Morning fire latest challenge to Ypsilanti's redevelopment hopes
Ypsilanti awoke to painful news this morning as word spread that the historic Thompson Block - the city’s most active symbol of redevelopment at a time when the region sees little of that - burned overnight in an hours-long blaze.
The significance of this fire goes beyond what we see on the surface: This isn’t just a long-vacant building succumbing to flames.
The impact will be felt by Stewart Beal, who fought for the property as he acquired it out of receivership - and near-demolition by neglect by its previous owner - then planned since 2006 to restore and renovate it into a $3.5 million Depot Town showcase.
It’s also a blow for the city, which fought for the 30,000-square-foot building for years before Beal emerged as an investor. Officials had watched rot overtake one of their significant properties, located at the eastern gateway of the destination commercial district.
The Depot Town merchants rallied behind Beal and his plans to expand the vibrancy of Depot Town by extending retail and residential space across River Street. They’ll feel the loss of the potential, too.
The list goes on. Historic preservationists can wonder this morning about what survived and whether what’s left can be saved from the 1860s-era building.
Neighbors, as long-suffering as the city over the condition of the property, had high hopes for Beal’s plans.
The rest of the city, too, celebrated what the block represented: investment in the city’s historical roots by adding meaningful living and retail space. This property still promised to deliver its potential, even as other city redevelopments - like Water Street - stalled and the market dwindled to fill the vacant Visteon factory.
When I last talked to Beal, he told me the Thompson Block would have been completed by now if the national financing crisis hadn’t happened. He had a lender; he had tenants; he had pre-leasing of the 16 loft apartments.
And that wasn’t enough after the banking world was upended.
Yet his retail tenants held on, telling him they were willing to wait.
His eight investors, he said, expressed patience for the process because they believed in the plan and the vision.
And his plan, as of August, was to finish the building by September 2010 no matter how he had to finance it. With more investors, he’d put a big crew on; without more investors, he’d fund small crews on site.
“The Thompson Block has been my number one priority until it gets completed,” Beal told me this summer. “It’s so important to the community, and … it’s the only project that I have other people’s money in.”
As the community hears more today and in coming weeks about the nature of the fire and the extent of the damage, we’ll learn what of the plans can be salvaged and what cannot.
Either way, it’s been a long road for the Thompson Block. This fire, it appears, is making it longer.
But after 20-plus years of rallying behind the building, Ypsilanti isn't likely ready to give up on it.
Comments
Mike Ambs
Fri, Sep 25, 2009 : 11:33 a.m.
@Lysander54: I highly, highly doubt you have any grounds to say "most people" want this building gone. Out of all the comments from all the online articles I've read, out of all the face-to-face conversations I've had... 90% of them are very vocal about wanting this building saved. Pissing and moaning about having to "look" at this building while someone else invest their time and money into preserving Depot Town's historic structures is a bit off-putting. This isn't the first time Depot Town has been in a fight to maintain it's unique architecture - and if people like you had their way; Sidetracks, the Train Depot, the Freight House, and several other historic buildings would be long gone.
OutofYpsi
Thu, Sep 24, 2009 : 3:14 a.m.
In 30+ years ive never known this building to be anything but an eye sore. Considering its age and condition, i question the "renovations" story. Im glad no one was hurt, but not sorry to see it go.
Lysander54
Wed, Sep 23, 2009 : 3:03 p.m.
I've lived in this city for 6 years east of prospect, and everyday I've driven up cross street that eye sore of a building stares right back at me. With the recent fire, we now have an even larger black hole on the corner of river and cross than before. What architect told Mr. Beal that the building was salvageable at all? The writer of this article is obviously out of touch as to the current state of the buildings in Depot Town. As far as most people in this community are concerned, the remains of that neglected relic can fall to the ground. The historic society has been the biggest roadblock in the revitalization of this city.
Murf
Wed, Sep 23, 2009 : 10:04 a.m.
Oh please. This just opens up the door to redevelopment, it doesn't close it. Grieve for the historical value and then let's build something bigger and better.
a2grateful
Wed, Sep 23, 2009 : 9:04 a.m.
I was in Depot Town last week, looking at the Thompson Building, thinking what a great project it was going to be... I felt joy for the neighborhood... where revitalization has been occurring one building at a time for many years. Merchants that I talked with were excited, too. The project was a shining star for Depot Town, and a symbol of hope for better things to come.