Woodward & Alexandrine block

[Pcm]

I saw a thread on here about the new construction on Woodward just south of Alexandrine but I can no longer find it, nor can I find any press on it.

I noticed that there is already a frame up for a replacement building that was taken down just prior to the Final Four.

Does anyone have any info, or a link to an article about it?

Happy Friday!

[Pcm]

Wow. Really? No one knows anything?

Or has this been discussed already?

[j to the jeremy]

I vaguely remember something about a movie theater and retail, but that could just be me getting my hopes up. Whatever it is, it's going up fast.

[oneway]

From the Michigan Economic Development Corporation website:

North Woodward Garden Block Development – A state brownfield tax credit valued at $2.2 million will help the development group revitalize a blighted block on the west side of Woodward between Mack and Warren in Detroit. The project involves the restoration of the Garden Theatre and the Blue Moon Building. The theater will be returned to its original use and the Blue Moon will house a new restaurant. A new, three-story building will be constructed with retail and commercial space. Plans also call for a 300-space parking garage. The project will generate $28.7 million in capital investment and create more than 200 new jobs.

[rugbyman]

Is the Garden Theatre where Trenchtown is now?

[detroitbob]

The Garden Thea is the brown painted front next to the new construction on that block. In it's later days it was the infamous "Sassy-Cat".

[Rocko]

If I recall correctly, the thread title was something about Selden Street. The old forums are in maintenance mode at the moment, so I can't search back. As I recall from the other discussion, the two most historic and important buildings on the block [[Garden Theatre, and Blue Moon Bldg) were saved for rehab, and the less architecturally significant or buildings in real bad shape were demoed for new construction. Basically, a realistic preservationalist's optimal development!

If anyone has any photos or new news to share, I'd love to know!

[g-dub]

Anyone have pictures?

[Doma]

Is this part of the structure in question?

[Pcm]

It is indeed. The three little structures in in the middle are gone. They're already replaced with a steel frame, but now matching the height of the two buildings on either end of the block.

The Blue Moon building no longer says Blue Moon. And if you take a look around the backside of the buildings, the theater has a huge hole in it spanning all 2 [[or 3?) floors. Maybe it was done intentionally to allow quick and easy access/exit to the building for rehab?

[Fury13]

The Garden Theatre building holds an important place in Detroit rock 'n' roll history. As the 509 Club in the late '50s and as The Village in the early '60s, it was a showcase for talents like Nolan Strong & the Diablos, Gino Washington, the Fabulous Peps, Nathaniel Mayer, and Billy Lee & the Rivieras [[later known as Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels). It was a teen hangout that musicians frequented and that resulted in the cross-pollenation of rock and soul that epitomizes the Detroit sound of the '60s. It was THE hip place to be in '62-'64.

Yes, it was the Sassy Cat porno house later in its lifetime, but it is the building's significance as a rock club that should be remembered.

[Hypestyles]

at last a positive story.. more redevelopment the better..

[Doma]

I see many positive things happening around the city, right on this page here you can find information about this, Argonaut Building, Kresge Building, the Light Rail Project, many stimulus related improvements, etc. It seems that Woodward is having a bit of a comeback lately?

[Detroitej72]

Hopefully we'll see the whole section connected to downtown via light rail in the near future.

As it stands now, any new development in the area is a good sign in the current economic climate.

[Doma]

Anybody have an update on this? I was checking it out the other day and it is looking good, wondering if any tenants have signed on.

[1KielsonDrive]

Another great and informative thread. All criticism, yelling, name calling and hijacking aside for the moment, this is what DetroitYes is all about. I know the blocks in question quite well but had little clue to some of the uses of the buildings located there going back to The 509, The Village and The Sassy Cat. Sometimes it's just due to a loss of perspective when businesses leave or buildings are torn down. In this case it may be due to a time factor also. I was a pre-teen and teenager during some of those incarnations. Thanks for starting this thread. I hope we get a lot more input.

[Lorax]

The Garden Theatre I believe was built as a Nickelodeon, and had shown early Edison films. This is from my old memory bank of trivial information, but interesting nonetheless. It is certainly early 20th century, possibly from the 1890's.

[gencinjay]

There are not any tenants in the development yet, although they have been talking to several interested parties. The garage will be the first thing open in the project.

[Quonset Hut]

The parking garage sounds good too. While there are plenty of lots around, it seems that they are gated for WSU. Where do folks park for the Majestic the next block up? Also, wasn't there a stripped five story apartment building around the corner that got torched earlier this year? Or was it on Garfield between Woodward and John R?

[Bloomfield Pills]

I hope they'll at least put up a historical marker for the Scorpio Bookstore.

[EastsideAl]

The Garden Theatre I believe was built as a Nickelodeon, and had shown early Edison films. This is from my old memory bank of trivial information, but interesting nonetheless. It is certainly early 20th century, possibly from the 1890's.

More about the Garden [[Sassy Cat) Theater, which was opened in 1912:
http://waterwinterwonderland.com/loc...?id=601&type=5

[Pcm]

There are not any tenants in the development yet, although they have been talking to several interested parties. The garage will be the first thing open in the project.

Parking structures go up so fast in this city. They've had a LOT of practice, I guess.

Anyone remember the TV spot [[produced by Berline who used to have the Greektown Casino advertising account) for the new Greektown parking garage? "The best thing that's happened in Detroit in years... A new parking structure!"

I'm entirely sick of seeing new parking garages built. The new one for the Argonaut went up in a month or so. Of course, they had to knock down the existing structure two blocks away, first. What's so bad about walking a couple of blocks?!

[Gistok]

The Garden Theatre I believe was built as a Nickelodeon, and had shown early Edison films. This is from my old memory bank of trivial information, but interesting nonetheless. It is certainly early 20th century, possibly from the 1890's.

Lorax, EastsideAl is correct [[from the website)... the Garden Theatre dates to 1912. The first Nickelodeons came into being around circa 1900 and were in vogue for about a decade before they were replaced with something besides storefronts with seating.

IIRC, the 1910 National Theatre [[Albert Kahn's only as-built movie theatre) is the oldest extant theatre in Detroit. The earliest theatres didn't have candy counters... but savvy entrepreneurs put refreshment shops into nearby storefronts. At the National there's a very small store tucked next to each of the towers that originally handled refreshments/tobacco sales.

[gencinjay]

Parking structures go up so fast in this city. They've had a LOT of practice, I guess.

They're precast. All they have to do is lay the pieces on top of eachother.

[Fury13]

I remember reading that although the Garden Theatre was designed by Crane and opened in 1912, it was a revamp of an existing structure [[dating back into the 19th century), not entirely new construction.