73-610: New Center is a commercial and residential district located in Detroit, Michigan , adjacent to Midtown , one mile (1.6 km) north of the Cultural Center , and approximately three miles (5 km) north of Downtown . The area is centered just west of the intersection of Woodward Avenue and Grand Boulevard , and is bounded by, and includes the Virginia Park Historic District on the north,
146-504: A $ 6 million modernization, and that was followed by the purchase of the Albert Kahn Building by a joint venture with a $ 58 million plan to convert it into 211 apartments, and more than 75,000 square feet of retail and office space, and renamed, The Kahn. In 2022, the former WJBK-TV studios building was purchased, and donated to the nonprofit Midnight Golf Program to become their new headquarters. A $ 10-12 million reconstruction
219-474: A 50,000-square-foot (4,600 m) facility at the same location; the larger hospital opened in 1921. In the late 1910s and early 1920s, the automobile industry in Detroit grew rapidly. The economic surge made land in downtown Detroit difficult to obtain. The lack of suitable parcels frustrated William C. Durant in his search for the optimum location for his planned General Motors headquarters. Durant looked to
292-428: A collection of refurbished single-family homes on the north side of New Center. With the revitalization of Virginia Park, New Center has two distinct historic residential neighborhoods within its boundaries. General Motors also facilitated the rehabilitation of some multi-family dwellings. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, new townhomes and condominiums were constructed in what had been empty areas of New Center, including
365-413: A general overview of neighborhoods and historic districts within the city. Neighborhood names and boundaries vary in their formality; some are well defined and long established, while others are more informal. Further names and boundaries have evolved over time due to development or changes in demographics. Woodward Avenue, a major a north–south thoroughfare, serves as a demarcation for neighborhood areas on
438-676: A job at the architectural business of Mason and Rice where he got his initial architectural training, working primarily on residences and bank buildings. In 1891, at age 22, Kahn won a Rotch Traveling Fellowship to study in Europe, where he toured Germany, France, Italy, and Belgium with fellow student Henry Bacon , who later designed the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Kahn married Ernestine Krolik in 1896 and they had four children. Ernestine would later briefly serve as
511-633: A major $ 2.5 billion development, and will partner with the Detroit Pistons and Michigan State University. Additional new construction in New Center includes Wayne State University 's, $ 92 million Integrative Biosciences Center (IBio), the 2015 M-1 Rail Penske Tech Center, the $ 60 million, 231 apartment & retail space complex, The Boulevard, the $ 137 million Detroit Pistons practice, training, and team headquarters building, known as the, Henry Ford-Detroit Pistons Performance Center, and
584-596: A patent on the "Kahn System" of construction in 1903, Julius left Kahn's firm and established the Trussed Concrete Steel Company , or Truscon, to market the product. Reinforced concrete allowed for much larger open spaces within factory interiors not obtainable with conventional wood construction and at a lower cost than steel frame construction. Concrete had other beneficial characteristics, such as far better protection from fire and greater load-bearing capacity. By 1905, hundreds of buildings within
657-647: A retail section, primarily along the Woodward and Grand Boulevard corridors. The Cadillac Place state office complex and the Fisher Building are National Historic Landmarks in the area. An area south of Grand Boulevard along Woodward contains some retail stores in the district which have existed at their present location since the 1920s. The boutique Hotel St. Regis, Detroit is adjacent to the Fisher Theatre. The Consulate-General of Lebanon in Detroit
730-694: A section along Woodward just north of Grand Boulevard. Additional loft renovation (as well as TechTown , the WSU research and business incubator hub) took place at the same time within the New Amsterdam Historic District. New Center served as a kind of corporate campus for GM for 70 years. However, the company left the area in the 1990s, moving their headquarters to the Renaissance Center downtown. The old General Motors Building—now called Cadillac Place—is owned and occupied by
803-504: A talent for the visual arts and music. Kahn had four brothers, including Moritz, who became an engineer, and Julius Kahn , an engineer and inventor, who later collaborated with him in his architectural firm. They also had two sisters, one of whom, Mollie Kahn Fuchs, who later worked closely with Julius to create a type of reinforced concrete that would later be patented. When the family immigrated to America, Kahn quickly learned English and went to Detroit public schools. In 1883, he got
