"Redeveloping the Book-Cadillac Hotel shows a tremendous amount of confidence on the part of the business community in Detroit’s rebirth. This is the same type of confidence in Detroit that was needed to build the Book-Cadillac in the first place."
-Marco Frattarelli, chair of the Downtown Detroit Citizen’s District Council
The AP's Sarah Karush writes:
The Book-Cadillac Hotel was the epitome of glamour when it opened its doors in 1924. The world's tallest hotel, it boasted an opulent, Italian Renaissance-inspired design, and over the years hosted presidents, Hollywood stars and famous gangsters.
But after a 60-year run, the declining metropolis could no longer sustain the Book-Cadillac, and it became yet another empty landmark in Detroit's once-bustling downtown.
After standing vacant for more than two decades - the gilded interior stripped by scavengers, the once-impeccable ballrooms exposed to the elements - the Book-Cadillac is poised to again become Detroit's ultimate luxury destination. Following several hiccups, the building is at last on its way to a new incarnation: a 455-room Westin hotel, set to open in 2008 and topped by eight floors of pricey condos, most of which already have sold.
The long-awaited project is the latest piece of good news for downtown Detroit, which has been undergoing a slow revival, with new baseball and football stadiums, more restaurants and converted lofts. It's also a victory for preservationists, who mourned the famous hotel's decline.
Waiting to be Renovated by snweb.org
Read the rest of Once-glamorous Book-Cadillac Hotel gets long-awaited makeover from the AP (Traverse City Record-Eagle)
Book-Cadillac Hotel history, photos & 1924 Tour from Forgotten Detroit
Great Book-Cadillac Hotel Tour from Detroit YES (also check out people's memories in their comment forum)
Model D tells Why the Book-Cadillac Hotel Matters (article is the source for the Marco Frattarelli quotation above)
View more photos of the Book-Cadillac in the Absolute Michigan pool!
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