Lee Plaza time lapse

**buildingsofdetroit** · November-10-09, 10:47 PM

Anyone seen this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9Apv...layer_embedded

**buildingsofdetroit** · November-11-09, 01:30 AM

On a similar topic, does anyone know the EXACT year the Lee Plaza closed? All I see is "1990s" or "mid-1990s."

**Gsgeorge** · November-11-09, 03:39 AM

Last year of occupancy at Lee Plaza was 1997, from what I understand and from evidence such as calendars & datebooks inside.

**vetalalumni** · November-11-09, 02:18 PM

Buildingsofdetroit, your web site is informative and well designed. If memory serves me correctly, Lee is not savable in your view. Would you please consider adding Lee to your site?

**jtf1972** · November-11-09, 05:04 PM

I've always liked the Lee Plaza. There is a sad, soft place in my heart for that beautiful building.

**buildingsofdetroit** · November-11-09, 05:56 PM

Originally Posted by vetalalumni

Buildingsofdetroit, your web site is informative and well designed. If memory serves me correctly, Lee is not savable in your view. Would you please consider adding Lee to your site?

Funny you ask. I just came across some original 1927 newspaper articles from the Detroit News on the Lee last night. I have to finish up the Ford Building [[its 100th birthday party is tomorrow) and then I'll probably do the Lee. I'm also halfway done with the Hollywood Theatre, though I'm striking out on photos. Thanks for visiting and the suggestion!

**vetalalumni** · November-11-09, 06:19 PM

Originally Posted by buildingsofdetroit

Funny you ask. I just came across some original 1927 newspaper articles from the Detroit News on the Lee last night. I have to finish up the Ford Building [[its 100th birthday party is tomorrow) and then I'll probably do the Lee. I'm also halfway done with the Hollywood Theatre, though I'm striking out on photos. Thanks for visiting and the suggestion!

I'll peruse my old photo albums for appropriate pictures of Lee Plaza. Most of the photographs I have are b/w of family and friends at the Lee.

**Leo B** · November-11-09, 06:29 PM

The Hollywood blueprints are in the Agree collection at the Burton.
HAve you seen them and the Agree Hollywood materials ?

Leo

**buildingsofdetroit** · November-11-09, 07:35 PM

Originally Posted by Leo B

The Hollywood blueprints are in the Agree collection at the Burton.
HAve you seen them and the Agree Hollywood materials ?

Leo

Not to thread-jack my own thread, but I did pull the Agree manuscript. I got a copy of one exterior shot and one auditorium shot showing some seats. That be it. 56packman was kind enough to share two more photos, but I'm severely lacking in the "knock my socks off with photos of this movie palace" department.

**buildingsofdetroit** · November-11-09, 07:36 PM

Originally Posted by vetalalumni

I'll peruse my old photo albums for appropriate pictures of Lee Plaza. Most of the photographs I have are b/w of family and friends at the Lee.

Any shots you have of the Lee - especially interiors - would be amazing, VETA. We would be sure to credit you however you want. It's an amazing building. Would be nice to do it justice by showing people what was.

**vetalalumni** · November-12-09, 12:00 AM

Originally Posted by buildingsofdetroit

Any shots you have of the Lee - especially interiors - would be amazing, VETA. We would be sure to credit you however you want. It's an amazing building. Would be nice to do it justice by showing people what was.

It was a fine building with good people. Loved the old, elegant elevator. There was a doorman, but I don't recall an elevator man. In the 60s and 70s local politicians, religious leaders, and other prominent folks would come to the Lee regularly. Nearby Cole Funeral Home had a large clientele base from the Lee.

Seniors would often gather in the general meeting areas. Many of the seniors were influential at churches such as Second Baptist. As a kid I liked hanging out in the ornate pool room which smelled of cigars and cigarettes. The "grand" ballroom held many events. It was an impressive experience.

**ordinary** · November-12-09, 05:35 PM

Buildingsofdetroit, thanks for the link. When I first joined the forum, one of the questions was about your favorite building or something like that. The Lee Plaza was my answer.
I chose to write about urban sprawl for one of my final papers at Wayne State and I remember opening with some kind of mention of the Lee Plaza. My professor said he remembers going to a wedding reception there. I can't even imagine that.
.

**vetalalumni** · November-12-09, 11:50 PM

Unfortunately most of the photographs I've found so far are personal and people oriented. Not much general scenery type photos. I'll keep looking. It would be difficult for me to overstate the elegance of the Lee.

