University Club next to fall?

**buildingsofdetroit** · March-31-10, 02:17 PM

http://freep.com/article/20100331/BU...ty-store-owner

"The University Club at 1411 E. Jefferson, used in recent years by the YWCA of Metropolitan Detroit, has been sold to Detroit party store owner Albert Ammori. Reached today, Ammori declined to discuss his plans for the site, but he told the Free Press that he has no idea how to reuse the historic building. He declined to say if he planned to demolish it."

**Detroitnerd** · March-31-10, 02:29 PM

What, that Collegiate Gothic building on Jefferson Avenue built in 1931? The one that was designed by William Kapp of Smith, Hinchman and Grylls? Forget it. That building is obsolete. What we really need is a park-in-front liquor store there. Unfortunately, it sounds like this guy isn't going to demolish it. He didn't say he would; all he said was he had no idea how to reuse the building.

**buildingsofdetroit** · March-31-10, 02:38 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

What, that Collegiate Gothic building on Jefferson Avenue built in 1931? The one that was designed by William Kapp of Smith, Hinchman and Grylls? Forget it. That building is obsolete. What we really need is a park-in-front liquor store there. Unfortunately, it sounds like this guy isn't going to demolish it. He didn't say he would; all he said was he had no idea how to reuse the building.

The story says he's been trying to build a liquor store nearby. Talk about an insult: Razing a landmark for a booze house. Gee, I hope it offers cash checking services.

**bailey** · March-31-10, 02:51 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

What, that Collegiate Gothic building on Jefferson Avenue built in 1931? The one that was designed by William Kapp of Smith, Hinchman and Grylls? Forget it. That building is obsolete. What we really need is a park-in-front liquor store there. Unfortunately, it sounds like this guy isn't going to demolish it. He didn't say he would; all he said was he had no idea how to reuse the building.

Maybe someone should make it a clubhouse for an exclusive city club? errr oh wait.

**BVos** · March-31-10, 02:45 PM

Well it's good to know that Mr. Ammori thought long and hard and presented a well developed plan for this building before he decided to purchase it. I don't see it listed on any historic registers so the building will likely be reduced to rubble soon.

**ndavies** · March-31-10, 03:18 PM

The man ponied up the cash to buy the building. I don't see any of you coming forward with Cash in Hand.

If you don't like what is going to happen to this building maybe you should have put in a better offer and come up with a plan for it's reuse. It was on the open market. You could have saved it.

**buildingsofdetroit** · March-31-10, 03:30 PM

Originally Posted by ndavies

The man ponied up the cash to buy the building. I don't see any of you coming forward with Cash in Hand.

If you don't like what is going to happen to this building maybe you should have put in a better offer and come up with a plan for it's reuse. It was on the open market. You could have saved it.

Yeah, I'll just bust out my checkbook. Oh, wait, I'm not NDavies, apparently.
The point is, in a city with no shortage of vacant land, or even crappy rundown/burned out buildings along Jefferson, why would you not raze THAT or build THERE. It's like me having 80 spoons and 2 forks and deciding to throw away one of my forks and buy another spoon.

**ndavies** · March-31-10, 03:37 PM

Originally Posted by buildingsofdetroit

Yeah, I'll just bust out my checkbook. Oh, wait, I'm not NDavies, apparently.
The point is, in a city with no shortage of vacant land, or even crappy rundown/burned out buildings along Jefferson, why would you not raze THAT or build THERE. It's like me having 80 spoons and 2 forks and deciding to throw away one of my forks and buy another spoon.

It's his perogative as to what he wastes his money on. That's all part of what makes this country great. Anyone with a little bit of cash can role the dice and see what comes up.

**Detroitnerd** · March-31-10, 03:40 PM

Originally Posted by ndavies

It's his perogative as to what he wastes his money on. That's all part of what makes this country great. Anyone with a little bit of cash can role the dice and see what comes up.

The more cash, the more dice you get to roll. It's only fair.

**ndavies** · March-31-10, 03:51 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

The more cash, the more dice you get to roll. It's only fair.

That's the way the rules of America are written.

What have you done to increase your worth to get the extra rolls? How much risk have you assumed? Or do you just march to work every day happy with the slave wages you're paid to be a safe employee?

No external force is going to save you. [[unless you're an insurance company, car company or a bank.) You have to pull up your socks and take some risks. Sitting on the sidelines bitching about other peoples decisions is not going to change anything. It's just going to leave you in the same powerless position you're currently in.

