Restoration completed on historic facade of Kline's building in downtown Ann Arbor
A downtown Ann Arbor building has a new look befitting its 1800s-era heritage.
Detroit Cornice & Slate recently finished a project to restore the facade of the former Kline's Department Store, 301 S. Main St., featuring a new cornice modeled on the historic structure's original look.
Kline's had installed porcelain panels over the front of the building, which were removed in 1994 when the store closed, damaging some of the original cornice.
Owner Ed Shaffran said crews had their work cut out for them.
"Once we peeled back what remained of the original facade, which was the sheet metal or tin that was up there, which had been up there since 1896, we discovered a very weakened parapet," he said.
Workers stabilized the wall and repaired the mortar, which had deteriorated.
Because of engineering needs, the project cost about $10,000 more than an initial estimate of $50,000, Shaffran said. The work was completed in February at the site, which houses Le Dog and Washington Street Gallery, among others, as well as nine loft apartments. Its formal name is the Pratt Block.
The project was approved by the city's Historic District Commission in September. Photographs from the Bentley Historical Library at the University of Michigan offered documentation of the structure's original look.
The building's roots resonated even for Marc Hesse of the longtime family-run Detroit Cornice & Slate, Shaffran said.
Hesse told him, "I'll bet you my great-grandfather did the original work."
Comments
pbehjatnia
Thu, Apr 21, 2011 : 1:58 p.m.
great to see my comment removed. check the city record. i reported the violation after getting fed up with the sidewalk blockage. the city as i found had no clue that this scaffolding was still there and unpermitted. shaffran was held to renew immediately and complete w/ in two weeks max.
Tom Whitaker
Thu, Apr 21, 2011 : 1:45 p.m.
Many thanks to Ed Shaffran for making this investment--the icing on that cake was missing for many years and it's wonderful to see the building looking like it was intended again. Also, thanks again to Dennis Dahlmann for doing the same for the Glazier Building at Huron and Main--one of the few highlights along Huron these days. These missing building elements often don't get noticed by most people until they're replaced, but man, what a difference they make! People (aka customers) are drawn to historic commercial districts like this--not just because they are pretty, but because their preservation says "this is a successful place that has been successful for over a hundred years." Authenticity like this is what draws in visitors and encourages them to stay longer. It's been great fun watching the Main Street buildings shed their false 1950's-1960's facades over the past 30 years, revealing the original beauty of these commercial buildings. With the continued support of our local, State and Federal governments (with tax incentives and grants), I hope to see more in the future. Please write to your State (especially) and U.S. reps and encourage them to continue historic preservation tax credits that help make projects like this more affordable.