Good news about the Phoenix Apartments (St. Albertus area)

I don't know much about the history of the Phoenix apartments, aside from this clipping from a newspaper, which I'm certain I found here but am not sure from who:

http://detroiturbex.com/pringles/7%20copy.jpg

For the last few years the apartment complex has been abandoned:

http://detroiturbex.com/pringles/_MG_1925.jpg

http://detroiturbex.com/pringles/_MG_1934.jpg

But when I drove past it recently, work was underway:

http://detroiturbex.com/pringles/_MG_7712.jpg

http://detroiturbex.com/pringles/_MG_7716.jpg

The area was fenced off, and roofing materials were stacked up everywhere. I hope that work is going forward to fix these up, it would be great for St. Albertus and the neighborhood.

Anyone have any details?

I think Danny used to call those "Crackhead Estates". Used to crack me up.

I was driving up St. Aubin one evening about a month ago, and saw guys pulling stuff out of one of the units. I thought they were scrapping, because there were no commercial signs on their trucks. So I called the police, got out of my car and started bitching at them about how a*holes like them are the reason this city is falling to pieces, blah, blah, blah. They just stood there staring at me. Then a guy walked up to me and handed me a card from the renovation company they worked for, just as the police were pulling up. If I could've crawled under a rock I would have.... ugh.

Does anyone remember the Felician Sisters Mother House that in parts predated St. Albertus? Talk about a Victorian pile of brick, stone and gables and towers...looked like something out 1860's London. Torn down in the late 60's or early 70's. The apartments replaced the old structure. The building had served various educational purposes since the nuns relocated to Livonia in the 1920's.

I just spent the day Saturday with a small group clearing away more overgrown trees/weeds from the St. Albertus parking lot. It would be nice to see some activity across from the church. the abandoned complex as it stands makes some visitors to St. Albertus a little uncomfortable I'm sure.