Two Major Woodward Apartments Abandoned...

Highland Park and Detroit have recently lost two major apartment buildings. One being the Highland Park Towers on Woodward near Glendale, the other one a half a mile south in Detroit I believe. These buildings had been in decline for a decade or more. We now have two new giant eyesores on Woodward... they are locked down for now, but soon we will have the "gaping" scull eye [[windowless) look of Lee Plaza on Woodward-double fold!

The one very large building according to the news was without electricity...
http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/20666279/detail.html

Which I think ultimately ended up un-resolved as last month there was a news broadcast showing people desperately moving out in the dead of night... Now both buildings are abandoned? Lights out!

Does anyone know if both buildings were owned by the same person. It is sad to see two major Woodward apartments gone with three months... Back in the 80's one had a business store front called "A Day Badge" that used to do signage, promotions and business insignia and badges.... Anyone recall that?

The other building had a health food store called "Honeybee" or "Honeycomb" which has relocated across the street.....

Anyone know anything about the demise of these two buildings? Is it speading on to Palmer Park?

What a shame! The Highland Park building was full of tenants too!

So what is the deal with hydro off before the electrical inspectors have to review all the wiring to have the power turned back on? 3 months? If so, they got like 2 weeks to get the power back on before all that old wiring has to be updated. The bank better hurry up to get the power back on or that building's done.

I think the lights have been out for weeks in both buildings. And they are huge buildings...There is another high rise build just off Woodward on Seward with every window and casing stripped out. And of course there are no lights on...

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Originally Posted by davewindsor

So what is the deal with hydro off before the electrical inspectors have to review all the wiring to have the power turned back on? 3 months? If so, they got like 2 weeks to get the power back on before all that old wiring has to be updated. The bank better hurry up to get the power back on or that building's done.

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Is this including the Labelle Tower?

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Originally Posted by Zacha341

I think the lights have been out for weeks in both buildings. And they are huge buildings...There is another high rise build just off Woodward on Seward with every window and casing stripped out. And of course there are no lights on...

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Does anyone know the deal about the building on Seward and Woodward? It seems like crime has gone down since it was closed down. I had to go in there once to find someone, I was surprised I made it out unscathed! Anyways, I was hoping that they stripped the windows out to put new ones in, but from what it looks like, they just left it to rot.

Anyone know?

-Tahleel

What time is it? It's Lowell Boileau time to get us some before pictures, and then some after pictures a year form now. Detroit Ruins, a building at a time.

Davewindsor, thanks for the use of the word "hydro". In Detroit, we say "Edison" sometimes.
Both mean the same; juice to run your fridge, the teevee, and the blender.

Sad. It's such a pretty building. I know this is one of those back in the day stories, but my grandmother [[who lived in Farrand Park Apts., one block north) had a friend who lived in the Highland Towers. We went to visit once and I was very impressed by the lobby in perticular and the building in general.

Highland Towers had to be the most beautiful apartment building in HP. Sad, sad, sad.

Is this the building near Woodward and Seward?

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Originally Posted by cman710

Is this the building near Woodward and Seward?

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Yes, that is the building.

-Tahleel

There's a huge apartment on Clairmont just west of Woodward [[ around the 100 block ) that went vacant about two months ago, it was always a going concern, then it had a small fire on one of the upper floors [[ wasn't that buildings first fire either ) I went by there and the place had gone totally wild: doors and windows wide open, people hanging around outside drinking, people just walking in and out. Then the place got boarded up, haven't been by there lately, building is probablly stripped and dead by now.

Lowell......
......someone asked for a picture of the Highland Towers. I remember a picture you took that's posted on the old forum under the "Apartment Ruins of Detroit" thread. It shows the Towers, Farrand Park Apts., Trinity Church, and the two "Y"'s. Could you find it and repost it here?

