A little cornerstone of downtown Ypsilanti is ready to be turned over to new leadership now that the Materials Unlimited business and building are up for sale.
The circa 1926 Art Deco structure at the northwest corner of West Michigan Avenue and the Huron River has housed the architectural salvage and antique store since 1981, providing a steady place of employment, resources and civic pride at the eastern gateway to downtown. Today, the business' founder is ready for a combination of old and new challenges.
"At my age, I would like to do something different," says Reynold Lowe, president and founder of Materials Unlimited who also has a Masters in Fine Arts in sculpture and photography from the University of Michigan. "I would like to do what I started out doing, which is sculpture and painting."
The business started as a side project for Lowe when he was working demolition in the 1970s. After a series of expansions and a fire that consumed his collection of antiques and salvaged architectural pieces, he reopened his store in its current location. Today it employs seven people and is an institution Lowe would like to see stay open.
"I just want to find someone else to drive the bus," Lowe says, adding there is no timeline he has to abide by to find a buyer.
The 2-story building was originally built as a Studebaker Packard car dealership before becoming a USO Hall and then a Moose Lodge before Lowe bought it. It is now a 15,000-square-foot showroom spread over three floors brimming with antiques, restored fireplace mantels, leaded glass doors, stained and beveled glass windows, salvaged hardware, and other architectural items. It also has one of the largest collections of restored period lighting around.
The building itself has also been renovated and is one of the marquee buildings in a resurgent downtown. Lowe describes its Art Deco details as a reminder of a time when brick and mortar were cheaper and building stock was made of sterner stuff.
"It's a marvelous building," Lowe says. "It's a good example of Art Deco architecture. It's also a little avant guard because of its orientation toward the river."
For information on the sale of the building, click here for the website of the listing agent Jackie Wright.
Source: Reynold Lowe, president and founder of Materials Unlimited
Writer: Jon Zemke
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