Discuss Detroit » Archives - July 2007 » Ford Highland Park offices-- what a disgrace « Previous Next »
Top of pageBottom of page

Burnsie
Member
Username: Burnsie

Post Number: 1079
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Tuesday, July 17, 2007 - 9:32 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

There are so many ruins around to write about, but one of the most frustrating and inexcusable is the Ford office building in Highland Park.

The office building's condition is of particular concern, because most of the other remaining buildings at the complex are still in use for storage or other purposes.

How could Ford just walk away from that building in 1981 and leave it to rot? I've read that Henry Ford's office was in it. I don't know whether that's true (there was another office building on the site, torn down ca. 1956), but either way, the condition of the surviving office building is a travesty!

It, the adjacent surviving stub of the original, Woodward-facing "Crystal Palace," and the additions on Manchester have my vote for the most historically important buildings in Michigan. Why was it asking so much that Ford could have at least kept the office building in good shape? Is the company ashamed of it? I know the company is in very rough shape now, but that doesn't excuse its indifference regarding the Highland Park office building back in a year such as 1987, when it raked in $4.63 billion in profits.

What about the Ford family? Why can't it spare some of its millions to at least pay for a security guard at that historically sacred space, for crying out loud? What about the Henry Ford? Couldn't some of its resources have been better directed towards preserving the HP offices or other remnants there, instead of the new Rouge tour?

What about the historic preservation community? There hasn't been much of an outcry over the HP office building condition.

I don't know of any current news with the building; viewing some photos on Flickr just stirred up my emotions about it all over again.

I don't like to ramble too much, but it's difficult to sum up everything wrong about the state of that office building in one post!
Top of pageBottom of page

6nois
Member
Username: 6nois

Post Number: 375
Registered: 11-2006
Posted on Tuesday, July 17, 2007 - 9:36 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Considering the condition of many vacant buildings the Ford offices on Woodward are in fairly good shape. The building seems to be secure and not open, all of the windows are in place, so I would venture to say that it could be worse. I think the worse thing going for the building is the awful strip malls to the South and across the street on Woodward. It just looks funny.
Top of pageBottom of page

Detroithabitater
Member
Username: Detroithabitater

Post Number: 23
Registered: 10-2006
Posted on Tuesday, July 17, 2007 - 10:25 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

...Ford still uses the building to store files and old prototype parts. I'm positive that it is secure.
Top of pageBottom of page

Burnsie
Member
Username: Burnsie

Post Number: 1080
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Wednesday, July 18, 2007 - 5:45 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The office building is NOT secured. Go to Flickr and type in "ford AND highland." You'll find a series of pictures taken by two women who found their way in through a broken window. One of the pictures shows a staircase in the office building, with a bannister that's falling apart. Since two people have gotten in, you can bet there have been others.
Top of pageBottom of page

Michigan
Member
Username: Michigan

Post Number: 755
Registered: 04-2007
Posted on Wednesday, July 18, 2007 - 7:17 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

great photos by those ladies. What aneat building, what a sad state of affairs!
Top of pageBottom of page

Patrick
Member
Username: Patrick

Post Number: 4698
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Wednesday, July 18, 2007 - 9:39 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I think the preservation of this place is pretty low on the list of priorities for the citizens of HP. They hardly have any city services at all.
Top of pageBottom of page

Burnsie
Member
Username: Burnsie

Post Number: 1082
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Wednesday, July 18, 2007 - 10:08 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I'm not asking the citizens of Highland Park to save the office building. They aren't the ones that let it go to hell. The responsibility rests with whoever owns it now, and Ford & the Ford family for abandoning it. It's not a legal responsibility, to be sure, but an ethical and moral one.
Top of pageBottom of page

Supersport
Member
Username: Supersport

Post Number: 11637
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Wednesday, July 18, 2007 - 10:55 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

So, while Ford struggles to stay afloat as a company, their main focus should be on old buildings in which they have history with? I think perhaps they have bigger issues at hand personally.
Top of pageBottom of page

Ray
Member
Username: Ray

Post Number: 949
Registered: 06-2004
Posted on Wednesday, July 18, 2007 - 11:12 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

What is the name of the photographers? I couldn't find it.
Top of pageBottom of page

Tiberius
Member
Username: Tiberius

Post Number: 28
Registered: 06-2007
Posted on Wednesday, July 18, 2007 - 11:17 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

It is sad and at the same time a metaphor for the the area to include Detroit. Maybe they could preserve the office and let the rest go. Hard to imaging that the building will ever be functional. This was actually the 4th place Ford was at. We should all smile that the Piquette site is in good shape and being taken care of.
Top of pageBottom of page

Ray
Member
Username: Ray

Post Number: 950
Registered: 06-2004
Posted on Wednesday, July 18, 2007 - 11:24 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Never mind.. I found her artsyt. What a cool and petty lady.

I wonder if that building would be for sale...
Top of pageBottom of page

Quozl
Member
Username: Quozl

Post Number: 966
Registered: 07-2005
Posted on Wednesday, July 18, 2007 - 11:44 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

quote:

So, while Ford struggles to stay afloat as a company, their main focus should be on old buildings in which they have history with?



