Schools, churches, homes — these are just a few architectural casualties of the past decade in Detroit. Alongside the tremendous investment now flowing into certain parts of the city, demolitions have also increased. In some cases, buildings that have been around for more than a century and played integral roles in Detroit’s civic and social spheres have been razed by property speculators and city agencies.

Many of these historic albeit vacant buildings were leveled to make space for surface-level parking, which now occupies about 40 percent of land downtown. Who are these newly empty lots serving, and were they worth the cost?

Browse through these before and after photos of Detroit buildings demolished in favor of parking, or in some cases, just empty lots.

Then – 2009 2029 Park Ave.; Detroit Built in 1905 and designed by William S. Joy, the Hotel Charlevoix served at times as a hotel, an office building, and an apartment building. It offered a cheaper alternative to the top properties of Grand Circus Park. Photo ©Google 2019
Now – 2019 2029 Park Ave.; Detroit Despite being protected by the Park Avenue Historic District, the building was deemed a hazard in 2012 when bricks began to fall off the facade. In 2013, a judge ordered the demolition of the building at the expense of then-owner Ralph Sachs, an infamous Detroit landlord. Photo by Will Feuer
Then – 2011 2421 2nd Ave.; Detroit Opened in 1907, the original Cass Tech was one of the first four high schools in Detroit, according to Historic Detroit. More than 50,000 students graduated from the school, including Diana Ross, Lily Tomlin, David Alan Greer, and Kwame Kilpatrick. Photo ©Google 2019
Now – 2019 2421 2nd Ave.; Detroit The Cass Tech Alumni Association worked to convert the historic building into a multi-use recreation center in 2007, but a fire broke out, dashing hopes for renovation. In 2009, Detroit Public Schools slated the building for demolition, arguing it was a safety hazard. Photo by Will Feuer
Then – 2009 Intersection of Park Avenue and Henry Street; Detroit Formerly known as the “2500 Club,” the bar was the city’s “most dedicated punk rock venue,” The Detroit News wrote in 2006. In 2009, the bar was sold and became “Another Fucking Bar” with a marquee that read: “Just what Detroit needs,” Motor City Muckraker reports. Photo ©Google 2019
Now – 2019 Intersection of Park Avenue and Henry Street; Detroit “Another Fucking Bar” was demolished in 2015 to make room for the new Ilitch-owned Little Caesars Arena. Photo by Will Feuer
Then – 2011 60 W. Elizabeth St.; Detroit These two buildings (one of which dates back to 1870, while the other is a 1960 addition) were owned by Jim Forbes, who also owns the adjacent Fillmore Theatre. The one the right is the former home of producer Jim Diamond’s Ghetto Recording Studio, where the White Stripes recorded its 1999 eponymous debut LP. Photo ©Google 2019
Now – 2019 60 W. Elizabeth St.; Detroit Forbes demolished the buildings in 2017 to make room for loading and a small parking lot for the Fillmore. Photo by Will Feuer
Then – 2009 72 Temple St.; Detroit The storied Temple hotel, which earned a reputation as a hub for drugs and prostitution in a seedy corner of Cass Corridor, was demolished in 2014. Next to the hotel are three houses that sprung up around the middle building, which was constructed in 1890. Eventually, the properties were split into apartments and then abandoned. Photo ©Google 2019
Now – 2019 72 Temple St.; Detroit The Temple Hotel, which is now located at the heart of Ilitch-driven District and adjacent to the new Detroit Red Wings arena, was purchased in 2013 by DTE Energy for more than $3 million. The company plans to build a substation there to service the District and Midtown. Photo by Will Feuer
Then – 2007 Little is known about this building, which was once a part of the historic Cass Farm area. “It was the place where the first wave of self-made, truly wealthy Detroiters built their homes, and later where new arrivals seeking jobs as a result of the thriving industrial-based economy first settled,” wrote Gretchen Griner of local economic development firm Zachary & Associates for a 1997 report to the US Department of Interior. 401 W. Columbia St.; Detroit Photo ©Google 2019
Now – 2019 401 W. Columbia St.; Detroit The building was demolished sometime around 2011 to make room for Ilitch-owned parking, according to Curbed. Photo by Will Feuer
Then – 2009 1098 Shelby St.; Detroit The 14-story Lafayette Building was designed by theater architect C. Howard Crane, who also designed the Fox, United Artists, and Fillmore theaters downtown. The building once housed the Michigan Supreme Court, the state Tax Tribunal, railroad companies, and Henry the Hatter. Photo ©Google 2019
