United Artists Theatre

**j to the jeremy** · July-13-12, 09:55 AM

Originally Posted by KJ5

It would be nice if there was some artwork on the windows. Since it's still sitting empty and all...

Like the artwork that was removed 3 years ago because it was "graffiti"?

**kryptonite** · July-13-12, 10:54 AM

Good news about the lighting of the ground floor of the UA Bldg. Werent' the theater and office building cleaned and re-roofed about two years ago? And new doors installed to better secure the buildings? In my opinion any improvement however minor is a positive development. If nothing else it seems like small improvements indicate a move in the right direction.

There are still so many beautiful old buildings downtown that are being left to deteriorate further that it's nice to hear that at least the UA buildings are not going that route.

I can barely remember the Statler Hilton, Tuller Hotel and UA Bldg open in the early 70's although probably they were not doing well. The Broderick was already declining back then as well.

**Gistok** · July-13-12, 12:23 PM

Originally Posted by KJ5

It would be nice if there was some artwork on the windows. Since it's still sitting empty and all...

Bad idea.... that would be a sign of neglect. This building was neglected long enough... having all that graffiti removed from the windows was part of the cleanup effort, which DID include a new roof on the office block and theatre. The image with the UA Building with all the windows with graffiti was on the front page of The National Trust Magazine [[circulation about 700K)... it was intended as a wakeup call to the Ilitch clan after the Madison-Lenox fiasco.

It must not have fallen on deaf ears... the UA complex is secured [[as well as can be expected), windows cleaned, debris removed from office block and theatre, and drywall installed on at least 1 or more floors. Right now the building is mothballed... for what? We don't yet know... and as long as the Ilitch's are still "trying" to buy up land around the area... we WON'T know...

**Hypestyles** · July-13-12, 03:42 PM

what are some realistic renovation ideas that have come up in recent years.. lofts? hotel? office building? entertainment complex? how much of the innards have been scavenged already?

**mikeg19** · July-13-12, 04:04 PM

Originally Posted by Hypestyles

what are some realistic renovation ideas that have come up in recent years.. lofts? hotel? office building? entertainment complex? how much of the innards have been scavenged already?

You would think it would be some sort of combination, with the theater and ground floor retail, with apartments and/or lofts above. I don't see how downtown can support yet another hotel with the already below average bookings. I know, I know. It could be deemed necessary in the future if a new stadium and entertainment complex/shopping center were built. But for now the immediate need is more residential space downtown. That would seem to be the most sensible answer. But I guess we will just all keep waiting.

Does anyone else have the feeling that once the stadium announcement comes on a new hockey arena, there are going to be a lot of dominoes falling after that downtown?

**Gistok** · July-13-12, 06:04 PM

Originally Posted by mikeg19

You would think it would be some sort of combination, with the theater and ground floor retail, with apartments and/or lofts above. <snip>

Does anyone else have the feeling that once the stadium announcement comes on a new hockey arena, there are going to be a lot of dominoes falling after that downtown?

Mike19... that's sort of what I think may happen. The Ilitch's are not prone to renovations without something in mind.

Actually financially it doesn't even make sense to fix up the UA complex... since the exterior needs A LOT of work... and ditto for the theatre... I've talked with some development folks downtown... and they're scratching their heads that this complex has had as much work put into it as it has so far.

This is really not the modus operandi for the Ilitch's... which is why I think that there's a "Gilbert connection" there somewhere....

My gut feeling is that the United Artists, Detroit Life Building and Fine Arts Facade developments are somehow going to all be related to a new arena. Where and when is anyone's guess. But the Ilitch's are not going to fix up any of these until all the pieces of their land acquisition puzzle are in place.

My personal choice would be to see them do a "Gem/Century" type move of the Blenheim apartments to north of the Detroit Life Building... and then have a new hockey barn built just west of Park facing Woodward... and with the Blenheim out of the way, the Columbia St. "swath" of land... would be available to have the Ilitch's build their Agora or marketplace that they've thought about doing there for 20 years. This could be the connector between Park Ave. entertainments and Woodward Ave. ones.

That would free up Gilbert to develop GCP, and the 2 areas would be connected via Park Ave. and Woodward Ave.

I think that building the arena north of the Fisher... developments would all be too spread out.

But this is just my piipe dream...

**KJ5** · July-13-12, 11:56 PM

Originally Posted by j to the jeremy

Like the artwork that was removed 3 years ago because it was "graffiti"?

Try about 6 and a half years ago.

Occurrence · July-14-12, 03:24 AM

Those window paintings in every window on all sides was really interesting. Why did they remove them? I know it was technically "vandalism" but so what. Looking back at some of my old photos it really did look amazing. Now it just looks like a boring empty building.

