Preservation to Program Research Project - Korzell Coe

PRESERVATION TO PROGRAM

RESEARCH PROJECT JEFFERSON AVENUE

THE RIVERFRONT

BELLE ISLE PARK

RIVERTOWN-WAREHOUSE DISTRICT

6330 EAST JEFFERSON AVENUE DETROIT, MICHIGAN 48207

Korzell Coe ARCH 5720 Professor Lindsay Fall 2020 Preservation to Program Research Project

Preservation to Program Research Project

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Part

Part

Part

INTRO

page 1

GAIN ACCESS page 3

ESTABLISH SIGNIFICANCE page 7

Part

Part

Part

PERFORM FIELDWORK page 9

BUILD CONTEXT page 17

IDENTIFY PROGRAM page 31

Part

Part

000 001 002 003 004 005 006 007 DESIGN PHASED APPROACH page 33

references page 39

Part

000 INTRO

1

Preservation to Program Research Project Project Intro Working incrementally over the course of the semester, you will perform fieldwork and archival research to provide a deeply contextual investigation into an unoccupied (or lightly occupied) building of your choosing in Detroit (or wherever you are located).

You will work methodically to uncover the invisible forces at work (political, economic, cultural, and historical) which shape the context of your site. You will use these factors to determine appropriate future program(s) for the site. Based on precedent research, you will design a phased approach to the preservation / re-inhabitation of the site.

2

Part

001 GAIN ACCESS

3

1

18308 James Couzens Freeway Detroit, MI 48235

Owner Unknown

(Google Earth) 4

2

Lewis College of Business 17370 Meyers Road Detroit, MI 48235

Owner Unknown

(Google Earth) 5

3

6330 E. Jefferson Avenue Detroit, MI 48207

Thomas Randolph III Randolph Holdings, LLC.

(Google Earth) 6

Part

002

ESTABLISH SIGNIFANCE

3 7

6330 E. Jefferson Avenue Detroit, MI 48207

Criterion A

Events

The Rivertown Warehouse District, the location of 6330 East Jefferson Avenue, are one of many representations of Detroit’s growth as it went from an industrial to public waterfront.

Criterion B

Person(s)

6330 East Jefferson Avenue in Detroit, Michigan does not have any affiliation with the life of an important person

Criterion C

Design Construction

6330 East Jefferson Avenue’s industrial building is constructed with the characteristics of a storefront window and warehouse in the rear as its original design construction in 1945. The surrounding building context follows as the district is named after the design construction, Rivertown-Warehouse District.

Criterion D

Information Potential

6330 East Jefferson Avenue in Detroit, Michigan is located in the Rivertown Warehouse District where the geographical context includes centuries of history. To be more specific, the transformation of Jefferson Avenue from industrial zones to a busy major city avenue, the shift of the Detroit River’s edge in public accessibility, and the construction and development of Belle Isle Park.

National Register of Historic Places 6330 East Jefferson Avenue, Detroit, Michigan 48207 is not registered in the National Register of Historic Places.

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Part

003

PERFORM FIELDWORK

3 9

6330 E. Jefferson Avenue Detroit, MI 48207

6330 E. JEFFERSON AVE. DETROIT, MICHIGAN 48207

150’

43’

Scale: 1/64” = 1’ 10

11

Scale: 1/64” = 1’

12

Proposed Program

Existing Law Firm

Scale: 1/64” = 1’

Randolph Law Group | Second Waiting Area and Open Floor Plan

Randolph Law Group | View Looking at Mezzanine and Office Below

Randolph Law Group | Stairs to Mezzanine

Randolph Law Group | Three Private Offices

Randolph Law Group | Material Connection

Randolph Law Group | Second Waiting Area and Kitchenette 13

Proposed Program

Existing Law Firm

Unoccupied Rentable Space | Open Floor Plan

Unoccupied Rentable Space | Open Floor Plan

Scale: 1/64” = 1’

Unoccupied Rentable Space | Storefront Windows

Unoccupied Rentable Space | Glass Block Windows

Unoccupied Rentable Space | CMU Blocks

Unoccupied Rentable Space | Body (‘5’6”) for Height Context 14

Scale: 1/64” = 1’

15

Scale: 1/64” = 1’

16

Part

004 BUILD CONTEXT

3 17

6330 E. Jefferson Avenue Detroit, MI 48207

The Building

Preservation to Program Research Project 6330 East Jefferson Avenue, Detroit, Michigan 48207 The building was constructed in 1945 in Rivertown-Warehouse District. This M-2 zoning included the storefront along East Jefferson Avenue. The former occupants were J.C. Goss Company Awnings & Flags of many decades until they moved locations in 2016. The building was then sold later in 2016 to Randolph Holdings, LLC. when renovations began. This is the new home of Randolph Law Group, Attorney Thomas Randolph III, in the rear of the building and rentable unoccupied space in the front of the building.

