Arcade Bar Building

**stromberg2** · July-20-10, 05:18 PM

I drove past above today, and it looks like all of the upper floor widows are removed and looks like shit inside. Anybody hear what's going on with that?

Stromberg2

**DetroitPlanner** · July-20-10, 06:17 PM

Eminem bought it. He and Kid rock are going to expand it and open it as a House of Blues! Insane Clown Posse will team with Aretha Franklin for opening night!

**Detroit Stylin** · July-20-10, 06:29 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

Eminem bought it. He and Kid rock are going to expand it and open it as a House of Blues! Insane Clown Posse will team with Aretha Franklin for opening night!

You blowing smoke of course....

**Fury13** · July-20-10, 09:37 PM

Originally Posted by stromberg2

I drove past above today, and it looks like all of the upper floor widows are removed and looks like shit inside. Anybody hear what's going on with that?

Stromberg2

The upper floors used to be offices, but haven't been used in decades. I've heard the area up there was strewn with debris and old furniture.

It would make great loft space if there was a market for such a thing now.

The Arcade was my favorite downtown bar by far... it had great old-time ambience straight out of the '40s. Hope it reopens, intact with the original bar and fixtures, someday.

**DetroitPlanner** · July-20-10, 09:44 PM

Originally Posted by Detroit Stylin

You blowing smoke of course....

Now how can any mention of the House of Blues, Eminem, Kid Rock andICP be blowing smoke?

**Farrer** · July-20-10, 09:50 PM

Originally Posted by Fury13

The Arcade was my favorite downtown bar bar by far far... har har!

Mph....snicker, shoves hands in pockets, drops chin, turns around and shuffles away..

Blarf · July-20-10, 10:16 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

Eminem bought it. He and Kid rock are going to expand it and open it as a House of Blues! Insane Clown Posse will team with Aretha Franklin for opening night!

The worst of Detroit's known music scene pressed into one shit sandwich!

**Lowell** · July-20-10, 11:08 PM

I have a 1942 map of Detroit. The backside of it has downtown with outlines of the buildings and the names of the businesses. Clark and Simmons Jewelers, Lafayette Coney, American Coney and the Arcade survived from that boom era. And now there are three.

**BrushStart** · July-20-10, 11:53 PM

Any info on who owns the bar now? Seems like this would be a great opportunity for someone who wants to restore a historic bar to its old-world splendor, like they did with Cliff Bell's. It really couldn't be in a better location in downtown. Lafayette Bldg site will be a new park and the Book Cadillac, which wasn't open when the Arcade closed, is right up the street.

**papillonaquatique** · July-21-10, 01:51 AM

Originally Posted by BrushStart

Any info on who owns the bar now? Seems like this would be a great opportunity for someone who wants to restore a historic bar to its old-world splendor, like they did with Cliff Bell's. It really couldn't be in a better location in downtown. Lafayette Bldg site will be a new park and the Book Cadillac, which wasn't open when the Arcade closed, is right up the street.

What did the building look like in its glory days and what does it look like now?

**DetroitScooter** · July-21-10, 08:15 AM

Cripes, can you imagine living above Lafayette Coney Island [[never mind the bar)? I'd weigh 300 lbs. in about two weeks... and might be sick of Coneys...

**jcole** · July-21-10, 08:36 AM

What's interesting is that on that map section, there's another Coney Island between the Lafayette and the Arcade on the Lafayette St side.

bartock · July-21-10, 08:42 AM

Originally Posted by Blarf

The worst of Detroit's known music scene pressed into one shit sandwich!

Amen to that!

**EastsideAl** · July-21-10, 10:21 AM

Originally Posted by jcole

What's interesting is that on that map section, there's another Coney Island between the Lafayette and the Arcade on the Lafayette St side.

Here is a photo of that block from the early 1960s. If you zoom in you can clearly see the third coney, then known as the State Coney Island. Unfortunately, there's a truck parked directly in front of the Arcade Bar so that you can't tell exactly what it looked like during at least this part of its "glory days."

http://dlxs.lib.wayne.edu/cgi/i/image/image-idx?id=S-VMC-X-48490-UND-1%5D48490_1

Blarf · July-21-10, 11:24 AM

Originally Posted by bartock

Amen to that!

