The Lincolnshire [& DeVur] to be demolished

[DetroitZack]

Today I noticed that the Lincolnshire is going to be demolished. If you know any history or have any old pics of the building feel free to share.

[econ expat]

Future Ilich parking lot? The collector's 'booth' is already there?

[Detroitnerd]

Hey, demolition contractors need to eat.

[brandon48202]

I spoke to someone who says that HFHS has been buying up property over there.

[buildingsofdetroit]

The same "COMING SOON" demo company sign is on the barbershop and restaurant on the corner of Milwaukee and the Lodge service drive.

[wolverine]

Someone should rip that entrance off pre-demo

[BVos]

Someone should also let those cars know that they might get munched by that excavator if they park there again!

What a bizarre sign that Farrow Group banner is. Makes it look like they're going to rehab the place if you didn't know who the Farrow folks were. Instead it's the opposite: they're coming to demo the place.

[buildingsofdetroit]

What a bizarre sign that Farrow Group banner is. Makes it look like they're going to rehab the place if you didn't know who the Farrow folks were. Instead it's the opposite: they're coming to demo the place.

Remember, these are the same folks whose trucks say, "Demolition means progress!" [[Exclamation point is theirs, not mine.)

[LeannaM]

Nice looking building.

It's a shame.

[mccarch]

This story gets worse. There is an identical sign of doom on the former Hotel DeVur around the corner, which has an extremely sweet Art Deco entrance. How blindsided can Henry Ford Hospital be, destroying the neighborhood for their surface parking lots?

[MichMatters]

Remember, these are the same folks whose trucks say, "Demolition means progress!" [[Exclamation point is theirs, not mine.)

"Demolition means progress" is the motto of MCM Management [[Demolition) of Bloomfield Hills.

[Ocean2026]

From an outsider's perspective Detroit's architecture is by the far the best thing it has going for it-those buildings would be an absolute treasure in my part of Texas. Too bad buildings are so expensive to move.

[LeannaM]

Here is the building on Google Maps
http://tinyurl.com/y9d2q6j

[Russix]

From an outsider's perspective Detroit's architecture is by the far the best thing it has going for it-those buildings would be an absolute treasure in my part of Texas. Too bad buildings are so expensive to move.

It would be really great if there was a cost effective way to move buildings from dead or dying neighborhoods and fill them into the remaining vibrant neighborhoods. As much that sounds like "robbing peter to pay paul" this area has already been 90% bulldozed in the name of "progress".

[Wallins]

Henry Ford Hospital is buying up all the property on Lincoln, Trumbull and Sterling between West Grand Blvd and Holden, this includes the Sweet Home Baptist Church and some property on Holden. They came in like a thief in the night and slowly bought up property under their for profit real estate company, much of the property was left open and vacant and the remaining residents safety was compromised. It took the residents some time to identify Sha Realty was actually Henry Ford Health System. Many of the homes in that area were and are solid stable structures, complete with Pewabic tile, french doors, wooden ceiling beams, stained and leaded glass, etc. It was only after the hospital admitted they were the buyers and crack dealers set up shop in one of their houses that hospital security began to patrol the area and the homes and buildings were boarded up. The sad and ironic part is, on the back on their shuttle buses is written, Henry Ford Hospital, Serving the Community. Now, if we can only find out what community they are serving.

[1KielsonDrive]

This is located almost directly behind the former location of the Astor Court Apartments. My mother lived in the Astor Court in the 70's while working at Henry Ford and the Detroit Auto Dealers Association [[DADA). DADA was responsible for staging the Detroit Auto Show, pre-NAIS. The area was beginning to show wear and tear but was still very lively, for most part. Mauna Loa, Topincka's and the movie theatre [[later housed the Attic) were still going. Most of the residents of the Astor Court were employees of Henry Ford and could walk directly across the street to work. We often walked the Boulevard. As with other parts of the city, the area had many fine apartments buildings. 'Urban Living' at its best.

[Gsgeorge]

Henry Ford Hospital is buying up all the property on Lincoln, Trumbull and Sterling between West Grand Blvd and Holden, this includes the Sweet Home Baptist Church and some property on Holden. They came in like a thief in the night and slowly bought up property under their for profit real estate company, much of the property was left open and vacant and the remaining residents safety was compromised. It took the residents some time to identify Sha Realty was actually Henry Ford Health System. Many of the homes in that area were and are solid stable structures, complete with Pewabic tile, french doors, wooden ceiling beams, stained and leaded glass, etc. It was only after the hospital admitted they were the buyers and crack dealers set up shop in one of their houses that hospital security began to patrol the area and the homes and buildings were boarded up. The sad and ironic part is, on the back on their shuttle buses is written, Henry Ford Hospital, Serving the Community. Now, if we can only find out what community they are serving.

Incredible. No words.

This is another devastating blow to the slow chipping-away of the city's history, architecture, and fabric.

[kathy2trips]

Can they salvage any of that brick and stone? Would really be worth it. I hear New Orleans is looking for vintage materials to rebuild.

[MichMatters]

That's how these companies make a good chunk of their money, salvaging a lot of the valuable elements on buildings like these.

[DetroitZack]

This story gets worse. There is an identical sign of doom on the former Hotel DeVur around the corner, which has an extremely sweet Art Deco entrance. How blindsided can Henry Ford Hospital be, destroying the neighborhood for their surface parking lots?

Which building is that? I'm not familiar. Is it on Holden?

[EastsideAl]

Hotel DeVur is on Milwaukee just west of the Lodge.

[RickBeall]

"Henry Ford Hospital, Serving the Community", serving the community like a Turkey with all the fixin's.

[Ocean2026]

Here's the problem and really a solution. If Detroit taxed like Texas using the sale value [[except for liquidation auctions) then someone could buy this cheaply, who knows maybe $1000, if the cost of demolition is high. Its already fenced so at the tax rate on $1000 it could sit for a few years. If the economy improved and/or the housing stock continued to decline it might be worth fixing. Detroit has many unemployed so maybe slowly and cheaply.

I promise you in our Texas County of 26,000 the Lincolnshire would be the 2nd most architecturally interesting and beautiful building [[ 1st is the Fulton Mansion -famous in Texas). The church on 8501 Woodward might make number one. Most places in the Sunbelt -Southwest have few treasures such as these and Detroit will just let them rot or tear them down. I'm not complaining about my town - we have ocean, dolphins, and no one has to lock their door, just envying the nice buildings you have and are losing. I also understand its hard to think of "treasures" when you need a quick economic fix.

[wolverine]

Can they salvage any of that brick and stone? Would really be worth it. I hear New Orleans is looking for vintage materials to rebuild.

Alot of the brick and sometimes pieces of the limestone ornamentation. It depends how it has been attached to the building and whether it can be removed without damage.

[Lowell]

I have been tracking these properties for a while and took the following pictures just this past spring and summer.

On my last visit I was surprised to find the [683] Milwaukee Apts. [I think this is what is being referred to above as the DeVur but my 1940 Detroit City Directory lists it as the Milwaukee Apts. -- correction from updates below. This was the DeVur Hotel.]




Coming Soon! Sign of doom, also on the Lincolnshire...


Here is the Lincolnshire in May with Henry Ford behind. My sources also say that HFH is behind the demolitions.