[animatedmartian]

Midtown Detroit's neon hammer & nail building coming down for new projects
By John Gallagher. December 15, 2013.



Detroit’s thriving Midtown district will see two important new structures going up soon and one landmark coming down.

Cleveland developer John Ferchill said last week he hopes to break ground on a new five-story medical arts building at 3750-3800 Woodward Avenue. Ferchill, best known as the developer of the Westin Book Cadillac Hotel, told the Detroit Downtown Development Authority that the project will cost upwards of $60 million and contain more than 150,000 square feet of office space and a parking deck with more than 600 spaces.

The project means the razing of a Midtown landmark, the office tower at 3800 Woodward that’s emblazoned with the iconic neon hammer coming down on a nail atop the structure. Ferchill told the DDA he tried to save the tower to convert it to dorms for Wayne State University but the economics didn’t work.

The new five-story building will house the offices of Wayne State physicians and the Detroit Medical Center will take the fifth floor. A smaller retail building also be built on the site. Work should start in the spring.

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http://www.freep.com/article/2013121...-arts-building

The other building mentioned is the LTU building down the street (with extra rendering).