Is This The Ugliest Building In Michigan?
Business Insider recently asked its readers to name the biggest eye sore building in their respective states, and the one for Michigan is far from my worst.
The building Michigan readers chose is the Motor City Casino building on the edge of Greektown along the Lodge Freeway.
While I personally think it probably isn't the best designed building I've ever seen, I always saw that building to be a symbol that Detroit was no longer dead. Prior to that building going up, Detroit was reeling, and even though the Greektown neighborhood was holding on as a symbol of Motor City's resilience, until that structure was visible from the Lodge, it wasn't something concrete.
The original Casino was once a Wonder Bread factory and was reworked in 2007 to add the hotel. Chip Foose, the designer, said he was inspired by the details on a 1957 Chevy Bel Air. I'm willing to believe him.
There are worse buildings in Michigan, aren't there?
Dishonorable mentions went to the Ypsilanti Water Tower in Ypsilanti (if you've been there you'll know this as the 'tower that looks like a d***'; a warehouse on 909 Sheldon Road in Plymouth; and the Cobo Center in downtown Detroit.
I'm kind of surprised the Steelcase Pyramid didn't get a nod, but maybe since it's got a successful new tenant, they didn't want to ruffle feathers.