Read'em and weep friends. The Moorish-influenced Highland Towers has this fabulous front entrance featuring an art deco-style stain glass window.
http://detroityes.com/webisodes/2009...wers-47917.jpg

This splendid structure absolutely dominates this stretch of Woodward. In spite of his size, I would think its chance for survival are better than average. It features underground parking, entered from the rear alley and has an inset lane on Woodward allowing for pull in parking. The neighborhood behind it is National Register of Historic Homes District and is one of the few surviving middle class and semi-solid areas of Highland Park.

http://detroityes.com/webisodes/2009...-47919-690.jpg

The Highland Towers was part of my landscape from my Colorado St. house one block away. These pictures were from May 2007 when it seemed on a bit of a rebound, new windows etc. and few visible vacancies. [BTW A Day Badge was in the apartment to the north, The Farrand Apartments aka 11 Farrand Park.]
http://detroityes.com/webisodes/2009...rner-47916.jpg

I would hate to see Highland Towers trashed. That kind of architectural detail is irreplaceable.

The location is so bad, though... I doubt the place will survive.

Regarding the somewhat recently abandoned apartments on Seward the victims are the Wellington Place at 59:
http://detroityes.com/webisodes/2009...-59-seward.jpg

and the Bonita, next door to the west.
http://detroityes.com/webisodes/2009...nts-seward.jpg

Regarding 'spreading to Palmer Park'... If you don't count the two on McNichols [17110 Third and the Delmar] that have been abandoned for several years there are only two other vacant apartments in Palmer Park that I know of: 750 Whitmore and this beauty, Merton Manor.
http://detroityes.com/webisodes/2009...ntry-54372.jpg

http://detroityes.com/webisodes/2009...ront-54371.jpg

Highland Park has been bankrupt for how many years? We used to have a joke that people from Detroit wouldn't even go to HP. Does that HP apt complex have a courtyard looks like it, and I'm sure back in the day it wasn't that close to the road and had a nice lawn.
Those 2 on Seward were just drug houses, cars were broken into all along that end I even saw one burn, but I actually looked at buying a condo up the street a 2 bedroom for something like $65,000 about 10 years ago.

The stain glass windows of the Highland Towers enterance are still intact thank god but it is only a metter of time before the building is destroyed. When you rent to pigs the pictures shown are the result. In how many other American cities do its own citizens systematically destroy their own city?

i've noticed also that the model t plant is losing the battle against detroit's forces of destruction and violence. the plywood barriers are being stripped down, and the windows broken, faster than the building can be maintained.

abyssinia is also another sickening mess.

"so it goes."

Thank God the Wellington is now abandoned. It was a haven for criminals. It actually was out of place for that street. Out of place in that it was too big for the type of housing that's available on Seward. I actually took a look at an apartment there in the early 90s. Even then it just felt too big.

Tearing the Wellington down would probably improve the area more than hurt it. Maybe some Crosswinds Townhomes can replace it. Besides, I've always had the feeling that Crosswinds wanted to build along Woodward up to the store on the corner of Seward, but the presence of the Wellington made them reconsider. They probably thought, "Who would want to live in a new condo near that hell hole?"

Now maybe some new development can happen, if the Wellington is torn down within the next few years. My brother lived on Seward in the late 80s, early 90s and it was a safe and well-maintained area. Leveling the Wellington and getting rid of some of the criminals out of some of the other buildings along Seward, might give the area some new life.

I doubt Crosswinds would be looking to build out more in this economy though. I saw a lot of for sale and for rent signs in that development last time I drove by.

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Originally Posted by rjlj

The stain glass windows of the Highland Towers enterance are still intact thank god but it is only a metter of time before the building is destroyed. When you rent to pigs the pictures shown are the result. In how many other American cities do its own citizens systematically destroy their own city?

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Huh? No, this is the result of the landlord going bankrupt and not keeping up with his bills. I don't see how you can blame it on the tenants.

I've always admired the architectural details of the Highland Towers, so I give it a good once over every day when I scoot by. In late summer I noticed that there wasn't a single light on in the building, and that must have been when the exodus began. Now all the [[remaining) store fronts are also showing signs of abandonment and it's not looking good for the building. I hope that good things start to happen there.

When we were there it was a building I admired each time we passed it by. I hope someone puts a guard in there. I was amazed at the interior lobby details, truly a fantastic building! Please post more pics if anyone has them.

