Adam's Building

[davewindsor]

I noticed that most of the Adam's Building/Theatre in Grand Circus Park was demo'd with the steel reenforced facade still standing. Anyone know if the building going in it's place will be the same size or bigger/taller? Is Illitch eligible for the same kind of tax credits as rehabbing an old building because he kept the facade?

[Gistok]

Actually it's called the Fine Arts Building, and it predates the 1917 built Adams Theatre auditorium [[razed) by at least a decade. It was a separate building that had a lobby inserted into the building in 1917, and a theatre was built behind it. It was known as an "alley jumper"... where main floor patrons took a tunnel, and balcony patrons took a skywalk to get to the separate auditorium split from it by an alley.

Because the Fine Arts Building had a wooden frame construction, and because the Ilitch's never put a new roof on the building [[or former auditorium), it started to collapse.

The Detroit Historical Commission deemed that the facade be saved, which the Ilitch's are doing with facade stabalization. However no Ilitch plans have yet been announced for what will replace the Fine Arts Building behind the facade.

Some here have mentioned that he's waiting for a strong wind to collapse the facade, others think that he's going to build a parking structure behind the facade [[and neighboring Adams auditorium site).

Like the fate of the neighboring United Artists Building/Theatre, we really don't know what, if anything is planned by the Ilitch's for that site.

One thing is for certain... it's the oldest facade on that block facing west Grand Circus Park.

[JStone]

I swear I saw metal I-Beams in what remained of the FA from the theatre side.

[crawford]

Anyone know if the building going in it's place will be the same size or bigger/taller?

There is no building going in its place.

The only reason that the facade isn't being torn down is because of the Detroit Historical Commission.