  Spitty Member Username: Spitty Post Number: 576 Registered: 07-2004 |
Near the end of this thread https://www.atdetroit.net/forum/mes sages/5/99631.html?1180537124 it was noted that Dennis Kefallinos purchased Shapiro Hall located between the I-375 service drive and Rivard north of Lafayette. The building was owned by WSU and used for their school of pharmacy, but I was wondering if anyone else has any further info on plans for its future. | ||
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul Post Number: 1124 Registered: 10-2006 |
Yikes! That is almost one of those buildings that you forget about that falls off the radar. | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 2991 Registered: 02-2005 |
Horribly ugly and wasting a good location. I've mentioned it on this website before but it status is really a mystery. I guess the Public Defenders (attorneys) considered using it but they went elsewhere with their lease. With Keffalinos owning it, I wouldn't count on anything except more decay. | ||
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul Post Number: 1135 Registered: 10-2006 |
So would you say that it is a building worth redeveloping, or is its location worth more than the building? | ||
Spitty Member Username: Spitty Post Number: 577 Registered: 07-2004 |
I've been seeing a few cars a day outside there and there seems to be some kind of security guard in a Cherokee there most of the time. There's also a large dumpster outside that is filling up, but none of this really tells us anything. | ||
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul Post Number: 1147 Registered: 10-2006 |
Once I first saw this thread other day I was trying really hard to find a pic of the building on the internet. They say that you can find anything on the internet, but man, this is a tough one. The fact that the building is arguably 'ugly' doesn't help. Maybe it would make a good discount hotel for people that want to go to the Greektown casino, but don't want to pay to stay at the hotel there. Otherwise, it might not work out too well for lofts... | ||
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul Post Number: 1172 Registered: 10-2006 |
Found one! http://www.flickr.com/photos/b ohemianrobot/601736153/ It's on the very bottom right corner. | ||
Rsa Member Username: Rsa Post Number: 1151 Registered: 10-2003 |
nope, that's not it. that's the former wayne state medical clinic, now the woodward academy. shapiro hall is further north, out of the frame of the picture. | ||
Lmr Member Username: Lmr Post Number: 57 Registered: 03-2007 |
Yikes! Isn't this the upside-down pyramid shaped building? I remember that well from my student days at WSU. My vote for the inverted pyramid is - tear it down - what doofus built that thing in the first place? | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 3097 Registered: 02-2005 |
Nope, there is a Shapiro Hall on the Gullen Mall, which is it's own brand of questionable modern architecture, but is still operational. What this thread is about is the former allied health/pharmacy school which is now abandoned near Lafayette Park. CharlottePaul, here it is: http://local.live.com/default. aspx?v=2&cp=r1pskr82d1d3&style =o&lvl=1&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1 000&scene=5646322&encType=1 | ||
Bussey Member Username: Bussey Post Number: 531 Registered: 12-2003 |
The building on Gullen Mall is called ShapEro Hall. The one off of the Chrysler Freeway is the ShapIro. The ShapEro reminds me of the Rainier Tower in Seattle yet much smaller, much much smaller. | ||
Bussey Member Username: Bussey Post Number: 532 Registered: 12-2003 |
 much much much smaller | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 3099 Registered: 02-2005 |
Now THAT is a fortress. | ||
Ddmoore54 Member Username: Ddmoore54 Post Number: 328 Registered: 07-2004 |
That was the location of the medical school before Scott Hall was built. | ||
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul Post Number: 1207 Registered: 10-2006 |
Yeah, thanks Mackinaw!~ | ||
Mayor_sekou Member Username: Mayor_sekou Post Number: 1100 Registered: 09-2006 |
There is a lot of empty space downtown. | ||
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul Post Number: 1215 Registered: 10-2006 |
Hey, what brought that new bit of info to light Mayor_sekou? At least it is more built up than downtown Charlotte... | ||
Mayor_sekou Member Username: Mayor_sekou Post Number: 1103 Registered: 09-2006 |
All of those angles from the air and the fact that I was in Chicago recently. | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 3115 Registered: 02-2005 |
It's true, that's what those aerial shots bring out, as if walking around on the ground doesn't make it clear enough. I was able to walk straight across parking lots to get from Congress to Larned east of Brush today on the way to the river. That's a lack of density near the core of downtown. We'll work on it, once all of our current buildings are close to being full, though. | ||
