Capitol Park Lofts

Built in 1912 for Henry J. Smith, whose company, Peter Smith & Sons, was one of the leading grocers in Detroit, the interior of the Smith Building was designed by the Vinton Company, a well-known Detroit contracting firm. The building resulted in substantial financial loss, and Smith sold the structure two years after it was built to Emory Leydon Ford, member of the Detroit Ford family who owned the Michigan Alkali Company, chemical manufacturers. During Ford’s ownership, the building was leased for commercial and office activity. In 1917, a major part of the building became a retail store for the T. B. Rayl Company, a Detroit hardware manufacturer. The American State Bank, later known as the Peter Smith American State Bank, bought the building in 1920. Interior alterations were made to accommodate the stores and offices that leased the remaining floors of the structure. Since the late 1920s, the building has been known as the Capitol Park Building. The Sallan Realty Company owned the building for many years, and Qwikee Donuts was a first floor retail tenant for much of the mid- to late-twentieth century. Capitol Park Lofts sat vacant for over 10 years prior to RKP Group’s redevelopment.