List of Remaining Vacant Structures in the greater CBD

Obviously the last decade has been exceptional in bringing so many of Detroit’s former vacant structures back to life. A big thanks to all who have been a part of that effort.

So what is left? What significant remaining vacant structures are left in the greater CBD, that are not currently in the process of being renovated for reuse? I thought it would be interesting to have a list, and thankfully this list is much smaller than it would have been a decade ago. Please add on to those I have missed.

1. Old Wayne County Building
2. United Artists
3. Loyal Order of Moose
4. Old Police HQ
5. Hotel Fort Wayne
6. Alhambra Apts
7. CPA building
8. The Leland


What Else?

1. Old Wayne County Building[[renovated but waiting for a tenant)
2. United Artists [[owned by ilitch scum)
3. Loyal Order of Moose [[owned by ilitch scum)
4. Old Police HQ [[Bedrock will renovate into hotel)
5. Hotel Fort Wayne [[owned by ilitch scum)
6. Alhambra Apts [[owned by ilitch scum)
7. CPA building [[Owned by New York scum)
8. The Leland [[ I believe this renovation was put on hold)

One's thing for certain. Most Illitch properties will never be fixed. But left as a Parthenon-esque ruins for Detroit. The Illitchs are not real estate developers, they are in the entertainment and pizza making business.

is the Leland still active as a "residential" hotel?
I wonder what company/companies would take over the old wayne county building and turn it into something new? What's feasible besides office space?

9. Executive Plaza
10. Detroit Life Building
11. Blenheim Apt.
12. Film Exchange Building

Comerica Park, Little Caesars Arena, Ford Field. All formerly occupied by professional sports teams [okay maybe not Ford Field].:o

4. Old Police HQ

Wayne County employees were warned not to park around the back of this building because the renovations are to start next week [[allegedly).

Also the Harvard Square Centre on Broadway which is owned by Bedrock

Too bad one of the law firms that's always advertising on TV couldn't take over the Old Wayne County Building. It would give them a great presence in the city. I know the building is big and has some court rooms, but maybe the owner/law firm could rent out other offices in the building to non-competing law organizations. Use the court rooms to have mock trials practice for UDM Law students or any other law school program in the area.

^Royce, I was in there before the county rented it back after it was renovated in the 80s. I believe some of the large chambers had been converted to Detroit Traffic Court long before then. Maybe someone who has been in the building recently can verify if there really are court chambers in that building, or just large rooms that had been remodeled for that purpose, and since "un-remodeled" back into government space?

As someone who lived in Downtown Detroit 1997-2002 & had a decent view of part of the city from my 23rd floor apartment windows, I'm happy the list is so small!

1300 Beaubien [[old DPD HQ & 1st Precinct) would be fascinating to explore, ideally prior to any restoration/remodeling. I sure hope it's successful as residences.

There is a cluster right round Capitol Park still. They are smaller-ish for downtown so maybe that's why. I don't know the names but there's the yellow art deco building next to the Stott, then there's the narrow tower south of the Malcomson and the 1 story diner next to that.

Same area, on Griswold there's the ugly 70's remodel of an old bank south of Prime and Proper, then right across the street that old CVS/What About Bob, and the old First Independence Bank on Griswold and Michigan.

Speaking of the UA building, it looks like they quietly got there way and the theater portion will be demolished after all. It’s ridiculous how preservation rules only seem to apply to some people in the city, while others can get away with anything. The developer, moten, is the same guy who demolished the Saturday night building for 12 parking spots that he claimed were needed in order to market his outdated condos in the fort Shelby building.

https://www.freep.com/story/money/bu...nt/7426938002/

On the plus side, we’ll be getting a “memorial plaza” and 40ish extra sparking spots in it’s place to add to the existing parking lot which will never be developed as long as it’s owned by the Ilitches.

This might [[probably) won't go over well, but losing the theatre isn't a massive issue to me. Yea it would have been nice to see it worked into the plan on some level, but at the end of the day the UA will once again be filled with people. Wash blvd will almost be complete moving toward the park.

Honestly the part I have a gripe with more then anything is that Olympia & Co had to ask for more taxpayer $$$ and loans to cover the additional $12M in construction cost increase. Billionaires asking for $12M bucks. That is ridiculous.

