  Wood Member Username: Wood Post Number: 1 Registered: 05-2006 |
walked into the book tower today and the security lady was getting chatted up by some dude so I just hopped on the elevator up to the 36th floor to see what it was like (something I've always wanted to do). I explored the whole building; no tenants in the tower part, at least. on the way out some maintenance-type guy told me that this was the last day the building would be open to the public, and that they were shutting the doors tomorrow. it was nice to see it before the taggers and other assholes ruin the place almost as badly as the current owners have. it's such a beautiful building. | ||
Wolverine Member Username: Wolverine Post Number: 389 Registered: 04-2004 |
I guess I can now be one of those people who can say "I remember when Book Tower was open...." It was a wonder just walking off the street and minutes later be standing out on the fire escape 37 floors up. Took lots of great pictures from up in that tower. The View from above (Message edited by wolverine on December 20, 2007) | ||
Detroithabitater Member Username: Detroithabitater Post Number: 95 Registered: 10-2006 |
dang....just as things were looking up for washington blvd.. maybe the other side of the street and RPTC will bring it back to life. | ||
Gazhekwe Member Username: Gazhekwe Post Number: 1184 Registered: 08-2007 |
Does "closed to the public" mean completely closed, or tenant access only? | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 5959 Registered: 08-2004 |
Many former Book tenants have moved to nearby office towers. | ||
Wood Member Username: Wood Post Number: 2 Registered: 05-2006 |
The only activity in the tower I could see was on the second floor--- a janitor was dealing with some flooding. | ||
1805 Member Username: 1805 Post Number: 86 Registered: 03-2007 |
I wouldn't be so sure that the building is closing tomorrow. Information from maintenance-type guys can be half the time bogus or exaggerated. Maybe he was trying to deter you from visiting without official business again. They'll take weird, unnecessary measures to do that. However, with DTE stopping power due to delinquent payment a few months back, maybe the NYC company that owns the Book has finally thrown in the towel. Shame. My favorite skyscraper. If true, I'd expect some eager developers to pounce, considering it's prominence and location. | ||
Spacemonkey Member Username: Spacemonkey Post Number: 287 Registered: 03-2006 |
I thought it was to become a hotel. | ||
1805 Member Username: 1805 Post Number: 87 Registered: 03-2007 |
That's the Book Cadillac Hotel you're thinking of -- and it still is. Book Tower is across Washington Blvd. I belive the new owners had plans initially to make it residences/office. | ||
Wood Member Username: Wood Post Number: 3 Registered: 05-2006 |
1805---I fully agree that this guy was not the most reliable source. He was definitely giving me the stinkeye, too. That's why I came out of lurkdom here to see if any of the nice people on this forum with far greater access to information about these kinds of things than I have might know something more. I have had a pit in my stomach about this all day. Almost every floor was bare. Next to the freight elevator on the first 24 or so floors was a pile of junk and bags of trash. It all looked relatively recent. Down in the lobby it definitely looked like it wasn't business as usual. There were huge bins full of junk and a bunch of maintenance guys. That said, the electricity was on in the stairwell on every floor. (Message edited by wood on December 20, 2007) | ||
Iheartthed Member Username: Iheartthed Post Number: 2404 Registered: 04-2006 |
I thought it was supposed to be converted to condos? I saw that on one of these sites that talk about business development in Detroit. | ||
Detroitpharmstudent Member Username: Detroitpharmstudent Post Number: 17 Registered: 09-2007 |
Does anyone have pictures of the Book Tower when it was clean and occupied? I've never seen a picture where it wasn't dirty and run down like it is now. I keep hearing how amazing it is, but from everything I've seen - it looks like a dump. | ||
Gumby Member Username: Gumby Post Number: 1677 Registered: 11-2003 |
Maybe they are closing in order to begin construction for the condos. Don't be so quick to assume. | ||
Rocket_city Member Username: Rocket_city Post Number: 505 Registered: 04-2006 |
The maintenance man probably knew he was talking to a common lurker and therefore told him what he tells all of them. The Book is as obsolete as can be. It may be able to sustain what it has by some grace of God, but in my view, the only way it would come full circle would be for a developer to shut it down and invest in a project similar to what Ferchill did...although, obviously not as grand. | ||
Wolverine Member Username: Wolverine Post Number: 390 Registered: 04-2004 |
I believe 100% what the maintenance person said. Seems like a smart idea to mean to close a mostly vacant skyscraper to the public. Why should strangers be walking around the tower with no tenants. | ||
Jeduncan Member Username: Jeduncan Post Number: 160 Registered: 11-2006 |
I think the fact that it requires use of the fire escapes might also deter some development in there. I'm not even sure that they'd allow residential code in that building based on that fact alone. | ||
Monahan568 Member Username: Monahan568 Post Number: 253 Registered: 04-2004 |
it sucks that the building has to close but in the D no tax credits or free money = time to close up shop | ||
Wolverine Member Username: Wolverine Post Number: 391 Registered: 04-2004 |
"I think the fact that it requires use of the fire escapes might also deter some development in there. I'm not even sure that they'd allow residential code in that building based on that fact alone." You are correct that the building is not up to residential code because of the number of enclosed stairwells. However, the plan is to convert a couple of the elevator shafts into a stairwell, as a residential building would not require as many elevators as an office building. (Message edited by wolverine on December 20, 2007) | ||
Llyn Member Username: Llyn Post Number: 1887 Registered: 06-2004 |
