Historic Metropolitan Building Gets A Makeover

DETROIT (WWJ) - A landmark building in Detroit is getting a makeover.

The historic Metropolitan Building, built 90 years ago on John R. east of Woodward Ave., is having a great deal of graffiti removed.

"It's a daunting task; there's a lot of damage to this building,"  said Tony Sabo, with Grunwell-Cashero, which is restoration work. "It's been let go since the mid to early 80s."

The building has been closed since 1977, and its age makes the cleanup tricky, Sabo said.

"This building has a lot of terracotta on it, and that's really a unique product, and it's been going on for a long time," he told WWJ City Beat Vickie Thomas. "It really speaks to the era that the building was built...It was a common product back then; but it's really a beautiful product and makes this building stand out."

Sabo said that if all goes well, the unauthorized artwork will all be gone in a matter of days.

"Yes, yes, it's going," Sabo said. "We plan on restoring this building — that project is in the works — and right now...we've had effort stabilized the building and now we're attempting to remove the graffiti."

The Metropolitan Building — sandwiched between the YMCA, The Lofts @Woodward and The Opera House — is slated to become a mixed-use development with street level commercial space and rental residential units above.

Developers are working on financing and hope to have the full $20 million restoration project going next spring.