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Would it be a great idea to do a Downriver communities version of the Fabulous Ruins of Detroit Tour? Where we can see the triumph and tragedy of Allen Park, Brownstown Twp., Ecorse, Flat Rock, Gibraltar, Grosse Ile, Huron Twp., Lincoln Park, Melvindale, River Rouge, Riverview, Rockwood, Romulus, Southgate, Taylor, Trenton, Woodhaven and Wyandotte? Such as that mostly-abandoned strip mall at Eureka and Dix?
Let's get started here. I really love the area. It has so much character, unpretentious hard-working honesty and its known history runs back beyond the French.
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Hey LowellQuote:
Originally Posted by mtburb
There were still a few business' there, however over time, their leases were not renewed. I've heard that the entire buildings are supposed to be razed to make way for a Wal-mart's. No idea what the delay is.
Another mostly empty mall is the former Southgate at Eureka and Trenton Roads, which for may years included both a Ward's and a Federal's.
One area of rejuvenation is the former Korvette's property at Fort and Trenton-Pennsylvania, which was an eyeysore for a good many years as the former Korvette's lay vacant and for sale. In fact on the west side of the street is an auto dealer that was originally located in Ecorse [[W. Jefferson and a few blocks south of Southfield) until the early 70's [[Stu Evans Lincoln-Mercury). In close proximity was the former Fort-George Drive-in Theater.
What is in the place of the places you mentioned now and how long? Including the dark hi-rise nearby that now houses a PNC?Quote:
Originally Posted by wilderness
The former Korvette property is the entire east side of Fort St., beginning at a Car wash, then McDonald's and even a bit further a White Castle. There must be at least twenty of more outlets on the property today.Quote:
Originally Posted by mtburb
It's interesting to note that on the west side of Fort St., and when I was young there was a small carnival [[year-around; although it was not open on the winter) on the "point" of property of which Fort St., and Trenton Roads intersect. "Wonderland" was there until at least the the late-1960's.
There's a restaurant that sits way back [[behind McDonal's) that was there when Korvette's was open, and remains open today. Name escapes me.
As to your inquire of the PNC Bldg., that was initially built and owned by Security Bank [[defunct). Last time I was in that building many of the offices were vacant.
Directly in front of that bldg and what is today the adjoining Meijer's was building that held a variety of tenants for years, with the longest being the Mich MESC, however initially it was an Arlan's or a Shopper's Fair, believe at one time it was even a grocery store.
River Rouge, Ecorse and the area known as Southwest Detroit [[beginning at the Fort St., drawbridge over the Rouge River and heading south) were thriving communities until I-75 opened.
Even Melvindale was vibrant.
Which security bank?Quote:
Originally Posted by wilderness
[br]Quote:
Originally Posted by mtburb
I'm not sure if your being facetious or your inquiry is genuine?
[br][br] At one time there were four Security Bank's in four different locations in Lincoln Park alone. More in other cities. Their original bank was located next to the former Lincoln Park theater. Later they bought an adjoining building and some more buildings in the same long block, however south of the former Mellus Newspaper bldg.
[br][br]
Fort & Oconnor, Dix and St. John, Dix and ?? [[north of Quandt Park), and Fort and Leblanc. They out grew their main and scattered administration office and built the building with a regular bank on the first floor on Trenton Road, just west of Fort St.
[br][br]
There must be some old pics somewhere?
[br][br]
They were in business until at least the early 1990's.
OK, for the record:Quote:
Originally Posted by wilderness
Security Bank
then became Security Bank and Trust;
then became First of America,
then became National City,
then became PNC.
The building was a Shopper's Fair in the early 60's. For those of you too young, it was where folks went to shop before Kmart opened on Eureka in 1962. There was a Duff's Smorgasboard there back in the 80's, they're still in business in some states. I don't remember the Wonderland, I do remember when the Metro pcs store was a Jack In the Box.Quote:
Originally Posted by wilderness
P.S. The grocery store was a Great Scott.Quote:
Originally Posted by The Dude
I've taken pictures in a lot of the cities listed. Ecorse especially interests me. Its downtown is depressed but has some excellent buildings.
I'd hardly call much of Downriver "ruinous"... It may have a large amount of vacant commercial space, but it's not as if it is in ruin. Downtown Wyandotte is probably one of the nicest of all the suburban urban nodes, and while the rest of the cities might not be as "cool" or "vibrant" as the SE Oakland Woodward Corridor communities only Ecorse and River Rouge are really economically depressed. The rest of the communities just have a lot of unnecessary [[and arguably outdated) commercial development surrounded by typical middle-class and working class neighborhoods.
