  Superduperman Member Username: Superduperman Post Number: 188 Registered: 01-2005 |
Who owns it and where can I find out any information about it. | ||
Milwaukee Member Username: Milwaukee Post Number: 671 Registered: 08-2006 |
It used to be a Layne Bryant department store. It's old windows are part of an architectual project, called the AIA Detroit Woodward Avenue Storefront window's project. I think it was designed by Charles Argee. http://buildingsofdetroit.com/ arch.php http://www.downtownpartnership .org/maps/central_Business_Dis trict.asp As of now, it is vacant. I don't know about renovation plans. | ||
Milwaukee Member Username: Milwaukee Post Number: 674 Registered: 08-2006 |
It was cleaned up for the super bowl, new windows, cleaned the stone. It's a good looking building. | ||
Superduperman Member Username: Superduperman Post Number: 189 Registered: 01-2005 |
I'd have to agree,it is a very beautiful building,I wish I could find more info on it. | ||
Cmubryan Member Username: Cmubryan Post Number: 353 Registered: 11-2003 |
How long ago did Lane Bryant go out of business? | ||
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan Post Number: 5068 Registered: 10-2003 |
I think it's a great build, but nothing out of the ordinary or necessarily special, not even for its time. It would be great to see it reused, though. | ||
Al_t_publican Member Username: Al_t_publican Post Number: 139 Registered: 06-2004 |
My mother worked at said Lane Bryant store in the '60s and '70s. My father was a watchmaker at Wright Kay Jewelers on the same side of Woodward at the corner of Grand River(?). My parents were divorced at the time and my father told me he made a point of avoiding my mother who worked just a few doors north of him. He said they would sometimes bump into each other a Quickie donuts in that area. | ||
Milwaukee Member Username: Milwaukee Post Number: 677 Registered: 08-2006 |
I really like the stone on the facade. The simplicity is what makes it great I think. It is a great art deco building. I'd love to see the building converted into lofts or into offices. I'm glad it was cleaned up for the Super Bowl | ||
Walterwaves Member Username: Walterwaves Post Number: 48 Registered: 01-2007 |
You should be able to get the owners info on the tax dept. website. If not try dept. of buildings. | ||
Ndavies Member Username: Ndavies Post Number: 2413 Registered: 10-2003 |
The city owns it. It's under the control of the DEGC. | ||
Hornwrecker Member Username: Hornwrecker Post Number: 1744 Registered: 04-2005 |
 | ||
Tabletop Member Username: Tabletop Post Number: 81 Registered: 01-2004 |
Buyer: CITY OF DETROIT DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUT (Government) Buyer Mailing Address: 500 GRISWOLD, UNIT 2200, DETROIT, MI 48226 Seller: D P DEVELOPMENT LLC (Company/Corporation) Seller Mailing Address: 28 BELLE MEADE, GROSSE POINTE SHORES, MI 48236 Property Address: 1520 WOODWARD **************************** SALES INFORMATION ***************************** Sale Date: 8/1/2005 Recorded Date: 9/1/2005 Sale Price: $ 1,375,000 (Full Amount) County Transfer Tax: $ 1,512.50 City Transfer Tax: $ 10,312.50 Total Transfer Tax: $ 11,825.00 Book/Page: 43414/804 Document Number: 205405837 Deed Type: WARRANTY DEED Assessor's Parcel Number: 01-004131 Legal Description: LOT: 26; CITY: DETROIT; SUBDIVISION: GOVERNORS & JUDGES PLAT OF SECTION 7; RECORDER'S MAP REFERENCE: LB34 PG544 *************************** MORTGAGE INFORMATION *************************** Title Company: LAMONT TITLE COMPANY | ||
Long_in_the_tooth Member Username: Long_in_the_tooth Post Number: 3 Registered: 01-2007 |
Awesome link Milwaukee. | ||
Milwaukee Member Username: Milwaukee Post Number: 678 Registered: 08-2006 |
I thought it was pretty cool, I just stumbled across it a couple weeks ago. It seems like they have information on every building downtown. | ||
Superduperman Member Username: Superduperman Post Number: 190 Registered: 01-2005 |
anybody happen to know the dimensions of each floor? | ||
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul Post Number: 356 Registered: 10-2006 |
I was in there last year setting up a window for the Super Bowl. We took a little walk through the building and up onto the roof. The building is pretty much gutted, so the interior basically has no features whatsoever. The roof is in really bad shape which is leading to damage of a few floors below. The one interesting feature of the building was that the ground floor had a large cutout in one corner to expose it more to the basement level below. | ||