One of the things I've done since moving to Nevada 25 years ago is to explore the many ghost towns out in the desert. Some may still have a handful of residents, but most saw their last human move out decades ago. These were mining towns where rich gold strikes brought thousands of residents. When the ore ran out, so did the people.

Detroit's ore has run out. It's joining the ghost town ranks.

Highland Park Towers: A very beautiful building, I think it can be saved. It should be preserved at least until the Glendale Ave Station opens [[within 5 years). There will then be interest in developing it for sure.

Seward buildings: I dont agree at all with the sentiment that the Wellington should just be torn down, that somehow it will help the neighborhood. It is also not "too big". Was the Park Shelton too big to be next to single family homes on E Ferry... NO!! Mixed building sizes and uses are what make the best Detroit neighborhoods so great: you can stay within the same neighborhood and live in a high rise, townhouse, duplex, four-flat, single family, appartment, condo and more. This is not possible in other cities. I think this is something that needs to be built on in Detroit. We dont focus on our strengths enough, too much on weaknesses.

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Originally Posted by Lowell

Regarding the somewhat recently abandoned apartments on Seward the victims are the Wellington Place at 59:
http://detroityes.com/webisodes/2009...-59-seward.jpg

and the Bonita, next door to the west.
http://detroityes.com/webisodes/2009...nts-seward.jpg

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Wow. It didn't take long for the Seward to go to hell. I used to live on Virginia Park about three years ago. It was still in use then. Not fancy, but at least it wasn't abandoned and stripped. Sheesh.

Here's an old postcard of the Seward from the BoD.com archives:

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/c...g?t=1258405177

My extra is for sale up at City Bird's store in Midtown for $3.50 if anyone wants one of their own. :)

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Originally Posted by Lowell

Regarding 'spreading to Palmer Park'... If you don't count the two on McNichols [17110 Third and the Delmar] that have been abandoned for several years there are only two other vacant apartments in Palmer Park that I know of: 750 Whitmore and this beauty, Merton Manor.
http://detroityes.com/webisodes/2009...ntry-54372.jpg

http://detroityes.com/webisodes/2009...ront-54371.jpg

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That's such a sad thing to see. I lived at 369 Merton [[Merton Manor) 20 years ago. It was a lovely well kept building. I was driving down McNichols a month or two and went to show a friend my first apartment[[Merton) and could've cried when I saw what was left of the place. When I lived there it was a relatively nice neighborhood. There were two neighborhood markets[[Fiesta&Caeser's),Caeser's Video,a nightclub/restaurant[[The Pavillon) just behind MM and a Little Caesers pizzaria a block away. There was this great chinese restaruant called Kow Kow's. They're all gone now,though I think Caeser's market may still be there. The apartment building across the street from Dean's Party Store is boarded up & lifeless too. It's all so sad.

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Originally Posted by Ray1936

One of the things I've done since moving to Nevada 25 years ago is to explore the many ghost towns out in the desert. Some may still have a handful of residents, but most saw their last human move out decades ago. These were mining towns where rich gold strikes brought thousands of residents. When the ore ran out, so did the people.

Detroit's ore has run out. It's joining the ghost town ranks.

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You may be right, Ray.

By the way, I used to live in Silver City, Nevada, so I know what you're talking about there.

http://detroityes.com/webisodes/2009...-47919-690.jpg
Is the record store abandoned? And what about the health food store at the corner of the building? I never went to either but I always thought more of that would do the city good, get people walking being neighborly on the street again :confused:

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Originally Posted by Bearinabox

Huh? No, this is the result of the landlord going bankrupt and not keeping up with his bills. I don't see how you can blame it on the tenants.

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If the tenants would have paid their rent the situation probablly would be different.

http://www.hpfolks.com/articles_2004...s/IMGP0150.JPG
Thief removing schoolyard equipment in broad daylight

It's most disheartening. Just down the street and to the left on John R is the Barber School playground. To my delight, some years ago the Tabernacle Church put a major effort into building a completely new playscape and initially I enthusiastically took my young son there to play.
Unfortunately, the school did not turn on its security lights at night, nor did it appear to take any interest in the playscape upkeep. By rapid degrees, the playground declined until there was no point in taking young children there.

