Mark Twain library next to come down?

**Richard** · October-03-11, 06:01 PM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

Richard, I agree with almost everything you've said, but the problem is that you seem to have very little idea of the actual situation in the City of Detroit and the level of economic desperation here, or of the community around the Mark Twain Library and the fight they actually fought. They did everything you suggested and more, extracted promise after promise from the authorities involved, and all of them were eventually broken, leading to this outcome.

So what would the names be of the ones contacted?

Detroit has problems yes but there is no problem in Detroit that has not been in another city or neighborhood at one time or another,you have problems and solutions the trick is to meet in the middle somewhere and save what can be saved
sometimes things need to be saved because it is the right thing to do.

**ismoakrack** · October-03-11, 08:21 PM

What was so wrong with this particular building that the city wasted money tearing it down? It seems like a ludicrous choice given its location, and the number of other buildings in much worse shape that need to be demolished.

**Richard** · October-03-11, 10:22 PM

Because it would have just maybe made a nice community center as a focal point of turning the neighborhood around and just maybe provide a few of the more unfortunate with some goals and hope for the future.

**KarmicCurse** · October-04-11, 02:01 AM

Any pictures of the interior in its heyday?

**Zacha341** · October-04-11, 02:37 AM

Yeah one right next door to it needs demolishing as I recall. It will remain standing probably.

Originally Posted by ismoakrack

What was so wrong with this particular building that the city wasted money tearing it down? It seems like a ludicrous choice given its location, and the number of other buildings in much worse shape that need to be demolished.

**stasu1213** · October-04-11, 08:32 AM

The mayor and council don't know what GEMS are pertaining to some of these empty structures in Detroit. The floor tile in that building was unique and could not be found anywhere in the country. The structure on Field street that was once a liberay is still standing. The dilapidated structure next to the former Mark Twain Library still stands. I don't understand the rationale behind it. The former U-Haul building on Gratiot and Holcomb was razed last week.

**1953** · October-04-11, 08:51 AM

What is the plan for this property?

detroitjim · October-04-11, 11:18 AM

What is the plan for this property?

Weeds,Broken glass,Trash collector,Used furniture and appliance dumping ground.Have I missed any?

No different than all the rest of the fallow fields.

**stromberg2** · October-04-11, 01:07 PM

^^
Don't forget tires and condoms!!

Stromberg2

**stasu1213** · October-04-11, 07:16 PM

Originally Posted by stromberg2

^^
Don't forget tires and condoms!!

Stromberg2

And illegal dumping also

**EastsideAl** · October-04-11, 07:35 PM

Richard, you're talking past me. Look back earlier in this thread at my long post giving the story of what happened to the Mark Twain Branch [[I posted it in an earlier thread about the Mark Twain Library - Lowell seems to have conveniently combined the threads).

Believe me, if there was someone to talk to, the folks involved talked to them. Starting with the library board themselves, who were the ones who first came to the neighborhood with the wonderful idea to renovate the library, rather than simply repairing its roof. An idea that, in a particularly ugly turn of events, eventually led to its demolition.

**HistoryNotHisStory** · October-05-11, 02:32 PM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

Richard, you're talking past me. Look back earlier in this thread at my long post giving the story of what happened to the Mark Twain Branch [[I posted it in an earlier thread about the Mark Twain Library - Lowell seems to have conveniently combined the threads).

Believe me, if there was someone to talk to, the folks involved talked to them. Starting with the library board themselves, who were the ones who first came to the neighborhood with the wonderful idea to renovate the library, rather than simply repairing its roof. An idea that, in a particularly ugly turn of events, eventually led to its demolition.

What's so crazy about the City of Detroit and DPS is that architectural gems are demolished because they stand idle for years.

If the City and DPS would just give these properties away for pennies on dollar someone will take it and maintain these buildings.

I would have loved to have this building for my business or outreach center. Yet, the City made no plans for years [[which invites salvagers), Then when it becomes unrepairable, we pay tax money to tear it down. Stupid.

**stasu1213** · October-05-11, 06:33 PM

Originally Posted by HistoryNotHisStory

What's so crazy about the City of Detroit and DPS is that architectural gems are demolished because they stand idle for years.

If the City and DPS would just give these properties away for pennies on dollar someone will take it and maintain these buildings.

I would have loved to have this building for my business or outreach center. Yet, the City made no plans for years [[which invites salvagers), Then when it becomes unrepairable, we pay tax money to tear it down. Stupid.

A person with common sense would had thought about giving the building away for little or nothing to a developer who would put good use to it. The city is not ran by people who have common sense

**313WX** · October-05-11, 08:33 PM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

A person with common sense would had thought about giving the building away for little or nothing to a developer who would put good use to it. The city is not ran by people who have common sense

On the other hand, the people running the city would rather give a few bucks to their home boys for the demolition contract.

Occurrence · October-05-11, 10:46 PM

Why would they be tearing down this library when there are plenty of other buildings in this area in far worse condition?

**Zacha341** · October-06-11, 06:09 AM

Yeah, I drove by what was once the library and the abandoned 'hulk' property with missing bricks and sagging wall remains next door...

**milt721** · October-06-11, 11:29 AM

As of Oct. 5, this building is completely leveled.

**mikefmich** · October-06-11, 12:25 PM

More sadness in the city. How do they ever expect to crawl out of this morass?

**Bigb23** · October-06-11, 05:12 PM

Just "looked" at the photo book "Detroit Disassembled" by Andrew Moore. He had several photos in there from the DPS school book depository building and the Mark Twain library. It's incredible how a government can leave tens of thousands of books to rot, and also perfectly good office furniture, when they could at least be sold or given away for free. And the expensive lab equipment at the old Cass Tech, plowed into the ground is criminal.
A great coffee table book, that's also incredibly sad.

**stasu1213** · October-06-11, 08:47 PM

Originally Posted by 313WX

On the other hand, the people running the city would rather give a few bucks to their home boys for the demolition contract.

Yes. Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss.

**ismoakrack** · October-07-11, 02:09 AM

The city owned the MTL and not other rotting buildings around it. If someone were to get injured or killed "urban exploring" it, the city would be liable. So, the city needs a better legal staff that could convince a judge: You enter a building that has been abandoned for years, decades whatever; you run the risk of injury/death. Not a governmental entity's responsibility to keep people from doing foolish things, to the degree that tearing down a historic building is a better option.

**stasu1213** · October-07-11, 06:46 PM

Originally Posted by ismoakrack

The city owned the MTL and not other rotting buildings around it. If someone were to get injured or killed "urban exploring" it, the city would be liable. So, the city needs a better legal staff that could convince a judge: You enter a building that has been abandoned for years, decades whatever; you run the risk of injury/death. Not a governmental entity's responsibility to keep people from doing foolish things, to the degree that tearing down a historic building is a better option.

I had heard that someone was going to buy the building. I don't know what had happened to that deal. The citycould had given away the building which would had been cheaper than to raze it. How long had the city sat on this property? How do you know that the city doesn't own the rat trap rapist sheltering building next to the former library? You r comment had proven my point. The leaders who run city business are as incompetent as a little leauge pitcher relieving Fister of his pitching duties. There are many structures inside the city that are owned by the city and are in much worse condition than the library was. The city delibrately let the building rot. The building could had been a charter or specialty school for students who have special skills.