Conditions worsen inside Penobscot building in downtown Detroit
Building conditions are fast deteriorating inside a landmark 1928 skyscraper in downtown Detroit that has been racking up scores of blight violations in recent years.
The 47-floor Penobscot building, 657 Griswold St., visible for miles at night with its glowing rooftop orb, has been without running water since late January and lost power for three days last week, disrupting some virtual proceedings for Wayne County Circuit Court, which houses computer servers in the building.
Tenants say the Penobscot s elevators are regularly breaking down, and on Monday, when frigid outside temperatures were in the teens, the entrance lobby lacked heat, and toilets throughout the building were backed up and nearly overflowing with excrement.