DETROIT — On Wednesday evening, my husband and I attended a special event called “Tesla at the Detroit Club.” Upon walking up, I noticed three Tesla electric vehicles parked in front of the building. After checking out the cars, we had the opportunity to tour the Romanesque Detroit Club, a historic 40,000 square foot building at 712 Cass Avenue.
The Club opened its doors in 1892 and back in the day, auto and lumber barons socialized here. Some of them include Edmund A. Brush, the developer of Brush Park; James B. Book of Book-Cadillac Hotel fame; Christian H. Buhl who was the mayor of Detroit; former Governor and Mayor Hazen S. Pingree; former mayor James J. Couzens. Edsel B. Ford, Walter P. Chrysler and James W. Packard were also guests and/or members.
The new owners, Emre and Lynn Uralli, purchased The Detroit Club in December 2013 for $1 million. After five years of renovations, this magnificent building has been fully restored almost to its original state. The massive restoration included adding a new kitchen, sleeping rooms and a cigar bar.
The old dining room is called The Grille Room–which looks very much as it did more than three decades ago. I heard the food is excellent. The massive windows are draped in stately curtains and sheers. The chandeliers are ornately gorgeous.
Another room on the tour was the massive Presidential Dining Room where everything is original except the floor. As we continued to walk, we saw the wine cooler (which, by the way, used to be phone booths). Next was the Cigar Bar and personal humidors for individual storage.
The top floor and basement are for members only. The basement includes a 15-person hot tub, a fitness center with private lockers and a full service spa. It is dubbed as “the best basement in Detroit.” I heard the basement used to be a bowling alley. The top floor features 10 luxury hotel rooms.
The Detroit Club has remained operational for over a century, 127 years to be exact, making it Detroit’s oldest, prestigious private social club in the nation.
For more information about The Detroit Club, call (313) 338-3222 or visit their website at https://www.thedetroitclub.com/
