Do you remember the building that once stood at 2643 Park Avenue in Detroit? This structure saw many changes throughout its unique history, and it even occupied a spot on the National Register of Historic Places. But its end was just as swift as its beginning, and the footage below offers firsthand access to the demolition of what was once a hotbed of activity in the Motor City.

The building was first opened in the 1920s as the Park Avenue Hotel. At its peak, it was a ritzy place to stay that featured over 250 guest rooms and was expertly decorated with Tudor-style interiors. It sat near the ever-expanding Grand Circus Park area of Detroit, which drew in hoards of visitors and served as a hub for entertainment, shopping, and high-class fun in the Motor City.

Unfortunately, the Great Depression took its toll on the properties managed by the hotel’s founder and developer, Lew Tuller. In 1928, the hotel came under new ownership and quickly saw a marked decline in popularity and business. As the decades progressed, the building went through a series of destabilizing changes. Between the 1950s and 1980s, it was repurposed into everything from a senior citizen housing complex to a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center. But Detroit’s economic woes were simply too much for the once-majestic Park Avenue Hotel building, and it was completely abandoned by 2003.

While developers proposed a variety of options for revitalizing and reopening the building, it was ultimately declared unusable. On the morning of July 11, 2015, the structure was imploded, leaving nothing but a pile of rubble in its wake. As the building crashed to the ground, a piece of Detroit history was lost.

To see the last moments of the Park Avenue Hotel for yourself, check out this fascinating drone footage below, which was captured and posted by YouTube user TheGadgetGuy1.

Do you have any memories of visiting the historic building at 2643 Park Avenue before it met its demise? We would love to hear your stories in the comment section below.

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