Without security guards at these two places, I can guarantee that people have already been inside these places looking for scrap. First the wiring disappears, then the plumbing and finally the nice roof. Just removing the wiring is enough to deter anyone from taking over the building. And voila, the perfect Detroit blight recipe. I give these places about 3 more months.

The Highland Towers looks huge. It looks like the size of a city block almost.

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Originally Posted by rjlj

Without security guards at these two places, I can guarantee that people have already been inside these places looking for scrap. First the wiring disappears, then the plumbing and finally the nice roof. Just removing the wiring is enough to deter anyone from taking over the building. And voila, the perfect Detroit blight recipe. I give these places about 3 more months.

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Security guards? 24/7? You're dreaming, even Illich wouldn't do that. If they cement blocked up all the windows on the first and second floor that MIGHT deter the scrappers for a while.

Yes, I know the building, it was looking to be rehabbed, then that stopped for some reason... problem is once these buildings go south, it is hard to recover them. The tenant quality goes down and no students or working stiffs is going to subject themselves to the nightly brawls, scowls, never-ending music, dope transactions, apartment-to-apartment theft, car theft, domestic quarells etc. ETC that becomes the fabric of such a dwelling.

At that point it just becomes a building of transients, or the desperate who may choose or be able to pay rent a couple of times then squat... bad scene. A decent landlord would opt to sell if possible, then in comes the slumlord, collecting any remaining funds asap, with no long term goals of true rehab, no utilities paid, lights out! People leave. Windows and doors opened. Building stripped and burned.

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Originally Posted by softailrider

There's a huge apartment on Clairmont just west of Woodward [[ around the 100 block ) that went vacant about two months ago, it was always a going concern, then it had a small fire on one of the upper floors [[ wasn't that buildings first fire either ) I went by there and the place had gone totally wild: doors and windows wide open, people hanging around outside drinking, people just walking in and out. Then the place got boarded up, haven't been by there lately, building is probablly stripped and dead by now.

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It is very big and will make a huge eye sore if not rescued...

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Originally Posted by RickBeall

The Highland Towers looks huge. It looks like the size of a city block almost.

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Wow... I wonder when the "Day Badge" company gave up [[maybe 1995 or so). Towards the end it was not the safest environment to get out of your car... yet all of this could be turned around...

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Originally Posted by Lowell

Read'em and weep friends. The Moorish-influenced Highland Towers has this fabulous front entrance featuring an art deco-style stain glass window.
http://detroityes.com/webisodes/2009...wers-47917.jpg

This splendid structure absolutely dominates this stretch of Woodward. In spite of his size, I would think its chance for survival are better than average. It features underground parking, entered from the rear alley and has an inset lane on Woodward allowing for pull in parking. The neighborhood behind it is National Register of Historic Homes District and is one of the few surviving middle class and semi-solid areas of Highland Park.

http://detroityes.com/webisodes/2009...-47919-690.jpg

The Highland Towers was part of my landscape from my Colorado St. house one block away. These pictures were from May 2007 when it seemed on a bit of a rebound, new windows etc. and few visible vacancies. [BTW A Day Badge was in the apartment to the north, The Farrand Apartments aka 11 Farrand Park.]
http://detroityes.com/webisodes/2009...rner-47916.jpg

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Sadly, both of these buildings became mega DOPE high rises havens of crime and mega drama with people paying rent maybe once of twice then squatting. As a landlord, I hear you get half of your peeps not paying rent and laying up knowing the courts take 3 to 6 months to roll out the "evict" notices, spending all you time filing evictions... no moneys coming in... well the end comes fast..... Down on the other end of Seward [[the other side of the Lodge) behind Henry Ford Hospital are thriving buildings with good tenants paying rent.

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Originally Posted by Lowell

Regarding the somewhat recently abandoned apartments on Seward the victims are the Wellington Place at 59:
http://detroityes.com/webisodes/2009...-59-seward.jpg

and the Bonita, next door to the west.
http://detroityes.com/webisodes/2009...nts-seward.jpg

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At some point it become a problem of the landlord and the tenants as a vicious cycle. The non-paying squatter types that go from apartment to apartment, end up concentrated in the run down buildings who will take them as they CANNOT BE PICKY... due to the environment in which more consistently paying clientele will NOT rent.