**detroitbob** · July-14-12, 04:18 AM

With the mention that downtown/midtown needs the potential of 5000 rental units in the next 5 years to keep up with prabable demand it is a safe bet that the Capital Park neighborhood will take off faster than anticipated and that bodes good for the United Artists if apartments are in its future. As for the theatre, the conservation of what remains has been discussed and I still think the potential is good. Bagley/Center St area, including the old Statler site is now more enticing.

**Gistok** · July-14-12, 11:42 AM

Originally Posted by Occurrence

Those window paintings in every window on all sides was really interesting. Why did they remove them? I know it was technically "vandalism" but so what. Looking back at some of my old photos it really did look amazing. Now it just looks like a boring empty building.

That boring empty building as you call it finally has something that transcends a mere vandalized coating of paint on window surfaces... it finally has something that it didn't have since a hail of bricks fell off the west side of the tower 30 years ago.... it now has hope... hope that with a new roof on the office tower and theatre, that it may one day arise to find a new adaptive reuse.... rather than continue its' musty decline as the Homeless Hilton with moldy mattresses, and the smell of urine... behind those painted windows, and a continuing decline towards an eventual demolition.

If you want to look at those colorful windows look at your photos, or get an old copy of the front page of The National Trust magazine....

... but those painted windows be damned....

**Whitehouse** · July-14-12, 09:10 PM

Recent picture from buildings-of-detroit.com[/u]

**Whitehouse** · January-04-13, 06:58 PM

This can't be right... Can't find a date for that picture.

[[Surprised to see this topic again??

)

**Gistok** · January-04-13, 07:42 PM

... that's because someone put the wrong label on it....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_zDQhIB96g

**ABetterDetroit** · September-05-15, 09:29 PM

Anyone else think that Mike Ilitch is one of those guys that can stand around all day with his hands in his pockets watching someone else do all the hard work and then try and take credit for it?

Really, you soaked up property and buildings like a sponge and all we have is the Fox in the 80s, Comerica in the 90s, then the new arena 15 years later?

A new 8 story "headquarters" that is as vague as your "new buildings' in Comerica's parking lots. Is there any point that shame or pride kicks in?

**Whitehouse** · February-22-16, 06:05 PM

Got a Facebook alert that Detroiturbex had some fresh pictures from inside!!

http://detroiturbex.com/content/park...uat/index.html

The old lady is still there! Still in a decayed state but it looks the destruction of the years gone by has come to a stand-still. Seeing there are so many things going on downtown I'm beginning to think that Illich aquired a gem in the rough, and still has plans for the theatre. The office space is cleared of rubble as can be seen in the pictures.

**MikeyinBrooklyn** · February-22-16, 07:23 PM

I really wish the theatre were refurbished as a dedicated home to jazz, soul, bluegrass & blues. Aretha hinted awhile back that she'd be involved in a Detroit musical venue. I've been hoping since then it would be a renovated UA, which I think should be renamed for her. I would envision it as a place that would book "name" acts on weekends and showcase local talent during the week. I hope that its value as a performance venue is realized before the value of the real estate causes it to be turned into something else. #ProsperityProblems

**MikeyinBrooklyn** · February-22-16, 07:35 PM

By the way, Whitehouse & Detroiturbex, great pics! You can see that it could be great again. Although the building seems solid, I wonder if the auditorium could be "restored" or if it would need to be gutted and fully rebuilt.

**ABetterDetroit** · February-22-16, 08:07 PM

Originally Posted by MikeyinBrooklyn

I really wish the theatre were refurbished as a dedicated home to jazz, soul, bluegrass & blues. Aretha hinted awhile back that she'd be involved in a Detroit musical venue. I've been hoping since then it would be a renovated UA, which I think should be renamed for her. I would envision it as a place that would book "name" acts on weekends and showcase local talent during the week. I hope that its value as a performance venue is realized before the value of the real estate causes it to be turned into something else. #ProsperityProblems

How do you hold out hope that Mike Ilitch will do something with this building? Because he did it once thirty years ago defies logic. They do stadiums and surface parking lots now. Their probably still upset that they didn't get it down when the demos were easy to pull off on Detroits dime.

**MikeyinBrooklyn** · February-22-16, 08:51 PM

I hold out hope for a lot of reasons!

First, until just recently [[the last couple of years), single property developments downtown were mostly red herrings that were doomed to fail. There needed to be enough foot traffic to allow stores, bars, restaurants and entertainment venues to thrive. Before Dan Gilbert's lighting the ignition on bringing many, many people to work downtown, and more people moving and staying downtown, there just weren't enough people and money to warrant most projects. But now there is critical mass downtown, which is why things are happening all over.

Second, the UA is a very large building, not just a theater. Previously, there would be no economic justification for renovating the structure. But now, a lot of money could be made renovating the upper floors as apartments/condos and the lower floors for retail/restaurants. An empty hulking theater would detract from the value of everything else that could happen there. I think it behooves Ilitch to do something with the theater. Whether it is as an entertainment venue remains to be seen. But I think there is at least a decent chance it will.