**buildingsofdetroit** · January-12-10, 01:06 AM

Working on the Lee Plaza now. Anyone have any memories of the place that I can include? Would need real name, city of residence. Would probably make it into the book we're working on. Right now the history is really missing the human angle. No one wants to read only boring numbers and facts about issuing of bonds, etc. If you were in the Lee, as some here have said, and want to help tell this building's story, please e-mail me at bldgsofdetroit AT gmail.com with your name and phone number or other way to contact you. Thanks!

**szla** · January-12-10, 11:48 PM

I lived for twenty years in Old Redford till about 98. My next door neighbors Lucas and Marian Pokoj lived in the Lee Plaza in the late thirties. He was an iron worker and use to travel around the midwest working on high rises. They were both Polish second generation. She was from Bay City. He was from a small town near Johnstown Pennsylvania. In the twenties he played he played semi pro baseball which seem to encompass getting your boys together and playing the next town for money. You kept playing till you were out of money. Huge Tiger fan till he died. She had the most beautiful yard. She bought plants that were amazing and rare. Wiegelias, magnolias you had never seen before, barberries that looked like forsythias, carolina spice bushes and many things to this day I dont even know what they were. They grew chestnuts and hazelnuts just to provide the squirells with food. They were once featured on some gardening show in the early 90s. She use to wash the rafters in her basement every year. She used to prune my snowball viburnums from the front of my house all the way to the back of my house. They were stunning in bloom. I loved my neighbors. I loved the way they took care of their environment and home. I loved the Lee Plaza and it made such sense that they had once lived there. buildingsofdetroit, I cant give you their address/number as they are both dead. This is the closest I can give you to the human angle.

**buildingsofdetroit** · February-01-10, 04:23 AM

Originally Posted by ordinary

Buildingsofdetroit, thanks for the link. When I first joined the forum, one of the questions was about your favorite building or something like that. The Lee Plaza was my answer.
I chose to write about urban sprawl for one of my final papers at Wayne State and I remember opening with some kind of mention of the Lee Plaza. My professor said he remembers going to a wedding reception there. I can't even imagine that.
.

History, photos and more are up at www.buildingsofdetroit.com/places/lee if interested.

jflick3535 · February-01-10, 04:36 PM

Originally Posted by buildingsofdetroit

History, photos and more are up at www.buildingsofdetroit.com/places/lee if interested.

where exactly is the "Lee Crest" mentioned in your write up?

**buildingsofdetroit** · February-01-10, 04:51 PM

Originally Posted by jflick3535

where exactly is the "Lee Crest" mentioned in your write up?

8711 Second Ave.

**drjeff** · February-01-10, 04:54 PM

When scrappers stole the copper roof from the Lee Plaza a couple of years ago did anyone call the authorities? Did they respond at all? Who owns the building?

jflick3535 · February-01-10, 05:29 PM

Originally Posted by drjeff

When scrappers stole the copper roof from the Lee Plaza a couple of years ago did anyone call the authorities? Did they respond at all? Who owns the building?

gotta give them credit--they did almost all of it in one night and it was in the middle of the winter!!!

**downtown_racine** · February-01-10, 05:53 PM

Credit for being crackhead crooks ? Yea, nice.

**Zacha341** · July-21-10, 12:23 AM

What is going on at Lee Plaza? I drove by there [[Tuesday 7/20 @ 5:00 PM) and noted about 8 or 10 business-casual dressed people milling around along the front steps coming and going thru an "opened" front door... there were a few cars parked nearby that some were getting into.

I saw no one wearing hard hats -- no cameras, no surveying equipment... I did NOT see an Adamo back-ho or similar apparatus... Any info anyone???

**papillonaquatique** · July-21-10, 01:48 AM

Originally Posted by drjeff

When scrappers stole the copper roof from the Lee Plaza a couple of years ago did anyone call the authorities? Did they respond at all? Who owns the building?

Scrappers actually managed to steal an entire roof of a Plaza and not a soul said anything? Someone had to have seen it happening. Do any of these salvage places that accept scrap metal even think of where the scrap is comming from? It is hard for me to imagine someone in the middle of winter taking the roof off of a building and no one saying anything about it.

**Zacha341** · July-21-10, 07:05 PM

Well it would not have been pretty had one of the scrapers fallen off that roof... those angles are really steep. Not something an average crack head could manage... or maybe so... I think it was professional hit! Um, er I mean scrapping job.............

Originally Posted by papillonaquatique

Scrappers actually managed to steal an entire roof of a Plaza and not a soul said anything? Someone had to have seen it happening. Do any of these salvage places that accept scrap metal even think of where the scrap is comming from? It is hard for me to imagine someone in the middle of winter taking the roof off of a building and no one saying anything about it.

**detroitbob66** · July-22-10, 10:25 PM

I saw the same people that your talking about....they were all out front and the door to the Lee Plaza was wide open. They had lights inside the building too....whats goin on? anybody?