I don’t recommend that anyone risk their life and go inside the now extremely unstable Thompson Block, and in the process perhaps compromise an active arson investigation, but I wanted to share this amazing photo collage from local filmmaker Mike Ambs.
update: There’s now video too.
O.E Thompson Building – 1860-2009 from mike ambs ☂ on Vimeo.
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He’s got some great video footage of it too.
http://vimeo.com/6730876
Thanks Mark – this photo-stitch was taken from an area, that yes, I would stress no one go into. It was unsafe of me to do so… but my love of this building outweighed my thinking about that I guess… It was heartbreaking looking at the mess of a building now left behind after the fire.
I read a comment from Beal this morning that said they are still determined to finish the project they started. I hope they mean that. Nothing would make me happier than to see this very historic, and very important building survive.
This morning I uploaded video that I also took inside the building yesterday, if anyone is interested, you can see that here http://www.vimeo.com/6730876
Oh :P Oops. Kim’s comment wasn’t there when I started writing mine. Thanks Kim!
I’d love to have a load of the bricks, if there are any that need to be disposed of.
From today’s AA.com article on Beal:
Others have been less respectful.
Beal said he’s troubled by reports in online comments that people had trespassed in the building. He said tools were taken during a recent break-in, and he’s had to chase people off of the premises, even on Wednesday as firefighters still tried to clean up from their work.
And he knows that there are people who will wonder about the owner’s role in a fire. “You don’t work this hard at something…” he starts, before declining to finish the statement.
He also scoffs at comments about loose wires: “We had a brand-new temporary electrical system installed (over a year ago) … with professionally hung lights.”
MORE: http://www.annarbor.com/business-review/paula-column-on-thompson-block-2/
I’m glad for the pictures and video. Nice job, Mike.
Thanks Brackinald.
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[…] Ypsi, commonly referred to as the Thompson Block, was set ablaze almost three months ago, leaving towering walls of unsupported brick. The owner of the building, Stuart Beal, within a few days, erected an enormous scaffold around the […]