Milwaukee Member Username: Milwaukee Post Number: 680 Registered: 08-2006 |
What's the structural state of the building? Fast deteriorating? I'd never guess any of that damage from looking at it from Woodward. | ||
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul Post Number: 359 Registered: 10-2006 |
Well it is def. difficult to tell from only being in there for one day; I mean I guess if I went back now a year later I might notice differences. The roof itself was not caved in, but was leaking onto the top floor of the building which then was collapsing onto the floor below it. So I would say the roof and two floors below it need major repair. If one looks at a roof plan of the building, you can see that the roof drains to its back but then is stopped up by all of the mechanical equipment (about two-thirds the way back) at the rear of the structure (not the best design). That is probably why it isn't too noticeable from the street. So the water inevitably collects there and sinks into the building. If I recall correctly, the structure is poured concrete. | ||
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan Post Number: 5075 Registered: 10-2003 |
Sounds like a single, low-sloped roof that is common on most commercial structures fronting streets downtown. | ||
Milwaukee Member Username: Milwaukee Post Number: 686 Registered: 08-2006 |
Are there any serious proposals for renovation? Is the first floor usable for a restaurant or a store, or is that in bad shape too? | ||
Redetroit Member Username: Redetroit Post Number: 52 Registered: 04-2005 |
I saw a "For Sale" sign in the window of the building at the corner (APT building), called the phone number but never got a response as to the price. Anyone know any details on that building? | ||
Milwaukee Member Username: Milwaukee Post Number: 689 Registered: 08-2006 |
what's the name of the building, or address number? | ||
Christos Member Username: Christos Post Number: 25 Registered: 12-2006 |
The Pure Detroit Barroom was once there, then it was X/S, then I think Candi Bar? I though some developer owned it and built lofts in there? Guess not. | ||
Beantown Member Username: Beantown Post Number: 26 Registered: 10-2006 |
Christos - the Pure Bar Room, which became Club X/S, which became Candi Bar, which became the current bar called "The Apartment" were all on the ground floor of the Wright Kay Building, which is currently fully occupied and habitable, and not the dilapidated Lane Bryant building a few doors down. | ||
Superduperman Member Username: Superduperman Post Number: 191 Registered: 01-2005 |
I thought an architect lived in the building and also owned it as well,I remember reading about his loft space above the club in some local mag,it was pretty cool. | ||
Beantown Member Username: Beantown Post Number: 27 Registered: 10-2006 |
Superduperman - I believe that there may be some confusion on this thread between the two buildings. If you are talking about the Wright Kay Building (at 1500 Woodward), then you are correct about an architect owning and living in that building. This thread was originally about the building at 1520 Woodward - the "Lane Bryant" building - which is the one with the roof caving in. As I mentioned, the Wright Kay is occupied, with the Apartment night club, lofts, and the offices of the architect/owner on the 4th floor. | ||
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul Post Number: 364 Registered: 10-2006 |
1520's ground floor would be more or less usable even given the state of the building. It is basically a shell with a HUGE pile of old office chairs in it. That is about the limit of contents in the entire building, last I saw. As aforementioned, there is a huge (purposefully constructed) whole in the ground floor, but it does not have any railing around it. There are newly installed electric circuit boxes on the ground floor, so that would also be another indication of the feasibility of it for some use. The low sloping roof would not have been in issue had it drained to the back edge of the building rather than to the center. Unfortunately the mechanical equipment at the back just keeps that water from flowing into the alley behind, sort of like sloping a roof towards a wall, which is not the brightest of designs. | ||
Christos Member Username: Christos Post Number: 35 Registered: 12-2006 |
