The long-vacant landmark in downtown Mount Clemens that once housed the Macomb Daily is literally coming apart, and people nearby say they are watching it happen piece by piece. Locals have been sharing footage and photos that show loose masonry, missing chunks of the facade, and crumbling material near the sidewalk. The increasingly ragged exterior has revived old worries about public safety and what it might cost to either fix or tear down the seven-story building.
FOX 2 Detroit reported yesterday that the roughly 100-year-old structure is "falling apart," highlighting how several residents have recently raised the alarm. The station's video captures visible deterioration on the outside of the building and includes street-level perspectives from people who live and work nearby. Those neighbors told the outlet they are worried the deteriorating facade could become a real hazard for pedestrians and downtown businesses if the building is not stabilized.
From Price Building To Empty Shell
The seven-story Price Building - better known around town as the former Macomb Daily building - was completed in 1928 and served as the newspaper's headquarters until the paper moved in the 1990s, according to the Mount Clemens Public Library. Commercial listings bill the roughly 60,000-square-foot structure as a redevelopment opportunity, a sign that the property has been pitched for reuse even as its facade has continued to wear away.
Downtown Revitalization Collides With Visible Decay
The building's decline is unfolding right in the middle of a larger campaign to revive downtown - including a Macomb Place makeover aimed at boosting foot traffic - that city leaders have been promoting in recent years, according to CBS Detroit. City planning records show that nearby parcels and the stretch of Macomb Daily Drive have gone through recent site-plan reviews, underscoring that this crumbling structure sits in a corridor officials have tagged for redevelopment. City of Mount Clemens documents describe a mix of vacant lots and redevelopment proposals in the immediate area.
For now, residents and business owners say they want the city and the property owner to move quickly, either to secure the site or to commit to a realistic plan for rehabilitation. The old Macomb Daily building stands as both a prominent piece of Mount Clemens history and a very current test of how the city manages the tension between preservation and pedestrian safety.
