Often mention on this site are the large voids in downtown dedicated to surface parking lots. I think we're all pretty familiar with the the Monroe Blocks, Ilitch's parking lot desert, GMs giant empty lots on the riverfront, and the fail jail site... However there is another one, very prominently positioned, that I've never heard mentioned, but that I shake my head at daily on my stroll past.

I'm talking about the massive parking lots roughly bordered by Cass, Lafayette, the Coney Islands, and Michigan.

These are very centrally located, more so than any of the others except the Monroe Blocks, and also truly a vestige of "old Detroit". Most of the lots have no fancy gates, decorative fences, or landscaping to speak of. Just cracked asphalt lots and chains handing from bent poles to separate the cars from pedestrians.

Aside from the Lafayette Building, what stood on these lots? It's clear from the 1949 areal shots that much of this area was built.

Why is this area ignored for development? Seems like a prime location to start building on.