Ford Auditorium demolition starts Friday

Posted on July 7, 2011

Demolition of Ford Auditorium will start at 11 a.m. Friday, Detroit officials said today.

The auditorium was built in 1955 as a performance hall for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. But the acoustics in the auditorium were generally considered poor, and the symphony returned to Orchestra Hall in 1989.

The building has been vacant since then.

The demolition reportedly will cost $750,000.

Detroit Mayor Dave Bing said in 2010 that he would demolish the building, in an attempt to bolster Detroit’s riverfront. Bing has pledged to tear down blighted structures across the city and has torn down about 3,000 just over two years into his term, according to a statement released by the mayor’s office.

The mayor will make brief remarks before the demolition begins, according to the statement.