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Randolph Law Group Practice Areas

Attorney Thomas Randolph III

Medical Malpractice

Construction Injuries

Slip and Fall

Product Liability

Vehicle Collisions

Work-Related Injuries (Randolph Law Group)

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The Block

6330 East Jefferson Avenue 1945 4,515 square feet SOLD $368,000 (August 2016) 6340 East Jefferson Avenue 1923 5,563 square feet SOLD $350,000 (February 2017) 6300 East Jefferson Avenue Marathon Gas Station

T IRON STREE

MT. ELLIOT STREET

JEFFERSON AVENUE

ALLEY Scale: 1/64” = 1’ 20

The Neighborhood Rivertown-Warehouse District A newly created district that synergizes the historical characteristics of the riverfront transformation to the development of Jefferson Avenue over the centuries. The walkability of the community that links its past with the future alongside the Detroit River.

COMMUTING TO: DOWNTOWN DETROIT

WALK SCORE 30%

30% 30%

64

Walk Score 70%

64 64

Very Walkable Most errands can beWalk Score accomplished by foot 70%

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TRANSIT SCORE 58%

58% 58%

Walk Score 70% Transit 42

39 39

Some Transit Many nearby public 12% transportation options 12%

88

BIKE SCORE 12%

88 88

Bike Score 88%

Bike Score 88%

(Google Earth) 21

Bike Score Very Bikeable 88% Biking is convenient for most trips (Walkscore.com)

Transit 42%

Transit S 42%

WITHIN THE ONE-MILE RADIUS

POPULATION

11,716

6,68

1 mile HOUSEHOLDS

11,716

6,684

45 y

AVERAGE AGE

11,716

6,684

45 y/o

(Google Earth) 22

2.7 / 67.31 MILES JEFFERSON AVENUE

(Google Earth) 23

Sanborn Maps of the Riverfront (1897)

(Library of Congress) 24

(Library of Congress) 25

(Library of Congress) 26

(Library of Congress) 27

28

Historic Photos of Jefferson Avenue

1870s | Looking east on Jefferson Avenue

1890s | West Jefferson Avenue near Woodbridge Avenue, the current site of the TCF Center.

1890 | East jefferson Avenue approaching the Belle Isle Bridge

1910 | East Jefferson Avenue and East Grand Boulevard.

(Detroit.History) 29

1920 | Corner of East Jefferson Avenue and Chalmers.

1919 | Looking down West Jefferson Avenue from Griswold Street.

1930 | Moesta Tavern at the corner of East jefferson and East Grand Boulevard.

1974 | The construction site of the Renaissance Center being cleared.

(Detroit.History) 30

Part

005 IDENTIFY PROGRAM

31

1 Proposed Program

Proposed Program 1

Existing Law Firm

Coworking Space This proposed program would be a co-working space. The space could be rented out from current owner, Thomas Randolph and allowed for individuals to rent out an office space to work. In addition to an open floor, a mezzaine level could be renovated into the space for more users.

Scale: 1/64� = 1’

The open floor plan and possible mezzaine level allows for users to also be socially distant in this environment. The natural lighting and modern renovations could bring this space to life in the near downtown area.

2

Proposed Program 2

A Google Earth asset study that shows the 18 coworking spaces around Detroit, Michigan and there relation to 6330 East Jefferson Avenue.

A Google Earth asset study that shows the 17 public libraries around Detroit, Michigan and there relation to 6330 East Jefferson Avenue.

Library/Archive This proposed program would be a library/archive of Detroit. The transformation of the riverfront, history of Detroit, the factories and train yards, and the construction of Downtown have impacted the area of what it is today. There are many pictures and information that could be shared with the community that create a cultural memory in itself.

