Grind strip club burns in Capitol Park

[southen]

Glad to hear nobody was hurt but not too sad to see this place go up in flames. I have a feeling the guy collects his insurance money then Gilbert comes in and swoops up the property and adjacent lot. A win for downtown.

http://deadlinedetroit.com/articles/8403/detroit_strip_club_burns_2-alarm_fire_downtown_damages_the_grind

[warsaw7]

Was walking into work this morning and saw a handful of fire trucks putting out what appears to be an early morning fire at the Grind, across the street from D'Mongos.

[Honky Tonk]

I heard Ilitch will be adding a strip club to the entertainment area he's erecting.

[mikefmich]

I heard Ilitch will be adding a strip club to the entertainment area he's erecting.

A comma after area, I would've laughed even heartier.

[Islandman]

Efforts to "make it rain" to save this downtown jewel were in vain.

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

Too much grinding caused sparks?

[downtownguy]

The Grind was owned by Detroit real estate "developer" Dennis Kefallinos. The old Fisher Body Plant No. 10 on Farnsworth that burned twice in the last few weeks had been owned by Kefallinos, although I'm not sure if it is still is. Could be one heck of a coincidence.

[belleislerunner]

Typical insurance scam.

The Clark apartments across the street were sold to the Chinese development company and they forced the closure of Jam Lounge.

Since Jam Lounge and the Grind shared the same clientele - there likely was a significant drop in patronage and the owner likely figured it was easiest to torch the place and collect on the proceeds.

But that block should be much easier for new development, so we all win. Except the insurance company.

[Honky Tonk]

Typical insurance scam, so we all win, Except the insurance company.

And they just pass the savings along to us. "insurance in Detroit continues to be a racket"

[antongast]

Typical insurance scam.

The Clark apartments across the street were sold to the Chinese development company and they forced the closure of Jam Lounge.

Since Jam Lounge and the Grind shared the same clientele - there likely was a significant drop in patronage and the owner likely figured it was easiest to torch the place and collect on the proceeds.

But that block should be much easier for new development, so we all win. Except the insurance company.

See, here's where I'm confused. If this is a sufficiently obvious insurance scam that a bunch of random people on the Internet are able to identify it as such without hesitation, why the hell are the professional claim-deniers who work for the insurance company incapable of arriving at the same conclusion?

[royce]

See, here's where I'm confused. If this is a sufficiently obvious insurance scam that a bunch of random people on the Internet are able to identify it as such without hesitation, why the hell are the professional claim-deniers who work for the insurance company incapable of arriving at the same conclusion?

We don't have to prove it, but the insurance guys do. Also, I've imagined a parking garage, maybe six floors high, extending from the current garage location, over the street, and covering where the Grind is and most of the parking lot and vacant lot on that side of the street. Ground floor retail would be available on both sides of Griswold at the corner of Grand River. The garage would not affect D'Mongos or the Downtown Synagogue.

[Novack]

The Grind was owned by Detroit real estate "developer" Dennis Kefallinos. The old Fisher Body Plant No. 10 on Farnsworth that burned twice in the last few weeks had been owned by Kefallinos, although I'm not sure if it is still is. Could be one heck of a coincidence.

I don't think Dennis owns the Grind [[He did have some interest in the business at one point but not the building) and I think you might be mistaken on the building that caught fire twice recently as one of his building as well.

[TKshreve]

I don't think Dennis owns the Grind [[He did have some interest in the business at one point but not the building) and I think you might be mistaken on the building that caught fire twice recently as one of his building as well.

You are right. This was Cushingberry's new campaign office.

[downtownguy]

I don't think Dennis owns the Grind [[He did have some interest in the business at one point but not the building) and I think you might be mistaken on the building that caught fire twice recently as one of his building as well.

I defer to you, Mr. N. Regarding the other building, didn't Dennis own the former Hoban Foods Building that fronts on Warren? I thought the old Fisher Body Building one block north was part of the same complex.

