Temple Hotel Sold to DTE, tear down or Rehab in its Future?

[jaytheory]

Surprised to see DTE up in this part of town, wonder what they are thinking

Its in a great location, on M1 next to masonic, next to New Red Wings

Any thoughts on whats going to be its fate.

http://www.freep.com/article/2013100...-7-million-DTE

[Zug]

From the article:

Simons said DTE owns an electrical substation next to the property and bought the hotel site “for possible infrastructure improvement.”

So it sounds like "tear down" is the most likely fate. They must be desperate for something to go there, given they paid so much for the land.

[gvidas]

Word on the street is it'll be a new substation, since the red wings arena across the street is a radical increase in power needs.

[dmike76]

That definitely seems like what's going to happen. They're going to need a ton of power for that area.

[Django]

I would LOVE to own that sign TEMPLE HOTEL. Not even sure its there anymore. Im gonna go by in a little bit and see. I just love old signs from Detroit or any city really. Someone should be collecting them. I know Marcus Market is ready to get rid of their old sign as they just had a new one put up. If I had a place to store it I might see if I could have it in exchange for removing it.

[WaCoTS]

"Cass Corridor flophouse sold to DTE for rumored millions"...

Translation: "New McMansion to be Built in East Dearborn Soon"

i had this crazy idea that one could plausibly start a very lucrative business in selling Detroit houses to people in other cities. Digs like this Temple Hotel would go for $3.7 Million in Brooklyn and no one bats an eyelash. here, it's big news, and the blg is not even part of the equation; it is merely a "residue" of sorts that must be cleared away.

imagine if you deconstructed these things and sold them to buyers in other cities that are desperate for the old-world architecture that we throw away on a daily basis in Detroit. that recently foreclosed/gutted yet still gorgeous brick bungalow listed for $1000? deconstruct it, put it on a rail car and send it to some buyer in California for ten times the cost.

im no business man however, ill leave it to someone else

[jaytheory]

Word on the street is it'll be a new substation, since the red wings arena across the street is a radical increase in power needs.

Didnt think about it but you are 100% correct, i bet thats what going to happen. DTE is trying to build a new substantion in midtown as well. So this makes sense.

[emu steve]

Didnt think about it but you are 100% correct, i bet thats what going to happen. DTE is trying to build a new substantion in midtown as well. So this makes sense.

When do we get our first post about too many substations?

[Hermod]

When do we get our first post about too many substations?

Not to mention all of the SimCity architects trying to dictate the design.

[mikeg19]

Quite the interesting story, hearing about all the business guys going in for a quickie on the way home from work during the week. Although I hope they burned and replaced those sheets on a regular basis......

[EastsideAl]

I've been in that building. Used to know someone who, ummm, 'worked' there, [[was part of a concerted family effort to bring her back out). It still had the bones of having once been a very nice 19th century Detroit home. Hard to believe that price though. I didn't realize it was owned by the Rayis boys [[of the once-famed Rayis Boys Party Store on Cass and Willis), but they sure walked away with a bundle for a building that was worth approximately nothing until DTE needed it.

[Detroitnerd]

Those house-to-hotel conversions are really interesting. Often the house will have this big building tacked onto it and become a kind of lobby. There were several of these in Brush Park that came down in recent years.

The saddest loss will be the Cole. I've always loved that false front and telescoping rear.

[Django]

EastsideAl. The party store on Cass and Willis, was that on the SE corner?

[EastsideAl]

EastsideAl. The party store on Cass and Willis, was that on the SE corner?

That's the one.

[Ed Golick]

My down and out uncle has something in common with JFK. They were both shot in the Temple.

[Django]

That's the one.

I shopped there in its end days years ago, they were just trying to sell off what little they had, once they ran out of Pall Malls I stopped going.

[stromberg2]

Haha, Ed!!

[wolverine]

"Cass Corridor flophouse sold to DTE for rumored millions"...

Translation: "New McMansion to be Built in East Dearborn Soon"

i had this crazy idea that one could plausibly start a very lucrative business in selling Detroit houses to people in other cities. Digs like this Temple Hotel would go for $3.7 Million in Brooklyn and no one bats an eyelash. here, it's big news, and the blg is not even part of the equation; it is merely a "residue" of sorts that must be cleared away.

imagine if you deconstructed these things and sold them to buyers in other cities that are desperate for the old-world architecture that we throw away on a daily basis in Detroit. that recently foreclosed/gutted yet still gorgeous brick bungalow listed for $1000? deconstruct it, put it on a rail car and send it to some buyer in California for ten times the cost.

im no business man however, ill leave it to someone else

Salvage laws are getting pretty strict in some cities. There's been some taller buildings replacing older lowrise structures in my neighborhood. The facades were catalogued and removed separately. The brick walls were then knocked down with all the bricks then stacked up on palettes and then shipped off.

You'll see the facades later grafted onto some large mansion and alot of the bricks end up on renovation or repair projects.

The market for architectural artifacts now exists because cities ban demolition companies from throwing materials into a landfill. As salvage laws become more strict, buildings have to be torn down brick by brick so materials aren't damaged and destroyed and can be reused.