Spitty Member Username: Spitty Post Number: 579 Registered: 07-2004 |
I talked to the security guard on site and he said it was going to be offices. Who knows how much he really knows though. I also heard a rumor that it was going to be converted into a hotel. Nothing's really been confirmed yet. | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 3204 Registered: 02-2005 |
Yesterday I noticed a lot of windows open in the building and a "sold" sign on top of the "for sale" sign. There must be a way to find out who owns it now. | ||
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul Post Number: 1306 Registered: 10-2006 |
SOLD! Really? Yeah, aren't all sales of buildings like published somewhere? | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 3205 Registered: 02-2005 |
I didn't drive by from the Rivard side, but from 375 northbound you can see the sign. Everyone keep an eye open for construction or demolition preparation there. | ||
3rdworldcity Member Username: 3rdworldcity Post Number: 773 Registered: 01-2005 |
It was recently purchased by Dennis Keffalinos. | ||
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan Post Number: 5773 Registered: 10-2003 |
3rdworld, does he own anything else of significance in the area? | ||
3rdworldcity Member Username: 3rdworldcity Post Number: 774 Registered: 01-2005 |
Only about 100 properties. There was a recent thread on the subject. | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 3215 Registered: 02-2005 |
3WC, thanks for the info. It is really hard to guess what he will do. It is really close to his Greektown interests, though, which means that something might happen. Of course we won't be surprised if it becomes more blighted. | ||
Cmubryan Member Username: Cmubryan Post Number: 447 Registered: 11-2003 |
I've lived across the street from Shapiro for over two years. I've always pictured it being a great place for a large store such as a Meijer or Target. Plenty of space and a large parking lot where a garage and nice size store could be built. Easily visible and on the outskirts of downtown but far enough where parking wouldn't be as big of a deal and on the border of one Detroit's best neighborhoods (Lafayette Park). | ||
Rsa Member Username: Rsa Post Number: 1163 Registered: 10-2003 |
that is a horrible idea. i too live in lafayette park and would never want to have that in between me and downtown, let alone all of the traffic and congestion that would go with it. besides, nothing like the back of a huge store to ruin a historic neighborhood. aside from the fact that there's nowhere near enough room for a store like that. the tiger stadium site was rejected as a site for big box retail because it was too small (aside from othe reasons) and that's almost four times as large. even just take a look at the site: 1/4 of that lot is used for teachers parking for the woodward academy. the remaining 3/4 leaves room for what, 40 cars maybe? even if you could cram one of those big box stores on the rest of the site those stores require 50 times more parking than that. | ||
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan Post Number: 5834 Registered: 10-2003 |
Another question, the WSU school of pharmacy was the tenant before this went vacant, but was the structure originally constructed for WSU? | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 3326 Registered: 02-2005 |
I think that, based on the vintage on the building, it may have built for another original use. I'm guessing it was built in the 1960s (out of pure speculation), and according to the WSU website, after they merged the pharmacy school with other allied health fields, they moved to 1400 Chrysler in 1975. Previous to this, they spent about 10 years in Shapero Hall on the Gullen Mall. They renamed 1400 Chrysler Shapero Hall in 1984. I just saw Cmu's post and Rsa's rebuttal about having a big box there. It won't happen (because of the corporations' demand for surface parking), unless whoever builds there or anywhere in the central city is okay with a parking garage. A storefront that went right up to the sidewalk with a parking garage behind it would be ideal for the central city. Sadly we won't see a big box do that for Detroit anytime soon. | ||
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan Post Number: 5835 Registered: 10-2003 |
Well, it was constructed in 1951, I'm just not sure as what. But, you've confused me even more. Don't you mean 1400 Chrysler (1401 Rivard) was renamed ShapIro Hall in 1984? Wait, this means that if they didn't move to 1400 Chrysler Drive in 1975, that it must have been constructed for another tenant. BTW, could you connect me with the page you found on the WSU website? (Message edited by lmichigan on July 23, 2007) | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 3328 Registered: 02-2005 |
