Built in 1925 and left vacant in the 1970s, the historic Metropolitan Building at 33 John R. in downtown Detroit is getting a facelift.
Tagged with graffiti and in need of major rehab, the building is sandwiched between the YMCA, The Lofts @Woodward and The Opera House.
The 15-story building sits in the heart of a revitalized district running down Library Street off Broadway, and once was home to shops, offices, jewelry manufacturers and wholesalers, according to a press release.
On Friday, workers from the company Grunwell-Cashero were cleaning up some graffiti on the building.
The company plans to stabilize and clean up the Neo-Gothic landmark Metropolitan Building and help turn it into a residential and retail center, according to Eric Lawrence of the Detroit Free Press.
Lawrence writes:
In the spring, the company plans to begin rehabilitating the terracotta stone and brick exterior as the almost 90-year-old building is transformed into a mix of commercial and residential units that would further document the rebirth of the city’s downtown. Work should be completed in 2016.