The new home for Wayne State
University's Public Safety Department is so different
from the current building on Hancock they can hardly
be compared. An old residence, expanded several times
with creaky floors and water in the basement, can not
compete with the new technologically advanced Public
Safety facility.
The "new" facility is a renovation/restoration
of a 1924 historic terra-cotta building, which to look
on the outside, speaks to an era gone by for the City
of Detroit. Originally constructed in 1924, the building
at 6050 Cass Avenue was built as a Speedometer Factory
and Showroom. The building, much like its renovated use
today, incorporated rich finish materials and craftsmanship
in the public areas and garage, shop or factory areas
in the rear.
When CDPA Architects first began work
on this project, it was plain to see the historical detail
on the exterior of the building and imagine the look
and feel that could be realized as part of the Cass Avenue
streetscape once restored. What was unknown to a degree
was the level of detail that was hidden on the interior
of the building constructed more than 80 years ago.
Years of renovations and various subsequent
uses of the building had covered much of the buildings'
interior character. Once that history was discovered
the vision for the New Public Safety Facility came to
life. Some of the features that were regenerated to give
the building back some of its original 1924 feel are:
The buildings' central grand stair, a large skylight,
above the central stair and clerestory, rich wood wall
treatments, marble wall treatments, terrazzo flooring,
ornamental plaster column capitals and cornices, and
high ceilings.
