Hotel Charlevoix Owner Petitions for Permission to Demolish

[mcsdetroitfriend]

also, Ralph Sachs has owned the building since 1981 and shortly after tenants starting vacating the building.
-http://detroit1701.org/Hotel%20Charlevoix.html

[Richard]

How did the meeting go?

[rjlj]

How did the meeting go?

Per facebook and www.historicdetroit.org:

"BREAKING NEWS: The Historic District Commission has denied the Hotel Charlevoix's owner permission to demolish the building and given him 15 days to submit a plan to mothball the structure. It's unclear what happens if Ralph Sachs doesn't comply. But the Wurlitzer Building fiasco shows that he could be sent before a judge and face jail time for noncompliance."

[Occurrence]

The owners is just going to have to pull an Illitch and demolish it anyways.

I wonder if this guy wears a wig like Illitch?

[swingline]

Per facebook and www.historicdetroit.org:

"BREAKING NEWS: The Historic District Commission has denied the Hotel Charlevoix's owner permission to demolish the building and given him 15 days to submit a plan to mothball the structure. It's unclear what happens if Ralph Sachs doesn't comply. But the Wurlitzer Building fiasco shows that he could be sent before a judge and face jail time for noncompliance."

Glad to see that the HDC apparently applied the requirements of the ordinance and did not let the owner bypass his responsibilities under the law. That hasn't always been the case when it comes to demolitions. Now the city needs to treat this case just like the Wurlitzer Building and make sure that any safety concerns are resolved.

[Detroit Stylin]

Good Job....

[downtownguy]

The owners is just going to have to pull an Illitch and demolish it anyways.

I wonder if this guy wears a wig like Illitch?

As much as I despise Ilitch, I don't think he's demolished anything illegally -- unless you mean demolished by neglect. Perhaps you're confusing him with Anita Baker, who did demolish Little Harry's Restaurant against a court order in the 1980s. I'm not sure if she wears a wig.

[EZZ]

Pic from 2002-still looks intact:

[Occurrence]

As much as I despise Ilitch, I don't think he's demolished anything illegally -- unless you mean demolished by neglect. Perhaps you're confusing him with Anita Baker, who did demolish Little Harry's Restaurant against a court order in the 1980s. I'm not sure if she wears a wig.

Someone else here might be able to provide a more accurate account of the events, but wasn't there some fishy happenings with the Madison-Lennox? I thought there was a court order halting the demo, but the workers took out the facade anyways, basically making it so they had to tear the rest down.

[Whitehouse]

Speaking of Illich...

Anything happening on the United Artist building and theater? The building has been sanitized and windows renewed. But has anything been happening lately?

[downtownguy]

I think he's waiting for @Madison, the Broderick and Whitney to all get occupied, then he'll tear it down for parking.

[Planner3357]

From what I know...and now I'm living afar in Philadelphia, this building is a wreck. I know people who have actually climbed to the top... Apparently, this building is a disaster. Beautiful as it may be, I'm not sure of the condition of the actual structure. Due to neglect, and many a-fire set by the homeless occupants, this building may be beyond financial [[sense) repair. I do love the building, and the last thing I want to see is another parking lot in the district, however, this seems the most likely ending to the building unless I win the lotto.

[andrew.w]

Occurrence, this was seven years ago now, but my understanding of the events around the Madison Lenox is this:

Illitch applied for a demolition permit.
It was denied by the HDC.
One morning demolition crews showed up, flattened the 2 story connector building, tore a large hole up the full height of the side of the Madison and a few smaller holes in the front.
The court ordered a halt on the demolition as no permit had been issued, which I believe lasted a day or two.
But it was ultimately decided that too much damage has been done and demolition was allowed to continue.
The crew then wasted no time destroying the most architecturally significant parts of the building first [[such as the Lenox entrance) so that there would be no chance of reversing the decision.

[Gistok]

Speaking of Illich...

Anything happening on the United Artist building and theater? The building has been sanitized and windows renewed. But has anything been happening lately?

The building has been mothballed.... new roof on both the office block and auditorium. Both have been cleared of debris, and all the windows cleaned from the offices. Also the walls on some of the office floors have had drywall added, and the wobble canopy over the entranceway of the office block has been removed. The building has been sealed from further urban explorers and scrappers. The building has probably been awaiting further development on GCP before anthing else happens.

[Gistok]

Andrew... I believe that the Charlevoix Building is too large for a mere back hoe... i would likely require implosion [[a pre-plannned procedure), or a slow dismemberment like the Statler.

So speedy stealth demoliion, as in the M-L would likely not be in the cards.

[mikeg19]

The building has been mothballed.... new roof on both the office block and auditorium. Both have been cleared of debris, and all the windows cleaned from the offices. Also the walls on some of the office floors have had drywall added, and the wobble canopy over the entranceway of the office block has been removed. The building has been sealed from further urban explorers and scrappers. The building has probably been awaiting further development on GCP before anthing else happens.

I was at on the Bookies rooftop having beers before the Tigers game the other day and noticed a window 3/4 of the way up with graffiti painted in it. Did they just miss that one or is somebody getting back in?

[WaCoTS]

Someone else here might be able to provide a more accurate account of the events, but wasn't there some fishy happenings with the Madison-Lennox? I thought there was a court order halting the demo, but the workers took out the facade anyways, basically making it so they had to tear the rest down.

yes, i watched frmo 10 ft away as the backhoe operator was instructed something by his boss, then moved over to the Lenox' decorative facade /entryway, and proceeded to rip it out of the blg, and drive back & forth over it. Mr. Grunow i believe, of Preservation Wayne, came running up seconds later, yelling and screaming that they had been promised that architectural piece if the blg was ever demolished, or something to that effect.

[1953]

The thing about the Madison Lennox that made it so fishy was that they started it by slamming the back hoe into the base of the building[[s). Last time I checked, that's not a very safe was to demolish a building - but it sure makes it nearly impossible to stop!

[RaumVogel]

This is what New York does with old buildings: http://forgotten-ny.com/2012/11/a-ho...-other-people/
I think gentrification of old downtown structures should be a priority for the city.Once those beautiful and well built structures are gone there will only be the pictures.

[Ginabella]

Such a beautiful building, I hope it will not fall to demolition. Detroit is my hometown and even though I live across the country, Detroit will always be home. I'm so sad to see these amazing buildings in such sad states..