Two buildings downtown have had a heck of a time lately. The Book Tower, a beautiful tower that is one of the more unique buildings in the country, and has been shuttered for awhile. Also, the David Stott earlier this year had a pipe burst under Chinese ownership, completely flooding the lower level in winter.
However, there were small signs of progress this week at the two structures, both recently purchased by Bedrock Real Estate.
In a blog post on BLocal, they outline the arduous process to get the lights on the Book Tower.
LaBelle’s contractors went to great lengths to add the vibrant new look to Detroit’s night sky. Six or seven workers each carried 40-45 pounds of equipment up 38 flights of stairs to the top of Book Tower. The building currently has no working elevators, but that didn’t’ stop the determined team from installing the lighted roof. The process of hauling up the equipment took about an hour to complete.
Here are some photos we took when we happened to find ourselves with a great view.
The David Stott has an orange glow as it again is visible in the skyline. Just a couple of years ago there was a short-lived “Sky Bar” that gave you some great views of the city.. until the elevators broke. Redevelopment plans under the new ownership, we’re told, are “underway.”
Also, the Book Tower (green roof to the right), with the restored Westin Book Cadillac Hotel in the foreground. Looking like something out of Ghostbusters, the lower tower was completed in 1916, and the taller tower 1926. Here are some pictures of the Book Tower in daylight we took earlier this year when Dan Gilbert bought it.