Alden Park Towers

**David L** · October-25-11, 11:41 AM

Is this property finally under new management, and is any progress being made on the deteriorating condition of the complex?... also does anyone have any information or pics of the Edsel Ford house that occupied the lot next door and was demolished when the apartments were built and the Fords moved to Grosse Pointe Shores?

**BRAZZMAN** · October-25-11, 02:15 PM

I lived there all through the 1980's. I think I remember that the management had photographs of the Ford house in the office. Also there was a brochure or pamphlet that documented the history of the apartments that was available. When i was there it was managed by a family - the Sapersteins. The father and mother lived in the penthouse. Later on the two kids managed it. I moved out in 1992. I have a friend who lived there also. If I get more info from her - I'll post it.

**Detroitnerd** · October-25-11, 02:16 PM

This was the long, long building with a little library in the back?

**Patrick** · October-25-11, 03:19 PM

We did a number of threads about architect Leonard Willeke...and we discussed the Edsel Ford Detroti River mansion. May have been before the crash. Willeke did a major redesign of the home...I think Mason was the original architect though.

**Neilr** · October-25-11, 03:54 PM

There are 3 Alden Park apartment complexes in the US, all built during the same period and to more or less similar design. The other two have been maintained and updated to current middle class standards:
Brookline MA:
http://chr-apartments.com/longwood-towers-apartments
and Philadelphia:
http://www.aldenpark.net/

**MikeM** · October-25-11, 03:57 PM

Originally Posted by David L

... also does anyone have any information or pics of the Edsel Ford house that occupied the lot next door and was demolished when the apartments were built and the Fords moved to Grosse Pointe Shores?

http://dlxs.lib.wayne.edu/cgi/i/imag...art=;resnum=37

**stromberg2** · October-25-11, 05:11 PM

MikeM comes through again! Too bad it was demolished.

Stromberg2

**stasu1213** · October-25-11, 05:13 PM

I was going to move into the Alden Park apartments in 2007. The management was poor. Saperstein had just sold the place to Northern Group who had made a slum out of it. I complex has great florr plans. The place had went into foreclosure after Northern Group had completely destroyed it. I was told by the new management earlier this year that a firm out of Ireland had purchased the complex.

**David L** · October-25-11, 06:05 PM

thanks everyone... you're quick!

**MikeM** · October-25-11, 06:24 PM

Another photo of Edsel's: http://dlxs.lib.wayne.edu/cgi/i/imag...rt=1;resnum=14

**gnome** · October-25-11, 07:36 PM

Alden Park, 1930s

**Neilr** · October-25-11, 08:36 PM

Gnome, that picture is reversed. Of the buildings pictured, Alden Park should be on the left, the westernly-most building. Then Indian Village Manor. Detroit Towers is the easternly-most building and should be on the right. I don't offhand know what that building that's under construction is; but whatever is was, it's not been there for ~40 years. That's the site of Shoreline East.

**Neilr** · October-25-11, 08:38 PM

Originally Posted by gnome

Alden Park, 1930s

Gnome, that picture is reversed. Of the buildings pictured, Alden Park should be on the left, the westernly-most building. Then Indian Village Manor. Detroit Towers is the easternly-most building and should be on the right. I don't offhand know what that building that's under construction is; but whatever is was, it's not been there for ~40 years. That's the site of Shoreline East.

**gnome** · October-25-11, 08:42 PM

the non-built building was an Elks lodge ... there's a thread about it on the old forum, but I guess it stood half built for years before it was cleared out.

**EastsideAl** · October-25-11, 09:18 PM

Picture corrected:

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**EastsideAl** · October-25-11, 09:35 PM

Here is the old thread on the uncompleted Elks Club building, with up close pictures of it:
http://atdetroit.net/forum/messages/91697/95987.html

I just barely remember it being there when I was a kid. Many of the older kids around the neighborhood though talked about having played in the haunted "skeleton."

**MikeM** · October-25-11, 09:40 PM

Originally Posted by gnome

the non-built building was an Elks lodge ... there's a thread about it on the old forum, but I guess it stood half built for years before it was cleared out.

Elk's Temple: http://dlxs.lib.wayne.edu/cgi/i/imag...tart=;resnum=3

http://atdetroit.net/forum/messages/...tml?1173636726

**stromberg2** · October-26-11, 11:11 AM

Where was Edsel's place in relation to the corrected picture?

Stromberg2

**MikeM** · October-26-11, 11:27 AM

To the left, probably out of the picture. His house was just west of UAW Solidarity House.

**prokopowicz** · October-26-11, 04:20 PM

That yacht must be about 80'.

**BRAZZMAN** · October-26-11, 10:26 PM

Yes Detroitnerd, there was a library in the back building D. The 4 buildings were known as A,B,C & D. In the basement was a small grocery store. Years ago in it's heyday there was a restaurant in the basement that was also accessable from the back lawn that you see in the photo posted by gnome. I was told that yachts and sail boats would tie up to one of the cleats, which were still there when I lived there. Also in the basement hallway were tiles in the walls from Pewabic Pottery installed decades ago. In the main hallway was a beauty shop, artist studio, gift shop, photo studio, massage parlor and a small space for a once upon a time soda fountain and tea room. Also an under-the buildings parking garage. Steam heat and thick plaster walls.

**EastsideAl** · October-27-11, 11:54 AM

I sure hope that the Alden Park can recover. It was, as Brazzman notes, a really nice full-service building before the Northern Group got their hands on it and sucked the money and life out of it [[as they also did to the Penobscot Bldg., First National Bldg., Cadillac Tower, and Lafayette Towers - Alex Dembitzer & Co. should be prosecuted for the damage they did to our city's landmarks and all the people they stiffed and cheated).

The east side riverfront apartment buildings are one of our most attractive areas, with significant potential for attracting and retaining people, and should be handled as carefully as possible. When times improves they will be in a strong position to prosper and grow, if well maintained and safe, but times are tough all over the area and these buildings are not at all immune to these difficulties.

**Johnlodge** · October-27-11, 01:46 PM

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**DetroitPlanner** · October-27-11, 03:08 PM

JohnLodge, is it just me or could the landscaping need some serious work? It looks entirely overgrown and not like it was about 12 years ago.

**Johnlodge** · October-27-11, 04:13 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

JohnLodge, is it just me or could the landscaping need some serious work? It looks entirely overgrown and not like it was about 12 years ago.

Couldn't hurt, though I don't mind the ivy.

BTW, when the Northern Group first took over, they replaced all the windows. I know this because when I was window shopping, the Weatherguard guy had them in his portfolio of recent work. [[I went with Wallside).