BTW, there is definitely a good reason why that strip mall at Eureka and Dix is vacant. The rest of the area is virtually 100% occupied, so it's no coincidence that all of those storefronts remain vacant. I've never heard of a development going in there, but I really hope they don't build a Walmart. Hell, I think it would be interesting if they built a cheesy lifestyle center or some kind of walkable development. It would be nice to turn that intersection into a sort of "downtown" for Southgate.
Walmart already has been given the green light to build there.Quote:
Originally Posted by hudkina
That's awful...
ick:[[Quote:
Originally Posted by The Dude
I ate at Duff's... wasn't it more late 70's?
Went to many a movie at Ft. George and shopped at Korvettes and Federal's.
Is that a Michigan thing, to make the names of places possessive? I do that too.Quote:
Originally Posted by freckles
When I first started buying records as a kid in the 70s, I bought them at the Riverview Korvette's. I believe single albums were $3.99 on sale when they came out. My parents bought their first food processor there. I remember when the movie "Annie Hall" came out, there was a big display of the layered clothing Diane Keaton wore in the movie. I don't think the trend really took off, though the idea of women walking around Downriver dressed like that makes me laugh.
Downtown Wyandotte is nice, but they should have things like small groceries and fruit markets there so that people can live down there and get what they need within walking distance. Kind of like Campau in Hamtramck. If they had those amenities, I'd probably move there. It has such potential.
I used to enjoy Java Joe's and the B.C. Beans coffee shop that was in the building that burned down. Unfortunately The Grind, the worst of the 3 coffee shops there, was the only one to survive AFAIK. The only time I went in there they served me the worst latte I've ever had. I never went back.
I used to love going to Gail's Office Supply. For a nerd like me it was better than a toy store.
I was sad to see that Good Eats closed. I used to go to their old space, which is now Joe's Hamburger's. Haven't been there yet. Any opinions?
I used to love the Stonehenge neon sign on Jefferson. I read that it was at various times a metal bar and possible a gay bar, but it's now closed. Is the sign still there?
Is the old Harbor Theater gone? I haven't been down there in quite a while. Never went in there, because it showed porn when I was a kid.
Is the Auburn Cafe worth a trip?
. The Harbor was razed in the 80's, there was once a Rally's Hamburgers there.Quote:
Originally Posted by Downriver Gal
Possesives, as in I work at Ford's and shop at Kmart's?
Yup. Some of my relatives worked at Ford's. I used to shop at Great Scott's and A&P's, now I shop at Kroger's.Quote:
Originally Posted by The Dude
I'm 56 and I';ve never heard anyone say A&P'SQuote:
Originally Posted by Downriver Gal
yOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT THE hARBOR WAS LONG GONE? Excuse the caps, sorry, I don't go to Ecorse much either.
Ruins of Downriver; does this mean I don't have to cut my lawn this summer? Excellent!
sorry now that you mention it i vaguely remember seeing that rally's but it's been ages since i was down there so i couldn't remember if the harbor was there or not. :dQuote:
Originally Posted by the dude
ETA: Rats, I guess the forum won't let you post a run-on sentence in all caps. So much for my little joke.
My wife still has her Korvette's charge card. We purchased our Super8 movie camera, projector and screen there in 1972. We are still using the dining room table and chairs my mother bought there in the 60's from there.
I remember the opening of the Southgate Shopping Center in 1958. I got my first helicopter ride in front of the Federal's. In the early 70's I worked a summer at Montgomery Ward. There was also a Woolworth store in the center.
How about the building at Fort Street and Sibley in Riverview. It use to have a Farmer Jacks, Dunhams, some hair salon, the Golden China Restaurant and a pet store. All have closed but the Dunham's. When I was growing up, the Farmer Jack's building was a Yankee's Department Store. I'll tell ya, I still miss Farmer Jack's! And The Golden China had the best Szeuchuen Chicken, but the owners have apparently retired and now it's gone too.
I used to work across the street at Showboat Cinema back in the early 80's. Haven't seen it in a while, but I think it's a big empty building now.
Does anyone remember the Pandora movie theater on Telegraph in Taylor, next to the old Red Barn restaurant? It was an extremely shabby 2nd run theater in the mid-80s. I think it's now a medical center.
If you all want to see more Downriver Ruins, go to Downtown Lincoln Park.
