50 Monroe to get de-skinned?

[ironyisadeadscene]

55 minutes ago, GRDadof3 said:

I was right by there at lunch today too. They're just dropping the panels to the ground. Scares the beetlejuice out of you. 

I got pictures today at lunch today. It's on my snapchat story  

[joeDowntown]

10 minutes ago, ironyisadeadscene said:

I got pictures today at lunch today. It's on my snapchat story  

People are probably wondering while all of these dorks are taking pictures.  they're moving pretty quickly. I think they'll have the east and west side down in the next week or so. Wonder if they'll stop dropping panels to the ground once artprize starts.

joe

[GRDadof3]

1 hour ago, joeDowntown said:

People are probably wondering while all of these dorks are taking pictures.  they're moving pretty quickly. I think they'll have the east and west side down in the next week or so. Wonder if they'll stop dropping panels to the ground once artprize starts.

joe

That will be the AP entry: dropping them to create music. They'll then videotape it and show it at UICA and no one will get it.

[RustTown]

What a cool project.  Reminds me of the de-skinning of the old Arbaugh Department Store here in Lansing when they turned it into loft apartments, which I had no idea was a historic building. lol

Anyway, kind of random question, but when the buildings are disconnected, what's the address for the Ottawa portion going to be?  I imagine it had it's own address before being joined with the Monroe portion.

[GRDadof3]

18 minutes ago, Lmichigan said:

What a cool project.  Reminds me of the de-skinning of the old Arbaugh Department Store here in Lansing when they turned it into loft apartments, which I had no idea was a historic building. lol

Anyway, kind of random question, but when the buildings are disconnected, what's the address for the Ottawa portion going to be?  I imagine it had it's own address before being joined with the Monroe portion.

The West building will retain the 50 Monroe address. The East building will have a new address. 

And who says The BOB isn't gearing up for ArtPrize! I miss steampigs and fire breathing dragons.

 

 

 

 

[The ATX]

"Art" is a highly subjective  concept.  I'm having a tough time picking my favorite out of that bunch.

[RustTown]

1 hour ago, GRDadof3 said:

The West building will retain the 50 Monroe address. The East building will have a new address.

Well, yes, this is what I was saying.  I asked if anyone knows what the Ottawa building's address will be possibly basing it off whatever it might have been in the past.

[walker]

2 hours ago, Lmichigan said:

Well, yes, this is what I was saying.  I asked if anyone knows what the Ottawa building's address will be possibly basing it off whatever it might have been in the past.

On the Ottawa side it was the Helmer Building, 21 Ottawa NW.  

[RustTown]

2 hours ago, walker said:

On the Ottawa side it was the Helmer Building, 21 Ottawa NW.  

Thanks! 

EDIT: Did a bit more research of some older pictures and it seems the Helmer Building was the north building at 21 Ottawa NW, and that the building immediately to the south was the Dwight Bros. Paper Company, or at least they were a tenant.  Though, I'm not sure if they were constructed concurrently.

I can also vaguely make out a name at the back of the 50 Monroe NW that reads "Powers Tyson Printing Company," maybe?  Not sure when this one was constructed, either.

An article speaks of "the three buildings" and "dating between 1890 and 1911" but doesn't specify which dates belong to which buildings.

[joeDowntown]

Good story from WOOD TV on 50 Monroe. Looks like they're uncovering some pretty cool old signage. Love Sam Cummings passion for this project. Also love his quote about tearing it down for a parking lot.

http://woodtv.com/2017/09/13/downtown-gr-development-makes-old-new-again/

Joe

[mpchicago]

I vote for keeping the painted "ghost" signs on the south side of building.

Edited September 14, 2017 by mpchicago

[GR8scott]

love this project, I really hope they dont just throw up a ramp at the corner of Monroe and Lois, its really the only remaining  open spot thats just prime for an iconic tower!

[mpchicago]

2 hours ago, GR8scott said:

love this project, I really hope they dont just throw up a ramp at the corner of Monroe and Lois, its really the only remaining  open spot thats just prime for an iconic tower!

