GAR Building

[Russix]

thats what i recall as well. from wikipedia, thought i can't find original article

The Detroit Free Press reported on April 7, 2007 that the GAR Building had been sold to Olympia Development, an arm of Ilitch Holdings, Inc.. The Ilitch family also owns the Detroit Red Wings and the Detroit Tigers, as well as the United Artists Theatre Building.
The Free Press stated that the sale price was $220,500. Olympia Development expected to renovate the building at a cost of $2 million, and use it for its staff, though the purchase of the GAR by the Ilitch family was later rescinded. The property was then sold to Mindfield USA, a Detroit-based media company who plan to renovate the building for use as their headquarters.

I guess its official: http://www.freep.com/comments/articl...given-new-life

[rb336]

WooHoo!!!!

[rb336]

and i never woohoo

[MSUguy]

I know that many people think very highly of Ilitch [[I realize others don't), but the reality is, they are clearly not the best at development. They could have easily done what Gilbert is doing, and could have been doing so since the 1990s. Almost any of their buildings could be profitable as residential lofts and they probably could have worked out tax credits to pay for the cost. For whatever reason, they simply cannot get it together. Ilitch's buildings could be generating serious revenue right now instead of just eating into their balance sheet.

I don't that it's they are "bad" at development I think the lack of action on Ilitch properties still comes down to building a new hockey arena. When they were trying to buy the building in 2006, the rumor was that they were basically going to level everything behind the Fox. Even though they said they were buying it to redevelop, the Madison-Lenox had just been demolished and there was a bit of worry that the GAR under their ownership would meet a similar fate. Really until the arena issues get settled I don't think you're going to see much from Ilitch.

[lizaanne]

Any photos of the inside anywhere? I know.....I'll do a search!!!!!

[lizaanne]

http://www.detroitfunk.com/?p=126

That's going to be cool.

[agrahlma]

This is great news. I remember driving past this place every weekend, many years ago, on my way to City Club and thinking…if I ever win the lotto, I’ll buy this place, fix it up, and live there.

[mikefmich]

Nuts..guess the old 3rd precinct bldg. moves to the top of my buy list. I really wanted the GAR.

[detroitpride313]

Wow, this is great! Thank you for sharing the news. I've been waiting for this day and now it has finally come!

[Orthophonic]

Good to have the Beatles on board. Gosh, they have changed a little bit, though Ringo still looks the same as ever.

[Dakotabear]

Check this out...

http://vimeo.com/30099861

[Zaiko]

Forum folk,

Ilitch Connection to that building and that area? See and hear these michigannow.org stories.

Story last week
http://www.michigannow.org/2011/11/0...r-restoration/


Story with Matt Cullen's wife Karen, VP of Ilitch Holdings, in 2008, though the date on website says 2009.
http://www.michigannow.org/2009/01/0...s-for-parking/

[stinkytofu]

I drove by at 2:30 today and there was a mini-crane type thing up and a guy working on a window on the second or third floor...three or four other workers milling about. Don't know if they have started work on the building yet [[or simply securing stuff for the winter), but figured you guys may be interested.

[Flintoid]

This building is gorgeous. So excited to see it renovated!!

[theklep]

Saw it up real close today. This is going to be fun. Windows getting uncovered, haven't ever seen windows in this building.

[Whitehouse]

A couple of weeks ago the Huffington Post summed up the large ammount of restoration project going on lately. Featuring are: MSC, Freep building, GAR Building, David Whitney- and Broderick tower. I wonder if we can add the United Artists theater to this list in a while. Shame this development came too late for the Stattler and Lafayette buildings....

And if there's a person with a vision for the Michigan theater.... Would be too much wishful thinking.

Picture of the GAR a month ago.

[MSUguy]

I didn't even know the building still had its windows. Not that it really matters since they're going to be replaced anyway.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/5997628...th/6527193875/

[Gistok]

I;m curious to know what was originally in those niche's? And what will end up there...

[Zaddik]

This is a good site to look at GAR pictures.

http://www.forgottendetroit.com/gar/index.html

[Gistok]

Thanks for the link Zaddik!

Those outside pictures are so yesterday... or was that the day before?

Bummer that the turrets top floors are not rooms just rooftop access.

On a different note..... in that slideshow of pics... pic 31 and 34 give us a panorama of the intersections where that guy from the MGM Casino got stabbed and killed.

[theklep]

The windows are going to be restored not replaced. I was the guy on the manlift and the windows are very repairable. The owners are trying to save as much of the original everything as possible.It's great to work for people who truly care about saving the original if possible. Maybe a statue of a civil war soldier with a camera should go in the niche.

[mcsdetroitfriend]

Are those windows going to be treated at all so they're not leaking heat and cold? I live in a house built around the same era and a lot of the windows were original when my parents moved into this house. They spent a fortune on heat and AC for several years until the windows were replaced. It would make sense maybe to keep the frames, but windows are windows unless they're curved I don't see any reason to keep them when they're a potential financial burdon

The windows are going to be restored not replaced. I was the guy on the manlift and the windows are very repairable. The owners are trying to save as much of the original everything as possible.It's great to work for people who truly care about saving the original if possible. Maybe a statue of a civil war soldier with a camera should go in the niche.

[detroitpride313]

They haven't taken down all of the boards yet, but they have taken some away. I cant wait until they remove the boards covering the front entrance! Here are some picture updates for those who haven't seen it recently:

[ordinary]

When this thread first came out I was very skeptical. Nice pictures dp313. When was the last time the windows were not boarded up? I don't believe I've ever seen it with out boards.

[401don]

Hate to bring this up, but are those windows going to be safe in that area?