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The history of Grande Ballroom is gathered from many internet and text sources. Though every attempt is made to present up-to-date and accurate information, we cannot guarantee that inaccuracies will not occur. All rights reserved.
BuildingsOfDetroit.COM > Places > Grande Ballroom
Grande Ballroom
8952 Grand River Ave., Detroit 
Status: Closed AKA:
Style(s): Moorish Deco Architect : Charles N. Agree
Owner: Unknown Architectural Firm: Unknown

  
  The decaying exterior of the Grande Ballroom  
  The decaying exterior of the Grande Ballroom  
  
Designed in 1928 by Charles N. Agree for bond salesman Harry Weitzman. The building contained storefront space on the first floor and a ballroom on the second.

The first retail tenants were W.T. Grant Department Stores, Beverly's, and a drugstore.

Throughout the years the ballroom featured jazz, before switching to big bands. By the late 1960s the ballroom was opened by local school teacher Russ Gibb who booked famous and local rock acts such as Cream, The MC5, The Stooges, Pink Floyd, The Who, Chuck Berry, Howlin' Wolf, the Velvet Underground and more. It featured one of the largest strobe lights ever built at the time.

After the Grande closed as a rock venue in 1972, it was seldom used, and soon fell into neglect. The ballroom and building remain closed today.

In July 2006, signs appeared on the exterior of the building proclaiming, "Future home of Chapel Hill Ministries." The fate of the building is unknown.