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#1732772932616876-530: A vice president in her husband's business, and often helped him with color and fabric selection in designs. Kahn left Mason and Rice in 1895, entering into a partnership with Alexander B. Trowbridge and George W. Nettleton known as Nettleton, Kahn & Trowbridge. In 1902, Kahn formed a partnership with his brother Julius, a civil engineer. Later that year, Julius developed a novel and scientific method of reinforcing concrete with steel, making reinforced concrete construction practical and economical. After receiving
949-797: Is centered on the Cultural Center Historic District , which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places . The Cultural Center is roughly bounded by Cass Avenue to the west, I-75 to the east, I-94 to the north and Warren Avenue to the south. It also includes the East Ferry Avenue Historic District . Attractions include the Detroit Institute of Arts , the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History ,
1022-619: Is located in Suite 560 in the New Center One Building. New Center hosts the annual summer-long series of events in New Center Park and includes a 1,000 person outdoor concert venue with a center stage capable of hosting national acts. Grand Boulevard, along its entire extent, became an attractive residential address at the beginning of the 20th century. This was also true in the area that was to become New Center. At
1095-772: Is now the Piquette Avenue Industrial Historic District , while the area west of Woodward and south of the railroad tracks is the New Amsterdam Historic District . Most notably, in 1904, Burroughs Adding Machine Company built a large factory on Third, and the following year Cadillac built an assembly plant just to the east of Burroughs. In 1915, Henry Ford bought the financially struggling Detroit General Hospital and its lands on Grand Boulevard and Hamilton (just west of Woodward) and reopened it as Henry Ford Hospital with 48 beds. Soon after, Ford broke ground on
1168-529: Is planned. In the Greater New Center area, the 1913, nine-story, so-called Rainbow Building, now known as, Chroma , completed a $ 16 million redevelopment with large floor-to-ceiling windows all around the building. Further redevelopment was underway at 3040 E. Grand Blvd and John R St, on the Albert Kahn historic 1901 designed sandstone constructed residence for Robert Robertson. New Center
1241-893: Is within the Detroit Public Schools district. DPS has its headquarters in the Fisher Building. The district paid the owner of the Fisher Building $ 24.1 million in 2002 so the district could occupy five floors in the building. Officials claimed leasing the Fisher Building as its headquarters was more economical than a remodel of the Maccabees Building in Midtown where the district previously had its headquarters. Three schools, Golightly K-8, Loving Elementary, and Thirkell Elementary, serve sections of New Center for elementary school. Golightly K-8 and Durfee K-8 serve sections of New Center for middle school. All residents are zoned to Northwestern High School . In addition,
1314-697: The Ambassador Bridge . Download coordinates as: Albert Kahn (architect) Albert Kahn (March 21, 1869 – December 8, 1942) was an American architect noted for his collaborations with his brother Julius in designing industrial plant complexes such as the Ford River Rouge automobile complex . Based in Detroit, he also designed skyscrapers, office buildings, and mansions in the city and suburbs, as well as many buildings at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor . Kahn has been called
1387-643: The Edsel Ford Freeway (I-94) on the south, John R Street on the east and the Lodge Freeway on the west. New Center, and the surrounding areas north of I-94, are sometimes seen as coterminous with the North End , while in fact separate districts. The heart of New Center was developed in the 1920s as a business hub that would offer convenient access to both downtown resources and outlying factories. Some historians believe that New Center may be
1460-687: The Franklin Institute posthumously awarded Kahn the Frank P. Brown Medal . Kahn was born on March 21, 1869, to a Jewish family in Rhaunen , in the Kingdom of Prussia , today in Germany. He received his early education in the school of Luxembourg . At age twelve in 1881, Kahn immigrated with his family to Detroit , Michigan. His father Joseph was trained as a rabbi; his mother Rosalie had
1533-541: The General Motors building , at the time of its completion in 1922, the second largest office building in the world. His work was part of the architecture event in the art competition at the 1928 Summer Olympics . Henry Ford became interested in Kahn's unique designs that showed many benefits. Ford had Kahn design Ford Motor Company 's Highland Park Ford Plant in 1909, for developing production techniques in
