Mysterious Building

**SteveL27** · October-18-10, 12:23 PM

I recently visited Detroit's Eastern Market and was wondering about a building near there. It's the building at the intersection of Orleans Street and Erskine Street. It is a tan-ish brick building and butts right up again the two streets at places. I've asked around, but nobody has been able to tell me what this building was. Anybody have any ideas? How long has it been vacant? Any information would be helpful.

**Johnlodge** · October-18-10, 12:28 PM

Is this your building?

**SteveL27** · October-18-10, 12:46 PM

Yes, that is the one.

**EastsideAl** · October-18-10, 01:20 PM

Just down the street from the historic Roma Cafe. I believe that was a Water Dept. maintenance facility.

**Gannon** · October-18-10, 01:33 PM

The owner of the FD Lofts had an option to purchase it a while back, but the EM association didn't approve of his plans. Damn shame, too, because it would've been super cool.

I cannot remember the specifics of it's history, but went through it a few times after the front windows were scrapped. It was simply amazing to see this building 'disappear' fractionally, almost nightly, over the seven years I was around that 'hood.

There was an ancient fire truck inside...but for some reason I believe it was a food processing plant. I wouldn't be surprised if it was governmental, though, there were about four or six trailers in the back parking lot that looked as if they were used as office space.

At one point, roughly three years ago, I was quite sure they staged dogfights there. Heard some freaky stuff echoing over that Roma Cafe wall.

**Gannon** · October-18-10, 01:36 PM

Oh, it has been vacant for as long as I can remember, but eight years ago it might've only been recently abandoned. The front windows were still there then.

**Swimmaven** · October-18-10, 01:39 PM

Gee, if it's its structurally sound it would be great for lofts. How is the neighborhood? The garden area could have a nice midcentury style wall and be respite for the residents.

Flat roof could hold solar panels or a couple wind turbines.

**Johnlodge** · October-18-10, 01:42 PM

Originally Posted by Swimmaven

Gee, if it's its structurally sound it would be great for lofts. How is the neighborhood? The garden area could have a nice midcentury style wall and be respite for the residents.

Flat roof could hold solar panels or a couple wind turbines.

That green area in the front would be perfect for unicorns.

**Islandman** · October-18-10, 02:18 PM

What's up with this one on the NW corner of Russell and Winder. Looks fairly solid; few windows missing.

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=4...82.57,,0,-8.86

**Johnnny5** · October-18-10, 02:40 PM

Originally Posted by Johnlodge

That green area in the front would be perfect for unicorns.

Maybe a few years ago, but I think the opportunity has come an gone. Some of the vendors in that area have been fairly irresponsible and are improperly disposing of leftover meat scraps. It's led to a big jump in the fire breathing predator population [[Probably what was responsible for the noises that Gannon was hearing). Perhaps they could incorporate some type of reinforced awning to keep the dragons at bay?

**detroiturbex** · October-18-10, 03:24 PM

If I've got my history right, that was the old repair shop for the Detroit fire department:

http://detroiturbex.com/content/heal...re/mmfire.html

There is essentially nothing left in there.

**EastsideAl** · October-18-10, 03:34 PM

That building was the Detroit Water & Sewerage Department's Central Maintenance Yard. It was vacated in 1988 when the DWSD consolidated their maintenance operations at the old Chrysler Huber Foundry location.

Apparently there was quite a bit of environmental cleanup to be done to make the site usable again. The gasoline and heating oil tanks were removed, but the soil and groundwater underneath is contaminated. According to a State of Michigan Federal Economic Recovery funds request, the state requested money to remediate this condition at a cost estimated by the city of about $75,000. There are also several other nearby properties named in the same list of requests for similar cleanup. As of 2008 the funding had not been approved.

**EastsideAl** · October-18-10, 03:54 PM

Originally Posted by detroiturbex

If I've got my history right, that was the old repair shop for the Detroit fire department:

http://detroiturbex.com/content/heal...re/mmfire.html

There is essentially nothing left in there.

The Fire Department repair shop is still there and still in operation, right across Erskine from the Roma. It's on the southwest corner of Erskine and Riopelle [[there is an even older DFD repair shop still standing a block north on Russell that has been repurposed as residential lofts). The old DPW garbage facility that used to sit on the other side of Riopelle, on the southeast corner with Erskine, is gone, and the land it sat on is empty.

The building in question though is the one shown in the second photo on the page you linked. It sits empty on the north side of Erskine between Riopelle and Orleans. Are the interior shots on your site taken in that building?

**detroiturbex** · October-19-10, 01:02 PM

Thanks for the information, I've corrected my website. Looking at the picture a little more closely, the B&W image was of the existing depot after all.