The Congregation. Anyone Been Yet?

[Zacha341]

Located not far from Boston Edison, Midtown area - building rehabbed from a former church. Has space for event rentals, features a coffee house, etc.

I hear they have really nice dance events.

We would like to check them out.

Has anyone here attend their events?

thecongregationdetroit.com/

[Honky Tonk]

Located not far from Boston Edison, Midtown area - building rehabbed from a former church. Has space for event rentals, features a coffee house, etc.

I hear they have really nice dance events.

We would like to check them out.

Has anyone here attend their events?

thecongregationdetroit.com/

Been there several times. A friend had an art exhibition/sale there. Its nicely done. Designer sandwiches and grilled items. For me, it wouldn't be a destination, but I'd go if someone really wanted to. Check it out next time you're looking for a place to eat.

[Zacha341]

^ Cool. We live in the area so it wouldn't be far to check out.

[stasu1213]

I had attended festivities there on Thursday evenings. It's sad that the gestapo rules of city government had forced them as well as Blues in the Park to cease operations

[Zacha341]

^ The festivals themselves [those particular events] were closed? The Congregation building was closed for a time?

[Honky Tonk]

^ The festivals themselves [those particular events] were closed? The Congregation building was closed for a time?

Website says they're open until 9 p.m. To be fair, they are located in a residential neighborhood. I bet if they were located in someone else's residential neighborhood, we'd be hearing Blues of a different kind.

[Richard]

^ not to highjack the thread but whatever happened to the old firehouse that somebody wanted to put a restaurant in and was seeing opposition because the neighbors did not want to smell the cooking smells ?

It never ends well for those restaurants located in trendy neighborhoods,once they start becoming popular,it’s always the same,noise and parking issues.

[Lowell]

I've been to Congregation a few times. Very nice, good food/coffee. Nice summer outdoor deck.

On a historic note if you'd have been there on a hot night in July 1967, you would have witness the outbreak of the 1967 rebellion.

[ABetterDetroit]

I stop in quite often. They are a tad upscale in prices but everything on the menu is tasty and the coffee/drinks are excellent. I haven’t attended their dancing events so I can’t help with that. I am a little surprised you haven’t checked them out Zacha, there have been times when I have been reading DYES at the Congregation and thought ‘Zacha could be in here somewhere.’

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

It looks like a great repurposing of that church. I’m always happy to see churches or schools repurposed instead of torn down. I just wish more people had the means and vision to do so.

[canuck]

It looks like a great repurposing of that church. I’m always happy to see churches or schools repurposed instead of torn down. I just wish more people had the means and vision to do so.

Yes, that is becoming a real problem for the future of these buildings. This one has a workable size compared to a large number of them that are humungous.

[stasu1213]

Yes, that is becoming a real problem for the future of these buildings. This one has a workable size compared to a large number of them that are humungous.

It just take serious investors not only locally but nationally and internationally whom have creative visions on what these old buildings especially school buildings could be transformed into. The city should do research on each person interested in purchasing a vacant building to see if that developer has a track record and not just some person, whether locally, national, nor international, just want to purchase a building for some type of tax writeoff.

[renf]

Thank you, Lowell, for the attractive and informative pictures.

[canuck]

It just take serious investors not only locally but nationally and internationally whom have creative visions on what these old buildings especially school buildings could be transformed into. The city should do research on each person interested in purchasing a vacant building to see if that developer has a track record and not just some person, whether locally, national, nor international, just want to purchase a building for some type of tax writeoff.

Yeah, schools are definitely high up on the repurposing list. With gymnasiums, pools, cafeterias and plenty of potential for common areas, they are easily converted, and Detroit has a ton of beautiful ones to fiddle with.

[Meddle]

Yeah, schools are definitely high up on the repurposing list. With gymnasiums, pools, cafeterias and plenty of potential for common areas, they are easily converted, and Detroit has a ton of beautiful ones to fiddle with.

Almost seem like candidates for enclosed communities. Some classrooms for offices, some for retail or foods, some for apartments. Pools, Gyms and tracks for recreation, courtyards on some for greenspaces or gardens.

[Richard]

The problem before was they were owned by the school districts and they would rather see them rot before selling them,it was like that all over the country,but Detroit followed the lead with other cities and made them available and many have been converted to residential,I believe one in Detroit is going through that process.

Preservation NC,North Carolina is probably one of the best run in the country.

At risk buildings and houses are put under their prevue,they vet everybody,you have to have a plan,the means to carry it it and prove it before you can purchase.

Schools are hard because the school district is separate from local government.

One I am following but matches many schools in Detroit but in St Louis,which is kinda worse then Detroit in many ways.

$400k for the school,$3.7 million in the renovations to residential with all the mentioned extras,they cannot demand high rents but the numbers worked and no where can you provide that kind of housing for $4million as an investor.

When you look at all of these recent affordable housing projects where they are paying $600k per unit for rehab,the schools are a perfect opportunity and actually better value to the taxpayers.

[Zacha341]

I must go. PM me. Maybe I can meet you there one of these fall days!

...I am a little surprised you haven’t checked them out Zacha, there have been times when I have been reading DYES at the Congregation and thought ‘Zacha could be in here somewhere.’

[masterblaster]

2 years ago I would often go for Trivia nights on Thursday!

I almost went to the Hustle Dancing class they have on bi-weekly Tuesdays or Wednesdays. The dance class alternates weekly with a Zumba class, I believe.

I'm disappointed you haven't been since you mentioned you live nearby. That neighborhood has few businesses so please support your local businesses so that they will continue to provide some energy and things to do in that part of the city.