Kales Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kales Building |
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| General information | |
| Type | residential |
| Architectural style | Neo-Classical Neo-Renaissance |
| Location | 76 West Adams Detroit, Michigan |
| Coordinates | 42°20′12″N 83°03′09″W / 42.33667°N 83.05250°W |
| Completed | 1914 |
| Renovated | 2003–2004 |
| Height | |
| Roof | 258 ft (79 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 18 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Albert Kahn |
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Kales Building
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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| Part of | Grand Circus Park Historic District (ID83000894) |
| Designated CP | February 28, 1983 |
The Kales Building is a tall high-rise apartment building in downtown Detroit, Michigan. It stands at 76 West Adams, right across from Grand Circus Park. This building is in the Foxtown neighborhood, just north of the main downtown area.
The famous architect Albert Kahn designed the Kales Building. It was finished in 1914 and has 18 floors above ground, plus one basement floor. Originally, it was called the Kresge Building. In 1930, it got its current name, the Kales Building. Kahn designed it with a clean, detailed look, mixing Neo-classical and Renaissance revival styles. You can see these styles in its sloped roof and the arched windows on its upper floors.
A Look Back: The Kales Building's Past
When the Kales Building opened in 1914, it was home to the S.S. Kresge Company. This company later became the huge retail store, Kmart. Kresge only used 9 of the 18 floors for their main offices.
The other floors were rented out to doctors and dentists. There was also a pharmacy on the ground floor. In 1930, the S.S. Kresge Co. moved to a new headquarters near Cass Park. Even after Kresge left, the Kales Building remained a popular spot for medical offices. The very last tenant, a shoe shop, moved out in 1986. After that, the building was empty for many years until it was fixed up in 2004.
Bringing It Back: The Kales Building's Renovation
In the 1990s, there were plans to build new sports stadiums, Ford Field and Comerica Park, in Detroit. At one point, people thought about tearing down the Kales Building to make space for parking. However, the stadium plans changed, and the stadiums were built on the other side of Woodward Avenue.
The city then asked a group called the Greater Downtown Partnership to help sell the Kales Building. In 1999, this group asked developers to propose ideas for the Kales Building. They wanted to turn it into modern apartments, often called "loft apartments." Soon after, plans for the renovation were announced. Cleanup work on the building started in 2000.
The Kales Building was fully renovated between 2003 and 2004. It was transformed into 117 homes for people to live in. There are also shops on the ground floor.
See also
In Spanish: Kales Building para niños
