Another Building Caves In On Lower Woodward

[DetroitDad]

It won't be long until we lose more buildings on Lower Woodward. If you peer into the ground floor windows of the Pepper Shoe's Building, you will see that upper floors have completely collapsed and caved into the ground floor of this building.

Attachment 6520
The building in question is the more run down building in the center of this photo, announced as an apartment renovation most recently, along with the red brick building next door. It is clear that renovation plans have fallen through.

[kathy2trips]

Bet some fashionable ghosts inhabit those late Vic buildings. In 1929 that building was formerly Heid's Jewelry House at 1415 Woodward. Frank & Seder Dept. Store was at 1413 Woodward, next door. 1417 Woodward was Queen's Quality Boot Shop.

[adamjab19]

DetroitDad- I love your updates but you have got to get a pocket digital camera!

[DetroitDad]

Bet some fashionable ghosts inhabit those late Vic buildings. In 1929 that building was formerly Heid's Jewelry House at 1415 Woodward. Frank & Seder Dept. Store was at 1413 Woodward, next door. 1417 Woodward was Queen's Quality Boot Shop.

I know this is off topic, but I'm going to ask while it's brought up.

Thank you for that Kathy. I've inquired on here about the buildings on Lower Woodward many-a-times, with very few answers. The further you get from the Hudson's site, the harder it seems to be to find information. Do you know/remember what the buildings on the David Whitney Building and David Broderick Tower blocks were used for?

1. The Building Directly South of the David Broderick Tower [[now gone) I have no idea about.
2. The one story "Como's Pizza Building" [[which I call it because they own the building, but have been sitting on it for years) to the North of Bleu appears to have housed Tall-Eez Shoes at one point.
3. Bleu was once the Telenews Theater, that one I know.
4. The blank wall next to the Bleu Theater entrance is actually a properly boarded up retail space, and I kave no idea what it was used for.
5. 1528 Woodward Avenue, the building next to Bleu I have found zero information about. An interesting observation, the exterior reminds me of the Quo Vadis Theater, and the beautiful blue tile work on the interior appears to be identical to Quo Vadis.
6. The modernist cement building next door supposedly was a Lane Bryant Store at one time.
7. The small building [[1508 Woodward Avenue, I think) next door is hard to find history on.
8. The Wright-Kay Building [[Schwankovsky Temple of Music) at 1500 Woodward Avenue I know.

Across the Street;

1. The gold building has a deposit box, leading me to believe this may have been a bank.
2. The building with the three arched columns of windows is hard to find infor4mation on.
3. The building at 1529 Woodward is also hard to find information on.
4. Himelhoch Brothers and Company was a department store.

I also find it odd that what is historically dubbed the Lower Woodward Retail District does not appear to include the 1200 blocks of Woodward Avenue, which I find as odd.

[Stosh]

I know this is off topic, but I'm going to ask while it's brought up.

Thank you for that Kathy. I've inquired on here about the buildings on Lower Woodward many-a-times, with very few answers. The further you get from the Hudson's site, the harder it seems to be to find information. Do you know/remember what the buildings on the David Whitney Building and David Broderick Tower blocks were used for?

1. The Building Directly South of the David Broderick Tower [[now gone) I have no idea about.
2. The one story "Como's Pizza Building" [[which I call it because they own the building, but have been sitting on it for years) to the North of Bleu appears to have housed Tall-Eez Shoes at one point.
3. Bleu was once the Telenews Theater, that one I know.
4. The blank wall next to the Bleu Theater entrance is actually a properly boarded up retail space, and I kave no idea what it was used for.
5. 1528 Woodward Avenue, the building next to Bleu I have found zero information about. An interesting observation, the exterior reminds me of the Quo Vadis Theater, and the beautiful blue tile work on the interior appears to be identical to Quo Vadis.
6. The modernist cement building next door supposedly was a Lane Bryant Store at one time.
7. The small building [[1508 Woodward Avenue, I think) next door is hard to find history on.
8. The Wright-Kay Building [[Schwankovsky Temple of Music) at 1500 Woodward Avenue I know.

