Madison-Lenox Demoltion

The Madison-Lenox hotel complex in Detroit, three buildings in all, over one hundred years old, was illegally demolished last year. I caught part of it with my digital camera, including preservationists arguing with police and the crew. Toward the end I also have video of the crew continuing demolition after being informed of a court injunction ordering them to stop. Today there's a featureless surface parking lot on this site owned by the Illitch family.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• madison
• lenox
• detroit
• demolition
• preservation
• wayne
• illitch
• tigers
• wings
• little
• caeser's
• olympia
• entertainment
• slum
• lord

[theucharist]

i'm no fan of parking lots, but i'm even less a fan of abandoned buildings.

[hunchentoot]

Every structure needn't be saved, but surface parking is urban cancer. This demolition was carried out in a very spiteful and fraudulent way by a family with the resources to restore it. See the near East side for what this thinking leads to: city blocks designed for 30 or more homes with 2 remaining and 1 in use. It doesn't create beauty, safety, utility, or economy.

I'm optimistic about Atanas as the new head of Olympia Development. He seems to understand certain aspects of good urbanism.

[bryanguy1]

I love preserving old buildings but those had to go they were not work renovating

[6969Wolf6969]

why do they say it was an illegal demo if Adamo and Iltch got the court OK to knock it down?

[araka08]

bull shit new buildings are not at all as grand i say thank god if they save some old buildings and thank god if they do not put crap that is flat, bland and will not last long save the old fuck the new which is shit to begin with

[missmanda25]

I can't believe people still have the "new is better" mentality. Drives me insane! So many gorgeous buildings that are structurally sound get torn down in the name of progress. Since when is a parking lot progress? Detroit has many buildings worthy of restoration. The was this demo was carried out was ridiculous and uncalled for.

[breezwonder]

Thank God they tore that crap down!! in cae Detroit has not noticed, it is 2009!! out with the old and in with the new.

[jma130]

how long had it been sitting unused?

[nevermind1534]

Illitch just wanted to tear down all the buildings that he could, since he thought of all of them as eye sores. There were offers to use the Statler, but Illitch wanted it torn down because he didn't like being able to see it from Comerica Park.

[scooby8mile]

fuck you my hometown u a good city so sit da fuck down

[thedolginone22]

Are you even serious right now?The city isn't coming back?last time i checked it is. The entir downtown is revived so is half the riverfront. The revival has expanded into New center, and midtown. Thats something us people here in reality call change.=)

[coultrane]

My mom commited suicide in that building in 1972.