University Club next to fall?

[casscorridor]

Some people have said that it will add to the tax rolls but will it? For every new business opening up, how many are closing or failing? I hope this guy isn't a mini-me version of Maroun.

It won't add much. And we really don't need another Liquor store!!!

I don't know how many businesses are closing as opposed to opening. But I wouldn't be surprised if the new businesses are concentrated closest to the core. Funny, cuz judging by the data by the foundations, you'd think the opposite. Looks like people want to live and invest in the urban core.

No reason why this building can't sit longer until it can be renovated. Can anyone say Jefferson Ave Rail?

[bailey]

No, man. I AGREE WITH YOU! This building is totally obsolete and needs to be torn down for something that puts it back on the tax rolls. Get rid of all that outdated architecture and put up something people can appreciate, such as a liquor store, parking lot, fast-food emporium or gas station. That's what we need in this city! Not that old, crappy 20th century stuff!

do something about it or shut the fuck up. impotently posting sarcastic quips on a website isnt saving any buildings.

Just because the landlord has the deed doesn't mean it is right for him to tear a building that could be saved.

yes. it does. end of story. quit bitching.

No reason why this building can't sit longer until it can be renovated. Can anyone say Jefferson Ave Rail?

considering it;s going to be another decade or three before the M1 line even makes it to Royal Oak... I think that is a "no" on the whole "just wait until Jeff ave rail gets there" schtick.

[Huggybear]

If you think he's going to demolish it, and it's demolition as of right, you have to fight it in other ways.

Detroit Zoning Board
The Michigan Liquor Control Commission
Detroit City Counsel

He can't simply tear down a 40,000 square foot building to erect a small party store; you need a lot of special permits to do that, permits that involve public hearings.

I'm not in favor of that site's becoming a bigger version of Ammori's Liquor Shop. I'm going to start contacting people tomorrow. I wouldn't waste my time bitching about it here.

[mwilbert]

I have seen no evidence that preservation of buildings is a high priority of the average Detroiter. I don't think that increased democracy would save many more buildings.

I like old buildings, and think it is important to keep irreplaceable structures intact, but I can see why people might have other priorities.

[n7hn]

If you think he's going to demolish it, and it's demolition as of right, you have to fight it in other ways.

Detroit Zoning Board
The Michigan Liquor Control Commission
Detroit City Counsel

He can't simply tear down a 40,000 square foot building to erect a small party store; you need a lot of special permits to do that, permits that involve public hearings.

I'm not in favor of that site's becoming a bigger version of Ammori's Liquor Shop. I'm going to start contacting people tomorrow. I wouldn't waste my time bitching about it here.

for some reason Anita Baker comes to mind, tee hee

[GPCharles]

Home to one of the two rackets courts in Detroit, together with 4 [[old-style) squash courts and 1 doubles squash court, with a very low ceiling which made it almost unplayable.

I have been in the place and it is a complete mess. We couldn't even get into the basement where the athletic facilities are located. The stairway was full of junk.

[Mackinaw]

okay, so there's no market for classy young alumni hangout spots in Detroit anymore-- sad but true. But the historically significant structure need not be used for that purpose alone. Why can't he put his liquor store inside of the four walls that already there? Why the waste, and why the lack of protection?

[EastsideAl]

I thought this was a bad April Fool's joke. Tear down the beautiful and historic University Club for yet another ugly concrete block liquor store? No, please no. That must be stopped. This city really has to stop eating itself or there's soon going to be no real city left here.

Oh, and for the property rights radicals above, you are simply wrong. There are several steps that can intervene between owning a structure and ripping it down to replace it with a liquor store. Including very often historical review of the importance and character of the structure involved. Courts have consistently held that there are overriding public interests that may intercede, and that such restrictions are valid and lawful.

[belleislerunner]

It doesn't seem to be anything more than sloppy reporting by the reporter - John Gallagher. The reporter probably saw that the building traded hands on some real estate blog. So he called up the buyer and said "Hi - I'm the Free Press. What are you planning to do with this building?" The buyer is caught off guard, and isn't sure how to respond "before hanging up." So the sensational reporter assumes - since I never receieved a 12 page powepoint deck and cash flow analysis of the value of this property or its ROI- I'll spread fear that it could be bulldozed anytime soon. Classy...

[Detroitnerd]

do something about it or shut the fuck up. impotently posting sarcastic quips on a website isnt saving any buildings.

Oh, no, man. I AGREE with you. We need to tear all this stuff down! Why are you so hostile?

[bailey]

okay, so there's no market for classy young alumni hangout spots in Detroit anymore-- sad but true. But the historically significant structure need not be used for that purpose alone. Why can't he put his liquor store inside of the four walls that already there? Why the waste, and why the lack of protection?

Uh, again. This guy bought it after the YWCA ran it into the ground. Where is the condemnation of the YWCA and their incompetent stewardship of this historically significant structure?

Oh, and for the property rights radicals above, you are simply wrong. There are several steps that can intervene between owning a structure and ripping it down to replace it with a liquor store. Including very often historical review of the importance and character of the structure involved. Courts have consistently held that there are overriding public interests that may intercede, and that such restrictions are valid and lawful.

It is my understanding the building is neither on any historical register nor in a historic district. The only thing this guy needs is a demo permit to take it down. historically significant or not, it likely wouldn't matter. See, Baker, Anita, oldest brick structure in Detroit, Little Harry's. See also: IHOP.

