 
Ka_loy
Member
Username: Ka_loy
Post Number: 1
Registered: 01-2007
| | Posted on Friday, February 02, 2007 - 2:14 pm: |    |
hey everyone, i am new to the forum.
i was wondering if anyone knows the story of the 141 elizabeth garage on the corner of elizabeth and clifford near fox town? On a recent trip, there was a sign for car storage, but did not seem to have any activity. |
Jams
Member
Username: Jams
Post Number: 4685
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Friday, February 02, 2007 - 2:18 pm: | |
Have to have a place to store all those cars that get booted! |
Southwestmap
Member
Username: Southwestmap
Post Number: 690
Registered: 01-2005
| | Posted on Friday, February 02, 2007 - 2:25 pm: | |
Exactly. The city tows booted cars there. It used to be owned by a retired Detroit policeman or a partnership that included the policeman(I forget his name) but do not know who owns it now. |
Cambrian
Member
Username: Cambrian
Post Number: 559
Registered: 08-2006
| | Posted on Friday, February 02, 2007 - 2:29 pm: | |
It was built in the 20s and served the area as a parking garage for all the nearby offices and Theaters. Inside their is a Chaufers lounge too. It is still a functioning business, their are lots of collector cars inside. Different agencies lease space, such as the parking enforcement bureau stores all their boot and tow cars there, the customs people keep thier seized cars there. Every so often these agencies will hold auctions there to sell these vehicles off. The same people own that building as well as the one behind cobo hall at Congress. Nasser is the families name. My uncle had his auto restoration business in the basement of the Elizabeth building until a few years ago. When the stadiums opened up it disrupted the quiet neighborhood too much for his tastes. He got tired of being blocked in side by some inconsiderate idiot that parked in front of the exit doors. It only looks abandoned, but it is not. I spent lots of time there working on my cars. I used to hide behind the broken panes of glass and make ghostly noises to scare the people that walked by. God that was fun! |
56packman
Member
Username: 56packman
Post Number: 961
Registered: 12-2005
| | Posted on Friday, February 02, 2007 - 3:23 pm: | |
The cop that owns it had a good thing going with the DEA and the border patrol. Any vehicle that was busted "travelin' dirty" got towed to Q-parking. Unfortunately, Frank's teenaged son liked to harvest nice audio gear from the fed's "exhibit A". A couple of perps beat their rap and came to get their cars, only to find nasty holes in the dash. This led to a loss of that business.
Cambrian--Tom D. is your uncle? |
Ka_loy
Member
Username: Ka_loy
Post Number: 2
Registered: 01-2007
| | Posted on Friday, February 02, 2007 - 3:32 pm: | |
thanks everyone for your replies.
it helps a lot for a research project. Does anyone have any information on who to contact about the building? |
Cambrian
Member
Username: Cambrian
Post Number: 562
Registered: 08-2006
| | Posted on Friday, February 02, 2007 - 3:44 pm: | |
Yes! |
Cambrian
Member
Username: Cambrian
Post Number: 563
Registered: 08-2006
| | Posted on Friday, February 02, 2007 - 3:49 pm: | |
There is a number on the side of the building. Either Frank Nasser or his son is running things now. I read an article a few years back they were going to open up a Restaurant on the shore of Lake St Clair in Harrison Twp. I don't know if that happened or not. They had their working office in that garage on Congress down the street from the post bar behind Cobo. |
Ka_loy
Member
Username: Ka_loy
Post Number: 3
Registered: 01-2007
| | Posted on Friday, February 02, 2007 - 4:52 pm: | |
Cambrian, thanks a lot for your help. i'll try it out. |