Comerica Park / Ford Field

[Bluenote132003]

I think this was asked in the 180 E. Elizabeth thread, but we'll try to open it up a bit. Is there any repository of knowledge, documentation, collections of pictures or the like showing the area / buildings that occupied the ground the stadiums are currently built on?
Most of us are familiar with the Gem-Century club being moved, as well as the Elwood [[anyone else frequent the original location?), but what about the other buildings, hotels, YMAC[[?), or businesses that we lost to make room for the stadiums?
As always, thanks in advance to the great historians on this site!

[Scottathew]

I can't get the Detroit Edison Aerial photos to work on my computer :-[[

I think they don't work with Adobe Reader X...

[animatedmartian]

Hotel Wolverine was a prominent landmark.

Like much of Detroit's empty towers, it had its problems and eventual decay.



Related Images.

Related demolition.

[downtownguy]

I used to live in the Elizabeth Building, now right-centerfield at the CoPa. It was a great little building built in the 1890s. It was a 4-story walkup with commercial on the ground floor, two entrances off the street and 12 apartments with great neighbors above it. It was on the corner of Elizabeth and John R, which was ironic because John R street was named so by John R Williams himself, Detroit's first mayor, and Elizabeth for his daughter.

I used to frequent the Elwood a lot, most of the time on foot since it was just 2 blocks away. One night, I was coming from work and parked my car outside and tipped a few. The next day, I walked to my apartment's parking lot and was shocked to see my car missing. As I retraced my steps the previous day, it occured to me that I had walked home from the bar by habit. Sure enough, I went back to the Elwood and my car was right where I left it with a big fat parking ticket on it. From then on, the bartender would always ask upon my arrival if I drove or walked in that day, and make sure I was pointed in the right direction upon my departure.

The owners of the Elwood [[so named because of it's original location at ELizabeth and WOODward are the Forbes family. The patriarch, Chuck, is the one who deserves 99% of the credit for saving the theatre district. He started on a buying spree in 1979 that amounted to acquiring more than 40 properties in the theatre district in 3 years. Do yourself a favor, and stop into the Elwood a few times and you stand a pretty good chance of running into Chuck's son, Jim. If you catch him at a good time and buy him a beer, he may tell you some fascinating stories about the buildings they own or owned and their history. If you're real lucky, he'll tell you how it wasn't economically feasible to salvage the Elwood from the stadium takeover, but a combination of nostalgia and alcohol at the closing and goodbye party for the Elwood staff caused the Forbes' to decide to dig deep into their own pockets to move it, too.

[Ray1936]

"The owners of the Elwood [[so named because of it's original location at ELizabeth and WOODward......"

Dang, I didn't know that! The things you learn here!

[Lowell]

Start on these is page and click the DETOUR buttons [or images] for the next several page to see some of the structures that were on the sites before and during demolition.

http://www.detroityes.com/downtown/22ywca.htm

This image is a panorama looking north from the corner of John R and Adams.

[Gistok]

Beth Duncombe, Mayor Archer's sister-in-law and head of the DEGC back then.... she found the perfect location for the new location of the Gem/Century... an empty lot right across the street from Music Hall. It was a match made in heaven, since the Germ/Century's former location on Montcalm and John R was rather awkward and out of the way for a theatre location, away from the main streets. What makes the new location even better was that the arched windows on the Century side of the building perfectly complemented the similar arched Italian Piazzo style windows of the DAC next door.

Also the cement balistrade out in the Gem Century courtyard in front are from the former YWCA, as are many of the interior finishes of the Century [[such as Pewabic Pottery tiles)

[Bluenote132003]

Wow, great start! I was hired by Chuck Forbes, shortly after he aquired the Fox. I remeber his office overlooking Woodward. Used to see Jim around all the time. Spent quite a few days in the Elwood in it's original location, had an old pool table near the back. Walked with my father through the Gem before the restoration and move. Almost forgot the 606 Horseshoe, one of the last bars from Paradise Valley. Used to hit the steam tunnels from time to time, building I worked in was heated with city steam...anyone remember the "steam pits" in the old buildings where the underground pipes came through the wall? Stayed nice and toasty all winter long in the pit, attracted all kinds of wildlife...

[Bluenote132003]

There was a greasy spoon diner at the corner of E. Columbia and Woodward, Hockeytown Cafe used to be the Hughes and Hatcher building [[cool place). There was a flower shop in the area, and I believe Splane Electric was on Montcalm. Anyone remember what stores / buildings were on Woodward, across from the Stae / Palms and the Fox?

[Bluenote132003]

Hughes and Hatcher

[DetroitPlanner]

Hughes and Hatcher

This building is still there. It is now known as "Hockeytown" Lots of renovations to it.
Detroit College of Law was also located at this site. There was also a Gift Shop and Cafe along Elizabeth at either Brush or John R that was quite popular with downtown workers.

Across Elizabeth from the original Elwood location was a two story retail building also owned by Forbes. It was used as a various number of nighclubs. Just N of the original Elwood was a diner originally known as Jolly Jims Coney Island. It too went through a number of recreations under Forbes. Both of these building were replaced by parking lots.

