Detroit Harbor Terminal / Boblo Island Detroit Dock
The Detroit Marine Terminal, also known as the Detroit Harbor Terminal and the Bob-lo Warehouse / Dock is a 10-story cold storage warehouse on the Detroit River. Built in 1925 by The Detroit Railway and Harbor Terminals Company, the warehouse was intended to relieve a shortage of available storage space. Cargo ships would unload materials at the dock, which were then stored or loaded onto train cars. To support the tremendous weight of so many tonnes of freight, the floors and columns were made out of reinforced concrete, which spread the load across the length of the building. On the north side of the plant was a single-story building that provided heating and cooling, as well as massive engines to power the air compressors.
Ownership of the port changed hands several times throughout the 60's and 70's, eventually landing Detroit Marine Terminals, Inc. In 2002 and 2003, the US government increased tarifs on foreign-produced steel, resulting in a decline of freight coming through the terminal. Operations were suspended in September of 2003, and the port and warehouse were shut down.
After sitting idle for two years, the port was purchased and reopened in the summer of 2005 by the city Port Authority, Ambassador Port Co., and Nicholson Terminal & Dock Co. Today it handles mostly steel cargo, including steel coils, wire, slabs destined for auto factories. Other cargo, and the occasional US Navy vessel call at the port during the year.
On October 28th, 2008 a 2-alarm fire broke out on the 5th floor of the warehouse. There have been several other smaller fires since then, leaving plenty of soot while not really doing much damage to the building.
The north and east sides of the building had large painted advertisements for Ferry service to Bob-Lo Island, an amusement park located in the Detroit River. Ferry service actually took place at an adjacent dock, and was discontinued in the 1990's. The south side of the building still read "Detroit Harbor Terminals, Inc." which owned the warehouse from 1966 to 1976.
The warehouse was eventually demolished in 2023.
