After five months caught up in red tape, the $1.25M sale of the former Detroit Fire Department headquarters is finally official. The new ownership talked to Crain's, confirming plans to restore the 1929 building into a boutique hotel for Cobo Hall guests, adding that the renovation will cost about $23M. That's certainly no Red Roof Inn! Leading the ownership group is Walter Cohen, best known for restoring the Park Shelton building in 2004 and later Stroh River Place. According to Cohen, most of the financing is already in place. As for the design, the hotel will "emphasize the earliest days of Detroit, from its French roots to its days as a timber capital..." We'll have keep out fingers crossed on that one. If all goes perfectly, the hotel should be online by Spring 2015, original fire poles included.
· Fire Department HQ Sold, New Boutique Hotel on the Way? [Curbed]
· Sale of Detroit firehouse gives nudge to hotel plan [Crain's]
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