Mark Twain library next to come down?

[Detroitej72]

Razing the building? I'm sure they have a wonderful plan for the reuse of the land...

[marcwigle]

I had spoken to one of the workers who were at the building today. He has said that they are removing the asbestos before they raze the building. He did say that the books that were left in their were in bad shape.

I can't comment on whether or not the library should be open or not but, assuming that they do plan on closing the library, why in the hell couldn't they have had a book sale so that the books don't deteriorate?? it just seems that they City and the DPS shut the doors of their buildings and forget that they are still full of assets that they may be valuable to others or could be used elsewhere in the system. Disgusting.

[marcwigle]

Razing the building? I'm sure they have a wonderful plan for the reuse of the land...

Doesn't Detroit need another parking lot?

[Steve bennet]

Of all the other decrepit buildings in that area, why would they be tearing down the library first?

[stromberg2]

It's Detroit, we're not supposed to have nice things.

Stromberg2

[EastsideAl]

I can't comment on whether or not the library should be open or not but, assuming that they do plan on closing the library, why in the hell couldn't they have had a book sale so that the books don't deteriorate?? it just seems that they City and the DPS shut the doors of their buildings and forget that they are still full of assets that they may be valuable to others or could be used elsewhere in the system. Disgusting.

There was no book sale because this library was never supposed to be closed down, and it sure as hell wasn't supposed to be abandoned, left to rot, stripped, and then torn down. The loss of this building is a disgusting shame that one can pin directly on mismanagement by the DPL and the City. It is the library I spent much of my childhood in, and my mother was on the "friends" board there for decades.

The Mark Twain Library was closed in the late '90s for what was supposed to be a relatively short roof repair, since some water damage had appeared in the ceiling near the roof. But then the DPL - relatively flush with funds and grants in the '90s - decided to turn it into an updating of the building, and let out contracts for a bigger construction job than just fixing the roof. The community was very excited by the flashy plans for their "renovated" library shown at meetings by the DPL and its contractor. But then the contractor had "difficulties" after starting the job and disappeared [[almost certainly because they bid too low and discovered they'd lose money on the job).

At some point during the agonizingly prolonged process to get a new contractor in there, the city "discovered" asbestos in the building, and called for its "abatement" before any further work could be done. So, over the objections of the community, the DPL declared that a "total renovation" of the building would now be necessary and that the library had to remain closed. It is, of course, a deep mystery why no one in the DPL seems to have thought or realized that a building built in 1940 would have some asbestos in it. Many in the neighborhood and among those who worked on the originally planned renovation believe that the "discovery" of this asbestos was very conveniently timed - to get the DPL out from under this project, maybe?.

By this time we're into the early 2000s, and harder times had come to the city. What had once seemed like a short sweet and affordable renovation that would keep this beautiful Wirt Rowland-designed building going for future generations and enhance the neighborhood, had instead become a big project for which there was no money that would cost the community its library. The DPL was still promising everyone that the renovation work on the library would be restarted soon, but it just sat there, abandoned.

Finally, some ministers in the area got together and insisted that the city at least allow them to get some of the books out of the building that would be most useful to people and particularly children and teens, and set up a temporary local library so folks would have a place to go to read and study. So, a "Mark Twain Annex" library was set up by DPL in a nearby church hall with some of the books from the old library.

Now, predictably, much has been stripped from the building that sat there abandoned and unguarded for several years. The unfixed roof leak just got bigger and more severe [[especially since the strippers took the copper flashing from the roof) and now the entire ceiling is ruined, the floor rotten, and the remaining books destroyed. The "Annex" has been removed from the name of the library in the church gym, and the DPL is now calling that the "Mark Twain Branch."

So, the building has been declared a "total loss" that must be demolished as soon as possible [[by one of the city's favorite demolition contractors, of course). And, most ironically, the long-delayed asbestos abatement is finally being done - so that the contractor can safely tear the building down and leave us here on the east side the benefit of another lovely vacant lot.

Disgusting indeed...

[Steve bennet]

Interesting turn of events. I'm betting this story wasn't told to the bus full of suburbanites channel 7 shuffled into the city.

[DetroitZack]

I drove by recently and there was a truck out front being loaded up. I couldn't make out what it said, it was storming but it said environmental something. Anyone know what's going on now? Maybe being preped for demo?

[detroitbob66]

They are doing the asbestos removal and preparing Mark Twain for DEMO....so very sad

[legalbeagle922]

Saw demolition starting on the Mark Twain Branch today. The dilapitated building next to it remains standing. Anybody got any pics?

[mauser]

They started demolition of the Mark Twain Branch on Gratiot.
http://www.detroitfunk.com/?p=5606

[detroitjim]

It nobby matterin. Dayn't no one using lieberries no more anyhow!

[Detroitej72]

It's always sad to see a library close, and a tragedy to see one reduced to rubble.

[KJ5]

It nobby matterin. Dayn't no one using lieberries no more anyhow!