The building was constructed in 1945 and during that time was the years of development and change in society. The open floor plan allows for an multi-purpose room to be integrated to show videos, while the larger space is a collection of images and description of the past history of Detroit and surrounding areas.

32

Part

006

DESIGN PHASED APPROACH

1+2 33

1

Program 1 Coworking Space Betahaus | Barcelona, Spain

The Hive | Hong Kong

A neutral space to work independently.

2

Program 2 Library/Archive

Sales Pavilion & Library | Guiyang, China

Turku City Library | Finland

A historical experience of the transformation of Jefferson Avenue over centuries, the industrial to booming city public riverfront, and the construction and development of Belle Isle Park. The archived photos and videos will be shown in an exhibition space for the public.

3

Program 3 [EXISTING] Randolph Law Group Attorney Thomas Randolph III areas of practice: Medical Malpractice, Construction Injuries, Slip and Fall, Vehicle Collisions, Work-Related Injuries, and Product Liability.

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JEFFERSON AVENUE [2.7 MILES]

BELLE ISLE PARK THE RIVERFRONT

(Google Earth) 35

JEFFERSON AVENUE [2.7 MILES]

1900s

1920

1931

THE RIVERFRONT

1900

1927

(The Detroit News Archive)

1969

BELLE ISLE PARK

1888

1907

(The Detroit News Archive)

(The Detroit News Archive)

1960s 36

Experience the History of: JEFFERSON AVENUE THE RIVERFRONT BELLE ISLE PARK Entry/Exit Division of Spaces (10) on-site parking

(10) street parking

T

Coworking + Library/Archive

Existing Law Firm

IRON STREE

MT. ELLIOT STREET

JEFFERSON AVENUE

ALLEY Scale: 1/64” = 1’

37

Preservation to Program Research Project Project Outro After working incrementally over the course of Historic Preservation this semester, I have learned a significant amount of research as I progressed through the preservation to program process. This deep contextual investigation of not only 6330 East Jefferson Avenue but to the extended areas of the Rivertown-Warehouse District, Belle Isle Park, and Detroit, as an ever-changing city over the centuries. My proposed multi-program of the unoccupied rentable space consists of a coworking office + library/archive in synergy with the exisiting law firm that will showcase and allow the public to experience the history.

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Part

007 references

39

“6330 East Jefferson Avenue.” Walk Score, www.walkscore.com/score/6330-e-jefferson-ave detroit-mi-48207.

Cf. Koerner. Detroit and vicinity before 1900, 187 (1893 ed.), 209 (1895 ed.), 230 (1898 ed.); Checklist of printed maps of the Middle West to 1900, 5-0733 (1893 ed.), 5-0749 (1895 ed.), 5-0769 (1898 ed.)

Detroit.history. “Moesta Tavern at the corner of East Jefferson Avenue and East Grand Blvd.

(1930s).”* Instagram, November 8.

Detroit.history. “The construction site of the Renaissance Center between Jefferson and the Detroit River is cleared for construction (1974).”* Instagram, September 30.

Detroit.history. “Looking east on Jefferson Avenue (1870s).”* Instagram, July 6.

Detroit.history. “West Jefferson Avenue near Woodbridge Avenue, now the site of Cobo Hall.

(1890s).”* Instagram, June 1.

Detroit.history. “East Jefferson Avenue approach to Belle Isle Bridge. (1890).”* Instagram, May 12.

Detroit.history. “View of West Jefferson Avenue facing east from Griswold Street toward Woodward. (1919).”* Instagram, April 11.

Detroit.history. “Jefferson Ave. & E. Grand Blvd., Detroit (1910).”* Instagram, May 27.

“Home.” Mysite, www.randolphlawgroup.com/.

“Jefferson-Chalmers District: National Trust for Historic Preservation.” Jefferson-Chalmers District | National Trust for Historic Preservation, savingplaces.org/places/jeffersonchalmers-district.

Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan. Sanborn Map Company, Vol. 1, 1897. Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/ sanborn03985_004/>.

Staff, The Detroit News. “Jefferson Avenue, Detroit’s River Road for Centuries.” Detroit Local News - Michigan News - Breaking News, The Detroit News, 16 Aug. 2020, www.detroitnews. com/picture-gallery/news/local/michigan-history/2016/06/10/jefferson-avenue-detroits-riverroad-for-centuries/85717650/.

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