picturing something like Hockeytown except worse. I don't know, it doesn't look pretty in my mind.

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Michi and I watched the back half of the Donovan come crashing down just about 50 minutes ago. Fortunately the wind was blowing the other way...otherwise we would've gotten overwhelmed by the dust. They will make quick work of the front half tomorrow.

I've also come to the conclusion that I need a life. I spent my entire afternoon standing in one spot. One person I know would leave, and then another would show up and start talking to me!

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Sons of Bitc....

I can just see Kwame on the phone with the California owner...

Yeah, we have this thing called the Super Bowl coming up, and your ugly-@ss building needs to come down. Can you help us out, here?

And of course, the California owner, who probably has very little stake in Detroit (and who's probably never even seen the building in person) says:

Which one is that one again?

lol, I'm livid.

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I propose that we put a suburban-style shopping complex there and call it "Motown Plaza". :sick:

That's it...out with the skyscapers and in with the shopping mall. Maybe even another Mall of America accompanied by a few hundred acres of parking. :lol:

Well at least Model-T Plaza is only in front of the Model-T Plant and the building is still there :(

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Since they started whacking at the Donovan at 5:00am this morning, I missed the first part of the action. When I arrived, the building looked like this.

IMG_7551.jpg

IMG_7509.jpg

Papers flew everywhere as the wrecking ball hit the building. Motorists on I-75 probably wondered why all these papers were floating down into the trench. Haha.

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As night drew closer, they were finishing up weakening the bottom supports.

IMG_7630.jpg

A few minutes before 6:00pm, they delt the final blow to the back portion of the building, causing the entire 10-story half to fall down at once.

IMG_7646.jpg

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Michi and I watched the back half of the Donovan come crashing down just about 50 minutes ago. Fortunately the wind was blowing the other way...otherwise we would've gotten overwhelmed by the dust. They will make quick work of the front half tomorrow.

I've also come to the conclusion that I need a life. I spent my entire afternoon standing in one spot. One person I know would leave, and then another would show up and start talking to me!

I would have done the same thing ;) you're going back tomorrow right to watch and record the rest?

Also i was wondering, does anyone know why on earth they put old tires on the backs of the crane boom when it's a wreckingball?

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I would have done the same thing ;) you're going back tomorrow right to watch and record the rest?

Also i was wondering, does anyone know why on earth they put old tires on the backs of the crane boom when it's a wreckingball?

Will be going back for a bit today. The tires keep the cable from rubbing against the metal, which would cause it to break
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I'm glad I ran in to you yesterday evening, Allan. I wouldn't have stayed to watch the "big collapse" that we witnessed. It was so sad to see all the people who care standing around watching as our city was being ruined. There was a moment when I hoped that the building would go crashing down on I-75 or collapsing the Woodward Avenue overpass...of course w/o hurting anyone.

It's really an emotional drain when you have such an attachment for the assets this city still has yet are severely threatened. To restate, this didn't have to happen, yet it did. The focus of priorities makes me feel like my vision (which I believe is a right one) is not what this city has an interest in, but rather a few parking spaces for people who it doesn't know, who've never been here, and will probably never come here again. Then there's me (and all you)...I'm trying to give a lot...if not, my all. :(

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