Please ID: Old Warehouse @ Fort & Junction St.

**bigtreble** · November-12-09, 12:32 PM

Anyone know what this building was? Or who is the current owner?

Attachment 3804

Fort St. & Junction Street -- Googlemap

**1KielsonDrive** · November-12-09, 12:51 PM

I believe until recently that building was a City of Detroit garage for garbage trucks. I can't put an exact time frame on it - but until a few years ago, I'd see city garbage trucks coming and going from there. I've been by it in the last few weeks, just didn't pay attention to whether it was being used or not.

**gnome** · November-12-09, 12:55 PM

There was a thread about this building a few months ago. IIRC, it was Detroit Brass Works.

**bigtreble** · November-12-09, 01:03 PM

Thank you. I found a for sale phone # on it from GoogleStreetView, and did a reverse lookup...

"Available" BBA Associates 313-389-3700

Burke, Bill - BBA Associates
[[313) 389-3700
1580 Southfield Rd
Lincoln Park, MI 48146

Google approx address:
5502 W. Fort St., Detroit, MI

**bigtreble** · November-12-09, 01:20 PM

Hmmm. Still searching old discussions for more info. Can't find anything on Fort&Junction or Detroit Brass Works.

**Bcscott** · November-12-09, 01:55 PM

Its the Roberts Brass Works built in 1920. Its in the H.O.F threads about old car factories.

**Bcscott** · November-12-09, 02:21 PM

Here you go, Mikem originally posted this pic in the H.O.F thread.

**Detroitnerd** · November-12-09, 02:27 PM

I like the cool Fort car in the litho.

**bigtreble** · November-12-09, 03:35 PM

Thanks everyone.
Here's some more info pulled from the old HOF 'Old Car Factory' threads.

Mikem Posted on Monday, March 21, 2005 - 3:19 pm:
The area between the Fort St and the river seemed to be a hotbed for brass companies. I've been wondering what this building at 5435 Fort @ Junction was. The city's website says built in 1920 and used for printing/publishing.

Then I found this drawing in my 1922 history book. It says Roberts Brass was a manufacturer of brass goods, but it's listed among the auto-related industries, so I assume it was a supplier of brass parts to the auto manufactureres. Can 31Ford tell us what brass was used for in the Model-T?

31ford Posted on Monday, March 21, 2005 - 6:34 pm:
Brass was used in the radiators, headlamps [[until 1916) Coils, timer contact points, lots of small parts hubcaps, top prop knobs, windsheild frames on open cars. Another producer of lamps was the E.J. Brown co.
On the Model A it was used in Instrument panels, dash lamps, radiators, headlamp reflectors which were then plated silver, bushings of various sizes.
Other makes of cars used Brass for entire dash panels, bulb type horns,exterior door handles, etc...

MikeM Posted on Monday, March 21, 2005 - 8:11 pm:
Yes, brass definitely in electrical parts. How about carbuerators? My mother remembers the neighbor's electric car cica 1930, especially the brass flower vases inside on the door posts.

**detourdetroit** · November-12-09, 04:03 PM

very interesting thanks!

wow...imagine the days when detroit made stuff. fun!

**1KielsonDrive** · November-12-09, 08:04 PM

Originally Posted by bigtreble

Thank you. I found a for sale phone # on it from GoogleStreetView, and did a reverse lookup...

"Available" BBA Associates 313-389-3700

Burke, Bill - BBA Associates
[[313) 389-3700
1580 Southfield Rd
Lincoln Park, MI 48146

Google approx address:
5502 W. Fort St., Detroit, MI

Bill Burke was friend of mine from childhood. He passed away a few years ago. His wife lives on Grosse Ile but no longer has a connection to the business. As far as I know, his son ran BBA Associates for a couple of years and then closed it. You might try googling it.

**Guideboat** · November-12-09, 11:00 PM

I always thought that place would make great loft apartments. Drive right into your parking spot through the big ol' front door.

**Ocean2026** · November-13-09, 02:40 PM

Are you going to buy it? Is a nice building in good enough condition to re-use?

**kathy2trips** · November-28-09, 01:36 AM

Astounding brickwork! Breathtaking!

**buildingsofdetroit** · November-28-09, 06:20 PM

Too bad the clock in the front is long since gone.

**Gsgeorge** · December-27-09, 06:49 PM

Just checked this place out today. The side wings are in bad shape -- one side seems to be considerably older than 1920, maybe from early 1900s or earlier, and the additional area, the "main" part of the building, seems to have been added later due to its different construction [[wood & steel vs. steel-reinforced concrete). The wood floors are collapsing but the concrete [[front) section is still standing strong. Unfortunately it is very open to the elements and in much worse shape than the photo above circa 2005.

**DetroitZack** · December-27-09, 07:20 PM

I checked it out a couple weeks ago. I had driven by many times but didn't know if I would be able to explore it. Good info, Gsgeorge. I can post interior pictures sometime if anyone would like.

**leady106** · August-30-11, 02:43 PM

It appears that work is underway on this building without any fanfare. They are replacing the wood framing for the windows along Junction and ther appears to be new metal stud framing inside. Does anyone know have any information about this project?

**SWMAP** · August-30-11, 03:33 PM

I noticed the work too. That graceful building was being stripped every day and the scrappers penetrated any make-do barricade that had been erected. I caled the numbers on the for Sale signs, but they had been disconnected, as the poster above notes, that real estate business closed down.

I hope whoever is working on that building this week has a great plan. The open courtyard alone would be remarable. But it seems to need a lot of money.

**Whitehouse** · August-30-11, 04:40 PM

I'm surprised this link to the site of Detroiturbex was not posted before. There are some interior shots there. Seems to be one massive chemical hazard if you ask me... Perhaps even some nuclear waste? Was this paint that glows in the dark?

**Jimaz** · August-30-11, 06:43 PM

Originally Posted by Whitehouse

...Perhaps even some nuclear waste? Was this paint that glows in the dark?

I think that's just oil. belray.com

**gnome** · August-30-11, 08:07 PM

That place has been on a superfund list for 20 + years; and has been one of those asbestos warning areas for even longer.

as an aside, just read that Henry Ford considered brass a "Jew metal" and would fire anyone he caught using a brass tool. ... Trying to explain that is useless ... It had something to do with brass being an amalgam of minerals. HF, what a weird guy.

**Django** · August-30-11, 10:01 PM

I think its a giant grow room now.

**SWMAP** · October-17-11, 10:12 AM

There are new window frames being constructed on the Junction side of this building this week. They look to be caefully done and slightly elaborate in terms of the number of panes per opening. Does anyone know what is going on with it? This building would be just outside the footprint of the planned international Bridge.

**WALD0123** · October-17-11, 12:29 PM

That building is owned by Dennis Kefallinos, the Loft Place guy.

He's been called a slumlord in these forums many times but there's no doubt he's saved a few buildings over the years. Looks like he bought it in 2007 for $410,000. Hopefully a loft conversion project is in the works.