This weekend, part of an Eastern Market building fell. Because it was unsafe, the City of Detroit is tearing it down.
One person was hurt when the top two floors of the Del Bene building at 2501 Russell St. fell at 11:38 a.m. on Saturday.
David Bell, head of the Building, Safety, and Environmental Department, said in a statement, “The emergency demolition decision was made because the building is about to fall again in a place that puts people’s lives at risk.” “There is one alteration permit that is currently open for the first and second floor and two other sets of plans have been submitted for this building.”
Jabs literally collapsed as i skated by… second building to collapse in Eastern Market this month.. pic.twitter.com/zZlrT8Z9bg
— ⚾️ (@jonahbaseball) September 16, 2023
The cause of the accident is still being looked into, and there is no set date for destruction yet.
Because of safety worries, Bell said, a full damage assessment has not been done. But a first look shows that the south facade fell off the third and fourth floors and onto the ground below, and the roof is not structurally sound.
During the collapse, the outside wall came down. Metal and bricks then fell onto the nearby sidewalk and road, damaging a few stopped cars. The fall made the inside of the upper level of the building visible.
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Built-in 1897, the Del Bene building is now home to Jabs Gym, J’adore Detroit, Detroit Vs. Everybody, Brooklyn Outdoor, and a Beyond Juicery and Eatery. Tenants are being told to make plans to move.
