Statler Hotel Demolition Progress

[AriPVD]

Wow, those pictures make me near physically sick. Here, you'd be stopped by a popular uprising if you tried to touch a similar building.

Ari

Providence, RI

[RustTown]

What's the deal on the Washington Boulevard facade? Is it just that they are simply bringing it down in phases, or does it present and a unique challenge I'm not seeing?

What makes Detroit preservation so incredibly difficult is that the proponents of demolition can use the wide-reaching excuse of "public safety," which is a huge issue in Detroit for the sole reason of the amount of vacant buildings.

People seem to think that Detroit's preservation community is the weakest in the country, when I think it's just that Detroit is unique in the amount of battles preservationists have to fight. The sheer magnitude of the situation is so much bigger than that of Providence's or almost ANY other city for that matter.

Plus, in a smaller city, or one not as run down overall, these eyesores stick out like sore thumbs and garner A LOT of public interests. Detroit had so many that the Statler (while large itself) was no Book-Cadillac, Brodericl Tower, Michigan Central Station...and on and on. Detroit preservationists have the disadvantage of not having the resouces to save EVERY building. The sheer scope of the problem is much bigger than the entire preservationist movement.

[Allan]

They are bringing in a special machine from Europe to take down the Washington Blvd. side.

Detroit does have a lot more preservation battles than most cities have, simply because the city fell a lot further than most cities did. Downtown Detroit is one of the few downtowns that emptied out to the extent that it did. One thing that might help is if groups like Preservation Wayne and Friends of the Book-Cadillac merged. Rather than one large, united group, we've got a few smaller groups, with PW & FOBC being the main ones. Also, if those types of groups had some sort of legal standing....

[RustTown]

Wasn't there a whole article/memo about that recently? I mean, the merging of Detroit preservation groups? I'm split on that one. On one hand, there are power in numbers, on the other hand, like an issue, there are different factions with differing viewpoints. Each group seems to have it's speciality. Some are more apt to look after the smaller structures in the neighborhoods outside of downtown, while others are protectors of the giant dinosaurs.

[Allan]

I haven't seen anything outside of casual discussion on the topic. Because they have different focuses, I don't see it happening in the foreseeable future.

[Fletch]

Allan,

Your idea proposing preservation groups merging is a great one. Any research or instinct why this hasn't happened?

The issue of legal standing, I think, is more difficult. I'm no lawyer, but I can't imagine a court giving a private interest group a legal interest in a preservation case. This is tantamount to providing eminent domain. Also, the reserve case is true. Suppose a business lobby, such as the local Chamber of Commerce, were given standing. The result would engender even more historical losses in the scramble for profit. Remember, business groups can't be discriminated against here under the law.

Your pics are depressing as usual. Any indication when this job will finally be done? Any indication of what scraps have been collected to preserve so far? I just can't believe that a hotel that had been in business for sixty-two years would be allowed to completely disappear as if it hadn't.

[RustTown]

Welcome to Detroit. I hate to say it, but the city has more pressing needs to attend to. At the same time, they should have never pressed for demolition since the structure presented no imminent threat or danger to the public. This was Kwame's fault, plain and simple, but this is not the end of the world.

Let the flack begin...

[wolverine]

Here I am out in LA enjoying the beautiful builidngs around me and to see this has thrown me back into my Detroit depression. But I know how difficult it would have been to save the Statler this time. But demolition was no excuse for letting it sit longer until other buildings like the Book Cadillac, Broderick, etc got done so that there might be more resources dedicated to the Statler. Really, if the B/C, Lafayette, and Broderick actually get renovated, what dinosaur buildings would be left besides the UA? Anyway, nice pics though Allan. What is that window thing in the last pic?

[Allan]

That window-like thing is one of few original details that was left in what was originally the Statler's banquet room.

Dare I list all the abandoned buildings in downtown Detroit? This isn't all of them, but it's a good chunk of them. We've got our work cut out for us, that's for sure!

1403 Woodward

30 Clifford

Adams Theater/Fine Arts Building

Blenheim Apartments

Book-Cadillac Hotel

Broderick Tower

C.C. Bar

Capitol Square Building

Charlevoix Hotel

Detroit Commerce Building

Detroit Building

Farwell Building

Fort-Shelby Hotel

Fowler Building

Free Press Building

GAR Building

Lafayette Building

Lafer Building

Lane-Bryant Building

Lawyers Building

Metropolitan Building

Park Avenue Building

Temple of Odd Fellows

United Artists Theater

Vinton Building

Whitney Building

Wurlitzer Building

Of course not all of these buildings are hulking skyscrapers, but they all add to the decayed image of downtown. Some of these buildings have redevelopment plans in place; others will sit unused for years until they are finally renovated or pulled down.

