The Michigan Theatre

[buildingsofdetroit]

That wouldn't happen to be a certain boxing robot movie with a certain Australian hunk?

I'm pretty sure I remembered the Free Press reporting a few months ago that Jackman and "REAL STEEL" would be filming at the Michigan Theatre.

[mcsdetroitfriend]

So Gistok it looks like it's alright if you spill the beans on what you know, the Freep already let it slip

[buckster1986]

The Michigan Building is now listed with Auction.com and is slated for auction next month...

http://www.auction.com/Michigan/comm...ce=LoopNet.com

[A2Mike]

The mention of the San Francisco Fox theater reminds me of David Naylor's comment in his "American Picture Palaces" regarding the lobby and grand staircase of the theater: "How could any movie live up to to that lobby?". He could just have easily said that about the Michigan's grand lobby.

[Gistok]

The Michigan Building has ALWAYS been available for sale... if the price was right. Unfortunately this building has a unique set of challenges for a new owner, that were produced by the gutting of the former theatre space by a previous owner in 1976-77,

[WPitonya]

I wonder if Mr. Gilbert would be interested in something like this? It would make a great incubator like the M@dison. He could hold some awesome events in that garage.

[Gistok]

I wonder if Mr. Gilbert would be interested in something like this? It would make a great incubator like the M@dison. He could hold some awesome events in that garage.

Few Michigan buildings have gotten as many architectural visitors [[students and entire classrooms from around the world), as does the unique Michigan Building and former theatre. Commercials, movies and TV shows have all filmed here. Even though 1/2 of the theatre space still exists intact, the cost of ever bringing his once palatial movie palace back to life would exceed $100 million. Theatre historian Ben Hall had his to say of the Michigan in the 1960s... "although [[theatre architects) Rapp & Rapp built 100 theatres in this [[silver screen Versailles) their preferred architectural style, it is doubtful if any were more opulent than the Michigan."

[shovelhead]

Has anyone been to a concert at the Michigan before it was turned into a parking garage? How did the acoustics sound?

I saw Bob Seger there just before Live Bullet was recorded. Also Quicksilver Messenger Service, 74-75

[Dbest]

Only $100 million you think? I know its a ton of money but thats some major restoration work. Would that figure include the entire building[[office part too) being renovated? I have never been able to wrap my head around this place being a parking garage, it's pretty sickening to walk in and see Michigan architectural history reduced to a parking garage.

Is there anywhere else like this place in the world?

That being said, I'm damn glad it still stands so we can still hope.

[Gistok]

Only $100 million you think? I know its a ton of money but thats some major restoration work. Would that figure include the entire building[[office part too) being renovated? I have never been able to wrap my head around this place being a parking garage, it's pretty sickening to walk in and see Michigan architectural history reduced to a parking garage.

Is there anywhere else like this place in the world?

That being said, I'm damn glad it still stands so we can still hope.

Well as we've all seen, the Michigan Building was in the major dailies yesterday as being up for auction. Once it is sold, I will be glad to share my extensive collection of images of the areas many of you have dreamt to visit. Until then, I don't want to jinx it for the owner. However, for those of you who don't know this... the Michigan Building is where DYES is headquartered. Lowell has his offices on the 9th floor...

... where Lowell gets to play God with DYES....

[Gistok]

Here's one image [[not mine) that shows the former theatre.... still a hauntingly beautiful space that draws visitors from around the world....

[animatedmartian]

Michigan Theatre no longer up for auction. No word on why.

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...listed-auction

[Eber Brock Ward]

Michigan Theatre no longer up for auction. No word on why.

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...listed-auction

Wonder if someone saw the auction and wanted to try and buy it via negotiated sale before it went up for bid.

[animatedmartian]

I sort of get the feeling that might have happened, but if it's true, then holy cow Detroit's skyscrapers are really in-demand!

[Gistok]

I've not talked to the owner lately, but I too view this as a good sign. A negotiated sale is preferable to an auction...

Dbest, to answer your earlier question... the office building portion of the building is in very good condition. Like the David Whitney Building, the interior floors have their original marble coverings on the lower half of all the corridors. And the original doors and woodwork are also well maintained on the office floors. The building elevators are also very well maintained, no rough rides here.

Back during the Superbowl, when the Facade Improvement Funds were available to downtown building owners, the Michigan had applied for some of this grant money. They filled out the mountain of paperwork necessary to process this... but the crooked Kwame bureaucracy rejected the paperwork... saying "it was incorrect". The building owner, sensing the rejection was more than a "clerical error"... did not reapply.

[Gistok]

Hiya mcs.... haven't heard from you in a while....