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#17327729326161606-666: The Penobscot Building , and the Guardian Building . The downtown area features high-rise residential living along with a number of parks including those linked by a promenade along the International Riverfront . Downtown Detroit was named among the best big city neighborhoods in which to retire by CNN Money Magazine editors. The Detroit Opera House is located at Broadway and Grand Circus. The east necklace of Downtown links Grand Circus and
1679-479: The Renaissance Center in the downtown area. The neighborhood is a popular restaurant and entertainment district, having many restaurants that serve Greek cuisine, as well as Hollywood Casino , one of three casino resorts in the city. Certain buildings on Monroe Street are themed to resemble the Parthenon , Pegasus , and other forms of Greek architecture . Greek music is also played on Monroe Street throughout
1752-660: The Renaissance Center ; before becoming a division of GM, Fisher Body was headquartered in the Fisher Building . Both Cadillac Place and the Fisher Building are National Historic Landmarks . In addition to the government and commercial offices along Woodward and Grand Boulevard, New Center contains the Fisher Theatre, the Hotel St. Regis , the Henry Ford Hospital , restaurants, and residential areas. In 1891, Detroit mayor Hazen S. Pingree broke ground on
1825-960: The Scarab Club , the Detroit Historical Museum , the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit , the main library of the Detroit Public Library system and the Detroit Science Center . The College for Creative Studies is located adjacent the Scarab Club and opposite the East face of the Detroit Institute of Arts. The main campus of Wayne State University is located adjacent to the area, on the opposite side of Woodward. The section of
1898-597: The assembly line of manufacturing the Ford Model T on a large scale. In 1917, Kahn designed the half-mile-long Ford River Rouge Complex in Dearborn, Michigan . That factory complex was developed into the largest manufacturing cluster of plants in the United States and later the largest industrial manufacturer in the world with a workforce of 120,000 employees. Kahn also designed many of what are considered
1971-675: The "architect of Detroit" as the designer of nearly 900 buildings in the city. Kahn led an organization of hundreds of architect associates, and in 1937 designed 19% of all architect-designed industrial factories in the United States. Under a unique contract in 1929, he established a design and training office in Moscow, sending twenty-five staff there to train Soviet architects and engineers, and to design hundreds of industrial buildings under their first five-year plan . They trained more than 4,000 architects and engineers using Kahn's concepts. In 1943,
2044-770: The 1970s Wayne State University held its criminal justice program classes in the 147,500-square-foot (13,700 m) Criminal Justice Building, designed by Albert Kahn and built in 1920. By 2016 the university stopped use of the building, then used by the Detroit Police Department for training purposes. WSU sold it to real estate firm The Platform for $ 2 million and it will become a mixed-use development. Previously Sherhard K-8 served sections of New Center for elementary and middle school. Previously Hutchins Middle School served sections of New Center for middle school. Previously Murray-Wright High School and Northern High School served sections of New Center, while at
2117-897: The 75th anniversary of the architectural firm which was founded by Kahn. Many of Detroit's leading industrialists who work in the buildings designed by Kahn were present at the celebration. A staff writer for the Times Herald newspaper in 1970 wrote that Kahn was often called the father of industrial architecture. He was referred to as Architect of the Colossal by Reader's Digest magazine. The science museum Franklin Institute in Philadelphia recognized him as an architectural pioneer and awarded him their gold medal. The American Institute of Architects awarded him two of their gold medals in his lifetime. The staff writer estimated that Kahn
2190-617: The Albert Kahn Library Collection, is housed at Lawrence Technological University in Southfield , Michigan. The Archives of American Art at the Smithsonian house most of the family's correspondence and other materials. The life and works of Kahn were celebrated in an exhibition of photographs, drawings, and models at the Detroit Institute of Arts from September 15 to November 1, 1970. It commemorated
