Donovan Building

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AKA: 

Motown Building, Motown Center

Address: 

2457 Woodward Ave., Detroit, Mich.

Architect: 

Albert Kahn

Style(s): 

Commercial Modern

Status: 

Demolished

Year Opened: 

1923

Year Closed: 

1974

Year Demolished: 

2005

Architectural Firm: 

Albert Kahn Associates

Galleries

Donovan Building - Artifacts

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• Artifacts

Donovan Building - Demolition photos

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• Demolition photos

Donovan Building - Old photos

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• Old Photos

Donovan Building - Photos

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• Recent Photos

The Donovan Building was a 10-story building designed in 1922 by renowned architect Albert Kahn.

The building was later occupied by Motown Records from 1968 to 1972. It was last occupied by JOWA Security before closing in 1974.

The building was demolished in January 2006 because Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick said it was an eyesore for the visitors of the upcoming Super Bowl. The owner of the building, Cherrylawn Realty, agreed to the demolition and funded it. The demolition of the building, along with the adjacent Sanders Building, was completed in two weeks. Because of this time constraint, little was removed from the buildings before demolition. Items such as marble, documents, and architectural detailing were simply smashed to bits.

On the day of the Super Bowl, the site was used for parking for as few as three tour buses.