The old Free Press Building.
The Detroit Free Press building at 321 West Lafayette in downtown Detroit has seen better days.
It seemed like all that not long ago -- though it really has been a long time -- that you could walk by the Art Deco building and see reporters like Joe Swickard and Hawaiian-shirt wearing Brian Flanigan smoking cigarettes on the sidewalk, and other notables eating at the first-floor restaurant that was open to the public.
The building was left vacant in 1998 when the Freep folks moved into the Detroit News building down the block. Last year, the Chinese firm, DDI Group, bought the building for $4.2 million.
Steve Neavling of the Motor City Muckraker reports:
The former Detroit Free Press building, an Art Deco high-rise that housed Michigan’s most storied newspaper for 73 years, is a sad version of its old self.
The Albert Kahn-designed building on Lafayette was wide open to trespass for at least three days this week after a broken window overlooking the federal courthouse was shattered.
Inside, the 14-story building is showing serious signs of neglect. Walls are covered in black mold. Pigeon carcasses and droppings are scattered across the floors. And marble walls were tagged with graffiti.
The 302,400 square foot building has 14 above-ground floors and two basement level floors.
-- Allan Lengel