Thus, these building become know for renting to tenants who maybe unemployed or simply not motivated to pay rent regularly. These renters may be able to or choose to pay rent maybe once or twice. And the eviction process and paperwork downtown is backlogged due to the number of people who don't, wont or cant pay rent consistently. And some of the chronic no pay tenants know "system", knowing they can squat for 6 months before the courts finally throw their stuff to the streets.

Or some are section 8 buildings in which the government pays a portion of the rent, yet if tenants don't pay the bills, that could be a cumulative cash flow problem.

Perhaps the original owner will do a quick sale to the fastest slum lord out to make a fast, if temporary buck ala the temporary paying renters and or the section 8 gov cash flow. But the rub is utility companies who are not extending unpaid gas and electric services as they once did. Lights out! Furnace off. Then even the squatters leave. Now what decent renter is going to live amidst all of this?

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Originally Posted by softailrider

If the tenants would have paid their rent the situation probablly would be different.

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The eight or so apartments south of Woodward beyond those two high rise recently abandoned dope buildings that are doing ok. Heading toward, near and on the other side of the Lodge behind Henry Ford Hospital those buildings are doing ok, if not perfect. Some of them have very strident screening processes. If your credit is bad you cannot get into some of them. There is no loitering around the buildings allowed either....

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Originally Posted by buildingsofdetroit

Wow. It didn't take long for the Seward to go to hell. I used to live on Virginia Park about three years ago. It was still in use then. Not fancy, but at least it wasn't abandoned and stripped. Sheesh.

Here's an old postcard of the Seward from the BoD.com archives:

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/c...g?t=1258405177

My extra is for sale up at City Bird's store in Midtown for $3.50 if anyone wants one of their own. :)

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Yeah, location and tenancy makes a difference. In a different life I used to live in apartments and would not want to spend the night in some of these buildings when they turn the fatal corner and start to resemble something like a city of horrors and angst within the city [[ala The Carter Apt. In "New Jack City")!

Once the area and tenant quality goes too far down no retired or working stiffs are going to subject themselves to the nightly brawls, scowls, never ending music, drug transactions and consumption, apartment-to-apartment thefts, car theft, domestic and other dramas that becomes the fabric of such a dwelling.

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Originally Posted by Fury13

I would hate to see Highland Towers trashed. That kind of architectural detail is irreplaceable.

The location is so bad, though... I doubt the place will survive.

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The Highland Towers I believe used to be a hospital. My father was born there in 1958.

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Originally Posted by rbdetsport

The Highland Towers I believe used to be a hospital. My father was born there in 1958.

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Nope, I grew up there [[Highland Park) and Highland Towers was always an apartment building. 3 blocks away on Highland and Third St. was Detroit Osteopathic Hospital or 5 blocks away on Glendale and John Lodge was the Highland Park Hospital.

I dated someone who lived in the Highland Towers back in the 70's and it was a wonderful building full of "mature" tenants who had been there for years. My friend got the apartment because a family friend was retiring from the library and moving after 35 years. Some of the apartments features included cork floor tiles, step down living rooms [[aka sunken) and bathrooms with huge soaking tubs like those in the Park Shelton. Reminded me of several of the old rental buildings on Lake Shore in Chicago. I doubt it will survive. I imagine it was not part of any historic district. It is a monumental presence on that stretch of Woodward. Sad.

Wow sunken floors! Huge soaking tubs... incredible. If only this building was closer to WSU/ downton it might have a chance, but it would be hard to attract solid paying tenants per that neighborhood. So what would be the motivation to rehab it. Very little.

The Park Shelton is doing well, now turned into condos? Right? When it was apartment only the rents were sky high and background checks very stiff.... I hear.

The building's only hope would be for some optimistic developer to grab it quick, rehab it, and condo it... turn it into almost a "gated" type place with security 24/7 for tenants.

Obviously, in the current economic climate, that's not going to happen, especially in HP.