When Ecorse city broke away from its township phase since 1941, it didn't have a downtown. There were no proposed Downtown Ecorse to this day, only a two floor 1970-esque City Hall complex.Quote:
Originally Posted by DetroitZack
Look at the bright side most dowriver cities still have the old fashioned A&W Car Hop restaurants. You not going to see any moye A&W Car Hops at the rest of the Metro-Detroit Area. Sonic Car Hop Restuarants are popping up all over the Tri-County Area competing against McDonald's Burger King, White Castle and A&W.Quote:
Originally Posted by thewitz
The Cathay House on Dix in LP has been there forever; is it any good? Loung Hing in Taylor used to have wonderful almond chicken; unfortunately they went downhill years ago. Just finding good old school Chinese downriver is difficult nowadays.Quote:
Originally Posted by thewitz
Ward's gone since 1999, Parts of the corner of Southgate Shopping Area was demolished. Federal's Dept. Store Closed went through a series of Dept. Stores like Korvette's Until it become Service Mechandise. Later the building was demolished.Quote:
Originally Posted by lpg
There used to be a Home Improvement Warehouse call Home Quarters HQ at the Eureka and Dix shopping district. It suffered extreme banruptcy reorganization and close its location. It combined with Builder's Square then went bankrupt again. This time for good. There also used to be a Best Buy electronics store. It closed when HQ closed. Now open in its new location at Southland Mall. That area will the new home of proposed Wal-Mart after the folks of Lincoln Park fought to keep Wal-Mart from buying the Old Sears Plaza with Sears Anchor Dept Store.Quote:
Originally Posted by hudkina
Actually it was a small group called No Downriver Wal-Mart that fought to keep Wal-Mart from coming to Lincoln Park. However, I had heard that the reason they didn't come to Lincoln Park had more to do with the fact that they could not get an easement from the City of Allen Park. They would of needed to use the old Farmer Jack's land, in back, which is in Allen Park. But if you ask City of Lincoln Park they will tell you that no one ever called them directly from Wal-Mart.Quote:
Originally Posted by Danny
I do believe that the Wal Mart is going in at Southfield and Dix, not Eureka and Dix.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hhockey
No, its going to Dix and Eureka. Folks in Lincoln Park and Allen Park don't want an EVIL Wal-Mart in their area.
Nope, its coming to Eureka and Dix [[Southgate) not Southfield and Dix [[Lincoln Park) and the News Herald announced it last October.Quote:
Originally Posted by hhockey
http://www.thenewsherald.com/article...9532496445.txt
Sorry i was misinformed. The Dix shopping center is nearly empty and that leases would not be renewed.. They apparently wrongly told me that Wal mart decision was reconsidered.
The sad thing is that while the rest of the commercial space at that intersection is virtually 100% occupied, once the Walmart is built I guarantee those businesses will begin dropping like flies. We'll go from having one vacant big box strip mall surrounded by several dozen small and medium-sized viable businesses to one massive congestion-inducing big box store surrounded by dozens of empty retail outlets...
It was stated at a Lincoln Park city council meeting in 2009 that the shopping center went into bankruptcy and that the bank was anxious to fill those spaces. Someone on the city council had talked to someone affiliated with the shopping center. However, I did hear from someone, earlier in the year, wanting to lease in the shopping center that the broker told them that the owners were not letting him fill the spaces because they were anticipating Wal-Mart wanting to come in there. This person was unaware of Wal-Mart coming to Southgate or the News Herald story announcing it.Quote:
Originally Posted by hhockey
Shong Hey, In Trenton is a good old school place to eat. The decor hasn't changed for the 20 years I've been going there.Quote:
Originally Posted by Downriver Gal
I remember shopping with my mom in the early 50's in downtown Lincoln Park. A lot of nice stores to choose from, Fishers, Sims, Truans, Grinnells, Halligans etc. The median parking helped keep it going.Quote:
Originally Posted by Danny
Another sad part of Lincoln Park is the Lincoln Park Plaza. The parking lot looks like a war was fought in it. Potholes that look like bomb craters. I watched it being built. The ACO store was a C.F. Smith grocery in the beginning. I believe the old CVS store was a Packers grocery. It opened around 1955. Another great selection of stores. Lerners, Winklemans, Saunders, Good Housekeeping Shops, Kresge, Shifrin Jewelers, Cunningham-Kinsels Drug store, People's Outfitting [[Later Hudson's Budget Store), etc. A side note to the building of the LP Plaza. While under construction, the building contractor asked my mother if he could use our water to mix mortar, plaster etc. When the water bill arrived, she took it to the construction trailer and asked for the money. He told her not to bother him. She walked back to our house, shut the water off and threw the hose over the fence. He came running over screaming he needed the water and tried to come in our yard. Mom told him she would call the cops if he set foot on our property. He left and returned with the money for the water bill. After that the bill was paid right away.
Well Chirelli's closed market in Lincoln Park may be a ruin. I saw on another thread that Clemente's is due to close this summer. That can be another too if it does indeed close.
lpg, i believe thesupermarket you are talking about was Big Bear first, then Wrigley b4 Packer. I think Great Scott was the last grocery store in there b4 it became Arbor-CVS.Quote:
Originally Posted by lpg
I think this was Originally the Jerry Lewis Theater wasn't it?Quote:
Originally Posted by Downriver Gal
Then there is also the old Kmart on Telegraph over in Flat Rock that is sitting empty.
