One by one, Park Avenue's historic buildings are being refreshed for a new millennium. Ten years ago, the Park Building, housing the Town Pump, seemed a lone wolf on an empty street.
In the last few years, however, the
Kales,
Women’s City Club,
Colony Club and
Iodent Buildings along with the one housing
Cliff Bell's and the
Park Bar have all seen significant investment. Now the Detroit Life Building is getting ready to join the party.
The 10-story building at the corner of W. Columbia is undergoing a thorough renovation that will be complete by late 2008 or early 2009, says Karen Cullen, spokesperson Ilitch Holdings, which owns the building.
The Detroit Life Building will be used for office space, primarily for Ilitch-related companies, although Cullen says there might be room for outside firms. The company is considering first-floor retail.
Ilitch Holdings began the project because of its proximity to its primary office space located in the Fox Theatre. "It creates a campus-like environment here," she says. "We continue to try to work to make improvements in our immediate neighborhood."
The 34,000-square-foot building was designed by Arnold & Shreve and built in 1923.
Source: Karen Cullen,
Ilitch HoldingsWriter: Kelli B. Kavanaugh