After being abandoned for nearly 25 years, the long-vacant Mammoth Building on Grand River Avenue and Greenfield Road is finally coming down.
The City of Detroit began demolition today, following a two-year legal fight and two months of asbestos removal. The project will also include tearing down the pedestrian sky bridge over Grand River Avenue. City officials say both the building and the bridge will be gone by the end of October.
“For nearly 25 years, the vacant Mammoth Building has stood as a symbol of blight in our neighborhoods. Today, it comes down. Under our citywide demolition program, we’ve removed thousands of hazards like this across Detroit. We’ve cleared the way for safer streets, stronger blocks, and new opportunities for our residents,” mayor Mike Duggan said.
Mayor noted that Council President Pro Tem James Tate played a key role in the effort, working with residents who have pushed for the building’s removal for decades.
The building first opened in 1949 as Federals department store, became Mammoth in 1990, and has been vacant since 2000. In April 2023, the city filed a nuisance abatement lawsuit after years of blight violations. A judge approved demolition in December 2024.
