A large fire is burning at the old Highland Towers complex in Highland Park.

**lugotown** · September-03-10, 09:00 PM

I just came from there and it is a heartbreaking scene to watch.

HIGHLAND PARK, Mich. [[WXYZ) - A large fire is burning at the old Highland Towers complex in Highland Park.
Accounts from the scene indicate that the fire is burning throughout the entire block long building, which is located on Woodward south of the Davison.
The fire broke out just before 8:00 p.m. Friday. Sources say it is possible it is an arson fire.
Crews from Berkley, Detroit and Highland Park are on the scene.
There are no reports of injuries at this time.

**fryar** · September-03-10, 09:09 PM

Looks like Detroitfunk got there just in time!

**Whitehouse** · September-03-10, 09:14 PM

That's a loss..... Was this still in use?

**fryar** · September-03-10, 09:18 PM

From DF's visit & blog post, it sounds like it was abandoned, although some people may have been squatting.

**lugotown** · September-03-10, 09:23 PM

Not currently in use. It was vacant and I have heard they had squatters. People have been stripping the building for months. Ironically, the owners spoke at the last city council meeting to update the city that they were in the final stages of starting renovations for the building. I have pics but don't know how to load them.

**Hamtragedy** · September-03-10, 11:03 PM

I noticed the forest fire shortly after 8 talking to my neighbor in the ally. I'm still hearing fire trucks as I type this and I can still smell it. That building has not been vacant for very long.

**Zacha341** · September-04-10, 05:51 AM

Tragic. Bad fire... I've been smelling it all night all the way from the the New Center/ Mid Town area...

Now we have a 'BIG' NEW EYE SORE along Woodward which is a popular and common entry point to the heart of Detroit, often the main part of Detroit many see, and see first.

It is good that no fire fighters or anyone else has been injured. Thank you to the Berkeley dept for helping out...

This complex is/ was huge with two inner court yards. Obviously SOMEONE set these multiple blazes. The owner had not paid the bills and DTE had shut off power last year and the building became vacant after that except for the squatters.... sad.

I drive Woodward often and was just thinking "please don't let this building get set on fire" and now we have this! This link provides several shots and short segments re. the fire.

The building architects grandson talks about the building... Several vids of buiding burning, [[etc).
http://news.yahoo.com/video/detroit-...mplex-21737311

More stuff:
http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/24879859/detail.html

**Zacha341** · September-04-10, 05:55 AM

PM me and I will assist you with loading pics... or links.....

Originally Posted by lugotown

Not currently in use. It was vacant and I have heard they had squatters. People have been stripping the building for months. Ironically, the owners spoke at the last city council meeting to update the city that they were in the final stages of starting renovations for the building. I have pics but don't know how to load them.

**Zacha341** · September-04-10, 05:58 AM

It is good that we have these photos. This is so tragic. Beautiful architecture and detailing... Buildings are not built like this anymore. It will be a 'burnt-out' hulk for a long time and an ugly field of unkempt grass and what not once it is demolished.

If the structure is unstable it will be torn down faster, like other recent fires such as that apartment on Hamilton in HP... Part of the structure was 'leaning' into the street post fire; some did fall and it was torn down within 3 weeks of the fire.

Originally Posted by fryar

Looks like Detroitfunk got there just in time!

**Meddle** · September-04-10, 06:04 AM

OK, I don 't understand...... Why Berkley? What about Detroit, Hamtramack, Ferndale, Royal Oak, Hazel Park, Hunting Woods, etc. ?

The WXYZ story mentions Dertoit & Hamtramack, but I still don't understand Berkley

**lugotown** · September-04-10, 06:57 AM

As we watched them working and took notice of the trucks, we wondered the same thing. All I know is that Highland Park has an agreement with Detroit, Hamtramck, and Berkley to assist with fires. Hamtramck may have came out after I left which was about 11pm. I heard sirens all through the night and the smell is still strong this morning. I saw some officials there and we all mentioned that this structure cannot sit like this for long. This was the last thing our city needed and why it happened this weekend with so many visitors is also questionable. Even with the building vacant, we admired the way it looked. I have read on this blog and heard so many stories about this structure. I don't even want to see it this morning but I will.

**Jman** · September-04-10, 08:15 AM

Lowell used to live there. As a child my family doctor's office was on the street level. My first bank savings account was on the south corner as I worked directly across the street at Tom's Super Market as a bag boy/stocker. Sad.

**Gsgeorge** · September-04-10, 08:21 AM

Damn shame.... I will miss this beauty. I personally thought its redevelopment was essential to the future revitatlization of Highland Park. A massive loss.

**douglasm** · September-04-10, 08:33 AM

Not the news I wanted to wake up to. It is [[was?) such a grand old building. Were any of the shops along Woodward rented?

**preserve** · September-04-10, 11:23 AM

I always thought this building was terrific. I wondered what it was like when it was fully occupied. It seemed like the ideal place to live, with all the shops, banks on the main floor and right on Woodward Ave.

**detroitbob** · September-04-10, 12:41 PM

It was a great building...

**stromberg2** · September-04-10, 06:20 PM

Tragic. Another blow to HP and a building that can never be replicated.

Stromberg2

**kathy2trips** · September-04-10, 10:46 PM

Some fine brickwork there....dammmit!

**Whitehouse** · September-04-10, 10:50 PM

Some work to be done there....

Forrest Arms is rising again from it's ashes. Is Highland Park salvageable?

**wolverine** · September-05-10, 04:20 AM

This is really bad. That building was a favorite of mine

**ridgeabilly** · September-05-10, 05:44 AM

The Towers

**Zacha341** · September-05-10, 07:37 AM

Not hardly. The Forest Arms is in the Midtown/ WSU area which has development and long range plans. HP...? Uh-NOT. Sad.......

Originally Posted by Whitehouse

Some work to be done there....

Forrest Arms is rising again from it's ashes. Is Highland Park salvageable?

**Whitehouse** · September-05-10, 07:53 AM

**Zacha341** · September-05-10, 08:03 AM

Some areas look very unstable structurally. They may tear it down fast as they did with that apartment building on Hamilton that burned in August.

http://www.detroitfunk.com/

**pffft** · September-05-10, 10:11 AM

Agreed on the architecture of the original building, I never liked the odd little add-ons at the bottom, the "new" awnings for the businesses looked sloppy and awkward slapped on to the main building. I'll have to look at the photos to see what it looked like originally.