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Originally Posted by Fury13

The building's only hope would be for some optimistic developer to grab it quick, rehab it, and condo it... turn it into almost a "gated" type place with security 24/7 for tenants.

Obviously, in the current economic climate, that's not going to happen, especially in HP.

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Or even closer to the University/Cultural area it didn't work. 2 bldgs. just north of Palmer @ Woodward one was renovated and turned into condos, 2002 or so, by 2007 [[my last trip to Detroit) still no occupants and the windows were starting to be broken.:confused:

Fate of Highland towers is sealed just like every other abandon bldg. in the city. Looted for anything valuable, vandalized, a few homeless move in, then it burns.:[[

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Originally Posted by tallboy66

Or even closer to the University/Cultural area it didn't work. 2 bldgs. just north of Palmer @ Woodward one was renovated and turned into condos, 2002 or so, by 2007 [[my last trip to Detroit) still no occupants and the windows were starting to be broken.:confused:

Fate of Highland towers is sealed just like every other abandon bldg. in the city. Looted for anything valuable, vandalized, a few homeless move in, then it burns.:[[

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Unfortunately, I think you're right. That's probablly what is going to happen. It isn't like that in other big cities, I don't know why or what the answer is to stop the carnage of these beautiful buildings.

I think we've lost about 50% or more of the apartment buildings in the city in the last 30 years. Then I see some smaller 8 or 12 unit buildings in various parts of the city that still seem to be doing fine. Maybe the owners live there 24 / 7. Or, they have really good live in managers. They're obviously doing something right.

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Originally Posted by tallboy66

Or even closer to the University/Cultural area it didn't work. 2 bldgs. just north of Palmer @ Woodward one was renovated and turned into condos, 2002 or so, by 2007 [[my last trip to Detroit) still no occupants and the windows were starting to be broken.

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Are you talking about buildings on Woodward or Palmer?

So just when did the Merton go down to this?? I had a friend that lived there less than ten years ago. It was a decent building. Did the end come fast or was it the death of a thousand cuts?

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Originally Posted by trotwood

That's such a sad thing to see. I lived at 369 Merton [[Merton Manor) 20 years ago. It was a lovely well kept building. I was driving down McNichols a month or two and went to show a friend my first apartment[[Merton) and could've cried when I saw what was left of the place. When I lived there it was a relatively nice neighborhood. There were two neighborhood markets[[Fiesta&Caeser's),Caeser's Video,a nightclub/restaurant[[The Pavillon) just behind MM and a Little Caesers pizzaria a block away. There was this great chinese restaruant called Kow Kow's. They're all gone now,though I think Caeser's market may still be there. The apartment building across the street from Dean's Party Store is boarded up & lifeless too. It's all so sad.

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Don't forget 24/7 security for tenant cars. I have a friend who has to park his old car in a friends driveway over night and "walk" to his apartment two blocks away as cars are regularly stolen his apartments parking lot!!

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Originally Posted by Fury13

The building's only hope would be for some optimistic developer to grab it quick, rehab it, and condo it... turn it into almost a "gated" type place with security 24/7 for tenants.

Obviously, in the current economic climate, that's not going to happen, especially in HP.

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Yeah, the "exclusive" Loft thing has not always worked. In the interest of screening tenants but having sky - high rents these places end up being to expensive even for the dinks [[double income no kids) types. Plus if the surrounding environment is too bad no one is going to pay big money to live in a "walled off" situation. Community make a difference!

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Originally Posted by Chuck_MI

Are you talking about buildings on Woodward or Palmer?

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Originally Posted by Chuck_MI

Are you talking about buildings on Woodward or Palmer?

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On Woodward just north of Palmer south of 94. I don't remember the name of the developer, it had[[ has) a female name and had re done some older historic homes on Cass so I had hope back then as they were "in filling" the whole John R., East Palmer, Ferry Ave. areas but it was too little too late.

Detroit has such potential to be the next new city with all of it's existing infrastructure and still a nice CBD and Midtown just gotta work on those last 5 miles up Woodward :D :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by Zacha341

Don't forget 24/7 security for tenant cars. I have a friend who has to park his old car in a friends driveway over night and "walk" to his apartment two blocks away as cars are regularly stolen his apartments parking lot!!

