Genesee Towers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Genesee Towers |
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The Genesee Towers (left)
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| General information | |
| Status | Demolished |
| Type | Office Parking |
| Architectural style | modernism |
| Location | 120 East 1st Street, Flint, Michigan, United States |
| Coordinates | 43°00′58″N 83°41′23″W / 43.01614°N 83.68972°W |
| Construction started | 1966 |
| Completed | 1968 |
| Demolished | December 22, 2013 |
| Height | |
| Antenna spire | 99.4 m (326 ft) |
| Roof | 76.2 m (250 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 19 |
| Floor area | 15,979 m2 (172,000 sq ft) |
The Genesee Towers was once the tallest building in Flint, Michigan, United States. It was taken down on December 22, 2013, after being empty for many years.
Contents
About the Genesee Towers Building
The Genesee Towers was a large building with 19 floors. It had about 15,979 m2 (172,000 sq ft) of space. The top ten floors were for offices, and below that were eight floors for parking cars, plus a main entrance area.
This building stood 250 feet (76 m) tall. It was the tallest building in Flint and Genesee County ever since it was finished. Even though it was one building, people called it "Towers" because it looked like two parts stacked on top of each other.
There is another building called Parkway Towers in Nashville, Tennessee that looks quite similar to the Genesee Towers.
A Look Back: History of Genesee Towers
Building the Genesee Towers started in 1966. The building officially opened its doors in December 1968. Henry Sender was the person who developed it. The first main business to move in was the Genesee Merchants Bank & Trust Company.
In 1969, a special club for professionals called the University Club opened on the very top floor.
Changes in Ownership and Challenges
Kumar Vemullapalli bought the building in 1997. Around that time, the last big tenant, National Bank of Detroit (NBD), decided to move out. NBD had bought Genesee Merchants Bank in 1985. When NBD left, the building became mostly empty.
In 2001, a pipe burst because the building wasn't being taken care of very well. This caused a flood and made the few remaining businesses move out. The city of Flint officially declared the Genesee Towers unsafe in 2004. This was because it had many problems that broke building rules.
By November 2007, the city had to close streets around the tower. This was to protect people from concrete pieces that might fall from the building.
City Takes Over and Demolition
In September 2008, after years of legal discussions, a judge decided something important. The city had to buy the building for $1.5 million. However, the city ended up paying about $6 million more because of court costs and fees.
The city of Flint officially owned the building on December 8, 2010. At that time, there were no clear plans for what to do with the property. In August 2012, the city of Flint sold Genesee Towers to Uptown Reinvestment Corporation for just $1. This decision caused some discussion.
Many people believed the building failed because it was not built well.
The Genesee Towers was taken down by implosion on December 22, 2013, at 10 AM. An implosion is when a building is carefully brought down using explosives. Steve Pettigrew, an expert in demolition, led the team from Demolition Dynamics. Today, the land where the Genesee Towers once stood is a public park and green space.
Images for kids
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The Genesee Towers (left)
- Genesee Towers at SkyscraperPage
- Genesee Towers at Emporis