I think this is how it went:Quote:
Originally Posted by The Dude
It began as Big Bear,
then became Wrigley,
then became Packer,
then became Great Scott,
then became Arbor Drugs,
then became CVS.
Another disadvantage, the community will go from countless occupied homes to a ghost town with no occupied buildings except the Walmart.Quote:
Originally Posted by hudkina
I heard from a friend that works for O'Reilly [[Murray's) Auto Parts that they purchased Clemente's property and will put up a warehouse there. Chiarelli's was a sad story. I purchased my meats there for a long time. To see the place slowly die was bad. The front overhang is now starting to fall apart.Quote:
Originally Posted by jackie5275
I lived in Ecorse from 1985-89. I worked at Calder Bros. Dairy making ice cream, and had a Freep motor route which covered much of the city, part of River Rouge and the part of Detroit they called "Dogleg." I used to walk down to eat at Taco Especial all the time [[I lived on 9th off Southfield).
Around 1999-2001 I lived in Lincoln Park, on Dix a couple blocks from Zukin's.
My dad worked at McLouth Steel in Trenton from 1955-75. That place qualifies as ruins.
And don't forget about the lovely abandoned steel mills in Trenton along W. Jefferson on the East side of the street [[riverside) and once you get past, I think it's Van Horn there is one that is abandoned on the West side of Jefferson, almost to Gibralter. Not to mention Seaway Hospital in Trenton on W. Jefferson.
Sorry I missed your post, it was on the 2nd page, which I did not see.Quote:
Originally Posted by lpg
Correction: That's Riverside, not Seaway Hospital on Jefferson. Seaway is alive and kicking on Fort Street as Oakwood Southshore Medical Center.Quote:
Originally Posted by thewitz
Only difference is that ALL Arbors became CVS.Quote:
Originally Posted by mtburb
No problem. The steel plant on the west side of Jefferson south of Vreeland Road in Gibralter was also McLouth Steel. It was the pickling plant. The hospital in Trenton on Jefferson was Riverside Hospital. It is supposed to be torn down at some point.Quote:
Originally Posted by thewitz
And on the northside of LPPLaza,Quote:
Originally Posted by The Dude
National
Chatham
A.C.E.
ACO
Please correct me if I am wrong.
Just drive down Eureka in Taylor between 75 and Telegraph. Now gone:
LA Z BOY
Mountain Jack's
Baker's Square
Star Theatre
Rio Bravo [[empty for a decade)
Circuit City [[in some areas Circuit City is now hhgregg)
Media Play
Staples
PETCO
Value City Dept. Store
I have heard that the deal is done for Walmart to start building at Dix and Eureka.
How about the news today that Lincoln Park has been awarded some 40 plus new liquor permits which they will use to revitalize their downtown area.
Not shot and a beer bars mind you, but bistros, high end sports bars and the like which they hope to resemble Royal Oak. Yes more liquor and more drunks to the city is just what this low rent place needs now. The new Southwest Detroit is not going to improve this way, sure.
Actually, Southwest Detroit, along Vernor, looks better than downtown Lincoln Park due to Kathy Wendler and the Southwest Detroit Business Association.Quote:
Originally Posted by Signman
They have a terrific facade grant program.
Well until recently Fogel Furniture in downtown Wyandote could qualify as a Fabulous Ruin of Downriver. Until they tore it down and revaled the brick on the southern exterior wall of the city hall [[which was a Federal's fifty plus years ago).
Including this one? http://detroityes.com/nhood/21newcenarbordrug.htmQuote:
Originally Posted by The Dude
Actually all Detroit National City's became PNC.Quote:
Originally Posted by The Dude
All correct except the first store to occupy the building was C.F Smith, another grocery chain.Quote:
Originally Posted by The Dude
I talked to Al Chiarelli today. He works in the meat department at the Meijer store in Lincoln Park. I didn't ask him about the store closing.
Miss a day on here miss alot. Now that I think about it The Dude is right about Eureka btwn 75 and Telegraph. I can remember when most them buildings went up. Kinda reminds me of Westland.
Doing a major 1+ year bump on this to post a link to a Tripod-hosted website that contains lots on Downriver over the years:
http://rimes12.tripod.com/downriver.html
Even though it has not been updated since 2009, I would still reccommend this site if you want to know a Downriver business you went to that's no longer there and what it's address was. But beware of pop-ups since it is hosted by Tripod!
Another bump. Today, I went to Southland Center and near the mall offices, there are two aerial images of Southland: One from 1970 and one from 2007. I have uploaded two images: The 1970 aerial and a comparison. Noticed how much has changed? A smaller version of the 1970 aerial is also my profile picture.
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