1937: The arrow points to the Gem Theater, located in a densely populated Detroit. Image: MSU Aerial Archive
Normally construction for a major project like Comerica Park requires the demolition of everything in its way. One building, however, was fortunate to survive.
Gem Theater, lying in the shadows of Comerica Park and Ford Field, now has a new home five blocks away from its previous location.
So what? Businesses move all the time, right? What makes this case different from most other business moves is that it is still the exact same building. In 1997, the 2700-ton building was moved.
On wheels.
And it may have been the only one worth saving.
There were lot of individual buildings and many parking lots, but only the Gem Theater really stood out, said Jim Schultz, transportation planning manager for the Metro Detroit chapter of the Michigan Department of Transportation.
1972: The Gem Theater, pointed out in the picture, hasn’t changed locations, but Detroit is much less populated here. Image: MSU Aerial Archive
The International Chimney Corporation (ICC) was hired by then owner of Gem Theater, Charles Forbes. He had recently renovated the inside of the theater and didn’t want the progress to be simply destroyed when he found out Comerica Park was coming to town. So he worked out a deal to have it moved, according to the account by Detroit Cinema History.
The ICC, along with several subcontractors replaced the foundation of the building with a structure of steel beams. They slid rubber-tired dollies underneath the steel and moved the whole structure five blocks away, out of the range of the area needed to be cleared for Comerica Park, said Mark Prible, project manager for the ICC.
1997: The Gem Theater now lies alone on its block. Later in the year, it would move to allow parking space for the soon-to-be-built Comerica Park. Image: MSU Aerial Arichive
It took dozens upon dozens of people, with the amount of workers varying greatly on the amount of work needed to be done that day. There was much time for preparation, but the actual move began October 16, 1997 and was set down in its new location on November 11 of the same year, Prible said.
The move of the 2700 ton building made the Guinness Book of World Records for heaviest building moved, Prible said. The record would fall the next year when the ICC would relocate a 2908 ton building in Minneapolis.
The former location of the building now host a parking lot directly east of Comerica Park.
2000: The arrow on the left points to the middle of a parking area, where the Gem used to be. The arrow on the right shows the theater in its new location. Image: MSU Aerial Archive
2013: The Gem today, marked by the waypoint “A”. It is conveniently located near Ford Field and Comerica Park. The circle to the left of Comerica represents the old location of the Gem. Image: Google Earth