[n7hn]

SO........ the big question now is.....who is gonna be so outraged.....to file the application for historical status/protection?

and I agree the YWCA should also be somewhat accountable, even just morally. A couple businesses show at that address so apparently they had some rental income off it as well , shame shame

[EastsideAl]

Unfortunately, the YWCA was basically broke at the time they left the University Club building. They moved to that building when their old Albert Kahn designed building was slated for demolition for Comerica Park. At the time they hoped that the move to the more prominent location on Jefferson would boost their membership and the number of people using their facilities. Alas, pretty much the opposite happened, and particularly with the competition from the new and better appointed Boll YMCA on Broadway, they soon found themselves with a shrinking membership and an older building they didn't have the funds to maintain.

[bailey]

SO........ the big question now is.....who is gonna be so outraged.....to file the application for historical status/protection?

and I agree the YWCA should also be somewhat accountable, even just morally. A couple businesses show at that address so apparently they had some rental income off it as well , shame shame

to your first; i'm betting no one.

To your second, let's not let the Club itself off the hook. If Grand Rapids can keep a university club going since the 20s how can the Detroit area not? Hell, just about every major city in the country has a U club. Is there really not a market for it here, but there is one in Phoenix?

[EastsideAl]

The University Club went bankrupt in 1992.

I would guess that Grand Rapids has a greater percentage of its business community in the central city than Detroit does. Almost all other sizable cities do. But with the extreme decentralization of business and offices in Detroit, the core population isn't really there for many of old-style clubs like this. The DAC still operates, and Yondetega obviously, there's still a club in the Ren Cen - any others downtown? Is the Detroit Club still active? The Racquet Club?

[bailey]

The University Club went bankrupt in 1992.

I would guess that Grand Rapids has a greater percentage of its business community in the central city than Detroit does. Almost all other sizable cities do. But with the extreme decentralization of business and offices in Detroit, the core population isn't really there for many of old-style clubs like this. The DAC still operates, and Yondetega obviously, there's still a club in the Ren Cen - any others downtown? Is the Detroit Club still active? The Racquet Club?

Ok, so Detroit has fallen so far that it can't support a U club. Fine. I'll concede that. Lord knows that a college education is generally a ticket out of here, so I can see how the U Club might have found it hard to recruit. So here we are again... stuck with a purpose built property that no longer has a purpose. Not only does it not have a purpose, its done the standard 20 year Detroit death spiral from functioning but needing repairs building; to incompetent stewards with grandiose ideas; to being destroyed by scrappers; to the final hue and cry over it's inevitable ignominious end.

[LeannaM]

Too bad Detroit can't put their old, useless brick buildings on a truck and send them to a city that would have use for them.

[Bearinabox]

Too bad Detroit can't put their old, useless brick buildings on a truck and send them to a city that would have use for them.

Too bad everybody keeps fucking leaving.

[LeannaM]

True. I just wish that you could move entire buildings more easily. Obviously other cities have lots of vacant buildings as well. And there are other cities that [[probably moreso once the economy recovers) would like older buildings to use.

[WaCoTS]

hm.
awful lot of speculation based on a very short and tentative newspaper article....

[n7hn]

I heard the building was gonna be filled with widows and orphans, then torn down then burned......

[Danny]

Some folks can't appreciate fine Detroit historic architecture. Let's protest that party store onwer. Save the University Club Building.

[Mackinaw]

Bailey, I understand that, but my point is: regardless of what happened in the past, we still have a resource sitting there. It is not unusable; it's an outright waste to not attempt to re-use the structure, as the owner's quote clearly indicate. But in the end I am with Ndavies on one small matter: I don't own it and am in no position to own it, and I thus have no authority. The best we can do is peer pressure the owner to act in a way that respects history and would benefit the city immensely...and [[though Ndavies might not agree here) we can use land use law to the greatest possible legal extent to protect something for its historical and architectural merits.

Indeed, the YWCA should stand to be blamed for cursing the building's future viability. Whether we should expend effort to preserve something which is still treasured, useful, and potentially valuable again over the long run is a different question.

[Rocko]

Sounds like a real winner acquired this property:

Quote:
What do you want me to do with it? I don’t know. … What are you going to do with it if you had it?� he said before hanging up.

Well, you bought it you dumb ass......sorry its too much to ask what your plans are. Not like they just dropped a beautiful building with some awesome windows and architecture on your stupid lap and left you with it.

I really hope this building can be saved....the beautiful leaded diamond pane windows and architecture are amazing. It fronts both Jefferson and Larned; it seems like a good location but I'm not sure what the best adaptive use would be. If the interior is really such a mess, a more modern inside with a restored exterior would probably be more cost effective.

Here are a few photos:


from Flickr


from Flickr.....beautiful windows!


more Flickr

[bailey]

Bailey, I understand that, but my point is: regardless of what happened in the past, we still have a resource sitting there. It is not unusable; it's an outright waste to not attempt to re-use the structure, as the owner's quote clearly indicate. But in the end I am with Ndavies on one small matter: I don't own it and am in no position to own it, and I thus have no authority. The best we can do is peer pressure the owner to act in a way that respects history and would benefit the city immensely...and [[though Ndavies might not agree here) we can use land use law to the greatest possible legal extent to protect something for its historical and architectural merits.

Indeed, the YWCA should stand to be blamed for cursing the building's future viability. Whether we should expend effort to preserve something which is still treasured, useful, and potentially valuable again over the long run is a different question.

Peer pressure doesn't pay the bills. And I would bet that liquor/lotto/check cashing store owners don't buy buildings to lovingly restore them. I guess one can hope the guy isn't as much of a d-bag that he probably is. Although I'm reminded of a saying my grandpa had about hoping in one hand and crapping in the other....