Preservationists unite to save Detroit buildings

Excerpts from the story:

Dismayed by the razing of several historic properties, local preservation groups readied a new strategy this week that calls for making the reuse of historic architecture a key part of Detroit’s urban revitalization strategy.

The tentative final draft of the Greater Detroit Preservation Coalition’s Vision for Detroit calls for using a portion of government demolition money to mothball vacant buildings rather than tear them down, and for beefing up the legal protections afforded landmark buildings.

Members of the coalition were showing the final draft to civic leaders this week and expected to release it to the public in the near future.

Francis Grunow, executive director of Preservation Wayne, one of the members of the coalition, said the goal of Vision for Detroit is to shape the future discussion about how to move Detroit forward.

“It’s definitely a vision document,” he said. “It’s a post-Super Bowl document. What’s next? Well, preservation’s next.”

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