quote: There are technically two buildings in the complex: (1) the Book Tower and (2) the Book Building which is to the left (or southeast) when facing the front of the buildings. Awhile back there was a plan to convert one of the buildings - I think the Book Tower - to condos and move the office tenants to the Book Building. It was quite awhile back and there's no evidence that it is still be considered. | ||
Fareastsider Member Username: Fareastsider Post Number: 736 Registered: 08-2006 |
Thats crazy I was going to go to the top of the Book today to but ended up doing other things downtown. Still empty huh? It is very eerie with how quiet it is up there and the views are amazing. Can you get in trouble if you are innocently looking out the window up top? | ||
Mwilbert Member Username: Mwilbert Post Number: 37 Registered: 11-2007 |
My father had space in the Book Tower and he had to leave. He just got the last stuff out on Monday. It is closing--he was supposed to be out by Nov 30, because DTE was going to turn off the electricity, although that has been delayed several times. My understanding is that the owner of the bar on the first floor got an injunction to give him time to get separate electric service because he intends to keep operating, which is probably why the building was still open this week. There were tax credits available for the planned renovation into condos and offices, but the people who bought it were clearly undercapitalized, and the group that was supposed to redevelop it (not sure what their relationship is to the buyers--they have different names) declared bankruptcy in May. The lenders foreclosed on the buyers sometime this year, but I don't remember when--there was a lot of confusion about how to pay the rent. I have heard that the buyers were still being seen around the building, so I don't know if they still have some hope of regaining control, or if the lender is going to try to cut their losses. Supposedly they lent four million, which if true means they deserve the loss they are going to take, as I doubt the building is actually worth anything by conventional standards. I love the Book Tower, and I find the whole thing rather sad. | ||
Bobj Member Username: Bobj Post Number: 3451 Registered: 11-2003 |
Victim of the economy! It wasn't the best kept building, but as rents dropped elsewhere and tenents left for better places with comparable rents, they couldn't make it | ||
Kslice Member Username: Kslice Post Number: 241 Registered: 04-2007 |
Make the tower into some reasonably priced apartments and it would be back in business. We don't need anymore $700k condos around town. | ||
Iheartthed Member Username: Iheartthed Post Number: 2406 Registered: 04-2006 |
^If people are willing to buy $700K condos in the city then I am not one to stop them. If the B-C development is as successful as anticipated, this should not sit | ||
Lowell Board Administrator Username: Lowell Post Number: 4375 Registered: 10-2003 |
Mwilbert, a belated welcome to the forum and thanks for some personal level input. The electric bill is the most vexing part. If no power goes to the building and, worse yet, security is ended, we will have another Michigan Central on our hands. Scappers, spelunkers, and graffitist will flock to it and what is already a nearly impossible conundrum may become completely doomed. I have long suggested a historical building triage whereby some of the most significant gems will be protected so that the possibility of their revival will remain. This will require cooperation at all levels of governement, state, metropolitan, county. Good luck eh? It is just tragic what has happened to Lee Plaza and the Michigan Central, just to name couple. | ||
Wood Member Username: Wood Post Number: 4 Registered: 05-2006 |
if the tower tenants are consolidating in the non-tower portion of the building, it's actually not so bad, that is, if the lobby remains open (and guarded---most of the people they have watching over these semi-abandoned buildings seem hard at work justifying the minimum-nature of their wages) and they shut down the elevators and put a series of excellent locks on the stairway to the tower in the lobby (they'll also need to put good locks on all the doors connecting the non-tower floors to the tower floors). the maintenance-type guy I was talking to seemed to be in charge of all the other guys. he kind of had that "I-work-for-a-management-compa ny-headquartered-in-warren" look about him, so I'm hoping what he was telling me was that the tower had been cleared of tenants and there would no longer be public access to any of the tower floors. the tower floors were all pretty bare. other than pipe and wire stripping, I'd mainly be worried about the assholes getting out on the fire escape and tagging that beautiful exterior. here's to keeping our fingers crossed that none of those ornamental caryatids ever end up supporting some yuppie's balcony in wicker park. | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 4201 Registered: 02-2005 |
It is a must for the Tower portion to remain guarded and for them to keep those of you that break into it OUT if the best possible scenario is to play out down the road. As far as I know it's not in good condition because the offices are not up-to-date and the place is generally dirty and unkept, but that's much easier to remedy for someone who wants to update or convert it than a place that is torn up and the victim of theft. | ||
93typhoon Member Username: 93typhoon Post Number: 38 Registered: 04-2006 |
I was in the building up on the 30th floor a couple months ago. There were folks clearing out offices then. Does anyone know the sq footage for each of the floors in the tower? | ||
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul Post Number: 2164 Registered: 10-2006 |
Google Earth is pretty accurate at that scale--just use the measure tool on the aerial photo to get the SF. | ||
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936 Post Number: 2444 Registered: 01-2005 |
As a west-sider who always lived just off of Grand River, the view southeast on Grand River was always terminated by the Book Tower. To me, that building WAS downtown. It dominates the Grand River view. Sad to read of its demise. |