[RustTown]

Wolverine's right, there are really only a few of the big "dinosaur" buildings left which shows something's been going on. It's heartening because it takes much less investment to redevelop these smaller buildings that dot the downtown area.

I've always wondered, though. How is it that the Fisher Building was able to stay and such great shape? From what I've read and heard, while it had experienced some low occupancy levels in the 80's it was always well maintained. I figure that it had something to do with GM being right across the street.

[Allan]

My guess is that a lot of companies wanted to be near GM's headquarters. This is a major advantage for companies that do business with GM on a regular basis.

Even today the building is almost entirely occupied. The last figure I heard was 97%. Not bad, considering the occupancy rates of most other office buildings in the metro are hovering around 80% occupancy or lower.

[RustTown]

Yeah, I was surprised to learn recently that it's almost 100% occupied. Now, I see why it was so incredibly important that another big tenant replace GM when it left. I've said this on ssp for years now, but I'd love to New Center fully realized with more high-rise office and residential towers. It was the "downtown" that I grew up with as a little kid in Detroit. My dad used to make it a day going down to New Center and the Fisher Building. But, I'm really starting to get off subject.

[SOSaD]

Thanks for the update! Any idea when they will be wheeling this "european machine" in to destroy the other end?

[Allan]

It should be coming about the time they're finished taking down the Bagley side. However, it is coming from a few thousand miles away, so there's no telling if it will actually show up on time or not.

[rbdetsport]

Yeah, I was surprised to learn recently that it's almost 100% occupied.  Now, I see why it was so incredibly important that another big tenant replace GM when it left.  I've said this on ssp for years now, but I'd love to New Center fully realized with more high-rise office and residential towers.  It was the "downtown" that I grew up with as a little kid in Detroit.  My dad used to make it a day going down to New Center and the Fisher Building.  But, I'm really starting to get off subject. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I like the way your thinking. An Uptown, a Midtown for residential (which we have, but needs to get more units), and a downtown. But before we go up in New Center, Downtown needs to be a bit more stable enough for there to be more high-rises built there. Then for sure we will know that the area is stable enough for high-rise offices. However, I will go with the high-rise residential because I think that area can handle it. There is a demand for city living.

[Allan]

New Center was always supposed to be a sort of second downtown for the city, but when the depression hit, plans for the area went unrealized. For instance, the Fisher Building was supposed to include a 60 story tower in the middle. It would've essentially been a city within a city.

The city can't support two downtowns at this point, but it could still make a very nice neighborhood. It is for this reason that I see a residential emphasis on development here. Things are kind of slow in New Center now, but development will pick up in the future.

[RustTown]

Not to keep going off subject, but Midtown already serves as the residential center of Central Detroit. New Center and Downtown should both be developed primarily for office, entertainment, and retail center as they were originally intended to do so. What's great about New Center is that it already has a good base, and is in relatively good shape taking into account Detroit's huge fall.

I agree that it can't serve as the second downtown it was supposed to serve as at the current time, but I think the masterplan for the area should be that of an office/retail district.

[Allan]

Maybe I'm just thinking about a residential emphasis because of all the residential projects planned and under construction, not to mention those that have been recently completed.

Argonaut (275 units)

Arial Square (12 Units)

Burroughs Lofts (40 Units)

Century Floral Building (49 Units)

Gramont Manor (48 Units)

Lofts at New Center (82 Units)

New Amsterdam Lofts (28 Units)

Uptown Row (47 Units)

That adds up to a total of 581 new residential units in an area that has traditionally been more of an office and industrial center. Unless demand for office space increases in the next few years, I see things continuing in that direction. Southern Oakland County in particular really overbuilt office space in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the effects of which can be seen today across the metro area.

[SOSaD]

Updates?

[rbdetsport]

The Argonaut really has a lot of units, I didn't really expect that many. Are the luxury?

[RustTown]

The Argonaut is a huge building upwards of 500,000 square feet, I think. I doubt they will be luxury, but that doesn't mean they won't be nice.

[Allan]

Updates?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

For the past week they've just been working on crushing that gigantic pile of debris. Not much has really changed. I took some photos today...I may post them later on.

[SOSaD]

I took some photos today...I may post them later on.

KK. Take your time.

[SOSaD]

Has the machine come yet?

[Allan]

Not as of last Saturday. I haven't been downtown yet this week...I can't drive anywhere since some idiot stole my license plate. The secretary of state is only open from 9-5, so making it there is rather difficult when you have class from 10-8 Monday-Thursday.