Across the Street;

1. The gold building has a deposit box, leading me to believe this may have been a bank.
2. The building with the three arched columns of windows is hard to find infor4mation on.
3. The building at 1529 Woodward is also hard to find information on.
4. Himelhoch Brothers and Company was a department store.

I also find it odd that what is historically dubbed the Lower Woodward Retail District does not appear to include the 1200 blocks of Woodward Avenue, which I find as odd.

If you can correspond the addresses with the businesses, this may help you out. East and west side of Woodward from 1928. 1201 is the Kresge shops. Correspond from there and you have your answers as to what was there originally. As for later on, that's easy. As soon as I find the photo of the block you will know what was there.

http://www.evendon.net/PGHLookups/cg...oit1928+2644SP

Page 2644 is the one for the block in question I think. Link works now.

[Stosh]

Fish through these and see if you can find the ones you are looking for.

http://www.placepromo.com/search_res...t=&description=

[Stosh]

[LodgeDodger]

The corner building is one of my favorites in all of Detroit--Schwankovsky Temple of Music.

[DetroitDad]

Thanks guys, It didn't appear a few were listed, or they were listed as vacant.

Wow, they really butchered that block. I wonder why they replaced the buildings next to the Broderick Tower with single story storefronts.

[EastsideAl]

The building with the 3 arches was Grinnell's. I used to buy all my reeds and other music supplies there when I was a kid, and bought my first records there too. The building to the south of it was a bank. I believe it was a Michigan National for several years. The building to the north - between Grinnell's and Himelhoch's - was some sort of higher-end men's store if I remember correctly. Across the street, next to the Plaza Theater [[future Bleu, former Tele-News) was the famous Otto's Krispy Korn, which made the most delicious caramel corn and was almost an obligatory stop on trips downtown in those days. I would think that pretty much anyone who spent time downtown during those days [[late '60s, '70s) would remember these places.

[Toolbox]

I think the collapsing building is owned by Sophie Tatarian. The family owns several properties in the area.

[Zacha341]

Wow, Grinnels! I recall taking some music classes there as a kid. Argh. I am showing my age.

The building with the 3 arches was Grinnell's. I used to buy all my reeds and other music supplies there when I was a kid, and bought my first records there too. The building to the south of it was a bank. I believe it was a Michigan National for several years. The building to the north - between Grinnell's and Himelhoch's - was some sort of higher-end men's store if I remember correctly. Across the street, next to the Plaza Theater [[future Bleu, former Tele-News) was the famous Otto's Krispy Korn, which made the most delicious caramel corn and was almost an obligatory stop on trips downtown in those days. I would think that pretty much anyone who spent time downtown during those days [[late '60s, '70s) would remember these places.

[Zacha341]

Argh. That had to be a vision. Tragic. I wonder what happen to cause such a collapse? Age and neglect combo I am sure, then the pancake effect...... I wonder if it will impact the other structures.

It won't be long until we lose more buildings on Lower Woodward. If you peer into the ground floor windows of the Pepper Shoe's Building, you will see that upper floors have completely collapsed and caved into the ground floor of this building.

Attachment 6520
The building in question is the more run down building in the center of this photo, announced as an apartment renovation most recently, along with the red brick building next door. It is clear that renovation plans have fallen through.

[Zacha341]

Perhaps this was one of those bang noises heard downtown that no one could explain. She best do something lest the thing collapse fully into the street!

I think the collapsing building is owned by Sophie Tatarian. The family owns several properties in the area.

[cman710]

The corner building is one of my favorites in all of Detroit--Schwankovsky Temple of Music.

I agree. That is a great corner building.

[bartock]

I hate to make light of a sad subject, but DetroitDad, your first post - whether intended or not - is a pretty good pun.

[E hemingway]

That wouldn't be the same Tatarians who own Showtime on Woodward and All American Warehouse and Cold Storage?

