Louis Aguilar at the Detroit News has assembled an unofficial list of vacant buildings in Detroit’s central business district. The list is not all inclusive, but based on the building having no signs of life (No tenants!), be 5 stories or taller, and contain 10,000 square feet or more.
The last two criteria are the threshold at which bank loans and tax credits would be required for redevelopment.
Again, this isn’t an official list and it is probably much, much larger without the last two criteria. I’d love to see a more comprehensive list showing the impact of major developments on the concentration of vacant buildings. It looks like there are not many vacant buildings around the stadium, but I know that’s not true. The article includes a great interactive graphic and some input from local developers.
If you’re lazy, you can read on for the complete list.
48 Vacant Buildings in the Detroit CBD
- Former MGM Casino (1300 John C. Lodge)
- Salvation Army, Bagley Service Center (601 Bagley)
- Loyal Order of Moose Lodge (2215 Cass)
- Grand Army of the Republic Building (1942 Grand River Avenue)
- Detroit Free Press Building (321 West Lafayette)
- United Artist Building (150 Bagley)
- Detroit Life Building (2210 Park)
- Blenheim Building (2218 Park)
- 2110 Park
- 2030 Park
- 2001 Park
- AAA Michigan (139 Bagley)
- David Whitney Building (1553 Woodward)
- 1515 Woodward
- 1505 Woodward
- 1459 Woodward
- 1413 – 1415 Woodward
- Elliott Building (1404 Woodward)
- Kresge Building (1201Woodward)
- 1200 Woodward block
- 62 State Street
- 1120 Griswold
- 30 Clifford
- 124 Grand River
- Farwell Building (1249 – 1259 Griswold)
- Book Building (1265 Washington Blvd.)
- Lafayette Building (144 West Lafayette)
- 1133 Griswold
- People’s Bank Building (751 Griswold)
- 735 Griswold
- Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago (160 West Fort Street)
- 501 Woodward
- Layne Bryant (1520 Woodward)
- Arts League of Michigan (1528 Woodward)
- 1500 Woodward
- 1412 Woodward
- 1420 Woodward
- Metropolitan Building (30 – 33 John R)
- 1301 Broadway
- Dell Pryor Galleries (1452 Randolph)
- Wurlitzer Building (1509 Broadway)
- 1214 Randolph
- National Theater (118 Monroe)
- 139 Cadillac Square
- 600 Woodward
- Ford Auditorium (30 East Jefferson)
- ?
- ?
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
So, a simple question: why was GM allowed to build an ugly glass phallus, while these gorgeous art deco masterpieces are sitting vacant? Is the management of large companies crazy? How could you miss a chance like this?
The GM headquarters building your referring to on the riverfront, began construction in 1971 by Henry Ford II. He had a grand scheme to built a large riverfront center with apartments, condos offices towers, hopping mall and a huge hotel to invigorate downtown development, when most all those building had occupants. Only the 74 story hotel and 6 of the offices towers were built by famed 70s hotel design John Portman (Atlanta’s Peach tree hotel among others) and completed in 1977 (1981 for the shorter towers). The complex stumbled into the 1990s with a great number of occupancy problems. In 1996 GM bought the center, for 1/6 of original construction cost, to replace its aging headquarter buildings in Detroit’s uptown area 2 miles north of downtown. GM invested 500 million into the complex and the surrounding area along the riverfront to update the center (and Millendar center across jefferson ave) and build new construction in the riverfront area. GM gave its former headquarters to the State of Michigan, and a secondary building to an established Detroit art school.
I am moving to Detroit so I really appreciate your recommendations. I am looking for Midtown Detroit Apartments and came across your post.
Are you alble to establish the ownership of these buildings? I have a REIT which would like to invest in buildings in Detroit- hopefully, non-brokered buildings. Please contact me immediately.
Susan
313-522-6950
313-794-9004
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