My mistake! I was looking at the wrong building in the picture. | ||
Superduperman Member Username: Superduperman Post Number: 192 Registered: 01-2005 |
Charlottepaul, Do you think the spaces on either floors are long enough for a(100ft) for a bowling lane? | ||
Gambling_man Member Username: Gambling_man Post Number: 952 Registered: 11-2003 |
"The Apartment"......If some of you lived downtown, you wouldn't be so happy about some of the clubs that have opened recently..... | ||
Rjlj Member Username: Rjlj Post Number: 240 Registered: 11-2003 |
Details Gambling_man??? | ||
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul Post Number: 384 Registered: 10-2006 |
Well Superduperman the typical footprint for buildings in downtown is about 100 feet from front to back (alley side). The answer I would have to guess would be no, but I didn't exactly have bowling on my mind when I was in the building. | ||
Johnlodge Member Username: Johnlodge Post Number: 50 Registered: 10-2003 |
Of all the buldings in that picture, I'd have to say the building in question is definitely the ugliest. Looks like someone dropped a giant cinderblock on a perfectly nice block of buildings. | ||
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan Post Number: 5085 Registered: 10-2003 |
It's actually the art deco/art moderne style and was built that way. It just goes to show that there are plenty of unspectacular historic buildings, too. Still, I'd guess the facade to be limestone, though. | ||
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul Post Number: 397 Registered: 10-2006 |
Yeah, not every building can be a spectacular piece of work. Generally that is not the goal of 99% of buildings that are built. | ||
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan Post Number: 5092 Registered: 10-2003 |
I hope you know that I was simply getting at is that not every old building has to be a stunner. I think the building served its purpose all the same, and will serve another purpose in the future, hopefully. Looks aren't everything. | ||
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul Post Number: 407 Registered: 10-2006 |
agreed. | ||
Milwaukee Member Username: Milwaukee Post Number: 729 Registered: 08-2006 |
I like the idea of a bowling alley in the building. I know its in bad shape, but it would still be awesome if it became a restaurant/bar/bowling alley. It is a cool building. It adds variety to the block. | ||
Apbest Member Username: Apbest Post Number: 414 Registered: 03-2006 |
theres already a bowling alley on woodward in midtown just blocks north | ||
Rjlj Member Username: Rjlj Post Number: 250 Registered: 11-2003 |
I challenge Milwaukee to open a restaurant/bar/bowling alley in that building. | ||
Superduperman Member Username: Superduperman Post Number: 193 Registered: 01-2005 |
I'm actually interested in developing the building into something similar to Lucky Strike minus the big person games. On the first floor I would something like a bar/restaurant setup with pool tables,on the second and third floor I would have 4-5 bowling lanes with a few more pool tables and a bar on each of those floors. On the fourth and fifth I'd have club thats upstairs and downstairs,on the sixth floor would be the office/security/operations. | ||
Rjlj Member Username: Rjlj Post Number: 251 Registered: 11-2003 |
I dare Milwaukee and Superduperman to team up and make something out of this building. | ||
Rjlj Member Username: Rjlj Post Number: 253 Registered: 11-2003 |
Is Detroit all talk a no show? http://money.cnn.com/galleries /2007/fsb/0702/gallery.smallbi z_nation/3.html | ||
Detroitplanner Member Username: Detroitplanner Post Number: 941 Registered: 04-2006 |
Here ya go clubber's just copy this one! http://www.planet99.com/chicag o/restaurants/9861.html | ||
Superduperman Member Username: Superduperman Post Number: 194 Registered: 01-2005 |
Nah,D&B isn't a franchise,besides I'd want to open something up with alot more character | ||
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul Post Number: 419 Registered: 10-2006 |
Well, the biggest challenge will definitely be a new roof and a floor or two. Other than that, it is a blank slate, all cleaned out, new windows and new electrical updates. I think that your biggest disadvantage would be the fact that since there is little interior anything, it would be somewhat difficult to have a 'theme' for the interior. It would basically just be whatever furniture you put in it. |