2263-568: The Argonaut building, or General Motors Research Laboratory). In 2012, Shinola renovated the fifth floor and turned it into their corporate office as well as a watch factory and bicycle workshop. In 2014, Shinola gifted the city of Detroit with four new 13-foot tall street clocks , installed at Cobo Center, Eastern Market, in front of the College for Creative Studies at the corner of Cass and Milwaukee, and near Shinola's own first retail location, at
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2336-609: The Clara Ford Nursing Home in 1925 to their high-rise clinic in 1955 to hospital apartments in 1976. In 1992, Henry Ford purchased the old Burroughs headquarters to the south and renamed it One Ford Place. The building is now the Henry Ford Hospital corporate headquarters. In 1966, the Hotel St. Regis was built on the north side of Grand Boulevard near General Motors' headquarters. In 1988, the hotel
2409-633: The Fishers to break off their plans to construct a complex of buildings in New Center, including a grandiose three-towered version of the Fisher building. In 1940 Saks Fifth Avenue opened their fourth full-line department store in this building. The store closed in 1978 and relocated to Fairlane Town Center in Dearborn. Henry Ford Hospital has continued to expand. The hospital has built numerous additions to their campus since its inception by Henry Ford, from
2482-686: The New Center area houses the administrative offices of the University Prep Schools system, along with the following schools: The College for Creative Studies (CCS) is a private, fully accredited college with campuses in Midtown and New Center, that offers Bachelor and Master of Fine Arts degrees . The New Center campus contains the Henry Ford Academy: School for Creative Studies, an art and design charter school for middle and high school students. Beginning in
2555-618: The Palmer Woods Historic District. Pilgrim Village, developed in the 1920s, is bounded by Livernois, Idaho, Puritan and Fenkell. It is the birthplace of the Honey Baked Ham Company, which started on Fenkell in 1957. Palmer Park Apartment Building Historic District along with the nearby Palmer Woods Historic District are located within the area. Adjacent to the neighborhood is a 140-acre (0.6 km ) park named Palmer Park . The neighborhood and
2628-573: The Sherwood Forest neighborhood. Lots are large, with ample room for trees, play equipment, and a good expanse of grass. It is the home of physicians, academics, business owners, artists, executives and their families. Detroit Public Library operates the Bowen Branch Library at 3648 West Vernor Highway. On December 28, 1912, the branch opened in its current location. The area includes the historic Michigan Central Station and
2701-661: The Soviet Union. Under these contracts, during 1929 to 1932 and the Great Depression , Kahn's firm established a design and training bureau in Moscow to train and supervise Soviet architects and engineers. This bureau, under the government's Gosproektstroi , was headed by Moritz Kahn and 25 others of Kahn Associates staff, who worked in Moscow during this project. They trained more than 4,000 Soviet architects and engineers; and designed 521 plants and factories under
2774-506: The State of Michigan. The economy of the New Center area is largely dominated by Henry Ford Health , the Detroit Public Schools system with their headquarters in the Fisher Building, and more than 2,000 State of Michigan employees in the high-rise office complex Cadillac Place. Shinola has its headquarters, and 30,000-square-feet in the College for Creative Studies , – CCS – (originally
2847-736: The U.S., $ 486,936, of which he paid 72% in tax. Kahn worked on more than 1,000 commissions from Henry Ford and hundreds from other automakers. Kahn designed showrooms for Ford Motor Company in several cities, including New York , Washington, D.C., and Boston . As of 2020, approximately 60 Kahn buildings were listed on the National Register of Historic Places . Five of these (the Fisher Building , Ford River Rouge complex , Edsel and Eleanor Ford House , General Motors Building , and Highland Park Ford Plant ) were designated National Historic Landmarks . Not all of Kahn's works have been preserved. Cass Technical High School in Detroit, designed by Malcomson and Higginbotham and built by Kahn's firm in 1922,
2920-701: The United States were being constructed using the Kahn System, including the first reinforced concrete automobile plant, completed for the Cadillac Motor Car Company at 450 Amsterdam Street in TechTown , Detroit. Julius Kahn collaborated with his brother on the design of many industrial projects throughout the US constructed with reinforced concrete, particularly automobile factories, with the result that Kahn became widely known for his expertise in
2993-546: The University–Cultural Center just beyond Midtown contains the New Amsterdam Historic District and the Piquette Avenue Industrial Historic District . New Center is a commercial and residential historic district located uptown in Detroit, adjacent to Midtown, one mile (1.6 km) north of the Cultural Center, and approximately three miles (5 km) north of Downtown. The area is centered just west of
