Main Street Now – Detroit, Michigan (2014)
The Main Street Now conference was held in Detroit in 2014. The Opening Plenary of the conference concluded with the announcement of the GAMSA winners, semifinalists, and “One to Watch.” Middlesboro, Kentucky was both a semifinalist and a “One to Watch.”
The Mariner’s Church has a beautiful stained glass window that celebrates some of the iconic architecture from Art Deco skyscrapers to more modern structures on the waterfront. The phrase “I am a citizen of no mean city” held some special resonance, given the design of the window around the 1960s or slightly thereafter.
The Book Cadillac Hotel was undergoing renovation and the Renaissance Center received over $500 million of refurbishment as General Motors made it their global headquarters.
The large blank walls made a perfect palette for street art and murals.
The E&B Brewering Company building was one of the last Detroit breweries to survive after World War II. Built in 1891 it housed the famous E&B Beer and Golden Ale through the late 1960s. In 1970 the space was converted into residential and commercial units for lease, and were among the first lofts offered in Detroit. Inspired by similar conversions in SoHo in New York City, they featured soaring ceiling, terrazzo floors, and a facade of arched windows and intricately detailed flint pottery tiles.
The Dequindre Cut is a former railroad track converted into a pathway for pedestrian and bicycle access. It is well marked and maintained, leading all of the way to the Detroit Riverwalk.
One last wall on the Dequindre Cut had a quote that summed up our visit to Detroit fairly well. “A star is born through immense pressure and we have had our fair share. That beacon of light you see in the dark is our fair city rising from the night sky.”