A possibility for State Savings Bank

**wolverine** · November-20-12, 08:19 PM

When I saw the project in the link below, I immediately thought how cool this would be in the old state savings bank on the Penobscot block. Hell of a lot better than parking!
http://blog.chicagoarchitecture.info...bank-building/

The new Walgreens they're building out here are a bit bigger than the ones you typically see. They have larger pharmacies, salons, sushi and sandwich bars, and grocery sections. But I think this is exactly what downtown Detroit needs. I plan to check out the Wicker Park location next week and I'll take pictures. I think they are trying to compete for attention with the CVS one Blue Line stop over!
http://neighborhoods.redeyechicago.c...it-or-hate-it/

While some city residents have been in strong opposition to Walmart, they are opening anyway in older and smaller buildings. Perhaps this is what Detroit may want or perhaps not.
http://www.thewrigleyblog.com/2011/1...ens-today.html

**Gistok** · November-20-12, 08:43 PM

Thanks for sharing Wolverine... nice touch. It's good that back about 7 years ago when "The corner of Main & Main" was on the National Trust's 11 Most Endangered Building's list... Walgreens, CVS and Rite-Aid had been buying up the most prominent locations in cities, towns and villages across America, tearing down what was usually the most prominent commercial building in town, and replacing them with big box stores.

By having the National Trust highlighting this crime against historic preservation, they got the 3 drug stores to stop the madness.

One in SE Michigan that was stopped dead in its' tracks was the FRASER STATE BANK building at the corner of Utica Rd. and 14 Mile in Fraser. The 1930 Art Moderne style building is one of the most architecturally significant commercial buildings in Macomb County [[I know.... that's not saying much). But the CVS that was going to replace the bank decided to "stay put" a block away on 14 Mile & Garfield Rd., and renovate that building instead... a win-win situation for one of the few nice depression era buildings in Macomb County.

The sheer sumptuousness of that Walgreens is very reminiscent of the glorious interior of the State Bank Building here in Detroit... and if can handle being an office supply store for many years... then a reincarnation as a CVS, WALGREENs or RITE-AID is not out the question. Adaptive reuse at its' finest...

**401don** · November-20-12, 10:09 PM

Very impressive! The "vitamin vault" is the coolest part of all.

**DetroitPlanner** · November-20-12, 10:28 PM

Walgreen has proposed a store for an old Dime Store next to U of M. The building is currently vacant. http://www.annarbor.com/business-rev...own-ann-arbor/

**canuck** · November-20-12, 10:31 PM

Excellent reuse of magnificent buildings wolverine. I also like the Loblaws in dowtown Toronto's old Maple Leaf Garden. The interior was gutted but didnt have the prettyness of old bank buildings anyway. The exterior is a great art deco piece left untouched. The modern and spacious design of the supermarket is a real success to my taste.

In fact any unused architecture in downtown Detroit should be carefully examined for reuse before any cockamamy scheme involving multistorey parking structures are envisaged. Gilbert started out good by doing that so far. I just wish he would kick Detroit's diehard habit of forsaking the old and piling on the impersonal structures. He should revise and look at what is around and make a move toward imaginative reuse, modifying old structures in bold ways perhaps.