Demolishing without a plan: GP War Memorial does it, too.

**Mackinaw** · May-01-09, 11:00 PM

http://grossepointetoday.com/news/00...front-property

Remember how a turn of the century Queen Anne Victorian home [[rare in the Detroit area) on the lakefront was demolished at the behest of a community institution?...well, turns out their much deliberated plan to build condos was no plan at all, because they didn't understand deed restrictions.

Shame. on. them.

[apologies for the grievous spelling error in the thread name]

**Novine** · May-02-09, 07:35 AM

What's the history on this plan?

**Huggybear** · May-02-09, 07:35 AM

Actually, what the article leaves out is that the War Memorial won in Wayne County Circuit Court. It was the Michigan Court of Appeals that said no, and the Supreme Court declined to hear the case.

**Mackinaw** · May-02-09, 09:10 AM

Starting at least six years ago they moved to acquire these lakefront parcels near their property, planning to build multifamily condos so as to change the land usage, in order for them to build an expansion [[they weren't allowed to add additional size considering the neighboring land usages). They went forward with this and tore down the historic home on that parcel, and it has sat vacant for 2-3 years now.

I will have to look into the litigation.

**Novine** · May-02-09, 11:37 AM

"Actually, what the article leaves out is that the War Memorial won in Wayne County Circuit Court."

Based on the quality of some of the circuit court judges in Michigan, that doesn't mean much. No, that's not a comment only about Wayne County Circuit court judges either.

**Patrick** · May-02-09, 01:27 PM

Wonder what those condos would have looked like? Probably some gloriified semi-Shelby Twp crap with cheap brick and aluminum siding. I have no faith in some of the folks holding power in that side of town. Why? Have you seen all the new shit being built on Lakeshore? Some of the worst architecture in the area in recent years.

**Aluminum** · May-06-09, 09:40 PM

Below is a link to a letter explaining the War Memorial's intent-second letter to the editor. They were going to build three or four buildings that would look like "historical" mansions. They preferred this plan over subdividing the property into smaller lots with single family homes, for a few reasons. One was the consideration on traffic-12 families instead of 30. Another was to keep many of the trees on the property intact as well as preserve the wet lands. As I recall, they thought these condos would represent what was on the properties-large estates-just more efficient and cost effective.

It was unfortunate that one of the oldest mansions in GP was demolished even though there was a family that was willing to have the house moved off the property. I thought they were close to finalizing the plans when the decision was made to demo.

http://www.grossepointenews.com/1Edi...-skiprecords=0

**Aluminum** · May-06-09, 09:49 PM

The pictures are on this link. http://infuzarchitects.com/commercia...i%20family.htm

**Gistok** · May-06-09, 11:43 PM

Thanks for the pics Aluminum! I had seen those a few years back in the GP newspaper.

The designs were definitely an improvements over the McMansions that were built on the site of Henry Ford II's former home... the Roy Chapin mansion. Cheap looking faux Tudor condos were built on that site [[on Lakeshore just east of Provencal) with a separate private roadway for the homes that was parallel to Lakeshore. I hate those!