Sorry Rocketman, I mean Sporto, FOMOCO does NOT even own ANY of their Highland Park buildings anymore, and the ones they do utilize, they LEASE.

Carry on super cop wannabe, keep schlepping them boxes at the GT casino...
Top of pageBottom of page

Burnsie
Member
Username: Burnsie

Post Number: 1084
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Thursday, July 19, 2007 - 8:29 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Tiberius wrote, "...We should all smile that the Piquette site is in good shape and being taken care of"

It's nice that the Piquette site is secured, but HP is just as important, if not moreso. Decisions made in that office building made the Model T truly affordable, and changed the world.

Supersport wrote, "...while Ford struggles to stay afloat as a company, their main focus should be on old buildings in which they have history with?"

The company had more ethical responsibility to do something about the building when it was raking in record profits and when it initially walked away from the structure.

Again I ask, where are members of the Ford family when it comes to this issue? The office building certainly isn't of un-manageable size to preserve, and for its historical value, why is it asking too much that its condition at least be stabilized and a guard provided? I know they don't own it, but it wouldn't be digging too deep into their pockets to buy the building and at least secure it.
Top of pageBottom of page

Michigan
Member
Username: Michigan

Post Number: 760
Registered: 04-2007
Posted on Thursday, July 19, 2007 - 9:08 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I think you meant "pretty" Ray.

I doubt the fords will step up. They were angry when their dividends were cut.
Top of pageBottom of page

Gistok
Member
Username: Gistok

Post Number: 4887
Registered: 08-2004
Posted on Thursday, July 19, 2007 - 3:02 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Quozl... what you said doesn't contradict what Supersport said... so what's your point at getting Ad Hominem on him?
Top of pageBottom of page

Paulmcall
Member
Username: Paulmcall

Post Number: 271
Registered: 05-2004
Posted on Monday, July 23, 2007 - 2:12 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I'd be more concerned about the Ford Auditorium.
Top of pageBottom of page

Burnsie
Member
Username: Burnsie

Post Number: 1087
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Monday, July 23, 2007 - 5:35 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Paulmcall-- The Ford Auditorium is a fine mid-century design. But the Ford HP office building is more historically important, because of the decisions made there.
Top of pageBottom of page

Paulmcall
Member
Username: Paulmcall

Post Number: 286
Registered: 05-2004
Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2007 - 9:46 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Hey Tiger Stadium has historic value too but it's going to bite the dust soon.
It's only a building and not a very lovely one.
I used to love my old car but I'm not going to keep it around for sentimental reasons.
If people aren't using it, it's not doing anyone any good.
Top of pageBottom of page

Burnsie
Member
Username: Burnsie

Post Number: 1097
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Friday, July 27, 2007 - 8:13 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

"If people aren't using it, it's not doing anyone any good."

If that's your argument, it could also be used against Ford Auditorium, which you profess to be "more concerned" about.

You mention Tiger Stadium in comparison. That's comparing apples and oranges. The Ford HP offices do NOT constitute a huge, unworkable site such as Tiger Stadium, Hudson's, or the MC Depot. It's even smaller than the less historically important Madison-Lenox, of which there was no shortage of people rallying for re-use. The HP offices form a relatively modest-sized building, and that's part of what makes its abandonment so inexcusable.

You mention "sentimental reasons" as not being sufficient to keep a building around. I'm not being merely "sentimental" about the Ford HP offices. It's one of the most historic buildings in the state, if not the country. You can't seriously argue with that. Its historic value is why it must be saved and reused.

(Message edited by Burnsie on July 27, 2007)
Top of pageBottom of page

Ndavies
Member
Username: Ndavies

Post Number: 2712
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Friday, July 27, 2007 - 10:54 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Ford Does own the buildings in HP. But it's the Ford Land company that owns them, not the motor car company. Both the car company and the land company are wholly owned subsidiaries of the Ford Corporation. Ford land owns a majority of the buildings Ford uses. Anything that is called Fairlane in Dearborn is also owned by Ford Land. They are a huge commercial real estate firm. the new strip malls at the old VA site in Allen park are also Ford Land. The Lions practice facility is a Ford Land building.

Ford Motor Company leases their buildings from Ford Land. This is a typical scenario for a large corporation. There are accounting, tax and insurance reasons for doing this.

If Ford Land cannot lease out the building they are not getting any rent. No rent no upgrades. Just like any other landlord they are not going to fix up a building that doesn't have any possibility of being leased out.
Top of pageBottom of page

Paulmcall
Member
Username: Paulmcall

Post Number: 289
Registered: 05-2004
Posted on Friday, July 27, 2007 - 5:40 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Whoa big fellow. I don't think it is more important than some of the buildings in Boston, New York. Philadelphia or Washington DC that represent the birth of the country.
If it is so important, then have it moved to Green Field Village. Henry Ford didn't seem to think it was that important.
Top of pageBottom of page

Michigan
Member
Username: Michigan

Post Number: 827
Registered: 04-2007
Posted on Friday, July 27, 2007 - 5:42 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I just think it is a cool building

Add Your Message Here
Posting is currently disabled in this topic. Contact your discussion moderator for more information.