Detroit to lead tour of Lafayette Building

[Allan]

Detroit to lead tour of Lafayette Building

Developers needed for site's renovation

October 6, 2004

BY JOHN GALLAGHER

FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER

The City of Detroit hopes to interest developers in renovating the Lafayette Building, a prime example of downtown's once-proud but long-abandoned office structures.

City development officials will lead interested developers on a tour of the building at 9 a.m. Monday. Interested developers can call Peter Zeiler, a business development representative with the Detroit Economic Growth Corp., at 313-237-4632 during business hours for more information.

The building is at 132 W. Lafayette near downtown's federal courthouse and a block west of the new Compuware Corp. headquarters. It is near a variety of other downtown attractions, including the Hard Rock Caf

[Mojo]

How many developers are already interested

[Allan]

I don't know. I thought it was odd that this was printed in the paper, since it is directed directly at developers.

The building seems to be in good conditions as far as vacant buildings go, so hopefully that will help. This one needs to get redeveloped. There are so many vacant buildings right there...the Free Press, the Lafayette, People's Department store, and the Book-Cadillac. If the Lafayette gets redeveloped, hopefully that will lead to developments in these other vacant buildings.