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3066-471: The WSU Computing & Information Technology (C&IT) new Data center attached to the current Computing Services Center, along with a new Pocket park along Cass Avenue. New Center has also seen redevelopment of existing structures. This includes U-Haul 's 2013 restoration of the 250,000-square-foot, seven-story historic NBC-Nabisco Building, built in 1920 at 899 W. Baltimore St. and, in 2014,
3139-455: The area after larger office buildings had been built on Grand Boulevard. The 2010s have seen a growth of new development in the New Center area. One of the first major projects, begun in 2010, was by the Henry Ford Health System of a $ 500 million revitalization effort of 300 mostly blighted acres for hospital expansion and neighborhood redevelopment just south of the main hospital campus on the western edge of New Center. The first development on
3212-469: The beginning of the 20th century quickly pushed the city limits far beyond Grand Boulevard. In the 1890s, major railroad infrastructure known as the Milwaukee Junction was built just south of Grand Boulevard to facilitate industrial expansion in the city of Detroit. To take advantage of the rail line, industrial plants were built in this area on both sides of Woodward Avenue, with the automotive industry prominently involved. Part of this area east of Woodward
3285-416: The building was called the " General Motors Building " (now the Cadillac Place). As General Motors continued to grow, the company required more space. In the later 1920s, they built a second building, the General Motors Research Laboratory (also known as the Argonaut Building ), also designed by Kahn, directly south of their headquarters. The building was built in two phases, and was completed in 1930. Around
3358-461: The center, among other things. While the academic core of the Wayne State campus is entirely within Midtown, the campus has expanded outside the boundaries stated here. The academic campus also includes a small area north of the Ford Freeway in New Center; the school's athletic facilities are west of the Lodge Freeway and can be considered part of either Midtown or the adjacent Woodbridge neighborhood. Art Center two Miles (3 km) north of downtown,
3431-611: The classic buildings of the University of Michigan in the city of Ann Arbor . These include Angell Hall , Burton Memorial Tower , Hill Auditorium , Hatcher Graduate Library , and William L. Clements Library . Kahn said later in life that, of all the buildings he designed, he wanted most to be remembered for his work on the William L. Clements Library. Kahn frequently collaborated with architectural sculptor Corrado Parducci . In all, Parducci worked on about 50 Kahn commissions, including banks, office buildings, newspaper buildings, mausoleums, hospitals, and private residences. Kahn's firm
3504-417: The construction of Grand Boulevard, a ring road that wrapped around the city of Detroit. The Boulevard ran for 12 miles (19 km), curving from the Detroit River on the west to the river on the east and crossing Woodward Avenue at a point approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) from downtown. The Boulevard was originally thought to represent the absolute limit of the city's expansion, although tremendous growth at
3577-429: The construction of concrete industrial structures. Kahn was also responsible for designing many of the buildings and houses built under the direction of the Hiram Walker family in Walkerville, Ontario , including Willistead Manor . Kahn's interest in historically styled buildings is also seen in his houses in Detroit's Indian Village , the Cranbrook House, the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House , and The Dearborn Inn ,
3650-409: The conversion of the Hotel St. Regis annex into a 58-apartment residential building, now known as Regis Houze. In 2015, Central Detroit Christian Community Development Corporation announced a $ 10.2 million plan to renovate the four-story, 44-unit, 42,200-square-foot Casamira Apartments at 680 Delaware St., built in 1925. In 2018, a local investment group purchased the 125-room Hotel St. Regis, and plans
3723-412: The corner of Cass and Canfield. Midtown Detroit, Inc. , has become a driving force behind the planning, investment, and future development north of Detroit's downtown area, and has expanded those area boundaries, and of the New Center area by going north to Philadelphia Street, east to the Chrysler Freeway (I-75), south to the Edsel Ford Freeway (I-94), and west to Rosa Parks Boulevard. New Center has
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#17327729326163796-423: The day. St. Mary Roman Catholic Church , founded by German immigrants, is located in the heart of the district. The Second Baptist Church once served as "station" for the Underground Railroad . The Detroit People Mover has a station at the Hollywood Casino on Beaubien Street between Monroe Street and Lafayette Boulevard. Midtown Detroit is an area covering roughly two square miles between Downtown Detroit to
