By Sherri Welch

After struggling financially for more than 16 years amid declining membership, The Detroit Club last week sold its historic Cass Avenue building to a longtime member and his wife.

Nick and Lorna Abraham, co-owners of Woodward Parking Co. Inc. and several other buildings in Detroit and partners in Handy Parking Inc., bought the 35,000-square-foot Romanesque Revival building and its contents for an undisclosed amount July 11.

The Abrahams plan to open the building to the public in about a month for showers, wedding receptions, banquets, meetings and auto show events -- once its halls, furniture and memorabilia are cleaned and polished and the 1892 building, a registered national landmark, has a new roof.

"It's a beautiful building ... it was really wonderful in its day," said Lorna Abraham, vice president of Woodward Parking.

"It needs to have new life, and it needs to be saved."

The couple plan to keep Detroit's Opus One restaurant on as caterer for large events and is working with owner James Kokas to set rental rates for the building, she said.

During its 119-year history, the building played a pivotal role as a private, secure place to meet away from the public eye.

Continued at: http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...-tenant-events

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