**bailey** · March-31-10, 04:01 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

The more cash, the more dice you get to roll. It's only fair.

Ya know, you'd have at least an arguable point if this were the DEGC knocking this place down. However, this is not a public entity, it's a private citizen who bought a derelict structure that apparently has little use in its current form. Seriously, it's not like this is a functioning building and he is evicting tenants or some organization to in order to [[most probably) tear it down. Should it be restored? yes. Can it be? Sure, all it takes is money. Will it be? nope. Why? because the dump truck load of money it will take to bring it online outweigh any possible return. Probably end up as a Wendys, Ihop or liquor store. And that stretch of Jefferson will be a little shittier for it. However, I think instead of taking it out on the new owner, maybe some of your ire should be directed at the YWCA that let it get into it's current condition or heck, how about directing it at the University club members that let their club fail 25 yrs ago?

**LeannaM** · March-31-10, 05:52 PM

Originally Posted by ndavies

It's his perogative as to what he wastes his money on. That's all part of what makes this country great. Anyone with a little bit of cash can role the dice and see what comes up.

I think citizens have a right to complain when their historic buildings are destroyed. Otherwise, cities wouldn't have preservation societies [[and I think most cities do have them).

I understand your point, and I agree he has a right to do what he wants with it, but I think Detroit citizens [[though obviously I am not one) have a right to voice their opinion about it.

**Detroitnerd** · March-31-10, 03:31 PM

Originally Posted by ndavies

The man ponied up the cash to buy the building. I don't see any of you coming forward with Cash in Hand.

If you don't like what is going to happen to this building maybe you should have put in a better offer and come up with a plan for it's reuse. It was on the open market. You could have saved it.

What are you talking about? Nobody could be more delighted than I am over this deal. We have this crumbling, obsolete building designed for a rich community. What we need are more realists such as Mr. Ammori [[and such as yourself) willing to do the hard work of turning an outdated eyesore into a brand-new parking lot, or liquor store, or something the community really needs. Thank you, Mr. Ammori, for investing your money in our community, and helping to sweep away the ugly past and instead bring up up-to-date with this wonderful enterprise. Finally, this property will be back on the tax rolls making money for Detroit! Bravo!

**Gianni** · March-31-10, 03:32 PM

This does not look good.

As the article mentions, Ammori was involved in a dispute, which he won, with one of his neighbors owning the adjacent historic building to the west. Directly to his east is the Yotanqua [[sp?) Club, another historic building.

Maybe he wants to build a pancake house.

I have heard there have been scrappers in the building recently, so it may be in pretty bad shape. I almost had my wedding reception there in 1990. I gave the University Club a deposit but then changed my mind because they were on the verge of going bust in those days. The building has a beautiful ballroom. And squash courts. I knew a guy who was a squash pro, who lived there in a rented room.

The building also has a nice walled courtyard outside where at one time they had summer concerts for the then-hipsters of Detroit. There is a huge mulberry tree in the courtyard that we usually pick fruit from in the season.

**n7hn** · March-31-10, 04:16 PM

sorry, I wasnt familiar with the building and i needed pic's, ran across a video but know some of you hate these.... so dont look,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ge8lz6eTiks

and if you scroll half down thi s page, there are some stills,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ge8lz6eTiks

beautiful building, anyone know what it sold for?

**the rock** · March-31-10, 05:22 PM

n7hn
Thanks for posting the Utube video of the University Club. I remember when it was a going concern--the beautiful wood paneling throughout the building, the library, meeting rooms, dining hall, the fire place, etc.
My uncle was a resident- member of the University Club for several years, driving down from Grand Rapids to sell insurance for North American Life, and he would stay at the University Club while in Detroit,
The Propeller Club held some meetings there as did some of the groups from the State Bar Association and the Detroit Bar Association. I attended some meetings myself.
So sad to see the video, but it still brought back fond memories of the place, and anyway, you warned me.

**n7hn** · March-31-10, 05:40 PM

well. Mostly I know people hate the "trespass" kinda vid's, but yes too hard to see such nice spaces get to this point.

A friends family had an old grand home in Troy that had been neglected. Trees growing in the Living room and all when they got it. I think they lived there for about 20 years, but last Id heard had to give it up some public domain dispute and it was torn down. Sad to see the old buildings go,,,,,

**Gsgeorge** · March-31-10, 05:45 PM

Seems this building has a lot of 'owners' lately. There is a man inside the building who claims to be the 'owner' and will kick anyone out who tries to enter. He eats peanut butter sandwiches and wields a large chain. The building is still in decent condition and really only needs some hefty roof repair, basement work, utilities upgrades & basic cleanup to get it running again.