Now – 2019 1098 Shelby St.; Detroit The Downtown Development Authority purchased the building from a landlord in 2004. Despite pressure from preservationists, Detroit City Council voted against historic designation in 2009 and the building was demolished weeks later. Photo by Will Feuer
Then – 2011 1404 E Jefferson Ave.; Detroit Founded in 1899 in Swan’s Chop House at the corner of Woodward Avenue and Larned Street, the University Club was a fraternal organization for networking and relaxing. All members had to be college graduates, and women could not join until 1978. Photo ©Google 2019
Now – 2019 1404 E Jefferson Ave.; Detroit June 15, 2013, a fire devastated the structure from the inside, destroying most of it. By the end of the year, it was demolished. Photo by Will Feuer
Then – 2007 2100 Clifford St.; Detroit An eight-story multi-level parking lot, which was listed for sale in 2006. Photo ©Google 2019
Now – 2019 2100 Clifford St.; Detroit The Ilitch-owned Olympia Development LLC demolished the dilapidated building in 2008 with taxpayer money through a Downtown Development Authority grant. Photo by Will Feuer
Then – 2014 2560 Second Ave.; Detroit Heritage Senior Living was one of the few independent living senior homes for low-income residents of Detroit. Photo ©Google 2019
Now – 2019 2560 Second Ave.; Detroit When the building was demolished in 2017, it was owned by Stanne Consulting LLC, a shadow company whose owner has not been publicly identified, Curbed reports. Photo by Will Feuer
Then – 2011 2870 Woodward Ave.; Detroit Opened in 1890, First Unitarian Church was one of the city’s oldest churches. The church once boasted three round-arched stained-glass windows by John La Farge, who designed the windows of Trinity Church in Boston. Photo ©Google 2019
Now – 2019 2870 Woodward Ave.; Detroit As Woodward Avenue expanded, the church’s facade became mangled throughout the 20th century. On Aug. 3, 1982, the building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. On the morning of May 10, 2014, a fire destroyed the church, stirring rumors of arson in the hot-investment District. Photo by Will Feuer
Then – 2011 3141 Cass Ave.; Detroit Two beautiful, long-abandoned houses used to exist adjacent to the Gold Dollar, a legendary rock venue that once hosted early gigs by bands like the White Stripes during Detroit’s garage rock boom. Photo ©Google 2019
Now – 2019 3141 Cass Ave.; Detroit The buildings were demolished in 2016. The empty lots and the adjacent Gold Dollar were recently purchased by an entity named Urban Horticulture, LLC as part of a $2.2 million deal. “[The] entity then transferred the properties for $1 to another entity called Cass Revival LLC, which used the Ilitch family-owned Fox Theatre as its address.” Photo by Will Feuer
Then – 2015 5250 Midtown Loop; Detroit The distinctive Barat House was built in 1960 as an inpatient psychiatric facility for young women and continued to serve at-risk youth until the winter of 2017. Photo ©Google 2019
Now – 2019 5250 Midtown Loop; Detroit The Detroit Institute of Arts purchased the building in 2017, and demolished it to make room for 65 parking spaces. Photo by Will Feuer
Then – 2009 8041 Harper Ave.; Detroit The Eastown Theatre was the last survivor of the original four major neighborhood movie palaces, according to Historic Detroit, but it was also a den for infamous drug-driven rock concerts, which makes it way cooler than a movie theater. Photo ©Google 2019
Now – 2019 8041 Harper Ave.; Detroit In the early 2000s, the Theater was taken over by a church group, which tried to sell the property for about $2 million, according to Historic Detroit. In 2009, they sold it for less than half that price and soon after a fire gutted the inside of the building. After years of scrapping, an emergency demolition order was issued in 2015. Photo by Will Feuer
Then – 2008 Intersection of W. Grand River Avenue and W. Elizabeth Street; Detroit The Elizabeth Street Lofts building. Photo ©Google 2019
Now – 2019 Intersection of W. Grand River Avenue and W. Elizabeth Street; Detroit The building was purchased and demolished by the Ilitches to make room for parking in the burgeoning entertainment District. Photo by Will Feuer

Have something to share?

SEND US A NEWS TIP

Since 1980, Metro Times has been Detroit’s premier alternative source for news, arts, culture, music, film, food, fashion and more from a liberal point of view.