Say whatever you like about the Ilitches, they are business people. They do give a lot of money to charity, but they like to make money on their businesses. In years past, the UA building could not have been renovated and turned profitable. Now, likely it can. Demand for residential, office, hotel, retail are growing and growing, with rent/sale prices on a constant upward swing. Mike Ilitch didn't sit on The UA [[or anything else) just to sit around and say "Ha ha, I'm pissing everyone off." Had he renovated it in 1996 he would have lost every penny he put into it. It would have been converted into low-rent offices for county government and not-for-profit agencies, and contributed not much at all to the vibrancy of downtown. He realized that one day there would be a market for renovating the building, and when it arrived [[as it now has) he would be in a position to do it. I bet we have an announcement about it's future this year. The last batch of apartments with views of GCP will go for a real premium in a couple of years. Mark my words...

I do NOT agree with everything the Ilitch organization has done, but they are good guys in the story of Detroit.

**Bucket** · February-22-16, 09:07 PM

FWIW, the United Artists Building is part of the "District Detroit" RFP:

From Crain's:

"The United Artists Building is planned for about 75 multifamily units, the RFP says. According to a source, the redevelopment is expected to include first-floor retail space and a repurposing of at least some of the theater inside the 223,000-square-foot building, which was constructed in 1935 and has been owned by the Ilitches since 1997."

**Hypestyles** · February-22-16, 11:33 PM

hopefully the full renovations will happen by the end of the year.

**mikeg19** · February-23-16, 09:10 AM

Originally Posted by Hypestyles

hopefully the full renovations will happen by the end of the year.

Wouldn't count on that at all, but I think it'd be a good step to see a developer announced and financing getting in place. I'd assume there will be credits that need to be applied for for some of the rehab costs that might take some time. But I don't think we know if that's already in the works. In any way, just seeing the RFP go out on this place FINALLY is a step in the right direction.

**Gistok** · February-23-16, 12:40 PM

Well I'm not holding my breath on a restoration of the UA Theatre.... it would require the replacement of about 90% of the plasterwork [[just like the Detroit Opera House). The entire plaster shell of the theatre spaces would have to be recreated... which is possible by making molds from existing ornate plaster, and replicating the parts that are gone. However is this something that the Ilitchs would undertake? Their track record would say no. The Fox basically just needed an dusting and cleaning... the UA requires a reconstruction of the plaster envelope [[again as did the Opera House). Of the Opera House's $42 million price tag... more than half of it went to a new stage house, which was added for the vast needs of Opera.

Most people don't realize that most of the footprint of the UA complex is taken up by the theatre...

**MikeyinBrooklyn** · February-23-16, 09:02 PM

I think the deciding factor about whether or not the theater gets saved [[as a theater) is whether or not the Ilitches think there could be a market for it's use as a performance space. Note: it is not likely to be used for theatrical productions, because it lacks the backstage and support space [[or room to build it) that other spaces have. Reportedly it was famed in the musical world for it's acoustics. That's why it should be a musical venue. We have spaces in Detroit dedicated to opera and symphonic music, Broadway musicals have several homes, and more than a few good places to see a concert of any genre. But there isn't really a permanent major venue dedicated to Detroit's musical heritage of jazz, blues, soul, gospel: essentially our huge and wonderful black musical heritage [[of course, there are people of all colors that write, perform, and enjoy those kinds of music; but it is appropriately black-centric). That's why I think it would be a great place for that.

**Vitalis** · March-17-16, 10:19 PM

The knowledge that the UA was an important "Roadshow" venue for widescreen epics in the 50s and 60s was revelatory to me as a Detroit youth. The fact that you could peer at an advertisement in Life magazine for "Mutiny On the Bounty" [[1962) and look at the list of theaters across the nation that would stage the roadshow premieres and see "United Artists Theatre, Detroit, MI" was as exciting as any nationally covered news story out of Detroit. I had likely spent one matinee afternoon per month for probably three years in the UA - all of those films, now relegated to television movie channels - were almost religious-like services in this cathedral to the cinema arts. It is a bitter thing to say, but there is no real need for this auditorium any longer except as an appendage to whatever is done with the rest of the block. Recording sessions, perhaps. Corporate functions, yes, a few. TCM big screen movie events, of course. A State of the City address, why not. But that's not even one week worth of bookings. I'm as sentimental as the next guy - I can't watch Doctor Zhivago or Ben-Hur without remembering the experience of viewing it pristine and awe inspiring in the Temple of Roadshow Engagements. If I owned the UA I would do all of what I just listed, but also make it a weekly film revival destination akin to the DFT and the Redford programs. And if there was ever a local residential population to support first run theatrical releases - well, let me open the doors, tear your tickets, and let you know "it's comfortably cool inside."