Conditions at the Metropolitan Building are getting worse. Beyond the layers of graffiti, new gaps are appearing in the plywood barricading what used to be the front entrance. Vandals now enjoy easy access, climbing that semi-permanent scaffolding like a ladder. Demolition appears to be the goal of the ownership, the Downtown Development Authority, which is partially funded by property tax revenue.
The point: The Metropolitan Building inches closer to demolition every day it remains unsecured and unmaintained. Vandalism snowballs, renovation prices increase, and the overall appearance becomes a bigger detriment to its surroundings. It's a technique called "demolition by neglect," and it's a favorite (and illegal) tactic used by slumlords to justify erasing historically significant buildings. It's what happened to Hotel Charlevoix.
Seeing it used by the DDA—which counts Mayor Bing among its board members— is more than a little bit disheartening.
· Metropolitan Building Inches Closer to Demolition [Curbed]
· Tour the Metropolitan's Interior After 34 Years of Vacancy [Curbed]
· Dan Gilbert, Please Don't Demolish the Metropolitan Building [Curbed]
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