Former Detroit Green Book site torn down

State of play: Bizerte's/Phelps Lounge was home to a hot nightclub along the Oakland entertainment corridor, which was full of music, bars and barbecue. The lounge offered "swing-soaked nights" and hosted the "Queen of the Blues" Alberta Adams, per Detroit Tribune archives.

• It is also reported that the venue welcomed famous musicians and acts such as James Brown and the Temptations.

Between the lines: Phelps operated between the 1960s and 1980s with a huge horseshoe-shaped bar, a chic interior, and leather couches. It was lauded as a top venue for Black artists and audiences, according to the Michigan Chronicle.

Context: The former Phelps Lounge was among the few local Green Book sites still standing. Most of the more than 80 Detroit hotels, drug stores, salons, restaurants and clubs listed in the Green Book have been demolished, according to MSU Map Library research.

The latest: The two properties at 9000-9006 Oakland Avenue were torn down as emergency demolitions in January and February for $153,000, according to the city.

• Axios inquired about the reason for the emergency demolition but did not receive a response before publication.
• Emergency orders can be issued when a building is found to be structurally unsound and/or poses an imminent safety threat.

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