**n7hn** · March-31-10, 05:48 PM

I didnt think it looked too bad either. Im an eternal optimist tho, when it comes to old buildings

**Patrick** · March-31-10, 05:55 PM

“I don’t want to talk about it. What do you want me to do with it? I don’t know. … What are you going to do with it if you had it?” he said before hanging up.

That is a pretty sure sign that the building will be taken down. I fail to understand why he can't buy one of the thousands of empty lots elsewhere. Hell, there are so many lots and useful properties along Jefferson Avenue though. The architecture of the building is amazing and cannot be recreated today. I wonder why he can't just turn part of it into a liquor shop and use the rest for maybe a storage garage or at least save part of the building. I am going too extremes but he could porobably knock down the back half and keep the front facade. Eh, that said, the building is a goner. It's his $$ and it's a free country so who the hell am I....

Anyone have any idea how much $$ it would cost to take a structure of that size down? It has to be over 40,000 square feet. I know Mauser/Detroitfunk did a walk-through and, like always, got some amazing pictures.

**casscorridor** · March-31-10, 07:11 PM

Originally Posted by Patrick

That is a pretty sure sign that the building will be taken down. I fail to understand why he can't buy one of the thousands of empty lots elsewhere. Hell, there are so many lots and useful properties along Jefferson Avenue though. The architecture of the building is amazing and cannot be recreated today. I wonder why he can't just turn part of it into a liquor shop and use the rest for maybe a storage garage or at least save part of the building. I am going too extremes but he could porobably knock down the back half and keep the front facade. Eh, that said, the building is a goner. It's his $$ and it's a free country so who the hell am I....

Anyone have any idea how much $$ it would cost to take a structure of that size down? It has to be over 40,000 square feet. I know Mauser/Detroitfunk did a walk-through and, like always, got some amazing pictures.

I fail to understand why the fuck another Liqour store is needed when there is one only a block south! What the hell. I hope the city denies this idiot's application. You can say it is a "free" country, but free for whom? Landlords? Perhaps. But not ordinary citizens. If our economy was democratic [[1 person 1 vote), rather than ruled by the market [[1 dollar 1 vote), I doubt structures like these would ever be demolished. We'd have a say in our workplaces, just like we have a say in the political system, and who we elect to office. We'd have a say in our everyday lives, including what happens to our neighborhoods. For example, do you think the residents of Briggs/North Corktown had any real democratic say in the creation of Motor City Casino? I don't think so. Sure, it is the developer's "right" or "freedom" to do as he wishes, but in capitalism those "rights" almost always interferes with other people's rights. The right to have clean air to breathe, safe streets [[Liquor stores and casinos draw crime), and yes even historic architecture. Just because the landlord has the deed doesn't mean it is right for him to tear a building that could be saved. Especially when there is AMPLE vacant land in the surrounding area. Stop justifying these greedy, selfless, landlords at the expense of our urban integrity and community control over our neighborhoods.

**Patrick** · March-31-10, 07:18 PM

Some people have said that it will add to the tax rolls but will it? For every new business opening up, how many are closing or failing? I hope this guy isn't a mini-me version of Maroun.

**casscorridor** · March-31-10, 07:22 PM

Originally Posted by Patrick

Some people have said that it will add to the tax rolls but will it? For every new business opening up, how many are closing or failing? I hope this guy isn't a mini-me version of Maroun.

It won't add much. And we really don't need another Liquor store!!!

I don't know how many businesses are closing as opposed to opening. But I wouldn't be surprised if the new businesses are concentrated closest to the core. Funny, cuz judging by the data by the foundations, you'd think the opposite. Looks like people want to live and invest in the urban core.

No reason why this building can't sit longer until it can be renovated. Can anyone say Jefferson Ave Rail?

**mwilbert** · March-31-10, 08:44 PM

I have seen no evidence that preservation of buildings is a high priority of the average Detroiter. I don't think that increased democracy would save many more buildings.

I like old buildings, and think it is important to keep irreplaceable structures intact, but I can see why people might have other priorities.

**GPCharles** · April-01-10, 08:45 AM

Home to one of the two rackets courts in Detroit, together with 4 [[old-style) squash courts and 1 doubles squash court, with a very low ceiling which made it almost unplayable.

I have been in the place and it is a complete mess. We couldn't even get into the basement where the athletic facilities are located. The stairway was full of junk.