[downtownguy]

The cafe, gift shop and florist occupied the bottom floor of the Elizabeth Building, the one I referred to above. When condemnation for the ballpark forced them to move, the florist [[Ludy's) moved to a spot on Woodward across from the Bonstelle Theatre. 2110 Elizabeth's was the gift shop. [[A quirk that she chose to name the store that even though the frontage was on John R.) She relocated to Royal Oak. You would think that would be a prosperous move, but a few years later she closed. She told me she never could recreate the clientele and business that she had on John R. The cafe had been run by several folks. In the late 70s it was run by Sarah McKay who went on to open Cafe Harmonie and Sarah's at Silvers. She was recruited by the Stroh family to run the cafeteria at Stroh River Place when it opened. The last folks to run the cafe were a nice couple who were given some ridiculous pittance when the stadium moved in that couldn't even cover the cost of obtaining new restaurant equipment, let alone reimburse them for their earnings interruption. They decided to find other careers.

[downtownguy]

There was a greasy spoon diner at the corner of E. Columbia and Woodward, Hockeytown Cafe used to be the Hughes and Hatcher building [[cool place). There was a flower shop in the area, and I believe Splane Electric was on Montcalm. Anyone remember what stores / buildings were on Woodward, across from the Stae / Palms and the Fox?

Actually, in addition to Ludy's that I mentioned in my last post, there were three wholesale florists, Nordlie, and two others whose names escape me. It was the wholesale florist center of the Detroit area. On the east side of John R on the block south of I-75 was another apartment building. At the SE corner of Columbia and John R was a bar called CCs or something like that. Going back to the 60s and 70s, the famous RAPA House Cafe and jazz club was located on Vernor, which became the south side of I-75. I'm not sure, but I think it was a block or two east of Woodward

[jackie5275]

The cafe, gift shop and florist occupied the bottom floor of the Elizabeth Building, the one I referred to above. When condemnation for the ballpark forced them to move, the florist [[Ludy's) moved to a spot on Woodward across from the Bonstelle Theatre. 2110 Elizabeth's was the gift shop. [[A quirk that she chose to name the store that even though the frontage was on John R.) She relocated to Royal Oak. You would think that would be a prosperous move, but a few years later she closed. She told me she never could recreate the clientele and business that she had on John R. The cafe had been run by several folks. In the late 70s it was run by Sarah McKay who went on to open Cafe Harmonie and Sarah's at Silvers. She was recruited by the Stroh family to run the cafeteria at Stroh River Place when it opened. The last folks to run the cafe were a nice couple who were given some ridiculous pittance when the stadium moved in that couldn't even cover the cost of obtaining new restaurant equipment, let alone reimburse them for their earnings interruption. They decided to find other careers.

Was this cafe you speak of called the Elizabeth Street Cafe? I remember going there for good sandwiches in the 90s?

[jackie5275]

Although this probably relates more to Hudson's closing, I used to like going to the warehouse sales they used to have there.

[downtownguy]

Was this cafe you speak of called the Elizabeth Street Cafe? I remember going there for good sandwiches in the 90s?

Yep. The owner of the building ran it and then sold it to couple that ran it at the end. For a short time, after the Fox was reopened, someone subleased it at night and turned it into a white tablecloth environment just for dinner.

[EZZ]

The Wolverine bites the dust - it was 6 feet from the Gem. Thanx to Bigblast.com for the pic. The area was cleared for a parking lot.

[EZZ]

Here's the rubble...

[EZZ]

Can't forget the old Hudson's Warehouse which is now part of Ford Field. The Horseshoe Lounge can be seen.

The last remains of "Paradise Valley".

[313rd]

Construction April 2002 - Here you can see how far below street level the playing field is. Also Ford Field is one of very few stadiums that have the field running East/West due to the Hudson Warehouse incorporated into the design.

[Gistok]

It was too bad that the YMCA and YWCA were demolished, but they were in the footprint of Comerica Park. However, the Wolverine Hotel was not. Too bad it came down.

The Ilitch's also wanted to demolish the beautiful English Tudor style Women's Exchange Building on E. Adams next to Central Methodist Church. But a court decision fortunately spared it by denying Wayne County the right to take it via Eminent Domain. The reason for wanting the building was for a "decorative sidewalk" for Comerica Park.... how lame...

[gnome]

Because the sun passes east to west, most fields run N to S to minimize the sun-in-the-eyes effect. Of course, domed stadia are exempt and that is why the new JerryDome in Dallas and Ford Field are built to fit the available land.

[Bluenote132003]

Found this on a general search for Jolly Jim's, credit to the Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/autoartist/3917219652/

[downtownguy]

The renovated Fox reopened in October, 1988. Next up after the special grand opening performance was a Vegas-type show featuring Sammy Davis, Frank Sinatra and Liza Minnelli. The renovated Elwood hadn't opened yet, and the only real dining choice in the area was the On Stage Restaurant on Adams. Even though it was a great restaurant with a broadway show theme, the fact that it was 2 blocks south and around a corner kept most folks from knowing about it. So, ladies in their elegant evening gowns and men in their finest tuxes bellied up to the counter or crowded around the few tables at Jolly Jim's to chow down. It was quite a sight!

[Gistok]

I was in ON STAGE once, about 20 years ahead of its' time unfortunately. I remember seeing images of the place before they removed the building.... all the stage sets were still inside.