Latin Quarters being demolished.... any info on this?

[Zacha341]

I live near the site of the old Latin Quarters on E. Grand Blvd. It's being torn down. You can see the whole back knocked out from the back side from Milwaukee street. It was rumored that is was going to meet the wrecking ball back in 2008.... well it's happening.... NOW!

Anyone have an news on this?

[detroitbob]

the Latin Quarter was originally 2 movie theaters, back to back, they early cineplex. I'll dig up the info. Was built for silent films, spent some time as a sound picture house and then was converted to the nightclub.

[Whitehouse]

http://maps.google.nl/maps?q=3067+E....,122.4,,0,6.48


Jane's Addiction setlist from November28, 1990 at Latin Quarters.


Interior shot from a 1960 NAACP meeting.

Soulful Detroit thread about the same topic in 2008. Topic starter we all know.

[Lowell]

This was one of Kwame's famous list of 50 sites he was going to demolish in 2008. Maybe he is working his magic. LOL.

Link to the list

[Richard]

This was one of Kwame's famous list of 50 sites he was going to demolish in 2008. Maybe he is working his magic. LOL.

Link to the list

Did they demo the Saint Rita ?

[Detroitnerd]

Too bad. Saw the Buttholes there in 1991, IIRC.

[detroittrader]

Too bad. Saw the Buttholes there in 1991, IIRC.

Yes, it is too bad. That place was pretty cool. I saw Red Hot Chili Peppers there and also went to this thing called "Sonic Blur" circa early 90's. It was around 30 local bands playing 15 minute sets. The highlight was the Almighty Lumberjacks of Death.......good times.

Here are some Detroitfunk pics from 2007: http://www.detroitfunk.com/?p=533

[7miledog]

I can't say I hate to see it go; I was robbed at gunpoint coming out of there in the mid-90's [[in the parking lot around the corner on John R). Classic example of getting "caught slippin'."

[Lowell]

Did they demo the Saint Rita ?

The St. Rita is still standing, still a fabulous ruin across from Northern High.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

This was one of Kwame's famous list of 50 sites he was going to demolish in 2008. Maybe he is working his magic. LOL.

Link to the list

I see Arnold Home on 7 Mile Rd is at the top of the list. Unfortunately, 2 people were killed when the roof collapsed on them a couple of weeks ago. It should have been demolished years ago.

[Jimg]

That bldg has a jazz past, back to the 'twenties. In the late forties it was owned/operated by Jean Goldkette of Graystone fame. I believe it was the Oriole Terrace many moons ago...
Also recall experiencing Sammy Lowe and the Erskine Hawkins orchestra there in the mid-80's, playing the original EH charts and sounding mighty good!

[Ed Golick]

The St. Rita is still standing, still a fabulous ruin across from Northern High.

The St. Rita is still standing, still a fabulous ruin across from Detroit International Academy.

[DetroitZack]

Does anyone have any old pictures of the Grand Quarters??

I'm not sure about the accuracy of this but I came up with a list of people who played there. This was taken from random message boards and photo album sites.

Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Sonie Youth, Sophie Tucker, Lena Horne, Jimmy Durante, Sammy Davis Jr, Arlene Dahl.

[Jimg]

In the early daze of the Grand Quarters, it was the Oriole Terrace and was a ritzy night spot, complete with a "dance-cum-hot" band as shown here. Detroit bandleader Jean Goldkette, who had the Detroit dance ork biz sewed up in the twenties, owned the Graystone Ballroom [[mention that to the McDonald's staff at that Woodward/Canfield location and you'll get a free puzzled look).
Goldkette bought that bldg in the late forties, it had gone thru a few name changes since the Oriole Terrace days. Not sure what happened after Goldkette's venture failed c.1950. Anyone have easy access to city directories? Might be able to piece together a chronology....