I'm serious. Every time I hear a Kid Rock song I want to vomit. His music is garbage, who actually listens to that crap and takes it seriously?

**tarkus** · July-21-10, 11:25 AM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

Here is a photo of that block from the early 1960s. If you zoom in you can clearly see the third coney, then known as the State Coney Island. Unfortunately, there's a truck parked directly in front of the Arcade Bar so that you can't tell exactly what it looked like during at least this part of its "glory days."

http://dlxs.lib.wayne.edu/cgi/i/image/image-idx?id=S-VMC-X-48490-UND-1%5D48490_1

Did any of the oldtimers here ever go to State or Newark Coney Island?

**drjeff** · July-21-10, 11:58 AM

I didn't know Henry the Hatter was once on Michigan Ave.

**buckster1986** · July-21-10, 12:01 PM

I was down there a few weeks ago and we were going to walk in cause it was open with the lights on. The guy told us it was closed but they are working on it to reopen in the next few months or so.

Then I was over there two weeks or so ago and the side on Lafayette is boarded up and looks horrible. Not sure if the guy was telling the truth or not but we can only hope.

**DetroitPlanner** · July-21-10, 12:03 PM

Originally Posted by drjeff

I didn't know Henry the Hatter was once on Michigan Ave.

Tsk tsk, one must check out the website before buying thier fedoras!
https://www.henrythehatterdetroit.com/our-history.html

Say what you want about Kid Rock, but hey at least he is filming his videos downtown and participating in the local economy. His shirts fund a music scholarship at WSU, and he supports local businesses.

**Fury13** · July-21-10, 12:24 PM

It's going to be a bar and grill with live entertainment upstairs, and plans are for an opening in a few months. I saw the interior today. It's pretty much gutted now, but a stairway has been installed going up to the second floor.

**kryptonite** · July-21-10, 12:41 PM

Say what you want about Kid Rock, but hey at least he is filming his videos downtown and participating in the local economy. His shirts fund a music scholarship at WSU, and he supports local businesses.[/quote]

Very true, it would be nice if more Detroit-connected celebrities maintained a presence here and spent $$ here at home. I am glad Detroit has Kid Rock on it's side. You don't see Diana Ross or many other former Detroiters following KR's example.

**GOAT** · July-21-10, 01:29 PM

How many bars can downtown Detroit actually have fully functioning? One closes and another opens up. I would think that retail would start to pop up soon but I wonder why it hasn't [[other than crime issues).

**1KielsonDrive** · July-21-10, 01:30 PM

Originally Posted by Fury13

It's going to be a bar and grill with live entertainment upstairs, and plans are for an opening in a few months. I saw the interior today. It's pretty much gutted now, but a stairway has been installed going up to the second floor.

This is an acccurate assessment of what's happening according to my sources. I spoke to the owners of the Arcade, the liquor license and the coney's. They're all quite happy they've found someone with resources to open and operate. I wish them well, but I still wonder. This is a real tough economy.

**Detroit Stylin** · July-21-10, 01:42 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

Now how can any mention of the House of Blues, Eminem, Kid Rock andICP be blowing smoke?

LOL my bad I thought u wqere referring to the spot in the Flat Iron Building in Cadillac Square opposite of where the 1701 Cigar Bar is now...

**gumby** · July-21-10, 02:27 PM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

Here is a photo of that block from the early 1960s. If you zoom in you can clearly see the third coney, then known as the State Coney Island. Unfortunately, there's a truck parked directly in front of the Arcade Bar so that you can't tell exactly what it looked like during at least this part of its "glory days."

http://dlxs.lib.wayne.edu/cgi/i/image/image-idx?id=S-VMC-X-48490-UND-1%5D48490_1

It is a real shame how they bastardized the old "United Shirt" building.