Milwaukee Junction Buildings Question

[Dexlin]

Does anyone know the current usage of the row of attached buildings in the southeast quadrant of the Milwaukee Junction, the buildings southeast across the diamond from the Russell Industrial Center? They lie directly north of the Grand Boulevard Bridge on the east side of the cut.

I ask because they don't appear that they have any rail connection, anymore; they don't appear to have any spurs or sidings to them. I'd imagine they were all probably warehouses at one time and served directly by rail. The other curious thing about them is that the only access to them is a long driveway off Milwaukee [[more like a street, almost) that takes you under the Grand Avenue roadbridge. There are no roads, sidewalks or driveways leading from the Boulevard or Hamtramck drive which ropes around the Poletown plant directly to the east of this Milwaukee Junction quadrant.

It's just odd to see a nice set of historic industrial buildings so isolated and seemingly well maintained. I can't imagine they still have an industrial usage because while not served by the rail line, anymore, there also doesn't appear to be in the trucks in the lot, so they must be office or residential. Even then, the location for that kind of usage would seem odd.

[gvidas]

It sounds like you're describing the Milwaukee Lofts, a Dennis Kefallinos joint. [[if you will)

https://plus.google.com/103745244084...10/about?hl=en

[mikeg19]

Looks to be correct. Although the rail spur directly behind the buildings are only used by the scrap steel place south of 94, that main line of rail heading NE toward Port Huron must be a noisy mofo.

We live off 23 1/2 and Gratiot where that line passes by about 3/4 of a mile from our place, and that thing has constant train traffic going up to Port Huron. I couldn't imagine living any closer to a rail line than that.

[Hamtragedy]

We did some work on a unit in the Milwaukee lofts about three years ago, and there was sporadic train traffic then. One of my employees would move the ladder near the window whenever he heard the rumble, and climb out the window and get right up on the train. Since we all like trains, not much work got done when one went by..