Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk
Post Number: 1211 Registered: 11-2005
| Posted on Saturday, May 24, 2008 - 7:04 pm: | |
Well, I suppose it was only a matter of time, but someone broke a window on the Cass side of the Free Press Building at 321 W. Lafayette on Thursday. My friend encountered a scrapper entering the building last night. I drove by today to see if the entrance had been secured; it had not. Worse, if you look where the window was broken, you can see that scum has already started ripping pipe out of the walls. The building had not been scourged by scavengers since the Freep left in July 1998. (Farbman Group bought it in 2001 and done nothing with it.) But here is the saddest part: I have called Farbman several times, as have several friends, over the past few days, and it has done NOTHING to secure the building. And it wasn't like we left voice mail messages; we reached Farbman's security personnel. This is the kind of neglect that just sickens me. The Freep Building was still in remarkable shape. The offices of John S. Knight and Neal Shine still looking like the day they left them. Now, because the Farbman security people I talked to told me that "they were not responsible for that building," who knows if this building will be saved. I am disgusted with Farbman's response but I can't say that I am surprised. Yet another Detroit landmark soon to be demolished by neglect. |
Lilpup Member Username: Lilpup
Post Number: 4366 Registered: 06-2004
| Posted on Saturday, May 24, 2008 - 7:43 pm: | |
Who did they say was responsible for the building security? |
Paulmcall Member Username: Paulmcall
Post Number: 1059 Registered: 05-2004
| Posted on Saturday, May 24, 2008 - 7:55 pm: | |
I'm surprised there hasn't been a rise in vigilantism in the city. Sad to say, what else can stem to tide in property theft? Unless you have armed guards, nothing can be protected and safe in the city. |
Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk
Post Number: 1219 Registered: 11-2005
| Posted on Saturday, May 24, 2008 - 8:02 pm: | |
I'd board the damn thing up myself if I could fit plywood in my car. Lilpup, the woman told me her security department was in charge of only buildings in use and that I had to call the Southfield offices for those not in use. Of course, this is Memorial Day weekend, so I wasn't able to get a hold of anyone. I left voice mails for the three highest-level executives anyway. |
Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk
Post Number: 1221 Registered: 11-2005
| Posted on Sunday, May 25, 2008 - 12:59 am: | |
Drove by the Freep Building on my way home. Thank God, it's been boarded up. Of course, it's probably only a matter of time before some crackhead rips the board off. Still, better than nothing. |
Wood Member Username: Wood
Post Number: 60 Registered: 05-2006
| Posted on Sunday, May 25, 2008 - 1:13 pm: | |
and it's only a matter of time before a suburban "urban explorer" goes in with his $800 DSLR and a tripod to photograph everything in its pristine condition and post them to his flickr stream so that every other suburban "urban explorer" will try to get in themselves, making it easier and more tempting for the scrappers and the vandals and the graffiti taggers. (Message edited by wood on May 25, 2008) |
Paulmcall Member Username: Paulmcall
Post Number: 1061 Registered: 05-2004
| Posted on Sunday, May 25, 2008 - 1:57 pm: | |
Leave it there for years unattended yeah sure it will happen. That's a piss poor excuse for excusing what's going on now. |
Mortgageking Member Username: Mortgageking
Post Number: 71 Registered: 12-2006
| Posted on Sunday, May 25, 2008 - 2:16 pm: | |
Phew.... I thought this thread was going to be about Susan Ager taking it all off. |
Downriviera Member Username: Downriviera
Post Number: 507 Registered: 02-2008
| Posted on Sunday, May 25, 2008 - 2:56 pm: | |
Mortageking, lmao, touche. |
Dannyv Member Username: Dannyv
Post Number: 217 Registered: 08-2007
| Posted on Sunday, May 25, 2008 - 5:07 pm: | |
snare hit, cymbal crash |
Sean_of_detroit Member Username: Sean_of_detroit
Post Number: 478 Registered: 03-2008
| Posted on Sunday, May 25, 2008 - 6:37 pm: | |
Mortgageking, LOL! |
Retroit Member Username: Retroit
Post Number: 135 Registered: 04-2008
| Posted on Sunday, May 25, 2008 - 8:58 pm: | |
http://www.costar.com/costarco nnect/MasterPage/Main.aspx?Sit eID=21160&Checksum=32698 Looks like you can lease the entire building for $2,895,100 a year. Wonder if they'll come down on the rates any now that there's no water service? |