FWIW I agree. I would obviously prefer to see it saved but getting some more action in that area of downtown is more important to me, especially when we still have several other historical theaters nearby and considering the shape it's in... How it got in such bad shape is probably a different topic

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mikeg19

This might [[probably) won't go over well, but losing the theatre isn't a massive issue to me. Yea it would have been nice to see it worked into the plan on some level, but at the end of the day the UA will once again be filled with people. Wash blvd will almost be complete moving toward the park.

Honestly the part I have a gripe with more then anything is that Olympia & Co had to ask for more taxpayer $$$ and loans to cover the additional $12M in construction cost increase. Billionaires asking for $12M bucks. That is ridiculous.

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It's these ornate theaters that gives Detroit uniqueness and character. The theater expert, Gistok, says Philadelphia, a much better city than ours, doesn't even have ANY downtown moviehouses left. We had a chance to really make something unique, resurrect the theater district, but the Ilitches don't care about that obviously.

What is ironic, is that the office building would NEVER have been built without the theater. The office building was attached to the theater to help financially support the theater. But in the end, the theater gets sacrificed for the office space - the same thing with the Michigan Theater.

So we are repeating history instead of learning from it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mikeg19

This might [[probably) won't go over well, but losing the theatre isn't a massive issue to me. Yea it would have been nice to see it worked into the plan on some level, but at the end of the day the UA will once again be filled with people. Wash blvd will almost be complete moving toward the park.

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Obviously not a preservationist. Theaters like this were built in a small window of time and will never be built again. Like the remains of Ancient Egypt or Roman Empire ruins they cant be replaced once they're gone and fewer and fewer of them are in existence.

Destruction of the theater is a travesty, pure and simple. 100, 200, 300 years from now people will wonder how idiots were allowed to destroy these uniquely American works of art for no reason at all.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by K-slice

Obviously not a preservationist. Theaters like this were built in a small window of time and will never be built again. Like the remains of Ancient Egypt or Roman Empire ruins they cant be replaced once they're gone and fewer and fewer of them are in existence.

Destruction of the theater is a travesty, pure and simple. 100, 200, 300 years from now people will wonder how idiots were allowed to destroy these uniquely American works of art for no reason at all.

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The only reason I can see is that Chris Illitch and his family are morons. Lucky morons, but at the end of the day just fucking morons. I’m pretty sure Chris doesn’t make any big creative decisions at his fathers company it’s all the numbers guys.

It's also interesting to note that, yes, the Ilitch family did save a theater - the Fox Theater. But they will have now demolished 2 theaters - Adams and United Artists. Both of them were salvageable when they were each acquired.

Correct Masterblaster... Philly, Baltimore and Cincinnati lost all their downtown movie palaces. If it weren't for the Detroit United Artist's totally unique opulent Spanish Gothic/Art Deco design and amazing acoustics, it wouldn't be such a big loss.

It is really the last theatre we have downtown for restoral [[the Michigan would cost at least $100 million to bring back)... and before it closed it had 1488 seats, a nice intimate theatre.

In its' heyday the Detroit UA was called Detroit's "Jewel Box". I never quite figured out what that was in reference to, since we have no known color images of the UA before the 1950s repaint.

But this is a color image of the smaller [[now razed) Chicago UA clone theatre... and it shows where the "Jewel Box" nickname came from....

A pity that the Ralph Wilson Foundation, which is giving Detroit circa $50 million per year for 20 years for city projects, couldn't pay to have it restored. $50 million would pretty much cover the cost for a total restore.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gistok

A pity that the Ralph Wilson Foundation, which is giving Detroit circa $50 million per year for 20 years for city projects, couldn't pay to have it restored. $50 million would pretty much cover the cost for a total restore.

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I understand your pain at losing such a significant part of Detroit’s history Gistok, but I think it’s completely unrealistic to hope that the estate of a billionaire who left money for the betterment of citizens go towards restoring the private property of other billionaires who clearly could care less about the UA theatre. Ralph Wilson has nothing to do with this.

100% of the blame and shame for the destruction of the Detroit UA should be directed at the Ilitch family. It is their failure alone.