The situation in Detroit—especially the beautiful, historic public buildings that are starting to rot beyond repair—always tugs at me. I’m a huge fan of getting the highest and best use out of old, historic or not, properties. But the usual suspects (asbestos, mold) usually come into play within a year after water and electricity are shut off. Usually water starts to seep in and wet the asbestos. After another year of this scenario the building becomes essentially untouchable except for public takeover and renovation—which doesn’t happen because there is no funding. Sad.
