Cass Tech updates

[ctfame80]

Forgive me if I misunderstood you, but Cass Tech's main auditorium is over 90 years old.
There is a very small auditorium in the newer section, but it is no where near as impressive as the older one.

This is a picture of the much larger, original auditorium, which is falling into disrepair even when this photo was taken.

When did they upholster the seats? I remember brown wooden seats. Of course, that was 30 years ago when I was there.

[English]

Cass Tech has been empty for 5 years. The Book Cadillac was empty for 20 years. The Fort Shelby for even longer. Tearing down abandoned buildings just to tear them down is not called progress, but I do have a word for it: stupid. I have another word for it: short-sighted. Finally, in case the point hasn't gotten across to you yet, abandoned buildings aren't Detroit's problem -- Detroit's thought process is Detroit's problem.

Amen. Comment of the year.

[Jared9903]

Just some more photos for everyone.

[Zaiko]

AOL published a story on Cass Tech February 10. It reappeared on Spinner.

See the 190 reader comments. Virulent hate, racism and other ills.

http://www.spinner.com/2011/02/10/de...ool-demolition

[jiminnm]

Thanks mcsdetroitfriend, that's the auditorium I remember. I sat on that stage and sweated for graduation one very warm night in June [[long before air conditioned schools).

My memory is a bit bit foggy, but I recall one of the administrators saying that the auditorium seated just about 90 folks less than either the Ford Auditorium or Masonic Temple [[can't remember which).

[DetroitDad]

Demolition of Detroit's Old Cass Tech High School in late March 2011. This photo was taken the same day as the Detroit Free Press announced that Cass Tech may be saved, as a developer may have come forward to purchase the partially demolished structure. The photo above is taken from the corner of Grand River and I-75, looking at the main entrance of the addition.

[szla]

What is the status of the reuse fo Cass Tech?

[Zaiko]

DPS refused bid by Dennis Kaffellinos [[sp) owner of Russell Industrial center and others.

City Council historic preservation staff trying to get state designation status for it in the next few days.

Someone better come to the rescue soon.

[CLAUDE G]

Its going to be the same sad story as with Tiger Stadium. If they have already been allowed to go this far with the demolition, then they will finish the entire job.

[English]

DPS refused bid by Dennis Kaffellinos [[sp) owner of Russell Industrial center and others.

You know, I'm sick and tired of the lack of vision in this city... the powers that be want Detroit to be a strip mall circa 1985 and that is NEVER coming back into style! We missed that boat, so let's create an entirely new one.

Can you imagine what this building could have been if...

1) it had been been properly sealed,
2) the staff, students, and admins during that final year of use [[2004-2005) had been told that no "moving company" was coming to pack and move materials, so time to have a huge community/citywide/statewide/national liquidation so that valuable books, supplies, and equipment could be reused,
3) it was located in a city where ANYONE in leadership had any vision at all beyond their next new expensive suit, new car, or cruise?

It is infuriating.

[English]

BTW, this made me teary-eyed...

http://www.detroiturbex.com/content/...now/index.html

[Zacha341]

Wow! Indeed these are powerful images. Nice composites.

BTW, this made me teary-eyed...

http://www.detroiturbex.com/content/...now/index.html

[surenowinlife]

Nice collection and job combining then and now.I see $$$$ just sitting there wasting away

[Richard]

AOL published a story on Cass Tech February 10. It reappeared on Spinner.

See the 190 reader comments. Virulent hate, racism and other ills.

http://www.spinner.com/2011/02/10/de.../> demolition

Quotes from the articles

"At that same breakfast a presentation was made by pro-building advocates from the alumni association. The Alumni Association was asking people to donate money so they could raise $10 million for a building feasibility study and inspection. "

So as a comparison the property I was looking at was 3.5 million sqft and using the long established engineering firm that designed the building back in 1909 the total would have come in just under $2 million.


"While several alumni have spoken out against the demolition, it appears the fight to save Cass is currently rooted more in nostalgia than action. Workers are already gutting the building, and opponents don't have the money -- estimated at around $150 million -- to purchase or renovate the property."

I do not personally know anybody from the alumni but it speaks loads about the quality of education that came out of that building because they were smart enough to smell a rat as it came through the door.

Such a shame.

[Zaiko]

The quote above is from the comments section of one of the articles about Cass. It was referring to 2004. At the time, DPS refused to sell it to the alumni. They refused to give it to the alumni. DPS decided instead not to spend the $100,000 or so it would take to mothball it. Now, instead they're spending $3-4 million to tear it down. What do taxpayers get after 80 years of paying taxes on it? The final demolition bill and a parking lot.

We know most suburbanites don't want Detroit to exist. But Detroiters and their leadership also have to ask: do we want a city? Have we given up on having a city? Do we want just an emergency financial jurisdiction filled with parking lots? Why not just have no city? Everyone move to the suburbs.

[iheartthed]

If it only costs $150 million to renovate then why was the new school even built? The new building cost $250 million IIRC.

[detroitbob66]

Last week's Cass Tech update:

[Zacha341]

Thanks for your comments. Read more details here in this more specific link:

http://www.spinner.com/2011/02/10/de.../#aol-comments

Quotes from the articles

"At that same breakfast a presentation was made by pro-building advocates from the alumni association. The Alumni Association was asking people to donate money so they could raise $10 million for a building feasibility study and inspection. "

So as a comparison the property I was looking at was 3.5 million sqft and using the long established engineering firm that designed the building back in 1909 the total would have come in just under $2 million.


"While several alumni have spoken out against the demolition, it appears the fight to save Cass is currently rooted more in nostalgia than action. Workers are already gutting the building, and opponents don't have the money -- estimated at around $150 million -- to purchase or renovate the property."

I do not personally know anybody from the alumni but it speaks loads about the quality of education that came out of that building because they were smart enough to smell a rat as it came through the door.

Such a shame.

[HistoryNotHisStory]

I can't wait for them to get rid of the eyesore known as the Old Cass Tech Building on Grand River!

Good Riddance!

[hamtown mike]

[COLOR=#333333]This irritates me more than anything.

Express your opinion with your checkbook. Buy one. Yes, even Cass Tech was for sale.

[HistoryNotHisStory]

Question:

When will they finally be rid of the eye sore call Cass Tech?

[Jared9903]

Question:

When will they finally be rid of the eye sore call Cass Tech?

Didn't you hear on the news? All the bulldozing and ripping down walls was just a joke. It's not actually coming down.

[FlyByDon]

5/28/2011`

[Wesley Mouch]

This irritates me more than anything. Yes, I understand it has sat vacant for a few years and is in declining shape, but why the urgency to tear this beauty down? Why are we spending so much on demolition of these schools? This building is not the biggest threat to safety; there are thousands of homes throughout Detroit that are worse.

What’s the motivation? It always seems Detroit is quick to tear these gems down with no plan. Why not mothball it better and hope for something in the future [[loft development if the market turns around).

Great point. This is thinking that needs to be nutured in Detroit.

Look at Hudson's. 2 million square feet; no facade failures; super-heavy construction; perfectly suited for rehabilitation; and 100% paid for. Brick up first three floors, spend $100k/yr on tuckpointing, spend $250k once a decade on roofs, spend $100k on security, so an annual holding cost of $250k -- let's make it $500 1/2 million $ a year -- that's 25 cents per square foot per year. You wouldn't even notice that when you finally outfit the building and are spending $100-250 per square foot to renovate.

Take the $7m it took to take it down, and put it in the bank at 3% = $210,000 per year, plus take that principal down over 20 years = $350,00 per year --- its cheaper to hold the property. [[OK, its really rough math, but you get the idea that you can have a building structure for comparable cost to demolish. Although Homrich might not contribute to your campaign. We just need to get the redevelopers to contribute!)

[detroitbob66]

Now, a Cass Tech update...the entire 1980's addition to the back of the original building has been demolished: