AMC headquarters [[PROC) may be headed to demolition

**ndavies** · August-05-16, 07:43 AM

http://www.freep.com/story/money/bus...lish/88033560/

**Zads07** · August-05-16, 12:17 PM

Just ridiculous. Only in Detroit will folks tear down a historic building for another piece of vacant land. I hope to goodness those running Wayne County just decide to mothball it until someone can redevelop it.

**drjeff** · August-05-16, 04:14 PM

Originally Posted by Zads07

Just ridiculous. Only in Detroit will folks tear down a historic building for another piece of vacant land. I hope to goodness those running Wayne County just decide to mothball it until someone can redevelop it.

That entire area is a dead zone. Even if it was razed to create another gigantic vacant lot, who would want to build something there? Nobody.

**gumby** · August-05-16, 06:07 PM

Location just sucks. I hate to see it go but being honest with ourselves what is going to go there in that huge ass building?

**Hypestyles** · August-05-16, 06:14 PM

let it be a public park. Or some apartments. But the property needs a total revamp. heavy manufacturing isn't coming back there.

**Cincinnati_Kid** · August-05-16, 10:53 PM

Originally Posted by Hypestyles

let it be a public park. Or some apartments. But the property needs a total revamp. heavy manufacturing isn't coming back there.

It wasn't a manufacturing plant to begin with. It was AMC headquarters after they bought it from appliance maker Kelvinator.

**Zads07** · August-05-16, 11:06 PM

Originally Posted by drjeff

That entire area is a dead zone. Even if it was razed to create another gigantic vacant lot, who would want to build something there? Nobody.

Just because the area isn't great right now doesn't mean it won't be in the future. Mothball the building. What harm is an empty building doing if it's properly secured?

**Jimaz** · August-06-16, 06:53 AM

Street View

**Wheels** · August-06-16, 08:15 AM

Originally Posted by Cincinnati_Kid

It wasn't a manufacturing plant to begin with. It was AMC headquarters after they bought it from appliance maker Kelvinator.

It was part of a huge manufacturing complex!

**renf** · August-06-16, 10:18 AM

Wouldn't that be a good home for a Detroit campus of a revived Trump University? It has a collegiate appearance.

**emu steve** · August-06-16, 11:28 AM

Originally Posted by renf

Wouldn't that be a good home for a Detroit campus of a revived Trump University? It has a collegiate appearance.

That's funny.

Maybe The Donald will announce it next week and use it to indicate his sincere interest in urban revitalization. Half of it could be used as the Trump U library.

[[Did Trump U have a library and it is as big as an elementary school library?

All joking aside that building looks ideal for education, offices, etc. if there were a future need for such in that area.

Could UDM, e.g., use it as a satellite campus?

Better yet how about WCCC?

Or if a school, like EMU, wanted to have a 2-year program which feeds into the 4-year programs, it would be convenient for students from Wayne County [[and Oakland) to be commuter students for their 1st 2 years before transferring.

I believe EMU has a satellite campus in Livonia.

Could WSU use it?

**hybridy** · August-06-16, 12:02 PM

Originally Posted by emu steve

That's funny.

Maybe The Donald will announce it next week and use it to indicate his sincere interest in urban revitalization.

All joking aside that building looks ideal for education, offices, etc. if there were a future need for such in that area.

Could UDM, e.g., use it as a satellite campus?

UDM has 3 campuses already [[Mcnichols, Dental on MLK Blvd, & Law Downtown) They only shed the Outer Dr campus [[former Mercy College) in the last decade. They are focusing efforts on expanding in place. Throw some senior/low income apartments in the old AMC Admin bldg and demo the rest. redevelop into mixed use with light industry. its plenty close to 96 and the old rail line running on the eastern edge could be converted to non-motorized trail. if its no longer used as freight rail.

**Cincinnati_Kid** · August-06-16, 01:11 PM

Originally Posted by Wheels

It was part of a huge manufacturing complex!

The article states that it was used as a engineering center for AMC and Chrysler. It didn't say vehicles were actually built there. I didn't know engineering centers were considered assembly or manufacturing plants. If I'm wrong, I concur.

**emu steve** · August-06-16, 02:22 PM

Originally Posted by hybridy

UDM has 3 campuses already [[Mcnichols, Dental on MLK Blvd, & Law Downtown) They only shed the Outer Dr campus [[former Mercy College) in the last decade. They are focusing efforts on expanding in place. Throw some senior/low income apartments in the old AMC Admin bldg and demo the rest. redevelop into mixed use with light industry. its plenty close to 96 and the old rail line running on the eastern edge could be converted to non-motorized trail. if its no longer used as freight rail.

I only threw it out for collegiate usage. Could WCCC consolidate there?

I like the idea of renovating into senior housing OR how about a city run homeless shelter?

I realize it would cost a lot of money to renovate, but housing the homeless costs money it is a better to get a building with 'good bones' for next to nothing and renovate into something like a YMCA-like structure with small rooms, baths, etc.

Letting the homeless sleep on the streets isn't good public policy.

Or get with VA and convert into a residential center for homeless vets.

I AGREE with the lead poster that tearing down a structurally sound building just because it isn't in a bustling neighborhood is not wise.

If one can't make a commercial case for the building, there are plenty of human service needs to be filled. Detroit isn't rich, but it is past bankruptcy.

