Kahn-designed Detroit cigar factory hits the market
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The former Mazer-Cressman Cigar Company plant at 5031 Grandy St. Photo: Joe Guillen/Axios
A century-old Albert Kahn building that once powered Detroit's cigar industry is now on the market.
Why it matters: Not only is Kahn among the city's most famous architects, the building is packed with decades of Poletown history, and its sale could reshape the neighborhood's future.
Driving the news: The city owns the property at 5031 Grandy St. and recently listed it for $595,000 as an "Albert Kahn redevelopment project."
- Brokers from Summit Commercial who work with the city recommended it for sale because they felt there would be interest, according to the Detroit Building Authority.
State of play: The building is surrounded by a scattering of vacant and occupied houses. An urban farm is down the street, giving the area an almost rural feel.
- The development potential is obvious, however, considering its proximity to the Detroit Institute of Arts and Midtown.
Flashback: 5031 Grandy opened in 1924 as a manufacturing facility for the Mazer-Cressman Cigar Company.
- It was the site of a pivotal sit-down strike in 1937 and later housed city offices.
What they're saying: "I was a little bummed to see it for sale," Eric Hergenreder, who sits on the city's Historic Designation Advisory Board, tells Axios.
- Hergenreder would have preferred for the city to pursue a historic designation before putting the building up for sale.
- But he understands why that hasn't happened: The designation process is time-consuming and would likely make it less marketable.
The intrigue: Hergenreder spent months researching the old cigar factory for an exhaustive online retrospective posted in April.
- He also profiled the building in a 12-minute video posted this month to his "This Building Matters" YouTube channel.
The bottom line: 5031 Grandy's next chapter is yet to be written. Artist studios, lofts or a mixed-use development with amenities for nearby residents are possible.
- "With buildings like this, it's like the world is your oyster," Hergenreder says.