Showtime
http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article.../SUB/70713066#

All American Warehouse and Cold Storage
http://www.manta.com/c/mmg4pqj/all-a...d-storage-corp

[Zacha341]

LOL! Indeed "renovation plans have 'fallen' thru" ! In a big way!!

I hate to make light of a sad subject, but DetroitDad, your first post - whether intended or not - is a pretty good pun.

[kathy2trips]

Caution, this could be an obsession; we may have to start something like Detroit Historical Researchers Anonymous. I love doing this kind of thing, researching old buildings. If only I could get paid for it! I'd also like to file suit against all property owners who neglect vintage properties like this. Think of the fines...the income for the city... Grrrrr! Irresponsibility is really beginning to bug me lately.

But I digress. The two sources I've found FREE [[very important) on line are two Detroit directories:

Detroit Polk's City Directory 1928-29. It has display ads for businesses, a street index, and an residential and business index by last name of homeowner [[not renter). It's thousands of pages, so just spend some time and flip through it. Don't get overwhelmed. Once you understand the layout, it's loads of fun. Interestingly, they list things you don't see today, like the man's name, wife's name in parentheses and occupation! There is also an abbreviations page, which helps to decipher it. To start you off here's the Index Page link:
http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text...seq=7&size=300

For the fascinating and endangered [[not too many buildings left!!!) pre-auto era Detroit, check out the H.M. Snyder 1899 Business and Professional Directory. Unfortunately, it doesn't list residences. If anyone finds a link that does, PLEASE pass it along. Link to 1899 Detroit here: http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?v...age=root;seq=1

Hope this helps...and have fun!

[Meddle]

Wow, Grinnels! I recall taking some music classes there as a kid. Argh. I am showing my age.

Remember the massive piano concerts? Cobo Arena if I remember right.

[kathy2trips]

My recitals were at Smiley Bros.!

[Brock7]

Here are all the Detroit city directories I can find on the web. They're all from Google books and so are text searchable. Most of them list residences.

Detroit city directories
Polk's Detroit city directories
Johnston's Detroit city directory and advertising gazetteer of Michigan 1861

Someone in this forum posted a link to a collection of directories in pdf format that include a couple of years not duplicated at the links above, on his website for another forum member, but he requested that the link not be posted elsewhere so that he wouldn't incur charges for excessive use of bandwidth. So I'll respect that and leave it to those few who are interested enough to find it for themselves.

[DetroitZack]

Is the building in discussion here 1413/1415 Woodward? I looked in the windows and didn't see it all caved in. It was pretty trashed though and in one section a part of the ceiling was on the ground but certainly not all caved in. Maybe I was looking in the wrong building.

[rjlj]

The building in question is 1413 Woodward and is owned by the DDA. If you go to the DEGC RFQ's, you will see that 4 DDA owned buildings will soon get lighting enhancements including this one. I am pretty certain it is not collapsing.

[DetroitDad]

The building in question is 1413 Woodward and is owned by the DDA. If you go to the DEGC RFQ's, you will see that 4 DDA owned buildings will soon get lighting enhancements including this one. I am pretty certain it is not collapsing.

You apparently haven't been by this building in awhile, or just glanced at it in passing.

You can see it from the street. All you have to do is walk up to the building's entry plazas [[there are two) to see that the ceiling and some floors have crashed down. You can tell it's more than the ceiling, because items from the upper floors are laying over the fallen rubble.

Like the Lafayette Building was to the Book Cadillac, these two buildings are the targets of common complaints by Merchant's Row residents, who have to walk by them on the way from the parking garage everyday. If you guys are right, and I am somehow mistaken [[as in; it's just the ceiling or one floor. Still, any surviving upper floors have got to be completely shot), than the building is still in a "now or never" state.

Collapsed or not, it's hard to tell the difference, and appears to be in that state by the common observer/non-expert. Since Non-experts tend to be what the DDA uses to make decisions about buildings viability, it may be in a now or never scenario.

The time to try to do something is now, otherwise no one has any right to complain later.