I really don't have anything to "spill" [[other than what I just mentioned).... but I do have about 30 images of the inside of the building that I'll be glad to share... of closed off areas of the former theatre portion. Most show what was done during the gutting of the former theatre back in 1977, and I'll post those soon.

[animatedmartian]

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...ludes-michigan

Crain reporting that Mr. Kefallinos is in the final stages of purchasing the building. Eric Novack of Boydell Development hints at marketing the building as a hub for start up businesses.

[jmpatrick]

What happened with this building? Still in limbo?

[K-slice]

Currently for sale, along with a whole real estate portfolio from Dennis Kefallinos.
http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...es-up-for-sale

[Lowell]

DetroitYES "World HQ", and our affiliate internet solutions company Assembly Line Technologies has just move from there to TechTown. The move was inspired by the better networking opportunities for Assembly Line Tech. The building and services were more than adequate for our needs and I would recommend the Michigan Building to anyone seeking an affordable space with great views of downtown. And I will miss parking in the former theater garage.

My sources tell me that the Kefallinos sale offering is insincere, meaning if he can make a killing he will sell, but is in no particular hurry. IMO he would benefit from waiting. The former Wayne County building across the street is in process of being converted to apartments. Cater-corner ground has broken on the former Statler site for the luxury Detroit City apartments and the Ilitch's have announced plans to covert the United Artists Building across Clifford into apartments/retail.

[Vitalis]

Gistok, you old Orangutan, why do you know so much? I have my memories of the old Downtown movie houses, but you...you take the discussion to a much loftier level. Are you an architect? An acoustical engineer? Was your Uncle Louie a projectionist? Spill, Gistok, spill!
March, 1965, for my birthday I wanted to go downtown to a movie. So several friends accompanied me to the Michigan to see, what turned out to be, a dreadful, Frank Sinatra war flick, "None But the Brave." We bussed down Grand River to get to the theater, so we had to pass Olympia, where the Wings were playing a matinee. The disappointment on the faces of my "friends" was overwhelming as we passed up the game for yet another WWII movie, but I wanted to worship the film arts at The Michigan Theater. And it was my birthday, dammit! If I were a billionaire I would buy and restore The Michigan, even if there weren't a realistic number of events to keep the utilities turned on - what would I care!

[Gistok]

Vitalis, I know the former building owner, who is a really great guy. He gave me a tour of the entire former theatre closed off spaces... some of which are rather dangerous at such dizzying heights. Some of my old images are no longer on this thread... but I have them saved to Flickr...

The procenium arch above the stage... when not hidden in perpetual twilight... it's really still quite colorful... I do believe that since this space was nearly 8 stories up... that these are the original colors. Most smaller spaces were repained a bland color when ornate fell out of favor for movie theatres...

https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4084/5...1d807f8d_b.jpg

I got to see surviving parts of the theatre that are now in closed off in perpetual twilight.... such as the east Mezzanine Rotunda.... [[the original gilded and marbled painting was painted over in the 50s to a bland color)...

https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4087/5...23960f19_b.jpg

The once gilded and marbled 2nd balcony rotunda, also painted over in bland colors in the 1950s [[so you wouldn't have to look at all that old stuff anymore).... in the distance is the 2nd balcony foyer going off into the darkness....

https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4104/5...b7478373_b.jpg

The Grand Lobby ceiling painted a tacky purple in the 1950s, also hiding the original "sundown" colors...

https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4089/5...74e2a437_b.jpg

And the most surprising closed off section of all in the former theatre space.... the great false window... which can be seen from the street... but not appreciated as it can inside. The former building owner spent a great deal of money trying to restore this space... but sadly no one noticed... This is a false window, because the actual Grand Lobby is about 40 ft. back from this window [[offices and foyer space in between)... and the architect wanted to give the impression that you were looking inside the glorious lobby. False windows are not rare.... but none was ever built that was larger than that of the Michigan Theatre. Formerly a long thin chandelier was hung and lit from the top of this half silo shaped room. There's a feeling of exhilaration and a loss of perspective and distance of space in this mind boggling area... that was never meant to be visited by the public....

https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4148/5...05c4074b_b.jpg

[Lowell]

On a related manner, the theater area, meaning the top floor of the parking lot has been closed to parking as of a couple or so weeks ago. It was said to have been closed due to falling plaster chunks.

The new owner put considerable expense in an attempt to restructure that dramatic space into an event venue, clearing and cleaning stairways and constructing a metal railing fence on the edge of the balcony. A schedule free showing of the movie 8 Mile, for which the space had been used as a famous set, was announced, then canceled. Later work stopped. Speculation is that the fire marshal kaboshed it.