Detroit Statler Hotel
History
The Hotel Statler was designed for Statler Hotels by George B. Post and Louis Rorimer in the Georgian architectural style, with English Renaissance Revival roots evident. It consisted of 18 floors: sixteen above grade and two basement floors. Construction began on the original 800-room portion in 1914 and was completed in 1915.
Harry Houdini stayed at the hotel in October 1926, during his last engagement at the nearby Garrick Theater.
The Statler chain was purchased by Hilton Hotels in 1954. The Hotel Statler was renamed the Statler Hilton in 1958 and then later the Detroit Hilton. Hilton proceeded to remodel and modernize the hotel's interior during the 1960s. In 1974, Hilton ceased their management, and the structure was renamed the Detroit Heritage Hotel until it was abandoned in 1975.
In the 1990's, the building was sold to Mike Ilitch of Olympia Entertainment.
In October 2001, the building's structure required the onsite treatment of 750,000 gallons of PCB-contaminated water following demolition.
In January 2005, after sitting vacant for 30 years, the building was approved for demolition by the Detroit Historic District Commission. In February, work had begun from the southside to remove the building's windows and interior structures; the process took months due to the hotel's strong concrete structure. In June, the adjacent five-story CARE Building (formerly AAA Building) caught fire and destroyed much of the vacant structure's roof and upper floor. By November, a majority of the Statler Hotel had been razed and the land covered with fill dirt.
Site redevelopment
On March 26, 2014, a 200-250 unit apartment building was announced to be built on the former site of the Statler Hotel. At the time of its proposal, this building would have been one of the first entirely newly constructed apartments in downtown Detroit since the early 1990s (excluding apartments built from converted offices). In October 2017, the newly branded, seven story City Club Apartments CBD Detroit broke ground, developed by City Club Apartments LLC. Upon its completion in June 2021, the building had 288 apartments and 13,000 square feet of retail space. Its tenants include Premier Pet Supply and the Statler Bistro, an homage to the former hotel.
Facts
- A lawsuit by preservationists temporarily delayed the city's plans to demolish the former hotel building.
- The hotel had proven so popular that a 200-room addition was added onto the back of the hotel along Washington Boulevard.
- According to the original blueprints, one of the penthouse roof levels lies at 226' above the street, and Sanborn Maps list the other at 232' above the street. The full structural height is unclear.
- The hotel was situated within six feet of the Detroit People Mover elevated railway.
Popular culture
In 2013, Paramount Pictures created a set for Transformers: Age of Extinction in downtown Detroit on the site of the former Statler Hotel that was designed to look like Hong Kong.
References
- ^ "The Brownfield Redevelopment Financing Act 381 of 1996" (PDF). detroitmi.gov. January 14, 2020.
- ^ Johnston, Louis; Williamson, Samuel H. (2023). "What Was the U.S. GDP Then?". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved November 30, 2023. United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the MeasuringWorth series.
- ^ Hill, Eric J. and John Gallagher (2002). AIA Detroit: The American Institute of Architects Guide to Detroit Architecture. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-3120-3. P. 68.
- ^ Statler Hotel. Historic Detroit. Retrieved on December 9, 2013.
- ^ Thibodeau, Ian (July 10, 2015). "Historic Detroit hotel to come down Saturday; Adamo leading demolition". mlive.com.
- ^ Detroit 2005: Views Around Town. December 15, 2010. Event occurs at 10:00 – via YouTube.
- ^ "AAA building update". www.atdetroit.net. January 17, 2007.
- ^ Felton, Ryan (August 5, 2014). "Judge orders former AAA building near Statler Hotel to be demolished". metrotimes.com.
- ^ Fraser, Ben (August 22, 2014). "Gone in 60 Seconds: Timelapse of the CARE Building Demolition". deadlinedetroit.com.
- ^ "Statler Hotel Demolition Progress". urbanplanet.org. February 20, 2005. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
- ^ "Picture of The Month September 2005". demolitionassociation.com. Archived from the original on December 10, 2005. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
- ^ "City Club Apartments set to begin construction at former Statler Hotel site". October 17, 2017.
- ^ "City Club Apartments Opens in Downtown Detroit, Overlooks Grand Circus Park". June 21, 2021.
- ^ "Statler Hilton Hotel - Total Demolition" (PDF). homrichinc.com. Homrich Demolition. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 13, 2013. Retrieved September 23, 2013.
- ^ "Thread: 'Transformers 4' Transforming Grand Circus [Downtown Explodes Video]". detroityes.com. May 20, 2013.
- ^ White, Spencer (February 29, 2016). "'Transformers 5' Expected to Film at Michigan Motion Picture Studios in Pontiac". dbusiness.com.
Further reading
- Hill, Eric J. and John Gallagher (2002). AIA Detroit: The American Institute of Architects Guide to Detroit Architecture. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-3120-3.