The Durant

In the early 20th century, the automotive industry in Flint rapidly expanded and the rise of GM quickly created an urgent need for more and better hotel accommodations. By the late 1910s, the Durant Hotel Company, headed by GM chairman William C. Durant, had raised $500,000 to construct a new hotel. In 1918, architectural firm Esenwein & Johnson of Buffalo, New York, was retained to design the hotel, and construction began in 1919 on this Neo-Georgian-style building. The hotel was originally planned as a six-story structure, but two additional stories were added during construction to respond to increased demand. The hotel opened with 264 guest rooms on December 14, 1920. The Durant was immediately Flint's leading hotel, and by far the largest and the most distinguished in the area. In 1942, the hotel was purchased by the Albert Pick Hotels Company. By the late 1960s, GM's operations in Flint were declining, and there was less need for a large hotel. The 1973 oil crisis provided the final shock, and the Hotel Durant closed its doors in 1973. The hotel remained vacant, with various redevelopment plans falling through. In 2005, it was purchased by the Genesee County Land Bank. And in 2008, it was taken over by an RKP Group for historical redevelopment.