CDI J.L. Hudson department store implosion

Controlled Demolition, Inc.

Category:

Science & Technology

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• nuclearrabbit

[Blaze1071]

That was such a huge building. It is a shame to see great structures like that and Book-Cadillac and many others become dilapidated and essentially raped by blight and neglect. I guess since nobody needed it except homeless bums, and nobody wanted to pay to fix/maintain it and use it, it had to go. A real shame. I've never been to Detroit but wish I could've seen it in its hetday.

[shelliebill]

My parents met working at the restaurant in 1966, got engaged, married then my father went off to Vietnam.

The day after the implosion, my husband and I went down to check things out. The guard let us take 2 Hudson's bricks from the rubble.

When we built our home we had the brick layers strategically add them in.

A lot of great memories happened there. :)

[cool45010]

@leapingoutofwater I'm a Philly man as well; we thought our Sears implosion was big!

[SuperDetroit9]

@Hotters70604sl That's because it WAS"controlled also!!

[SuperDetroit9]

@shelliebill Hey,then we likely saw each other,as I was right there(being apart of the"crew"placing the"C-4" in the columns)checking the site after implosion,and"warned"not to give/"sell"any bricks to those asking!! Folk were going:"Psssst,hey buddy,I got $30 bucks that says that brick right THERE,is coming home with ME!!" Do yours have:"JLH"on them?!? Most don't realize just how MASSIVE this building was......It had MORE square footage than all FOUR of the Ren Cens' 39-floor towers COMBINED!!

[anythingbutcommon]

@HAPKAH It had been sitting vacant for years, and was in total disrepair inside. Plus the city of Detroit seems to enjoy destroying history.

[worktosser]

@shelliebill Awesome story. Glad you got that little piece of history. Such a massive looking building - Shame to see it go.

[NikkoCharger]

@HAPKAH Like many older Detroit building it was vandalized and had parts stolen off of it till it was just an empty shell

[HAPKAH]

why was it blown up? looked like a perfectly normal building

[krakenwave]

@leapingoutofwater

Compared to the architecture and tacky fashion-features that were stores built in the 80s (when this was pulled down) - with that "lets tart up the unavoidable-but-hated modernism with some plastic gables and fake-balconies and kiddy-bricks all in primary colours" shit, Hudson's was a gem all round.

[leapingoutofwater]

wow! I thought our Wannamakers here in Philly, or the Strawbridge building, were big department stores. This one looks even bigger!! Can't believe they tore that down, but honestly from this view it doesn't look like a very appealing building architecturally. Just my opinion.

and brick-schmick!! when Strawbridge closed I bought all of the dining chairs from the 6th-floor 'Corinthian Room'!! ha! :)

[shelliebill]

@dustinwifey3456 Wow! I bet that was quite a scene! I'd have begged and pleaded for a brick too.

Could you just give away the bricks to people without accepting any cash?

I had completely forgotten about the JLH imprint on it!.

I will take a picture of where we placed them within our own brick work and post a link later... that is if it it is and up load it and link it (if it's allowed)

Did you manage to obtain any for your self? :D