One of downtown Detroit's relatively young office buildings could be headed for the wrecking ball in favor of more game-day parking. The five-story building at 1900 St. Antoine, opened in 2005 just east of Ford Field, is now being floated as a possible teardown site to make room for more cars instead of cubicles.
Crain's Says The Site Is In Play
According to Crain's Detroit Business, the building may be demolished to create additional parking for Ford Field. The Downtown Detroit Business Improvement Zone's 2025 Downtown Detroit Business Improvement Zone assessment file lists 1900 St. Antoine as a DLI Properties LLC property, showing the site is still part of the city's active commercial ledger and very much on the board for potential changes.
Parking Already Shapes The Block
Ford Field notes that nearby parking facilities are available on a first-come, first-served basis during games and events, and that the parking deck just east of the stadium sits on St. Antoine. That puts any possible demolition squarely in a stretch where office space, event traffic and parking have long been crowded together, with tailgaters and office workers competing for the same slice of downtown.
A Familiar Downtown Tradeoff
Detroit has made this kind of tradeoff before. Historic Detroit notes that the old People's Outfitting Co. Building, later the Detroit Commerce Building, was demolished in 2006-07 so the Book-Cadillac could get a parking garage. It is a reminder that in this city, some of the most valuable central land keeps getting measured in parking stalls as much as in square feet, with history and office space often stepping aside for more room to park.