3869-411: The east necklace, the area contains architecturally notable buildings planned for renovation as high-rise residential condominiums such as the Gothic Revival Metropolitan Building at 33 John R St. The Hilton Garden Inn is also in the Harmonie Park area. The east necklace area is serviced by the People Mover at Cadillac station and Broadway station. Greektown is located less than half a mile (800 m) from
3942-410: The east side and west side of the city. Downtown Detroit is the city's central business district and a residential area, bordered by M-10 (Lodge Freeway) to the west, the Interstate 75 (I-75, Fisher Freeway) to the north, I-375 (Chrysler Freeway) to the east, and the Detroit River to the south. The area contains many of the prominent skyscrapers in Detroit, including the Renaissance Center ,
4015-455: The intersection of Woodward Avenue and Grand Boulevard, and is approximately bounded by the Virginia Park Historic District on the north, the Edsel Ford Freeway (I-94) on the south, John R Street on the east and the Lodge Freeway on the west. The northern area includes the Detroit Golf Club and neighborhoods which surround the main campus of the University of Detroit Mercy : Pilgrim Village; Palmer Park Apartment Building Historic District; and
4088-475: The nation's first five-year plan . Below is a selected list of buildings designed by Kahn. All are located in Detroit unless otherwise indicated. Below are University of Michigan campus structures built during Kahn's career. Greek Organization Buildings: Kahn died in Detroit on December 8, 1942. Many of his personal working papers and construction photographs are housed at University of Michigan's Bentley History Library . His personal working library,
4161-482: The new South Campus site was the construction of a $ 30 million, 275,000-square-foot, Medical Distribution Center on 18-acres, built for Cardinal Health, Inc. Further plans were announced in 2017, with the construction of a new $ 155 million, 187,000-square-foot, six-story, Brigitte Harris Cancer Pavilion, along with a skywalk across West Grand Boulevard to connect it to the Henry Ford Hospital, opened in January 2021. In February 2023, Henry Ford Health announced plans for
4234-420: The north, and settled on a location just west of Woodward Avenue on Grand Boulevard. At the time, the area was a residential district of private homes and small apartment buildings. Durant hired Albert Kahn to design his building, and ground was broken in 1919. The building was originally to be called the "Durant Building", but Durant left the company before the building was completed, so when it opened in 1922,
4307-431: The office designed the Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant , and the Willow Run Bomber Plant, Kahn's last building, located in Ypsilanti, Michigan . The Ford Motor Company mass-produced Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers here. In 1937, Albert Kahn Associates was responsible for 19% of all architect-designed industrial factories in the United States. In 1941, Kahn received the eighth-highest salary and compensation package in
4380-426: The original edge city —a sub-center remote from, but related to, a main urban core. The descriptor "New Center" derived its name from the New Center News , an automotive-focused free newspaper begun in 1933 that continues to operate under the name Detroit Auto Scene . From 1923 to 1996, General Motors maintained its world headquarters in New Center (in what is now Cadillac Place ) before relocating downtown to
4453-401: The park were the property of Thomas Witherell Palmer . The neighborhood consists of stately apartment buildings as well as some single-family detached homes . Palmer Woods is known for its elm-lined streets, large brick homes, and Tudor style architecture. Palmer Woods is located on the west side of Detroit. It is bordered by 7 Mile Road, M-102 (8 Mile Road), M-1 (Woodward Avenue), and
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#17327729326164526-475: The same time, the Fisher Brothers of Fisher Body followed General Motors to the area. They broke ground on their eponymous Fisher Building in 1927, located across Grand Boulevard from the General Motors Building. The Fisher Brothers also hired Kahn, and spared no expense to construct their headquarters building. The followed this up with the construction of New Center Building (now the Albert Kahn Building), completed in 1932. The Great Depression , however, forced
