The description for one of Detroit’s priciest realty listings states that the Geodesic Domes in Mexicantown could be “the most insane single family dwelling in Detroit.”
The price tag that comes with that claim is hefty: $399,000.
“Yeah right!” said Suzy Garza-Villarreal, laughing. “They’re out of their mind! Nobody would pay 400-thousand for that.”
Garza-Villarreal laughs at the price, but hopes someone buys it and does something soon. She works next door at her family-owned business Tamaleria Nuevo Leon. For years, she has had people stop by asking her whether she’d sell the property. She wants everyone in Detroit to be clear: it’s not hers.
“I don’t own it,” said Garza-Villarreal, “and I don’t want to own it either!”
She jokes that at a time she considered putting up a frequently asked questions poster on her front door.
One of those questions: did Jack White’s brother really build it?
Garza-Villarreal tells 7 Action News she saw that with her own eyes. Originally, Leo Gillis built the property to be his family home - he’s since moved away and the property has sat vacant. That’s the biggest concern for the neighbors, they’ve watched people sit on property throughout Mexicantown for years waiting for business to begin to boom again, she’s hoping if someone does pony up the cash to buy the property they do something with it quickly.
“I hate that, I truly hate that idea,” said Garza-Villarreal, talking about how properties have sat vacant in the neighborhood for far too long. “People come in here buying left and right but they just sit on the property, sit on it and let it go.”
Her hope is that someone re-purposes the building in a way that fits the feel of Mexicantown.
According to the realty listing, the property would be perfect for a restaurant, a gallery, or a home. The place was gutted, and is essentially a shell at the moment.
If you’d like to read up more details on the property, its dimensions and pricing you can see the original realty listing online here.
