WATCH: McDonald's 'De-Arched' to Make Way for Nature's Bin

Crews take down the signs, Golden Arches and the recognizable roof. The structure will now be renovated to make way for the Nature's Bin training center and catering space.

After more than 50 years on Sloane Avenue, the Golden Arches of McDonald's were brought down on Friday morning. It was part of the plan to “de-arch” the McDonald’s so that it can be converted into a new catering space for Nature’s Bin. The Sloane Avenue location of McDonald’s moved to its new home on the site of the former Detroit Theatre. Earlier this year, officials announced that McDonald’s was selling the property to its eastern neighbor, Cornucopia (Nature’s Bin). The building will be used as the vocational training center, kitchen and catering center for Nature’s Bin, which provides employment opportunities for people with disabilities. The project has gotten some help from neighbors. Part of the extensive renovation was paid for by …

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LOOK: McDonald’s Opens on Detroit Avenue

The new fast food restaurant plants the Golden Arches at the site of the former Detroit Theatre.

Popcorn and classic films on Detroit Avenue are now a distant memory. They were replaced by the Golden Arches of McDonald’s, which opened its new restaurant Monday on the property that once housed the Detroit Theatre.  Lakewood school students streamed in on Monday afternoon after their classes had ended. Most of the seats were taken. The new restaurant doesn’t bear much resemblance to the old McDonald’s on Sloane Avenue that closed its doors last month. The idea behind the design, is a “modern, coffee-house feel,” said one employee. There’s a large-screen TV, and outlets lining the walls for laptops. “The employees are also really excited to work in a brand new modern McDonald's kitchen and restaurant,” said employee Christine Studer.  A …

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Rick Uldricks

9:20 am on Tuesday, October 16, 2012

I visited this McDonald's last night - I'm not loving' it. Parking and traffic flow is worse than Marc's Plaza or Heinen's in River. The furniture is uncomfortable - by design - certainly not a cozy 'coffee shop' atmosphere. Also, the decor just doesn't seem to be what you would expect in a spot that at one time was an historic theater (no photos of the old Detroit Theatre either). The dining …   more ›

Golden Arches Go Up, But McDonald’s Opening Delayed

The opening of the new McDonald’s on Detroit Avenue, expected this week, is postponed.

The property that once featured classic films on the big screen, will now offer Big Macs and Happy Meals.  However, the opening of the new McDonald’s on Detroit Avenue — which was expected this week — has been postponed.  Mike Lewis, the area real estate manager for McDonald’s, said the project has had some “slight delays.”  While the doors were expected to open today, the asphalt still needs poured and the striping on it still needs to get done — along with some other loose ends. “We’re trying to get it open as soon as we can,” Lewis said. “I know we’ll meet the original Oct. 15 deadline.” The Sloane Avenue location closed its doors on Sept. 15, and the Nature’s Bin natural foods store is expanding into the space. The Detroit Theatre was …

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3:03 pm on Thursday, November 8, 2012

I love watching the fast pace construction for new Get-Go - everyday they are making visible progress. I may be the only person that is looking forward to it being open.....out with the old empty blithe...in with the new. Yay for renewal.   more ›

City Council OKs $75,000 Loan to Nature’s Bin

Natural foods grocery store plans to expand into the former McDonald’s on Sloane Avenue.

Nature’s Bin and its parent company Cornucopia — the Lakewood-based natural foods grocery store — got a boost from the city of Lakewood on Monday. City council OK’d a $75,000 economic development loan for the company’s expansion into the site of the former McDonald’s site, where Nature’s Bin looks to expand its job training programs, catering service and office space. “I think Cornucopia is an important stakeholder in our community,” said at-large councilman Ryan Nowlin. The loan — approximately 12 percent of the total $618,000 project — is “forgivable over five years as long as (the) project meets job creation goals.” “We’re in the final stages,” said Scott Duennes, the executive director of Cornucopia, following council's approval. He …

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McDonald’s Closes Its Doors on Sloane Avenue

But the new McDonald’s construction is ahead of schedule, slated to open on Oct. 3.

The McDonald’s on Sloane Avenue has closed it doors. And the new restaurant on Detroit Avenue — on the land of the former Detroit Theatre — is ahead of schedule, just weeks away from its grand opening. Mike Lewis, the construction project manager for McDonald’s, recently told Lakewood Patch that he hoped to open the fast-food restaurant by Halloween. But it looks like the project will finish almost a month ahead of schedule. Signs posted around the abandoned building on Sloane Avenue note that the new McDonald’s will open at 11 a.m. Oct. 3. That property will be the future home of an expanded Nature's Bin. Dozens of workers buzzed around the construction site this week, pouring and smoothing out the new concrete around the property. …

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Gas Leak Shuts Down McDonald's Construction Site

Workers strike gas line as they were preparing to lay the foundation for the new fast-food restaurant at the corner of Detroit and Woodward avenues.

As workers started construction of the new McDonald’s, workers accidentally struck a gas line on Monday afternoon.  Detroit Avenue was reduced to one lane of traffic and Woodward Avenue was closed at the intersection as workers from Dominion attempted to repair the damaged line at around 2 p.m. Firefighters on the scene said that no one was injured.  Police were also at the site helping direct traffic. Construction of the new McDonald’s — which would move the Sloane Avenue location — is expected to resume when the gas leak is fixed. Officials have said they hope the new McDonald's, on the site of the former Detroit Theatre, will be finished by Halloween.

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Golden Arches Coming Down, Nature’s Bin Moving In

The city’s architectural board of review OKs designs plans for the Nature’s Bin expansion into the McDonald’s on Sloane Avenue.

Goodbye Big Macs and Happy Meals, hello quinoa salad and eggplant parmesan. The design plans to “de-arch” the McDonald’s so that it can be converted into a new catering space for Nature’s Bin got the green light from the city’s architectural board of review Thursday. The Sloane Avenue location of McDonald’s is moving to its new home on the site of the former Detroit Theatre. Last month, officials announced that McDonald’s was selling the property to its eastern neighbor, Cornucopia (Nature’s Bin). “We are at a point in time where we are out of space,” Scott Duennes, the executive director of Cornucopia, said Thursday. “For last 18 months we’ve been seeking space that we can convert into a commissary — (we were) trying to stay in Lakewood…

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McDonald’s Seeking Approval for New, Redesigned Nature’s Bin Site

Once the Golden Arches come down, Nature's Bin is looking to move into a redesigned building. It won't look much like a McDonald's.

In the land of Ronald McDonald, taking apart a shuttered McDonald’s is known as “de-arching.”  That’s the process about to take place at the fast food restaurant on Sloane Avenue, as it moves to its new home on the site of the former Detroit Theatre. Last month, officials announced that McDonald’s was selling the property to its eastern neighbor, Cornucopia (Nature’s Bin). The building will be used as the vocational training center, kitchen and catering center for Nature’s Bin, which provides employment opportunities for people with disabilities. But first, there are a few building design hurdles. According to the application to the city’s architectural board of review, the fast food giant is requesting a few changes — including the …

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Detroit Theatre: Stage Right, Nothing Left

The 88-year-old theatre is reduced to a large pile of rubble, to make way for the Golden Arches of McDonald's.

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Curtains Closing Quickly on the Detroit Theatre

Another layer of the Detroit Theatre has been removed; the building is more than halfway demolished — the site is the future home of McDonald's.