**Jason** · August-06-16, 03:25 PM

Might as well mothball it.

The only thing worthwhile about the property is the building itself. Most of the site is already empty and there are several other empty industrial sites nearby. If you demolish it no one is going to rush to put something there. There's an insane amount of empty land throughout the city.

You have to play to your strengths and this property would not be competitive with the suburban industrial parks. But the suburbs can't compete against the building.

**kathy2trips** · August-06-16, 04:14 PM

Look at all the "worthwhile" empty lots in Detroit where nothing has been going on for decades. In comparison, look at this beauty and then look at the new, bland, expensive construction going on in Detroit lately. I won't name any names, but you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Name: AMC HQ.jpg
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Name: AMC HQ.jpg
Views: 1213
Size: 48.9 KB

The DPD and DFD are crying for new facilities. Couldn't this building be re-used for one of them? That would be a treasure! How much was the new 5th Precinct building? Imagine putting that money into this. One of the few positive attributes we have left in the city is our architecture far too expensive to duplicate today. We just can't afford to be pennywise and pound foolish anymore. Think, Detroit, out of the box if you must, but think before you destroy!

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · August-06-16, 04:32 PM

Originally Posted by kathy2trips

Look at all the "worthwhile" empty lots in Detroit where nothing has been going on for decades. In comparison, look at this beauty and then look at the new, bland, expensive construction going on in Detroit lately. I won't name any names, but you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Name: AMC HQ.jpg
Views: 1213
Size: 48.9 KB

The DPD and DFD are crying for new facilities. Couldn't this building be re-used for one of them? That would be a treasure! How much was the new 5th Precinct building? Imagine putting that money into this. One of the few positive attributes we have left in the city is our architecture far too expensive to duplicate today. We just can't afford to be pennywise and pound foolish anymore. Think, Detroit, out of the box if you must, but think before you destroy!

I could not agree more. Why persist in the "if we tear it down they will come" fantasy? With all of the vacant land available already, there is no need to create more. Mothball the irreplaceable structure and look for a creative reuse.

**downtownguy** · August-08-16, 02:03 PM

Originally Posted by Wheels

It was part of a huge manufacturing complex!

I grew up a few blocks from there before having to move due to construction of I-96. I lived on "the other side of the tracks," north of Fullerton. There's a small park next to the AMC complex that has some formal name, but we always referred to it as Hubbel Park. In the winter, the fire department would flood an area of the park and we played hockey there.

The complex loomed ominously over us as we played in the park, but I have no recollection of there being any manufacturing activity taking place there. This was in the 60s.

This article linked below documents the history of the complex from Kelvinator, to Nash Motors, to American Motors and eventually to Chrysler. Kelvinator built the building behind the admin building for manufacturing refrigerators. During World War II, it was used to make helicopters.

http://detroit1701.org/Nash-Kelvinator.html

**renf** · August-08-16, 02:19 PM

http://usautoindustryworldwartwo.com...kelvinator.htm
Apparently more than one-half of the helicopters assemble in the US during World War II were
made at the manufacturing plant behind the Kelvinator-Nash headquarters where they
built Sikorsky R-A machines. So there was substantial manufacturing activity on this site.

**Cincinnati_Kid** · August-08-16, 03:08 PM

Originally Posted by renf

http://usautoindustryworldwartwo.com...kelvinator.htm
Apparently more than one-half of the helicopters assemble in the US during World War II were
made at the manufacturing plant behind the Kelvinator-Nash headquarters where they
built Sikorsky R-A machines. So there was substantial manufacturing activity on this site.

Ok, Ok, I give up....You guys were right..

**p69rrh51** · August-08-16, 08:50 PM

Originally Posted by drjeff

That entire area is a dead zone. Even if it was razed to create another gigantic vacant lot, who would want to build something there? Nobody.

The entire area is not a "dead zone." When I took the image of this house in April, I was delighted to find the neighborhood just south of 14250 Plymouth Road surprisingly intact. This house is located due south of the building on Mark Twain, about block away from Plymouth Road.

**p69rrh51** · August-08-16, 08:55 PM

The building would be a very good candidate for a similar rehab the Michigan Bell and Western Electric Warehouse on Oakman Boulevard received.

**drjeff** · August-09-16, 02:06 PM

Originally Posted by Zads07

Just because the area isn't great right now doesn't mean it won't be in the future. Mothball the building. What harm is an empty building doing if it's properly secured?

That's my point. Tearing it down when there's no demand for property in that area in the foreseeable future is stupid.

**drjeff** · August-09-16, 02:11 PM

Originally Posted by p69rrh51

The entire area is not a "dead zone." When I took the image of this house in April, I was delighted to find the neighborhood just south of 14250 Plymouth Road surprisingly intact. This house is located due south of the building on Mark Twain, about block away from Plymouth Road.

That stretch of Plymouth Road is dead. It's a poster child for blight. Nobody is going to be investing in a huge building project there anytime soon. Mothball the building instead of tearing it down for yet another huge vacant lot.

**p69rrh51** · August-09-16, 02:27 PM

Originally Posted by drjeff

That stretch of Plymouth Road is dead. It's a poster child for blight. Nobody is going to be investing in a huge building project there anytime soon. Mothball the building instead of tearing it down for yet another huge vacant lot.

When was the last time you were in the area? I found plenty of non-dead activity taking place.