The Kingsley Arms joins the great fallen

[Lowell]

I was saddened to find this gem on Glynn go abandoned.


In the summer 2008 it was ragged but still occupied.


Next door neighbor Lee-Arden has been long abandoned.


In the summer of 2008 the appearance of a porta-john offered hope that a restoration was underway. The text on the chipboard behind the john read "EJH General Contractor - 800 number - Emergeny Serv..."

[RickBeall]

It looks like it was an elegant building.

[Scratch]

What trips me out is how they didn't even bother to close the windows. It is a shame: they're both gorgeous.

[lafayette]

Where is this building?

[Django]

What Laf said^^

[Danny]

We have turned Detroit from a ' Arsenal of Democracy' to a Neo-Nazi concetration camp, an internment camp and reservation camp for blacks.

[bartock]

Where is this building?

Roughly two blocks west of Woodward. Landmark for Glynn would be the Most Blessed Sacrament on the east side of Woodward.

[swingline]

It looks like it was an elegant building.

Looks can be deceiving though. A sad but true fact regarding many of Detroit's architecturally rich apartment buildings from the 20's and 30's is that their floorplans render them almost completely obsolete for modern apartment living. Many of these elegant-looking buildings do not have any units larger than 750 sq. ft. And the units that are that large are configured as 2br's. We're talking 1br's at less than 600 sq. ft. An entire 2 br apartment might have only 3 tiny closets and the bedrooms are only large enough for a full size bed and one dresser. This description may or may not fit the Kingsley Arms, but it is true for much of the apartment building stock in Detroit that has been abandoned.

Very few folks, whether they have money or not, want to live in such tiny spaces anymore. Even if these buildings were located in good neighborhoods it would be impossible for them to generate enough cash flow to allow for proper routine maintenance and occasional renovation of the units. The cost of reconfiguring these buildings to larger unit floorplans is not feasible [[with the possible exception of some Midtown buildings that could be shifted to market rents or go condo). All of the deferred maintenance causes these obsolete buildings to steadily decline. When the positive cash flow finally ends for the owners, the buildings are abandoned.

[Hermod]

Looks can be deceiving though. A sad but true fact regarding many of Detroit's architecturally rich apartment buildings from the 20's and 30's is that their floorplans render them almost completely obsolete for modern apartment living. Many of these elegant-looking buildings do not have any units larger than 750 sq. ft. And the units that are that large are configured as 2br's. We're talking 1br's at less than 600 sq. ft. An entire 2 br apartment might have only 3 tiny closets and the bedrooms are only large enough for a full size bed and one dresser. This description may or may not fit the Kingsley Arms, but it is true for much of the apartment building stock in Detroit that has been abandoned.

Very few folks, whether they have money or not, want to live in such tiny spaces anymore. Even if these buildings were located in good neighborhoods it would be impossible for them to generate enough cash flow to allow for proper routine maintenance and occasional renovation of the units. The cost of reconfiguring these buildings to larger unit floorplans is not feasible [[with the possible exception of some Midtown buildings that could be shifted to market rents or go condo). All of the deferred maintenance causes these obsolete buildings to steadily decline. When the positive cash flow finally ends for the owners, the buildings are abandoned.

The same case can be made for much of Detroit's single family housing stock as well. 9' by 10' bedrooms, one bathroom for a three or four bedroom house, closets three feet wide just are not what people who have an economic choice are looking for in an apartment or house. Maybe total destruction of structures and resurveying the lot sizes may entice development back into the city IF:

1. Regional economy recovers.

2. Real estate construction begins again.

3. Detroit gets effective law enforcement.

4. The city kleptocracy is eliminated.

[Zacha341]

Yeah, I was looking at those swing out windows... that place was a fortune to heat... probably radiator heat. Most of it going out the windows literally.....

Looks can be deceiving though. A sad but true fact regarding many of Detroit's architecturally rich apartment buildings from the 20's and 30's is that their floorplans render them almost completely obsolete for modern apartment living. Many of these elegant-looking buildings do not have any units larger than 750 sq. ft. And the units that are that large are configured as 2br's. We're talking 1br's at less than 600 sq. ft. An entire 2 br apartment might have only 3 tiny closets and the bedrooms are only large enough for a full size bed and one dresser. This description may or may not fit the Kingsley Arms, but it is true for much of the apartment building stock in Detroit that has been abandoned.

Very few folks, whether they have money or not, want to live in such tiny spaces anymore. Even if these buildings were located in good neighborhoods it would be impossible for them to generate enough cash flow to allow for proper routine maintenance and occasional renovation of the units. The cost of reconfiguring these buildings to larger unit floorplans is not feasible [[with the possible exception of some Midtown buildings that could be shifted to market rents or go condo). All of the deferred maintenance causes these obsolete buildings to steadily decline. When the positive cash flow finally ends for the owners, the buildings are abandoned.

[masterblaster]

Are you sure that apartment building is on Glynn? It looks like this apartment building is actually on HAZELWOOD, and is available for $89,000. Is that a good price for this building? This below listing shows it has 25 units.

http://www.realestateone.com/homes/2...troit-MI-48202

Also, to counter 2 of Swingline's assertions, in 2003, I toured a studio apartment in the Palmer Park district when I was looking for someplace to live, and that studio was HUGE! It was like a 2-bedroom apartment! Also, I toured an apartment on Seward in the New Center Area, it is was pretty nice sized with a Murphy Bed to boot!

Also, are you sure that it is not feasible to retrofit these old buildings.? I used to watch HGTV and specifically House Hunters alot, and a suprising # of episodes showcased couples looking for condos in renovated apartment buildings in Chicago.

[Patrick]

It looks like it was designed by J. Ivan Dise since it has all his signatures. The exterior of the building could never be recreated, that is for sure. Here in DC, people would pay top dollar for a place like that depending on the location. More of Detroit's amazing architecture gone down the drain. You won't find anything as architecturally pleasing in Austin would you?

[Newhorizons]

Who owns these buildings?

[Neilr]

It looks like it was designed by J. Ivan Dise since it has all his signatures. The exterior of the building could never be recreated, that is for sure. Here in DC, people would pay top dollar for a place like that depending on the location. More of Detroit's amazing architecture gone down the drain. You won't find anything as architecturally pleasing in Austin would you?

For those not familiar with the work of J. Ivan Dise, he specialized in domestic architecture in the Tudor Revival style in the 1920's. He designed many such homes in the University District, Boston/Edison, Sherwood Forest, Grosse Pointe, etc.

The picture and floor plans are of his own house which is on the SE corner of Atkinson and Woodrow Wilson. To me, it's one of the very finest smaller Tudor style houses in Detroit. Unfortunately, the exquisite details such as the pegged beams, variegated brickwork, and stained glass are not visible in this picture. [[The picture is from The American Architect, Jan. 5, 1928.)

If such houses are of interest to you, this one is well worth a drive-by. If you do go to see it, also notice the details [[windows, eaves brackets, overall proportions, etc.) on the two-story craftsman house across Atkinson which, sadly, is now vacant.

[Newhorizons]

The problem with vacant homes is that when someone like ourselves come and want to purchase we cant find the owners and the city even knows less.. It is quite a dilema.
We are interested in only historical homes that we can re-create but the search continues.