8101 Mack Avenue
Bank of Detroit Branch, Richard Roose Realty, Rhema Church, God’s Kingdom Soul Reaching Ministries, Excellence Praise Worship Center
The Bank of Detroit was established around 1911 and boomed in the 1910s and 1920s as the City of Detroit expanded physically and commercially. By early 1925, the company had 17 branches around the city, with their central offering downtown on Fort Street.
On Monday, August 17, 1925, the Bank of Detroit’s 18th branch, pictured here, opened at 8101 Mack Avenue. The structure was designed by the famed Detroit architect Louis Kamper. At the time, the bank’s president was George B. Judson, and A. A. Schatz, the former assistant cashier at the main branch, was employed to run the joint.
In an August 1925 ad in the Detroit Free Press, the bank said, “With the opening of our newest branch, at Mack and Parker, the Bank of Detroit is extending complete banking facilities to still another neighborhood. This branch will serve a wide residential and business section.” However, by the 1930s, Detroit’s banking boom would be over with the onset of the Great Depression.
In 1936, World War veterans could apply for bonuses from the Federal Government. Former service men and women could bring their discharge papers, pink slips, or bonus loan receipts to dozens of locations across the city to submit paperwork to receive the bonus. Veterans who didn’t have said paperwork could apply, too. Over 3 million Great War veterans received payments for their service to our country, and the bank building at the corner of Mack and Parker was one of the locations you could apply for the bonus.
By 1943, Richard Roose was utilizing the structure as his real estate office. He would use it as his home base for at least the next seven years to sell the area’s residential and commercial properties.
After the real estate company left the premises, the structure’s history becomes murky. It eventually became a church, but I can’t be certain when.
By 2001, a church called Rheme operated out of the space, run by revivalist preacher Reverend Sammy Huff. Initially working out of southwest Detroit, Huff worked on the Clark Avenue Cadillac Plant for decades.
At some point, God’s Kingdom Soul Reaching Ministries utilized the old bank building. After that, Excellence Praise Worship Center operated from the building. In between their congregations, the structure was sold to an LLC in 2014 for $75,000.
The company that owns the property also appears to own the Deutsches Haus down Mack Avenue. The LLC can be traced back to WC Holdings, a company based out of 2431 Orleans Street in Eastern Market. The organization has a few assumed names, including Cornerstone Pointe, POW Detroit, and POW Eastern Market.
Given their portfolio on Mack Avenue, I assume this group is speculating on the high prices of Indian Village expanding into the Pingree Park and Gratiot-Grand neighborhoods. So far, their investment has looked like a good bet, considering how much home values have risen in both areas in recent years. The structures they own appear well-maintained.
However, I believe this old bank building is currently vacant. During the pandemic, I saw the church utilizing it a handful of times, but not regularly.
Hopefully, this space will be activated soon. Although Mack Avenue is not brimming with businesses, there are a few operations on this section of the thoroughfare. The Commons, a coffee & laundry shop operated by a local religious group, and Mt. Zion Baptist Church are thriving down Mack. Next door, Mack Garage offers personal service for auto repairs, Detroit Body Garage has gym services in an old automotive building, and various liquor/convenience stores and churches dot the landscape.
Considering the uniqueness of this structure and a neighborhood that can support more local businesses, this is a no-brainer for preservation and adaptive reuse sooner rather than later.