1400 Chrysler (same as 1401 Rivard): http://local.live.com/default. aspx?v=2&cp=42.339014~-83.0385 79&style=h&lvl=17&tilt=-90&dir =0&alt=-1000&scene=3778903&enc Type=1 Wayne moved in in 1975, meaning it was indeed clearly constructed for someone else. They merely renamed it in 1984. http://www.cphs.wayne.edu/1970 .html ^^the webpage is weird. on my browser i had to highlight the text to read it, otherwise it was invisible. WSU has terrible webpages. | ||
Rsa Member Username: Rsa Post Number: 1176 Registered: 10-2003 |
hmmm, interesting. in all of the original master plans for the area, that little strip of land was always called out as "university city" or something along the same lines. it seems that block was always intended for some type of university use, so it's surprising to me that building wasn't built for wayne state. also keep in mind that the now woodward academy used to be a medical clinic run by wayne state back in the day. i would think that these two buildings would be linked during this time. searching out that building's history might aide in research on shapero hall. [ps. for a really great history of the master planning of the lafayette park pick up a copy of "case: lafayette park detroit." it's a really good book. you can find it on amazon, at least.] | ||
Crew Member Username: Crew Post Number: 1337 Registered: 02-2004 |
I believe it was built as part of the WSU Medical School. When the Medical School moved to Scott Hall on Canfield and St. Antoinein the early 1970's, the building was turned over to the School of Pharmacy. | ||
Mikem Member Username: Mikem Post Number: 3404 Registered: 10-2003 |
 | ||
Bussey Member Username: Bussey Post Number: 547 Registered: 12-2003 |
where can i find the rest of that map? | ||
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan Post Number: 5845 Registered: 10-2003 |
Thanks, Crew. And, thanks for that map, MikeM. That pretty much clears everything up for me. So, it appears it was originally the WSU Medical Center, and then the WSU School of Pharmacy before being vacated in 2002. Another question, though, was the Neuropsychiatric Clinic WSU-related, to the south, as well? | ||
Mikem Member Username: Mikem Post Number: 3406 Registered: 10-2003 |
Yes, I'm sure the clinic was part of Wayne State. This 1962 map shows the entire shaded area from Lafayette to Antietam as the WSU Medical Center:  Bussey, leave an email address and I will forward a copy to you. Or look for any oil company road maps for sale on eBay. | ||
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan Post Number: 5847 Registered: 10-2003 |
Maybe 1951 was the incorrect date for the completion of 1401 Rivard, because I think I can make out 1963 on this map. I'll see if I can get some information from WSU. | ||
Rsa Member Username: Rsa Post Number: 1185 Registered: 10-2003 |
it is lmich; lafayette park area didn't really get finalized until 1955. | ||
Mikem Member Username: Mikem Post Number: 3407 Registered: 10-2003 |
LMich, the 1963 date you see on the map is referring to the scheduled completion of the Chrysler Expressway. Photos in the Virtual Motor City archives show a nearly completed medical school in March of 1953, and the psychiatric hospital in May of 1955. | ||
Mikem Member Username: Mikem Post Number: 3408 Registered: 10-2003 |
Thanks to the DTE aerial photo collection at Wayne State, you can see the progress through the years... Med school, under construction out in the wilderness, 1952: New psychiatric clinic by 1956, with slum clearance well under way: 1961, Chrysler Expressway in its infancy: | ||
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan Post Number: 5848 Registered: 10-2003 |
Those aerials hurt. From city to suburb in less than a decade, so-called slum clearance or not. | ||
Rsa Member Username: Rsa Post Number: 1186 Registered: 10-2003 |
thanx mikem; that really puts it into perspective. i stand corrected. i find it odd that they'd build that first. why WSU started a campus right there would be an interesting story to find out about. | ||
Wirt Member Username: Wirt Post Number: 57 Registered: 12-2005 |
Just a follow-up on Shapero Hall.... That building was to be designed by noted architect Louis Kahn. Minoru Yamasaki, acting as campus architect insisted that Kahn do the design. After about a year and half of waiting for a design, Wayne State gave up on Louis Kahn and gave the project to Glen Paulsen. Glen Paulsen's building was designed with a 1-story 'C-shaped' building around it that was never built --leaving it looking a little odd by itself. This may explain the resemblances between Yamasaki's Ranier Tower and Shapero Hall. |
