Hardware Store Fire; Grand River & Southfield

[Meddle]

DETROIT -- Fire officials are evacuating the area surrounding a hardware store on Grand River Avenue in Detroit because of a raging fire.

Black smoke is pouring from the store, which is in the 16000 block of Grand River Avenue, east of the Southfield Freeway.

A hazmat team is already responding.

There have not been any reports of injuries.

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/28985730/detail.html

[gazhekwe]

I'm going to miss that place. You can't find a lot of places that still have all the little things one piece at a time. They did screens and keys and all kinds of services too.

[RaumVogel]

The Tru Value on Telegraph in Dearborn Heights is like that. You can't get that kind of stuff with that kind of service from giants like Home Depot.

[Danny]

What a terrible loss for the True Value Hardware Store on Grand River Ave. in Grandmont/Rosedale Park area. Who cause this building to go up in smoke?

[Parkguy]

Grand River [[M5) was still closed as of an hour ago [[about 2:00). They were routing eastbound G.R. onto the Southfield service drive south [[which is a major construction zone), and westbound at St. Mary's of Redford Church. The Fenkell overpass is closed, and so is the Lyndon overpass. Outer Drive would be a good choice, or I-96. I think the McNichols overpass is still closed. Schoolcraft is stop and go at Southfield because of the freeway construction.

[SMRJim]

Bummer. That's the old Grandmont Hardware. It's changed hands over the years, but remained a 'neighborhood' hardware store. Yet another old landmark gone.

[Ray1936]

I'm guessing they lost their franchise with Tru Value recently, because from the photos I've seen the "Tru" has been painted over and only the "Value" remains.

Not that it means a hill of beans. An old fashioned hardware store is one of my favorite places to wander and daydream. I worked in one while in HS & WSU in the early 50's; it was an education of itself. I wonder if they still sell rip and crosscut handsaws. Have never seen one at Lowe's.

[canuck]

I hope they are not so disheartened that they will be prompted to leave for good. The city needs caring businesses. If this is arson, not one kook should be able to decide the future of a business, employees, and a community.

[Hamtragedy]

Originally owned and operated by the Monnier family, Midfield, between Southfield and Grandmont was named Ray Monnier Rd. in the late 70's early 80's. It is once again called Midfield. My paper route was on Rutland from 79-84. I've been working on houses in that neighborhood since the early 90's.

Grandmont Hardware stayed the course pretty well up until 10 years ago, when their inventory went from having all sorts of hardware that reflected the age of the local housing stock to becoming unreliable at best. Then they got an attitude. I usually spent about 1000/yr there for a few years. After one guy cut some 1/2" gas pipe for me one day and butchered the threads, then wouldn't offer to recut it for me, I was done. Before that, they thought it proper to block the alley and fix a bunch of lawn-mowers back there, then yell at me as I tried to get out. When I answered back that the alley has been right of way for 80 years, the "white-boy" comments came out. [[ I got hit by a car coming out of that alley 25 years before then.)


The building also had a fire in it about 8 years ago. They have been clownin' ever since.

[jtf1972]

I used to go there all the time when I lived over on St. Mary's back in the 90's. Shame... Looks like the owner lost his business AND residence.

[stinkytofu]

Any idea what the huge fire on Grand Boulevard about a mile east of Woodward at 3:30 or so today was? Looked really nasty from where I was [[near the Fisher Building).

[CLAUDE G]

Hopefully they got insurance, and can rebuild and even better hardware store.

The city needs more small hardware stores. Home Depot and Lowes might be cheaper, but the convience means alot to people.

Last year, Lochmoore hardware in Grosse Pointe Woods closed down due to the owner retiring. I ended up buying the entire hardware isle from him with all the nuts, bolts and screws.

I'll never have to buy a nut or bolt again Its saved me so much time, not having to go to Home Depot or Lowes to buy small hardware.

[65memories]

Hamtragedy has it right. Both Grandmont Hardware and Rosedale hardware [[further down Grand River) have become shells of their former stores. For the last 15 years, and with the advent of ACO Hardware at Grandland, both stores have low stock and have been hanging on by a thread. I quit going to Grandmont Hardware about five years ago due to poor customer service and attitudes...I watched them get angry with customers and decided to shop elsewhere. Rosedale Hardware used to be the store to go to in order to service the older homes in Rosedale Park. Now they are hardly open...shopping there is hit and miss.

[Meddle]

Every time one of these old businesses goes up, I wonder how bad the owners wanted out.

[French777]

Not to divert the thread in any means, but did anyone else notice the really nice and historic streetlights lining Grand River in those pictures?

[brandon48202]

Any idea what the huge fire on Grand Boulevard about a mile east of Woodward at 3:30 or so today was? Looked really nasty from where I was [[near the Fisher Building).

I saw the same huge cloud of smoke- anybody know what was burning?