Unsightly and depressing, Detroit's many abandoned and vacant buildings have been a problem for the city for years. The proliferation of such structures made them a target for arson on Devil's Night and turned the city skyline into a dark wasteland when the sun went down. While progress has been made, many such buildings remain. The poster child for such structures is probably the Michigan Central Depot, the 18-story behemoth that sits sentinel just a couple of miles southwest of downtown. It is one of the first things visitors see when entering the city off of I-96, creating an unfortunate gateway.
The partial collapse of a vacant building in Greektown on Tuesday highlights another problem with the situation: these buildings are dangerous. According to articles in The Detroit News and The Free Press, three-to-four stories of the building’s back wall crumbled due to wind and possibly water damage. Luckily no one was hurt...this time, although at least one parked car was severely damaged. Built in the late 1800s, the building is located on the corner of Monroe and Randolph and formerly housed the Temple of Oddfellows. The first floor of the building was in the process of being renovated for a restaurant.
Apparently, vacant buildings aren't inspected by the city unless they have problems visible from the outside. This policy is destined to result in a “too little, too late” attempt to ensure such buildings are safe. Hopefully, the collapse of a building in the popular Greektown neighborhood will raise a red flag for someone at city hall. Maybe even the mayor will snatch on to this story as a cause celeb and expand the initiative he rolled out last May.
According to the “d” spot, Kilpatrick created the initiative to address what he called “a 40 year rut” in regard to the city’s deteriorating neighborhoods. The Next Detroit Neighborhood Initiative targeted six neighborhoods. Part of the plan called for the city to handle demolitions in the areas, while nonprofit foundations committed to investment. The initiative was a concrete step in the right direction. Like the RiverWalk project, progress takes time, but eventually bears fruit. The City of Detroit needs to prioritize programs like NEXT Detroit and take more steps in the right direction.
Michigan Central DepotPhoto © Laura Sternberg, Licensed to About.com
Comments
The building collapse was in “Greektown” not Greentown.
keep up the fight!
Detroit is perfect. Stay in Burbs. Leave us alone. There is beauty in abandonment and ruins if you look harder. Detroit Artist
MCD is the scariest building I’ve ever seen in person. I was visiting Detroit about 10 years ago when I first seen it! It was like seeing a car wreck I could’nt STOP LOOKING! It’s been on my mind ever since and I recently came back to detroit and I got the same effect. After all that being said I did some research on it and I see why it hasn’t been destroyed. The work inside that place is a thing of beauty. How can someone let something with that gorgeous archeitecture go to waste!
Our city is an embaressment. Our politics, our horrid schools, our unemployment and the how much of it is falling apart and abandoned. I would love to see the historical buildings preserved and the hundreds of run down houses demolished. Our children have to walk past these. Very unsafe, and unfair.
My City is NOT an embarassment. Maybe some of the people, but I love my city. The schools are not as bad as the media makes them seem. What about the Detroit School or Arts ( a regular attendee at the prestigious Carnegie Hall, also invited to China) Renaissance Highschool ( a continuing staple of exceptional arts and academics) and Cass Technical Highschool? Bates Academy? I could go on.
There are many youth programs such as Teen H.Y.P.E , The Matrix, Mosaic, Motivity.
The former All City Marching band played at the Rose Bowl parade as Regis Philban’s band.
Our sports teams (sans the Lions, but give them time) have a rich history of winning and we have been named best Sports city in the US by sportingnews.com
I could go on, but I think i have made my point. Every city has its up points and low points. Maybe our people need to stop trying to impress others by downing our own city and stressing the positives of it. Stand up, Stand proud.
Detroit is almost like the modern day Rome. I can’t imagine what it would be like living in a city that combines the best of the new with the relics of the past. It’s like your carving out a new life in the shell of a golden age. It’s really quite interesting. Detroits problems aren’t uniqe…unemployment, crime, etc. but the city itself is. I can’t think of anywhere else in the world like it. You shouldn’t be ashamed about it!
if someone coudl please email me with info about rosedale park detroit-i was wondering if it was a safe place to live- i have 5 children and i was looking at beautiful houses for sale there -please if anyone has information please email me
thank you so much-
Ilona