I really can't see that happening.  CWD originally wanted to put an "iconic" hotel on that corner designed by wHY Architects - same as GRAM.   No way they will build a ramp.

Edited September 14, 2017 by mpchicago

[GRDadof3]

5 hours ago, mpchicago said:

I vote for keeping the painted "ghost" signs on the south side of building.

Which "ghost" signs? 

[joeDowntown]

19 minutes ago, GRDadof3 said:

Which "ghost" signs? 

Looks like the southeast side of the building has a few, as well as the northeast side:  Chic  School of Cosmetology, Hughes Engraving,  an offset printing company, a wholesale company. I love old signs. I would love it if they kept them (you can see the signs in the WOOD TV video).

Joe

[joeDowntown]

Here's a few pics of the east facades, as well as the "ghost signs". 

 

[joeDowntown]

Noticed they've removed a portion of the facade where the smoke stack took out a substantial chunk of the building during the first rehab. In the WOOD-TV sorry, Sam cummings mentioned leaving some of the scars as it's pet of the history. Wonder if that'll be the case on the sour side of the building. I actually think it would be cool, but tastes vary.

 

[JimInGR]

I'm I the only one that is getting more angry with every little bit they take off? The more I see, the more I think wtf were they thinking covering up such beautiful architecture, especially the building that has the stonework.
On another note, I wonder if they'll be able to put new brick where the cinder blocks are that'll blend into the old building.

[joeDowntown]

4 hours ago, JimInGR said:

I'm I the only one that is getting more angry with every little bit they take off? The more I see, the more I think wtf were they thinking covering up such beautiful architecture, especially the building that has the stonework.
On another note, I wonder if they'll be able to put new brick where the cinder blocks are that'll blend into the old building.

I’m quite the opposite. While I do wonder “what were they thinking?!”, I’m just glad the buildings are still there, mostly intact, with a developer willing to restore it. 

Joe

[Allison Slater]

Better covered up than torn down, especially considering the era it happened.

[GRDadof3]

9 hours ago, tSlater said:

Better covered up than torn down, especially considering the era it happened.

Exactly what I've been thinking. Covering up all of these buildings downtown may have saved them from the wrecking ball. 

After the second World War and the expansion in the 50's and 60's, people wanted to have nothing to do with our European heritage/past or even European architecture. It was the space age and we were never going back to old and tired. The building owners who covered up a lot of downtown building with metal siding probably were visionaries who thought "these buildings will probably be back in style again someday."  And it was a lot cheaper than tearing down and building new. 

[x99]

1 hour ago, GRDadof3 said:

Exactly what I've been thinking. Covering up all of these buildings downtown may have saved them from the wrecking ball. 

After the second World War and the expansion in the 50's and 60's, people wanted to have nothing to do with our European heritage/past or even European architecture. It was the space age and we were never going back to old and tired. The building owners who covered up a lot of downtown building with metal siding probably were visionaries who thought "these buildings will probably be back in style again someday."  And it was a lot cheaper than tearing down and building new. 

There's a certain irony in the excitement that this big "reveal" of this building is generating, in light of the new construction currently going up that looks even worse than the facade that was smeared over these buildings.   It's almost like someone is building a brand new ornate, classically styled building and PEOPLE LOVE IT.  Perhaps a few architects could draw a lesson from this.  For that matter, even HPC ought to take a lesson from this.  

[GRDadof3]

They're really working away on the South side of the West building and it looks like someone spray painted names on the brick walls, either recently or before the panels went on. 

[joeDowntown]

3 hours ago, GRDadof3 said:

They're really working away on the South side of the West building and it looks like someone spray painted names on the brick walls, either recently or before the panels went on. 

Noticed that as well. Also amazing to see how much damage was done in the eighties when the smokestack fell and collapse part of the building. Really interested to see how they’ll deal with it when renovating. 

Joe

[Quercus]

Someone posted this on Reddit: