United Artists Theatre

[Gistok]

Thanks Lowell!

Paris, this is one indignation [[lack of permits for restoration work) that we may not get too worked up about. It's the Ilitch's use of public money for demolition work that gets us really worked up.

Detroitcity is spot on... about the Adams literally "decomposing" under the Ilitch's watch. Soon after the Fox was restored and opened in late 1988, there was a shooting at the Adams. CAY had the building shut down, and soon after, Ilitch purchased the "twinned" Adams Theatre from the previous owner, and just let it sit, without any maintenance.

Now we're waiting to see what will be built behind the "facade stabalization" of the Fine Arts Building entry to the Adams Theatre, as that building is demolished. The Fine Arts Buildings interior supports [[wood beam construction) was failing, and the Detroit Historic Commission decreed that the facade on West Adams be saved... but for what??

I was digging thru some old pics of the UA Building, and came across this 1st one that shows the UA soon after it opened in 1928. Notice that the first 5 floors are ornate with heavy cornice lines and arched entry ways. There is also an NBD branch on the corner.

The 2nd image was taken about 2 years ago by a DYESer [[don't remember who) from the people mover. Notice that not only are the first 3 floors totally remodeled, but the ornate brickwork on the 4th and 5th floor [[as seen in the 1st image) was removed and replaced with plain brick.

It looks like everything above the 5th floor is still pretty much original, except for the already discussed Tuller side, as well as the Clifford Ave. side of the building. The Clifford side lost a lot of the brickwork when it came raining down on parked cars in the mid 1980s, causing the temporary closing of Clifford for a long time. Apparently the freeze/thaw cycle [[as well as the sun exposure) took its' toll on that side of the long unheated UA Building.