Will Grande Ballroom In Detroit Get the Wrecking Ball?
The Grande Ballroom is up there when it comes to infamous Detroit music venues, as one of the greatest of all time. At any given night you could see MC5 with Janis Joplin with the Big Brother & Holding Co. or Bob Segar Sound System with the Stooges. It was where bands like Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, & The Who and many others got their feet wet in Detroit early in their careers, and for years has been in dire need of a complete remodel. Most recently, it's been listed for $5,000,000 and the listing description alludes to hope that the next buyer will restore it to to it's former glory:
The building needs a full restoration. With the enormous rebirth of the City; Development is soon to take place within this corridor of Grand River. This is a major project for a serious minded Developer who's familiar with large scale projects; thus understanding the history associated with the building and having a vision to restore a monumental piece of Real Estate iconic to the City of Detroit.
There was a video that was uploaded by a page called Ruin Road on YouTube showing the carnage that is the remains of this once great venue. Although we must suggest you do not attempt to enter this property for risk of injury or trespassing, it's kind of heartbreaking considering the amount of work that will be needed to restore it to a safe and proper venue, if at all. But all it's going to take is someone with money and no consideration for history, and once again another historical landmark will be gone forever. let's hope that doesn't happen.