United Artists Theatre Building

For the similarly named theatre in Los Angeles, see Ace Hotel Los Angeles.

The United Artists Theatre Building is a vacant high-rise tower in downtown Detroit, Michigan, standing at 150 Bagley Avenue. It was built in 1928 and stands 18 stories tall. The building was designed by architect C. Howard Crane in the renaissance revival architectural style, and is made mainly of brick. Until December 29, 1971, it was a first-run movie house and office space, and then after that, the theatre saw sporadic usage until 1973. The United Artists Theatre, designed in a Spanish-Gothic design, sat 2,070 people, and after closing served from 1978 to 1983 as the Detroit Symphony Orchestra's recording theater. After the theater closed, the office block struggled as tenants moved to suburbs. It finally closed in 1984. An original 10-story, vertical UA sign was replaced in the 1950s with a marquee that remained until 2005. The building once shared a lot with the now demolished Hotel Tuller.

United Artists Theatre Building
General information
Type	Commercial offices proposed residential
Location	150 Bagley Street Detroit, Michigan
Coordinates	42.335549°N 83.052328°W / 42.335549; -83.052328
Completed	1928
Height
Roof	230 ft (70 m)
Technical details
Floor count	18
Floor area	217,300 sq ft (20,190 m2)
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Charles Howard Crane Elmer George Kiehler
References
[1][2]

In preparation for the 2006 NFL Super Bowl, graffiti was removed from all the windows of the building, and the lower levels received a coat of black paint to hide the graffiti work at the base of the building. The old theater marquee was also removed.

In 2006, Ilitch Holdings announced it would market the building. The company has a history of buying historic properties, voicing an intent to redevelop them, and later turning them into parking lots following increased decay.^[3][4][5]

As of 2023, the historic theatre is being restored and renovated into a large residential apartment building. ^[6]

References

1. "Emporis building ID 156970". Emporis. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
2. "United Artists Theatre Building". SkyscraperPage.
3. "For preservationists, Ilitch leaves a complex legacy". Crain's Detroit Business. 2017-02-18. Retrieved 2018-04-18.
4. "The leveling of Cass Corridor and Foxtown". Curbed Detroit. Retrieved 2018-04-18.
5. Ikonomova, Violet. "Preservationists call on Ilitch family to halt 'illegal' demolition plans in Cass Corridor". Detroit Metro Times. Retrieved 2018-04-18.
6. Mayor's Office - Detroit (31 March 2022). "Bagley Development Group begins $75M transformation of historic United Artists Building into the Residences @ 150 Bagley". detroitmi.gov. Retrieved 16 May 2023.

Further reading

• Hauser, Michael & Marianne Weldon (2006). Downtown Detroit's Movie Palaces (Images of America). Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0-7385-4102-8.
• Hill, Eric J. & John Gallagher (2002). AIA Detroit: The American Institute of Architects Guide to Detroit Architecture. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-3120-3.
• Meyer, Katherine Mattingly and Martin C.P. McElroy with Introduction by W. Hawkins Ferry, Hon A.I.A. (1980). Detroit Architecture A.I.A. Guide Revised Edition. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-1651-4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• Sharoff, Robert (2005). American City: Detroit Architecture. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-3270-6.

External links

• United Artists Theatre at Buildings of Detroit ^{[dead link]}
• recent image of the interior of the theatre.