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Mine was stolen out of Wayne State parking lot! I ended up paying my landlord $20 to park int he alley next to my apt. in order to keep my new one.:eek:

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Originally Posted by softailrider

Unfortunately, I think you're right. That's probablly what is going to happen. It isn't like that in other big cities, I don't know why or what the answer is to stop the carnage of these beautiful buildings.

I think we've lost about 50% or more of the apartment buildings in the city in the last 30 years. Then I see some smaller 8 or 12 unit buildings in various parts of the city that still seem to be doing fine. Maybe the owners live there 24 / 7. Or, they have really good live in managers. They're obviously doing something right.

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I didn't get it when I lived there and after living in NYC, Columbus and now Chicago I've always lived in "affordable" places and we have quite a few empty store fronts, upper stories of low rise apts., but they just sit with dirty windows very few are boarded up and certainly not burned repeatedly.

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Originally Posted by Zacha341

Yeah, the "exclusive" Loft thing has not always worked. In the interest of screening tenants but having sky - high rents these places end up being to expensive even for the dinks [[double income no kids) types. Plus if the surrounding environment is too bad no one is going to pay big money to live in a "walled off" situation. Community make a difference!

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I'm still trying to figure out who on Earth is paying for those "lofts" in Merchant's Row.

The problem is that huge buildings like these are white elephants, built at a time when young single people were flocking to the city, and when the fossil fuels used to fire their boilers were artificially cheap. Add to the equation years of deferred maintenance, high vacancy, and the nearly complete abandonment of HP by the middle class and you've got a lose/lose situation.
Every time that the economy has taken a nose dive, there have been waves of abandonment of large buildings like this one. Obviously, we are seeing another such wave. Perhaps the cities of Detroit and HP could apply for some federal assistance in demoing many of these structures..but please, not this one.

If there were just three large buildings in HP that could be saved, my picks would be this one, the McGregor Library and the Model T plant.

Where exactly is Merchant Row?

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Originally Posted by DetroitDad

I'm still trying to figure out who on Earth is paying for those "lofts" in Merchant's Row.

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For sure this is a bad wave and the departure and erosion of so much of the middle-class bill and tax paying citizens of Highland Park has certainly made a difference there as it has in Detroit in general, but the blight in more concentrated in Highland Park. Like the down fall of so many of it's buildings like the two on Woodward.

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Originally Posted by barnesfoto

The problem is that huge buildings like these are white elephants, built at a time when young single people were flocking to the city, and when the fossil fuels used to fire their boilers were artificially cheap. Add to the equation years of deferred maintenance, high vacancy, and the nearly complete abandonment of HP by the middle class and you've got a lose/lose situation.

Every time that the economy has taken a nose dive, there have been waves of abandonment of large buildings like this one. Obviously, we are seeing another such wave. Perhaps the cities of Detroit and HP could apply for some federal assistance in demoing many of these structures..but please, not this one.

If there were just three large buildings in HP that could be saved, my picks would be this one, the McGregor Library and the Model T plant.

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I am sure that I will get grief for saying this, but why doesn't the state offer free rent in these places to people who will move there businesses to Detroit? Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Could work, in the less crime infiltrated buildings with a semblance of a interested community not fully crime entrenched.

Otherwise you'd have an island "barricaded" business with no one coming to purchase services from you for fear of crime on their person [[like getting out of their car)... And it ain't a great day "working" for said business knowing it's hard to get out for lunch/ having to be walked/ watched to your car.

I work in a situation "somewhat" like this on the east side so I know of what I speak and I was born, reared and educated and live in Detroit, so I'm not being providential, "prissy" or paranoid.

However, I think the buildings closer to WSU, Midtown etc. could be very successful with good planning for specific businesses.

The buildings in Highland Park. Sadly no. Crime is still too high.

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Originally Posted by andybsg

I am sure that I will get grief for saying this, but why doesn't the state offer free rent in these places to people who will move there businesses to Detroit? Desperate times call for desperate measures.

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