Building Starts to Crumble onto Forest Avenue at Chene

The building located at Forest and Chene [[west corner) has started to collapse. Most of it is contained inside the building, but some of it has fallen onto the sidewalk and the left two lanes of Forest Avenue.

I called the DPD [[4/17/12 @ 5:30PM) and let them know that the building has started to collapse and that it did not look like the remaining parts were stable and may be subject to further collapse onto the sidewalk and road. I also informed them that debris from the building is in the left two lanes of Forest.

Should be interesting to see how quickly Detroit reacts to a building that's crumbling onto a main road and still poses more danger.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Forest...81.02,,0,-3.02

[[Full resolution picture: http://i41.tinypic.com/2rnbu50.jpg)
Attachment 13087

That is truly "demolished by neglect"

Quick! Better start demolishing every building with a masonry exterior to prevent this from happening again!

nice looking entry way, wonder what it looked like before the windows were enclosed?

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Originally Posted by ghettopalmetto

Quick! Better start demolishing every building with a masonry exterior to prevent this from happening again!

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LOL.

My theory is that it was Shabazz tearing down the building before "the man" comes and steals this precious asset from Detroit.

Based on what the photo shows, it looks like the parapet lost its integrity--either the reinforcing [[if there was any) deteriorated, or the mortar lost its strength over time. The wall still looks like it's braced, since it's not bowing outward below the parapet.

Looks like there could have been a fire after the Google pics...

Former Rathnaw Tuxedo.

Wow bummer. That entryway on Forest is awesome.

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Originally Posted by ghettopalmetto

Based on what the photo shows, it looks like the parapet lost its integrity--either the reinforcing [[if there was any) deteriorated, or the mortar lost its strength over time. The wall still looks like it's braced, since it's not bowing outward below the parapet.

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Parapet? Half of the second floor exterior wall is gone...
The parapet looks to be no higher than a foot and a half maybe two feet from the roof line.

Here's a link to full resolution: http://i41.tinypic.com/2rnbu50.jpg

http://www.detroitfunk.com/?p=8953

I was in that area this morning - heres a look around and inside. [[there is a big hole in the back wall to peek in) Sure does look like a good hot fire melted the I-beams at some point.

Adieu, Rathnaw Building.

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Originally Posted by Krawlspace

Parapet? Half of the second floor exterior wall is gone...
The parapet looks to be no higher than a foot and a half maybe two feet from the roof line.

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Ah, you're right. In the first photo, it was difficult to tell that it was a two-story building. The higher resolution photo makes that a bit clearer.

Looks like the roof diaphragm detached from the wall and left the masonry unbraced.

Didn't mean to go all Bill Frist on everyone. :-)

look inside

I did some brick work on this place years ago to keep it closed to those nasty scrappers out. Went by today and from a distance it looked fairly cleaned up. The wind a few nights ago took down more that just that building.

If you look at the satellite view in google maps, the roof was overgrown with small trees etc... In contrast, the lovely Dom Polski next to it is in great shape in spite of the sad boarded up windows. The roof is a nice eco-white also.

I hope the frig the polish house fares better in the years to come. It hurts to think these streets were filled with people and businesses a coupla generations ago.

Someone should take that entry and sell it, use it one some new building going up elsewhere.. I don't care who owns it. They clearly don't care enough about this building. I absolutely hate scrappers, but I also dislike neglectful building owners. And the only fate I see of this place is the wrecking ball. That entrance needs a second life.

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Originally Posted by wolverine

Someone should take that entry and sell it, use it one some new building going up elsewhere.. I don't care who owns it. They clearly don't care enough about this building.

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If they could clear the rights and buy some architectural elements for salvage from owners with little interest in upkeeping, it would do a world of good.

Whatever buildings are unredeemable in toto could then be salvaged for their parts. These should be reused in the region as much as possible.

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Originally Posted by canuck

If they could clear the rights and buy some architectural elements for salvage from owners with little interest in upkeeping, it would do a world of good.

Whatever buildings are unredeemable in toto could then be salvaged for their parts. These should be reused in the region as much as possible.

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Completely agree.

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Originally Posted by wolverine

Completely agree.

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In St. Louis the City Museum has some salvaged architectural pieces, including some columns from a demolished school and a facade from a demolished Downtown building.
http://www.builtstlouis.net/opos/stlouistitleco.html

On this building, is that a marquee or something next to the entryway?

It must have been a beautiful building at one time.

I imagine it's hard to renovate buildings in urban prairie.

This is a 501 charity in Detroit. They should be brought in before demo.

http://aswdetroit.org/