The world's largest Masomic Temple, the 14-story neo-Gothic giant that fuills a quare block in the Cass Corridor, is in foreclosure for $152,000 in overdue property taxes, Louis Aguilar reports in The Detroit News.
It's slated to be one of thousands of properties on the block in Wayne County's tax foreclosure auction in September. Bidding would start at $160,000. . . .
"We have not heard from any party about this property, so there is no plan at this point," to work out payments, said David Szymanski, chief deputy treasurer for Wayne County. . . .
The Masonic Temple Association, the owner until foreclosure, could buy it back at the tax sale, Aguilar writes.
Before the temple goes to auction, state, city and county governments would get a chance to buy it, Szymanski said. If there is no interest from any of the government agencies, the building would go to auction. If it remains unsold, the temple would go to a second auction in October where the starting bid would be $500.
The 1,037-room giant dominates Temple Street. [Photo by Robert Maihofer]
Designed by architect George Mason, the 1,037-room temple is on the National Register of Historic Places. The News provides these details:
The building comprises 550,000 square feet, according to the temple website. Construction began in 1920 and the temple was dedicated in 1926. The temple's Masonic Theatre can seat 4,404 people, and has been a stop for generations of touring Broadway shows, concerts and Detroit visits of the New York City Opera.
With its two ballrooms, office space, cafeteria, dining rooms, barber shop and 16 bowling lanes, the temple is rented out for events from high school graduations to weddings and corporate events.
