The Walls Come Tumbling Down
Demolition began this spring on a group of seven interconnected buildings at the corner of Ann and Zina Pitcher streets, collectively known as the Kresge Complex. Constructed primarily in the 1950s and early 60s, the complex includes Kresge Medical Research Buildings I, II and III; the Kresge Hearing Research Institute; the Kresge Temporary Animal Facility; the Alice Crocker Lloyd Radiation Therapy Center and the Upjohn Center for Clinical Pharmacology. In its heyday, the 260,000-square-foot complex housed various stages of important advancements in medical research and patient care, such as the development of cochlear implants, infusion pumps and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), as well as advances in the basic radiological sciences. But more recently the buildings had become dilapidated and out-of-date, and stood empty after occupants were moved to other renovated spaces on the Medical Campus. On June 18, 2009, the U-M Board of Regents approved demolition of the Kresge Complex. The project is scheduled for completion in November, and includes plans to restore sidewalks and landscaping.
Photos of the Kresge Complex at various stages of demolition (by Scott Galvin, U-M Photo Services):
March 17
May 28
July 7