This week, real estate blog Curbed Detroit published "El Moore Lodge: Midtown Hostel Aims for Summer Reveal," a brief check-in on the El Moore project. (For the record, we've been punning on the "el" in "El Moore" an awful lot these last months, but the article's "in the Moore immediate future" line takes it to a whole other level -- well played, Curbed.) Curbed has been keeping up with the El Moore's redevelopment for a few years now. For a look back at all of their related coverage, click here. … [Read more...]
Archives for April 2015
“Detroit’s Cass Corridor makes way for new era”
April 27, 2015 By
More about our neighborhood's evolution in the media. This time, it's coming from the Detroit News, which published "Detroit's Cass Corridor makes way for new era," last week. (The redeveloped El Moore isn't mentioned in the article but is included in the photo gallery.) We've been thinking (and writing) quite a bit about how things are changing here since we started this blog. Check out our "Neighborhood" category for more related posts. … [Read more...]
Construction Update – Week of April 13, 2015
April 17, 2015 By
This week the group who has been writing and managing our blog (elmoore.com) took a tour of the building. This set of photos comes from that day. Jason Peet led the tour, which covered the rooftop cabins and patios, the 4th floor, the first floor and parlor, and the basement, which houses 2 hostel rooms. We also had a chance to see the beautiful balcony railings located on the 2nd through 4th floors. Although one original railing was saved, most of these railings are reproductions that were crafted to exactly match the original railings that had been built in 1898. The weather happened to be perfect, and so we lingered on the rooftop decks, enjoying the sun, the breeze and the beautiful views. … [Read more...]
Construction Update – Week of April 6, 2015
April 8, 2015 By
We're within a few weeks of construction finally finishing. This week's photos show new railings on the balconies, new decking being added to the back of the building, new light fixtures and small details, like cabinet hardware. Take a look at our progress. … [Read more...]
Learning & Relearning
April 8, 2015 By
"Unscrew the locks from the doors! Unscrew the doors themselves from their jambs!" -Walt Whitman, "Song of Myself" “I’m trying to put myself in a resident's shoes. What would make me feel more secure? If I lived in a building with a transitory population…” I don’t have time to finish my thought before Tom Brennan stops me in my tracks. “Wait a minute,” he says calmly and cooly. I am sitting in a conference room in the Green Garage with the rest of the El Moore team on a Wednesday morning. For all intents and purposes, it is the first time that I am discussing the work I've been busy with so far: designing policy and services for the El Moore’s Urban Lodge. Specifically, we are discussing the merits of allowing guests to book a reservation for as little as one night or have a minimum … [Read more...]
Construction Update – Week of March 23rd, 2015
April 1, 2015 By
We have some photos this week of probably the most beautiful architectural element that will be installed at the El Moore, the balcony railings. All but one of the original railings were destroyed by inept deconstruction practices. One railing, however, was saved, even though it was in pieces. It gave us enough material to work with, and we repaired it and commissioned 3 other duplicate railings to be made to replace those lost. The results are astounding. Take a look at these early photos that were taken at The Smith Shop, where they were constructed by a talented and dedicated crew. Also this week, many finishing touches are being added to the residences and hostel rooms. An original fireplace mantel (the only one left of 16) has been added to the parlor. The elevator is close to … [Read more...]