During the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the El Moore building on 2nd Avenue and Alexandrine, we are building more than a residential complex. We are building a community. How do you “build” a community? Over the past few years in Detroit, especially in Midtown and downtown, there has been a boom of new businesses, rehabbing […]
The Process of Detroit Community Building, Part 1 Read More »
Work continued last week on the alley behind the El Moore. Following the removal of the concrete alley surface, deep holes were dug 15 feet down to expose the sewer line. This allows us to create a new sewer connection for the El Moore building. It also allowed us to open a section of the line
More from the Underground Read More »
The El Moore, a reconstruction project focusing on historic rehabilitation and modern urban sustainability, is based on the history of Detroit as a city of neighborhoods, and how that history shapes how Detroit is reinventing itself yet again. This is the first in a series of posts on the “Voice of Detroit” and how that
The Voice of Detroit Community Building Read More »
A few weeks ago, my husband and I enjoyed a long, restorative weekend in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where we camped, hiked, and took in the magnificent sights, including Tahquamenon Falls and the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. The immensity of Lake Superior, the lushness and density of the forests it nourishes, and the humbling scale of the region’s
Back to Earth: El Moore sandstone in the UP Read More »
When you’re working on a site whose history is as layered as that of the El Moore, you’re bound to discover remnants of the past. This week we made two such discoveries. As we broke ground on the El Moore green alley in the beginning of the week, our site contractor, J.D. VanOverbeke, was removing sections of
Another Find While Digging in the Dirt Read More »
One of my favorite features of the El Moore is its name, carved from the stone above its historic entrance in an ornate, exotic font that perfectly complements the building’s Spanish Medieval style. This is a small detail that makes a big difference, helping define the El Moore as more than just a building — it’s the El Moore, a distinctive place
Meet the named neighbors of the El Moore Read More »
Continuing our journey into the history of the El Moore, here is a snapshot of Detroit in 1898, the birthday year of the El Moore! Demographics: In 1898, immigrants were continuing to come to Detroit in large numbers, just as they had been doing throughout the 19th century. In the last decade of the
When the El Moore Was Born Read More »
At some point you really do have to have to ask yourself exactly what it was that the El Moore was (is…?) afraid of. St. Benedict medals above every window. Crosses over every door. And now we have this “Paint by Number Jesus with Lambs” that was found hanging on a wall. Certainly there has
The paint-by-number- Jesus on the wall Read More »
