Long-vacant historic former WJBK building to become Midnight Golf headquarters

[Airforceguy]

The old WJBJ Building in New Center will be redeveloped. It's nice to see old Detroit buildings getting rehabbed like this.
Long-vacant historic former WJBK building to become Midnight Golf headquarters

Renee Fluker, founder and president of Midnight Golf, said her organization is about to embark on a capital campaign to raise the $10 million to $12 million needed for construction to retrofit the 30,000-square-foot building at 7441 Second Ave. at Bethune Street.


"Midnight Golf needed our own home," said Fluker, whose administrative office is currently in Bingham Farms. "We had been at Franklin Wright, the Northwest Activities Center, Marygrove. One time it was perfect for us, but now we are getting ready to start a new program October 1, and we already have 800 applications of high school seniors. We can only take 250 and they come from as far as Romeo to Ypsi."

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-e...f-headquarters

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

It’s a handsome building in a great area and should not be vacant

[preserve]

Barney Morris and Ken Thomas 1967

[Richard]

Seems like a pretty just cause group,they still need to raise 10 - 12 million in donations for it to become feasible ?

The purchase price is a well guarded secret or have they actually purchased it yet?

Tax exempt financials have stayed the same sense 2017 and does not support the building,but has an interesting line up with the board of directors.

[Danny]

Did WTVS used to run their Detroit Public TV [[PBS) Station there?

[Zacha341]

^ Yes. That was the last use of the building I believe [PBS].

[ShadowSoarer]

If I'm not mistaken this was the original project back in 2017 and was suppose to break ground in late 2018 [[4 years ago) and was suppose to be called Studio Live. It was also suppose to be 145 Apartments [[19 of which would be part of existing building) with 10,000 square feet of retail.

https://detroit.curbed.com/2017/12/1...ter-apartments

[Margaret's boy]

What year did channel 2 leave downtown?

[MikeM]

What year did channel 2 leave downtown?

January 1971

Edit: They were scheduled to move out in January, but construction delays and power problems delayed the move until June. WTVS bought the building for $750,000 and moved there, ironically, from Southfield [[26945 W Eleven Mile Rd) where they had been since 1968. WJBK said they moved to Southfield because they couldn't find room within the city to expand.

[kuuma]

If I'm not mistaken this was the original project back in 2017 and was suppose to break ground in late 2018 [[4 years ago) and was suppose to be called Studio Live. It was also suppose to be 145 Apartments [[19 of which would be part of existing building) with 10,000 square feet of retail.

https://detroit.curbed.com/2017/12/1...ter-apartments

I don't suppose it's too late for them to build the apartment building on that parking lot. Maybe it's not in the current plans but especially if the design exists it might be viable in the future.