4599-463: The south and New Center to the north along Woodward Avenue. Its boundaries are the Ford, Chrysler, Fisher, and Lodge Freeways. It includes the Art Center and the Medical Center in the northeast quadrant, most of Wayne State University 's campus, the Detroit Public Library, and the Detroit Historical Museum in the northwest, and the Cultural Center including various restaurants, galleries, newly constructed lofts/condos and nightlife venues along Woodward in
4672-655: The stadium area to Greektown along Broadway. The east necklace contains a sub-district sometimes called the Harmonie Park District , which has taken on the renowned legacy of Detroit's music from 1930s through the 1950s to the present. Near the Opera House and emanating from Grand Circus along the east necklace are other venues including the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts and the Gem Theatre and Century Club . The historic Harmonie Club and Harmonie Centre are located along Broadway. The Harmonie Park area ends near Gratiot and Randolph. The Detroit Athletic Club stands in view of center field at Comerica Park . Part of
4745-557: The time Northwestern High School did not serve New Center. During the 1950s and 1960s, the studios of WJBK (then a Storer Broadcasting -owned CBS affiliate) were on Second Avenue in New Center. After WJBK moved to Southfield in 1970, WTVS (Detroit Public Television), the city's PBS station, took over the New Center site and operated there until 2008. 42°22′09″N 83°04′37″W / 42.3693°N 83.077°W / 42.3693; -83.077 List of neighborhoods in Detroit Neighborhoods in Detroit provides
4818-403: The turn of the century, a number of private homes were built along Grand Boulevard and in the neighborhoods to the north, notably including what is now the Virginia Park Historic District on the northern edge of New Center. Interspersed in the area were small apartment buildings. Larger apartment buildings were constructed in the area in the 1920s to serve the population of workers and visitors to
4891-418: The works of Kahn, one by W. Hawkins Ferry the architectural writer and Honorary Curator of Architecture at the Detroit Institute of Arts and another written by Walter B. Sanders as a Professor of Architecture at the University of Michigan . Detroit Free Press writer and historian John Gallagher notes that Kahn produced 1900 buildings, among them being the Fisher Building , the General Motors headquarters,
4964-437: The world's first airport hotel. Kahn's firm designed the Art Deco Fisher Building in Detroit's New Center area, a 28-story designated landmark. In 1929, the building was awarded a silver medal by the Architectural League of New York in the category of the year's most beautiful commercial building. From 1917 to 1929, Kahn's firm also designed the corporate headquarters for all three of the major Detroit daily newspapers and
5037-450: Was able to adapt to the changing needs of World War I and designed numerous army airfields and naval bases for the United States government during the war. During World War II , Kahn and his firm were in charge of several of the U.S. government's important construction projects that included aeronautical and tank arsenal plants. His 600-person office was involved in making Detroit industry part of America's Arsenal of Democracy . Among others,
5110-433: Was demolished in 2011, after vandals had stripped it of most of its fixtures. The Donovan Building, later occupied by Motown Records , was abandoned for decades and deteriorated. The city demolished it as part of its beautification plan before the 2006 Super Bowl XL . In Kalamazoo , Michigan, the Kahn designed Checker Cab Manufacturing plant was shuttered following the bankruptcy of Checker Motors Corporation , in 2009. It
5183-415: Was doubled in size. In 1980, General Motors built another addition to the heart of New Center, New Center One, located across Grand Boulevard from their headquarters. The new eight-story building housed retail stores, offices, and some divisions of General Motors. In 1977, General Motors began refurbishing some of the residential neighborhoods north of Grand Boulevard. The result was the "New Center Commons",
5256-662: Was leveled in 2015. Fifteen Kahn buildings are recognized by official Michigan historical markers: On May 8, 1929, through an agreement signed with Kahn by Saul G. Bron , President of Amtorg , the Soviet government contracted Albert Kahn Associates to help design the Stalingrad Tractor Plant , the first tractor plant in the USSR . On January 9, 1930, a second contract with Kahn was signed for his firm to become consulting architects for all industrial construction in
5329-429: Was the architect of two billion dollars worth of structures before his death in 1942. The committee on science and arts of the Detroit Institute of Arts noted that none of Kahn's discoveries were ever patented, but instead were placed in the hands of architects and engineers engaged in construction during World Wars I and II. The 184 page catalogue put in book form called The Legacy of Albert Kahn consists of two essays on
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