kids encyclopedia robot

1300 Lafayette East Cooperative facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
1300 Lafayette East Cooperative
1300coopDetroit.jpg
General information
Type Residential
Location Detroit, Michigan
 United States
Completed 1964
Technical details
Floor count 30
Design and construction
Architect Gunnar Birkerts, Birkerts & Straub

The 1300 Lafayette East Cooperative is a large apartment building in Detroit, Michigan. It has 336 homes and is located in the Lafayette Park area. This building is special because of the giant "1300" numbers on its roof. You can see these numbers from far away in Detroit and even from Windsor, Ontario in Canada! A housing cooperative means that the residents own shares in the building. This gives them the right to live there and have a say in how the building is run.

Building History

Construction of 1300 Lafayette East started in 1961 and finished in 1964. This tall building has 30 floors. The ground floor has a beautiful marble lobby, meeting rooms, and offices. Above that, a mezzanine floor holds a fitness center and more offices. The 28 floors above are all homes.

The building sits on top of a two-story parking garage. From their homes, residents get amazing views of the city, downtown Detroit, the Detroit River, and Windsor. The building was designed by Gunnar Birkerts. He used new and clever ideas in its reinforced concrete design.

Originally, 1300 Lafayette East was supposed to be the first of two twin buildings. The second building was planned for a nearby spot. However, the second building was never built. Another apartment building, called the Carlton Apartments, was later built on that site.

Famous Residents and New Ownership

The 1300 Lafayette East building has always had a great reputation. Many well-known people have lived there. One famous resident was the singer Diana Ross.

In the 1970s, the building faced some challenges. There were many empty apartments, and the owners had financial difficulties. To save their homes, the people living there decided to buy the building together. They worked hard to organize themselves. In 1979, the building officially became a housing cooperative. This means the residents now own and manage the building together.

Schools Nearby

Children living in the 1300 Lafayette East Cooperative attend Detroit Public Schools. The local schools for residents include Chrysler Elementary School and Duffield K-8 for middle school. For high school, students go to Martin Luther King High School.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: 1300 Lafayette East Cooperative para niños

kids search engine
1300 Lafayette East Cooperative Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.