Detroit Public Television
The DPTV building was originally built WJBK, a television network owned by Storer Broadcasting. Storer employed architect John L. Volk, who envisioned a Georgian Revival building with two large studios and offices. WJBK, which would later become the Fox affiliate for Detroit was one of the highest rated networks in the region. News crews from around the world used the facility in the aftermath of the 1967 riots. In 1971, WJBK built a new studio in the suburbs, selling the New Center location to public television station WTVS.
For 25 years WTVS, later known as Detroit Public TV, or DPTV, broadcast from New Center to markets across southeast Michigan. But like WJBK before, DPTV would eventually move to the suburbs in the mid 1990’s, and the studio was used by a local theater company until 2014. In 2019 the building was put up for sale for $3.5 million dollars, selling in January of 2020 for $2.6 million. Plans to convert the studio into residential housing has been proposed.
