Film Exchange Building hits Auction Block

**Zads07** · October-03-17, 11:51 AM

The Film Exchange Building is on the Auction Block it seems.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...illion-minimum

"The Film Exchange Building in downtown Detroit is going to an online auction next month with a minimum bid of $2.25 million."

It's kind of in an odd spot with nothing but parking lots surrounding it. Hopefully Olympia doesn't buy it and tear it down for more parking, because I could see that happening.

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**casscorridor** · October-04-17, 06:40 AM

Originally Posted by Zads07

The Film Exchange Building is on the Auction Block it seems.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...illion-minimum

"The Film Exchange Building in downtown Detroit is going to an online auction next month with a minimum bid of $2.25 million."

It's kind of in an odd spot with nothing but parking lots surrounding it. Hopefully Olympia doesn't buy it and tear it down for more parking, because I could see that happening.

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There should be a zoning ordinance banning all future surface parking in the Downtown area.

**mikeg19** · October-04-17, 10:16 AM

I thought Illitch owned the building already. News to me.

**3WC** · October-04-17, 12:14 PM

What possible reason could anyone with a life have about this building other than the seller and potential buyers?

The mind boggles.

**1953** · October-04-17, 01:57 PM

Come again?

**gumby** · October-05-17, 12:56 PM

Originally Posted by 3WC

What possible reason could anyone with a life have about this building other than the seller and potential buyers?

The mind boggles.

Huh? My mind is certainly boggled.

**3WC** · October-05-17, 06:15 PM

Jeez. One has to explain the simplest things.

WHO CARES THAT THIS BUILDING IS FOR SALE? Hundreds of buildings are for sale in Detroit, probably. People should have more important things in their lives to think about.

**southen** · October-05-17, 08:27 PM

Originally Posted by 3WC

Jeez. One has to explain the simplest things.

WHO CARES THAT THIS BUILDING IS FOR SALE? Hundreds of buildings are for sale in Detroit, probably. People should have more important things in their lives to think about.

Like complaining on a message board?

**MikeyinBrooklyn** · October-05-17, 09:37 PM

I always wondered what this building was. I think it is well-positioned for anything a developer wanted to do. The sea of parking will not remain as such for long: the value of the land was once nearly worthless [[except for speculation relating to stadium construction). Now, there is real value in all directions. This building could be great condos or loft office space. Or probably 100 other things. Wish I owned it!

**MikeyinBrooklyn** · October-05-17, 09:40 PM

Originally Posted by 3WC

What possible reason could anyone with a life have about this building other than the seller and potential buyers?

The mind boggles.

You do realize that the entire point of this board is for us to talk about and speculate about things like, say, buildings for sale in downtown Detroit? Stadiums and transit and Amazon yes. And buildings. Tons of threads on specific buildings. Some great, some small.

**3WC** · October-06-17, 10:54 AM

OK. I stand chastised.

DetroitNightLights · October-06-17, 03:23 PM

Gistok might be able to go into more detail, but the Film Exchange Building is a very significant piece of Detroit history.

The old movie palaces, many owned by the studios like United Atrist and Fox, that surround Woodward and Grand Circus Park first used film that was highly flammable. They would have to store the film off site. The films had to be exchanged with ones from this buildings massive blast proof vaults. The existence of the Film Exchange Building made a theater district in Detroit possible.

Does anyone know how many different theaters were served at one time during the Film Exchange Building's prime?

**mtburb** · October-06-17, 03:56 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitNightLights

Gistok might be able to go into more detail, but the Film Exchange Building is a very significant piece of Detroit history.

The old movie palaces, many owned by the studios like United Atrist and Fox, that surround Woodward and Grand Circus Park first used film that was highly flammable. They would have to store the film off site. The films had to be exchanged with ones from this buildings massive blast proof vaults. The existence of the Film Exchange Building made a theater district in Detroit possible.

Does anyone know how many different theaters were served at one time during the Film Exchange Building's prime?

From one blog I read, the Film Exchange Building once served every theater in the Lower Peninsula [[a similarly-purposed building in Milwaukee served Upper Michigan theaters).

**Gistok** · October-06-17, 04:22 PM

Mtburb is correct... the Film Exchange Building was the central point for film reels for practically all of Michigan.

One of the interesting things about that building was when Comerica Park was first planned in that area west of Woodward. The building owner put new windows into the Film Exchange Building at a pace that would make Matty Moroun's head spin in window replacement speed!

But once the decision was made to put the Stadia district east of Woodward instead.... virtually all work ceased on that building. Someone was hoping for a big payday on a newly spruced up building. and apparently didn't get the bargain they were hoping for.

Many years later the original yellow tone bricks [[a color identical to the Eddystone) were painted over in white... which looks bad.

Hopefully a mild sandblasting will remove that layer of color for a potential restoration as residential... or?