MT File.
The Masonic Temple will undergo a $3.7 million renovation that is slated to be completed by the end of this year. It'll be the first time the building has undergone a comprehensive spruce-up since 1990.
Crain's reports that $2.5 million will fund renovations to the interior and include existing restrooms and new restroom build-out, heating and cooling system updates, and extensive sound insulation. The goal? To be able to host several events at once without sound interference.
The year-long overhaul will also convert 30,000-square-feet of upper floor space into multi-use spaces for lease which may help pay back the $3.7 million loan from Chemical Bank. The East Tower will also undergo redevelopment for potential business or residential space. Masonry and limestone restoration and cleaning will be the extent of the exterior work.
During its lifetime, the Temple has hosted political figures like Richard Nixon, Broadway productions like Phantom of The Opera, and musical acts like the Rolling Stones. In 2013, Detroit rocker Jack White paid off the structure's tax debt last year, and since then the Scottish Rite Cathedral has been renamed after him.
The 92-year-old neo-Gothic building is said to be the largest Masonic Temple in the world. The 550,000-square-foot, 16-story structure has more than 1,000 rooms.
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