Wikimedia Commons.
Wikimedia Commons.
Dan Gilbert's Bedrock has grand plans for the Monroe Blocks development downtown, which will include office space and residential units.
But an issue dogs the project -- the vacant National Theatre at 118 Monroe Street, the only survivor from Detroit’s first theater district and the only surviving theater designed by renowned architect Albert Kahn, according to the Historic Detroit site.
Bedrock wants to save the facade of the building and use it as a gateway to the development. The Preservation Detroit group opposes that plan and issues this statement:
There is no doubt that the redevelopment of the Monroe Block is a transformative project for downtown Detroit, and overall we are pleased with the design, scale, and density of this project on a block that has senselessly sat vacant for far too long.
However, we are unsatisfied with the solution proposed for the National Theatre, built in 1911 and designed by Albert Kahn. Even in its deteriorated state, it remains one of downtown’s most distinctive buildings, and is a repository of Detroit’s rich performing arts history. It’s the last surviving piece of downtown’s original theater district and one of the oldest surviving structures built to house the arts in North America.
Bedrock has proposed demolishing most of the building, while preserving a portion of the facade, relocating it, and reusing it as a gateway to their Monroe Block development. While admirable in its intent, we feel this compromises the building’s history and is a missed opportunity to creatively reimagine and reuse the structure and incorporate the existing building into this ambitious, world-class development.
We have not heard any compelling reasoning from Bedrock as to why the structure needs to be demolished. At the first CBO meeting, representatives from Bedrock simply stated that they were not sure they saw a reason to include a performing arts venue in the Monroe Block development. This lack of imagination is disappointing, especially considering the hefty subsidy Bedrock will receive for this development from taxpayers, and the many possibilities for creatively reusing the space.
Local historian Dan Austin describes the building's condition at Historic Detroit:
The theater itself is in heartbreaking condition. Much like its dancers who took almost everything off, most of the decorative work along the balcony is gone. Huge chunks are missing from the ceiling and from above the stage. The balcony is devoid of seats, and what’s left of the theater’s red curtain hangs in tatters.