Thank you Amos n' Andy. What a clever insightful observation on your part!

[Nee]

Thanks for the link to the pics.

Sad to lose a great and free public institution and such a lovely bldg . I wish that someone would have been able to renovate it into something else, [[other than a church, LOL). While library usage has declined over the years, mostly in response to the internet, usually when I go into my branch library, its a decent sized crowd. Ok, most of the people are using the internet....but it good to see people taking advantage of this wonderful public service. Maybe I'm just nostalgic because the library helped open up a world of possibility for me growing up.

As a side note, although we have the Detroit Works Job Program?, it would be a great added resource if DHS would partner with DPL on some kind of employment services program. DPL has been institutional to a number of people in resume writing.

[jonesy]

Seeing that partially demolished library gave me a sick feeling in the gut. I know the books were removed long ago, but what does it say about a community that no longer needs a house of knowledge. Truly sad end for what once was.

[EastsideAl]

Don't blame the community. The community tried like hell to save this library and its books. They saved as many books as the authorities would let them save, and those books are now sitting in a church hall as the "new" Mark Twain Library.

No, it's DPL, City of Detroit, and contractor negligence, along with the work of our erstwhile scrappers on buildings the city chooses to leave open to rot that are wholly to blame for this building's destruction.

[Richard]

Don't blame the community. The community tried like hell to save this library and its books. They saved as many books as the authorities would let them save, and those books are now sitting in a church hall as the "new" Mark Twain Library.

No, it's DPL, City of Detroit, and contractor negligence, along with the work of our erstwhile scrappers on buildings the city chooses to leave open to rot that are wholly to blame for this building's destruction.

While I agree with what you posted it is also the community that puts in place those who make these decisions and allows illegal scrapping free rein.

[East Detroit]

And the same community that forces people to buy foreign crap and not hire minorities.

Stupid community. Feels good to cast blame on them, I suppose. Luckily what happens in the CoD is not a symptom of suburban future. Troy passed their library millage! Whew!!

[antongast]

While I agree with what you posted it is also the community that puts in place those who make these decisions and allows illegal scrapping free rein.

So I'm walking down the street and I see somebody scrapping a building, what am I supposed to do, spit on him?

[Richard]

So I'm walking down the street and I see somebody scrapping a building, what am I supposed to do, spit on him?

The same thing you would do if you saw somebody scrapping your neighbors house, if you have to ask then it explains a lot of why things are what they are.If you are asking seriously then I can further elaborate and maybe give a few pointers on steps to take .

Such as each time somebody damages a building it adds costs which are not only costs to restore the damage but the added costs to the pride of the city ,the added costs to society loosing one more piece of the history that formed our ancestors,the cost to future generations because we choose not to preserve the past and made the decision for future generations that they do not deserve the same as we had.

So in theory a illeagle scrapper is not only destoying the past but also making the choice for every other citizen insuring that the property will not be available in the future.

[antongast]

The same thing you would do if you saw somebody scrapping your neighbors house, if you have to ask then it explains a lot of why things are what they are.

Presumably you mean "the house next door," because if I had a neighbor, the house probably wouldn't be getting scrapped. But yes, I do have to ask: what would I do if I saw somebody scrapping the house next to me?

[Richard]

Presumably you mean "the house next door," because if I had a neighbor, the house probably wouldn't be getting scrapped. But yes, I do have to ask: what would I do if I saw somebody scrapping the house next to me?

I would say that the first response would be to call the police but given responses on this board they would probably not respond as a priority but I also believe that there are some LEO that are really trying to make a difference,log your call times and send the info to the city council members, make it an issue that they really need to address, squeaky wheels do get the grease and if enough of the community stands up they will be forced to address it, you pay them, they do work for you and your community and it is their responsibility and duty to address your concerns or step aside.

Will you calling or emailing that one time make a difference? probably not but sending 5 emails a day copying and pasting something like "When are we going to start addressing and enforcing the scrapping issue?" takes less then two minutes if you get no response your state legislators also work for you then it will be easier to secure buildings and not having to tear them down it is called mothballing and it is done as a common practice elsewhere.

I looked at two different properties one in Detroit and a similar one in another state,roughly same size and built in the same year and have been vacant pretty much the same amount of time ,the one in the other state is intact other then a few broken windows and still has equipment from the sixties in place apples to apples it will cost me over $4,000,000 to do business in Detroit verses the other city as a direct result from damage caused by scrappers and salvaging, the other city has the same problems as Detroit but they are aggressive when it comes to building stability and ensuring future use for public benefit and jobs.

If nobody says anything then nothing gets done ,if nobody presses the issue it becomes acceptable and the result is posts like this building after building going to waste.

[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.

[HistoryNotHisStory]

Demoliton almost Done.

This library was architecutural gem. To watch contractors demolish without regards for salvaging mahoghony bookshelves and gothic arches is sad.