Detroit's old Chinatown building demolished despite calls to consider preservation

A 140-year-old Detroit building was razed Saturday morning despite many calls for the demolition process to be halted and a unanimous city council vote that went unheeded.

Asian American advocates and others who fought for more time to consider preserving the Olympia-owned building were dismayed to see it go down.

Some hoped the building at 3143 Cass Ave. could serve as an anchor for a possible revival of Chinatown in Detroit, and asked for a chance to at least discuss the historical significance of the site before it was too late. Cries to save the building were so loud that the Detroit City Council voted Tuesday to halt demolition. The council, however, had no legal authority to block or delay the demolition, according to the city's top attorney, Corporation Counsel Conrad Mallett.

Support for halting the demolition was ignored as the building came down Saturday morning. By midafternoon, the site had been reduced to several large heaps of bricks and broken wood beams covered in dust. Heavy machinery stood still while workers moved around the debris, conversing about next steps, sweeping dust, removing trash and shoveling the crumbled remains.

Jacob Molewyk, an Asian American advocate who is the Midwest representative of the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) alumni association of the University of Michigan, said: “I have several friends whose families owned Chinese restaurants in the area and they are greatly upset by the demolition of the community center especially after the City Council voted unanimously to pause demolition until a cultural and historic review is complete.”

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Built in 1883, the Cass Avenue building was one of the last relics of a time when Asian-owned businesses, a majority of them with roots in China, thrived in downtown Detroit. Home to the Chinese Merchants Association and other groups, the building served as a gathering space for cultural events, such as weddings and movies, and even hosted a health clinic for immigrant families.

In 1982, the Asian American group American Citizens for Justice was created in response to the racially motivated Detroit murder of Vincent Chin. That year, Roland Hwang, a Northville attorney, and other Asian American advocates gathered in the building to discuss their civil rights activism, name their group, and elect officers.

Hwang, now president of American Citizens for Justice, fought to save the building. After its sudden demolition, he told the Free Press: “It’s a moment to mourn the loss of a significant piece of history.”

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The property is owned by Olympia Development of Michigan, the Ilitch family organization's real estate firm. The Ilitches have been criticized over the years for building too many parking lots, and some are concerned the site will now become just that: another surface lot.

Georgette Johnson, a spokesperson for the city's Building, Safety Engineering, and Environmental Department (BSEED), said Olympia facilitated the demolition and had no further comment.

The city first ordered the building demolished on Jan. 31, 2018, then issued Olympia a notification of demolition on May 10 and July 1 this year, according to Mallett's letter rejecting city council's move to delay demolition.

Allison Gabrys, Olympia spokesperson, said the company "appreciates BSEED’s commitment to Detroit and we awarded the demolition of 3143 Cass to Farrow Group Inc., a Detroit-based, demolition contractor with over 25 years of experience."

"In addition to the recent approval of 10 new and historic developments in The District Detroit, we continue to work closely with the City of Detroit on developing a broader plan for all our real estate holdings," Gabrys said via email.

Hwang, other advocates and business owners plan to hold a news conference at 10 a.m. Monday at the site of the building to talk about their hopes for the location.

“It would still be a good place to have a community center or lofts or something that would keep the neighborhood together,” Hwang said. “I think it’s an opportunity for Ilitch and Olympia properties to reach out to the community and see what fits best and make it a win-win situation.”

The city has struggled to attract foreign-born residents in recent decades, and some worry that tearing down the building will additionally hurt Detroit's attempts to increase its Asian American population.

Curtis Chin, an author and filmmaker who used to work at a popular Chinese restaurant next to the razed building (Chung's, run by his parents) said he is disappointed with the demolition “even after public outcry from the community.”

Chin, who has a new book to be released this fall about his memories of the Chinatown area in Detroit, added: “This just continues the long history of communities of color being disrespected and literally demolished by the wealthy. Detroit will never fully come back until it starts to take into account the voices of every community.”

City Hall reporter Dana Afana contributed to this story.

Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated the date of the city's original demolition order, which was issued Jan. 31, 2018.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit's old Chinatown building demolished despite city council vote