The Hudson's Department Store Building moments before implosion. How could the city even think of imploding this landmark?? (Thanks to Sherie Schjolin for these first 3 pictures)
Hudson's implodes and is now erased from existence, but not from our memories.
Hudson's Imploded. All that remains for a while is a HUGE dust cloud.
An animation of Hudson's Implosion. Click here for a slightly larger version
The Hudson's Rubble - the ugly aftermath of a great building reduced to ashes.
It cost $15 million to implode the landmark department store, and what do you get? The Hudson's Hole, soon to be a parking complex. There was already a 2500 space parking lot in the Hudson's basement. The new structure will have 3000 spaces - do the math!! At least they re-used Hudson's rock solid foundation.
The Hudson's Hole (shot through a car window).
The Hudsons store could have been re-used, like they're doing with the former Hudson's Warehouse. It will become part of the new football stadium called 'Ford Field'.
Well, maybe it was a good idea, but look how badly gutted the old warehouse is! Why bother!
Hudson's Warehouse starts to take shape as part of the new football field.
A final shot of Hudson's Warehouse.
An old pic of Hudson's, Kern and Crowley Block. Most of these buildings no longer exist.
A nice shot from the city archives.
The largest American Flag ever made once adorned the Hudsons Building. It was donated to the Smithsonian in 1976. This picture gives one an impression of the sheer enormity of the building.
After moving from the Opera House, Hudsons built this building which used to face the Downtown Library. The building was eventually incorporated into the larger buiding shown below.
A nice postcard scan in memory of J.L. Hudsons.
All that's left of the Black Bottom area are these Edison smokestacks, and Hudson's Warehouse.
If J.L. Hudsons were still standing, here's how it would've looked from comercia park. Was Hudson's torn down because our city leaders did not want an abandoned building showing in dead center field? Think of the possibilities if the Hudson's Building were not demolished: It was enormous enough for Mega-Parking, Mega-Retail, Mega-Lofts, all 3 Casinos, and still have room for more!! What should have been done was paint some art on the building, like the Broderick Tower. The media and the rest of the world would never have noticed...
Here's a look at the Hudson Block nearly 8 years after the implosion. Nicely done! Hudson's was built in four parts, demolished as an ensemble. 1. 1891, Mortimer L. Smith, Architects. 2. 1911-12, 1925-28, 1946-48, additions by Smith-Hinchman-Grylls, Architects. The first portion was an HH Richardson Romanesque Revival 8 story bldg. using red brick with Aspostle Island brownstones. Later, the entire square block ensemble was banded with a polished pink granite base wrap, binding the whole mess into one massive building. Interior ramps brought patrons and workers between the units with ease although sometime you could get lost in the maze. We always remembered Hudson's as a 24 story wonderr, the largest emporium in the world. Over the years, Macy's, Fields, and others claimed to be bigger. Hudson's had it all; travel, stamps and coins, sold cars, insurance, furniture, bridal, jewelry, perfume, haircuts, beaudy salon, restaurants, rugs, mens, several floors for womens, furs, toys, tires, housewares, underwears, suits and boots, shoes, records and books, and Santa Claus. In 1974, Dayton's of Minneapolis bought Hudson's and in 1982, JL Hudson's flagship was shuttered. Recently, as documented on this website, the whole merchantile monument was imploded. jjaba, research dept.