It’s hard to imagine that Detroit could have lost the Metropolitan Building. The 14-story Neo-Gothic building closed in 1979, and five years ago, talks were underway to demolish it.
On Monday, the 1925 building opened its doors to the public for the first time in decades.
In a dedication ceremony beforehand, David Di Rita from the Roxbury Group talked about how the original designers, Weston & Ellington, “Built a Gothic castle in an alley and filled it with jewelry.” The Metropolitan housed diamond-cutters, silver workers, goldsmiths, and more for decades before it succumbed to difficult times in the 1970’s.
Now, in this second life, it will be home to the Element Hotel, an extended-stay hotel with 110 rooms set to open by the end of the year.
Guests previewed the restored Great Hall with its colorful architectural details, as well as the second floor conference rooms, which offered stunning views of downtown.
Renovations started in August 2017. Curbed published a photo gallery at the time, showing what was left of the building. It’s come a long way.
Although the hotel will have a bigger opening later in the month (in time for the Auto Show), a few spots were available to see. The Element Hotel will be the only extended-stay hotel in Detroit; it has a “nature-inspired design philosophy.”
The $33 million redevelopment was led by the Roxbury Group and the Means Group. The Roxbury Group was also responsible for the renovation of the David Whitney Building (now residences and the Aloft hotel) and the Hammer and Nail Building—now the Plaza.
This section of downtown has changed drastically in the past few years. The neighboring Wurlitzer Building, which was falling apart, is now the Siren Hotel, and across from the Metropolitan, the Shinola Hotel has been built up over most of the block.
Upcoming amenities include the Monarch Club—a rooftop cocktail lounge and outdoor terrace—along with retail and bars which will be named soon. Here’s a peek around the Metropolitan Building.
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