[Danny]

The Grind was owned by Detroit real estate "developer" Dennis Kefallinos. The old Fisher Body Plant No. 10 on Farnsworth that burned twice in the last few weeks had been owned by Kefallinos, although I'm not sure if it is still is. Could be one heck of a coincidence.

Kefallinos doesn't take care of his properties. He buys them fix a little and leave it for scrappers. What a slumlord he is!

[MikeyinBrooklyn]

Curbed points out that the space, along with adjacent parking lots, is now a prime spot for development. I'd have to agree. Adjacent to the reno'd park and buildings about to be rehabbed, and only a block away from a blooming Woodward.

[DetroitPlanner]

Curbed points out that the space, along with adjacent parking lots, is now a prime spot for development. I'd have to agree. Adjacent to the reno'd park and buildings about to be rehabbed, and only a block away from a blooming Woodward.

Nice space for a parking structure. With the number of apartments now in the area with more coming on line; convenient parking will be able to sell the apartments even faster. Yeah I know how it sounds, but it is reality.

[gnome]

Nice space for a parking structure. With the number of apartments now in the area with more coming on line; convenient parking will be able to sell the apartments even faster. Yeah I know how it sounds, but it is reality.

Dp, your comment makes me wonder about the mysterious parking garage right across the street. Do you know what is up with that place? I never see any cars there, it seems closed but there are always guys hanging around.

i seems to be in a prime location and does sport a historical plaque touting it as the site of the former Hotel Griswald and home of Kiwanis Club.

[DetroitPlanner]

Dp, your comment makes me wonder about the mysterious parking garage right across the street. Do you know what is up with that place? I never see any cars there, it seems closed but there are always guys hanging around.

i seems to be in a prime location and does sport a historical plaque touting it as the site of the former Hotel Griswald and home of Kiwanis Club.

I have actually seen cars going into that place once. I was as surprised as you are. I don't know what the deal is with it. Though is is an odd duck for sure.

[downtownguy]

Dp, your comment makes me wonder about the mysterious parking garage right across the street. Do you know what is up with that place? I never see any cars there, it seems closed but there are always guys hanging around.

i seems to be in a prime location and does sport a historical plaque touting it as the site of the former Hotel Griswald and home of Kiwanis Club.

Nick and Lorna Abraham, owners of Mobile Parking Systems had owned the garage and the Urban Bean storefront. They seem to have been getting rid of their properties in recent years. The Bates Garage [[next to the National Theatre and now rubble) used the be where they kept offices. The garage you're talking about has shown wear and tear for many years. Possibly, they just quit using it, rather than fixing it up in the hopes they might find a buyer for the property.

[erikd]

Nice space for a parking structure. With the number of apartments now in the area with more coming on line; convenient parking will be able to sell the apartments even faster. Yeah I know how it sounds, but it is reality.

The narrow triangular shape of the site makes it very unsuitable for a parking structure. There simply isn't enough room to run ramps on that site, so the only way that you could do a garage would be with an elevator system similar to the Merchant's Row garage. Even doing that, the site becomes way too narrow for garage parking on the northern half of the site.

The surface lot on the north side of the Grind is only able to get cars in and out by using the alley and/or driving over the sidewalk, which can't be done inside a structure.

[DetroitPlanner]

The narrow triangular shape of the site makes it very unsuitable for a parking structure. There simply isn't enough room to run ramps on that site, so the only way that you could do a garage would be with an elevator system similar to the Merchant's Row garage. Even doing that, the site becomes way too narrow for garage parking on the northern half of the site.

The surface lot on the north side of the Grind is only able to get cars in and out by using the alley and/or driving over the sidewalk, which can't be done inside a structure.

This site both wider and longer than the garage across the street from it. You can even make the garage bigger by doing what they did to the 1001 Woodward garage and cantilever it over the alley. I agree the N End is too narrow. You could use it for semi-public space [[example: outdoor cafe for eatery on 1st floor of garage).

[Jason]

Thank god.

[Danny]

​Good riddance to the pimp club!

[Hastings]

Any one remember what it was called 1985/86 ish. it wasn't a strip club then