Statler Hotel Demolition Progress

[wolverine]

[SOSaD]

Any updates?

[Allan]

It still looks like this.

I was by there this morning exploring nearby abandoned building, so I wasn't really paying attention to the Statler. I was more concerned with not being seen.

[wolverine]

Nice day wasn't it? I was in Detroit around 7 this evening, but was just passing through wish I could have taken the time to get some pics. The buildings were lit by the sun really nice.

[Allan]

It was a nice day. Unfortunately I had to leave around 2:00. Oh well, I have to go back again tomorrow to explore a building I was targeting today, but didn't get the chance to go into because of some crazy 60 year old lady that was standing around bothering people who were passing by. Two hours later she was finally gone, but then I had to leave.

At least I had a nice lunch in Campus Martius this afternoon. The streets were buzzing with activity around lunchtime. They were finishing planting the trees on Woodward and Washington. There was construction all over the place. Como's was under construction in the old Tall-Ezz shoes just south of the Broderick, and they were working on the old coney island just north of X/S. The Opera House Garage is going up very quickly, and looks quite nice.

[rbdetsport]

and they were working on the old coney island just north of X/S.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I may sound stupid, sorry about the stupid question, but what does X/S mean? And what coney island was it, Lafayette?

[Allan]

Lafayette Coney Island?! That isn't anywhere near the Broderick, Como's, or X/S! I'm talking about the old A & M Coney Island on Woodward between John R & Witherell.

X/S is a club that is located in 1500 Woodward (the old Wright-Kay Building).

[Allan]

Some photos from today....

[SNWEB]

Priceless architecture smashed into dust

[Zissou]

Are they going to try and preserve some of the architectural details? At first thats what i thought they were doing on the eastern portion of the building but when i took a closer look it looked like they were just carelessly taking the top off.

[Michi]

I was downtown Friday circling the building and when you go to the back side, you can see a mini dozer on the top floor just pushing all the rubble off the floor, making it fall 15 stories to the pile of dust below. By the way it is being destroyed, it doesn't appear that any materials with value are intended on being preserved. It's quite a shame, and you'd think that it would be a nice incentive for a future developer to have maybe the bottom shell of about 3 stories to use as a facade.

My biggest fear about post-Statler Detroit is that whatever is built there will either ruin the character of Grand Circus Park, won't fit in at all, or will be a building of about 5 stories with the rest of the footprint being parking.

[Zissou]

Thats my fear as well. A large building needs to be put there, anything else would seem out of place.

[Michi]

*EDIT

[mn_body_detroit_hrt]

ridicules...the city could even sell some of that stuff to make some money vs. just destroying it...at least that way it would be reused...just horrific...I loved that building...hrumpf.

[mn_body_detroit_hrt]

no idea why, but accidently posted twice

[richthofen]

I wonder why they're demolishing the building in that fashion, rather than just imploding it? Seems like that would be a lot faster, and perhaps less painful than seeing it pulled down brick by brick...anyone have any info?

The whole thing is just very sad though...

[mn_body_detroit_hrt]

not sure but it may have something to do with the fact that there is so little space btwn Statler and Peoplemover?

[Allan]

The Statler cannot be imploded because of its proximity to the people mover. The Statler is closer to the people mover than Hudsons was. For a while Homrich (the demolition contractor) was insisting that they had to implode the building, but the city held its ground, so it's being taken apart piece by piece. Still, I doubt they will be able to demolish the entire thing without doing some sort of damage to the people mover.

The little white building on Bagley next to the Statler had just begun its renovation when it went up in flames. It would not surprise me if it had something to do with the Statler crews working. That building was not scheduled to come down, but the building will eventually collapse under its own weight because of the way buildings were constructed back then. I'm not sure what the owner plans to do.

Across the street from the Statler lies the old United Artists Theater, which is owned by Mike Ilitch. Sources tell me that it is being demolished, along with the Adams Theater across Grand Circus Park, in the next couple months. The city will have to pull another Madison-Lenox to get the Adams down though, since it is a part of the Grand Circus Park Historic District. The demolition money comes from an $8 Million handout the state is giving the city specifically for the demolition of building to "spruce up" downtown in time for the Super Bowl. If anyone is so inclined, they can read the text of the act here: http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/20...005-PA-0013.pdf

[Michi]

The Adams isn't that quaint little Bavarian-like building on the northeast corner of Grand Circus Park, is it? Though vacant, there is nothing wrong with it!

[Allan]

No, the Adams Theater/Fine Arts Building is the 1905 Louis Kamper designed building to the east of the Kales Building on Adams Street. It is red brick, and about six stories tall. I will have to find a photo of it.

[wolverine]

HA.............. Guess, I don't have to keep quiet about the UA no more.

[Allan]

Here is the Fine Arts Building. The Adams Theater is attached to the building via an enclosed skywalk over the alley in the back. Technically the Adams is on cheaper land on Elizabeth Street. The marquee fell off the Fine Arts Building in 1999, so any traces that it was once a theater are pretty much gone. The marquee was on the right side of the building. You can see where it used to be, although the area is somewhat obscured by the scaffolding in my photo.

[Zissou]

Wow i never knew that that was a theater.

[Allan]

Yep. It was called an "alley jumper" theater. It was a rare type of theater. In fact, I don't know of any other examples of the type off the top of my head.

Here is a photo of the marquee, courtesy of Lowell Boileau

The history of theater can be found here:

http://www.forgottendetroit.com/adams/history.html

Current photos of the interior of the theater can be found here:

http://forgottenmichigan.com/gallery/AdamsTheater

Finally, photos of the Fine Arts Building can be found here. As with the Madison Hotel, it is wood-framed, and also has a questionable roof.

http://forgottenmichigan.com/gallery/FineArts

[Michi]

Ah yes! I DID know of that building. You thing this will be torn down? How can that be? There's obviously years and years of neglect, but how can anything conpensate for its loss? I mean, we know nothing will be built on Illitch's lots even if he claims he will build on them. But when it comes to a "sandwhiched" building, that reduces the possibility even further in my opinion.

He needs to sell it to a developer that is actually making Detroit a better place to live and enjoy an urban sense of living. Our history cannot continue to be treated like crap and forever just mercilessly be flushed down the toilet.

[/pissed]