1602 Lemay Street
Apartments, MET Plus
This structure is on the city’s teardown list.
This massive apartment building has been vacant for as long as I can remember, and Google Street View shares the sentiment. It was constructed around 1930, and I haven’t been able to gather much information on it. When researching apartment complexes, it’s pretty hit or miss. Often, they’re only on the historical record when they’re built, if somebody is murdered there, or if there’s a destructive fire.
However, in the case of 1602 Lemay Street, there weren’t any of those. But, as many of you may remember, the newspaper used to list your address if you made it into print. Here are stories about a few folks who lived here and other oddball things I’ve dug up about the building.
In 1932, Gordon Robertson lived here. One day, while fishing at Waterworks Park, Robertson hooked into a massive fish. It was so large that, at one point, it pulled his pole out of his hands and into the river. Randolph Abbott cast his line after it and retrieved it, so Robertson could continue bringing the fish in. When the fish finally got close enough, Arthur Lambert scooped the fish up with his net. It was so large that it broke through the net, so Lambert dove after it and picked it up with his arms.
With Abbott and Lambert’s help, Robertson had caught a 40-pound Muskellunge. The current state record for Muskellunge is 58 pounds, caught in 2012. That’s a lot bigger; however, I can only imagine reeling in that monster with a rod and reel from 1932.
In 1970, Alberta Mills, another building resident, won a contest. She was instructed to call the Detroit Free Press for free tickets to the Auto Show. Perhaps she saw the AMC Matador, Buick Centurion, or Pontiac Grand Safari, all of which debuted in 1971.
In 1996, an odd piece in the Detroit Free Press indicated that the structure was being sold on a land contract and had been defaulted on. It said there was vandalism, abandonment, unpaid insurance premiums, and fire damage. However, I can’t be certain what’s happening in the small announcement.
The structure is owned by MET Plus, a nonprofit focusing on Michigan Employment and Training. An officer for the non-profit posted in a Facebook Group that I’m in a while back asking if anyone knew where they could find blueprints for it so they could get started with work on it. However, no work has been completed, and the structure is in terrible shape, to put it mildly.
Even considering the poor shape of the structure, it’ll be a shame to see this one demolished. It’s not far from Jefferson, which offers commercial opportunities and a frequent bus line, and Belle Isle, Indian Village, Pingree Park, and the Detroit River are a stone’s throw away.
If anyone has any more information on this one, I’d love to hear it.
