When it was built in the early 1970's Detroit's Renaissance Center meant to herald, as its name implies, the revival of downtown Detroit. Thirty years later, and now world headquarters of the General Motors Corporation, it overlooks the overgrown remains of the volleyball courts of the short-lived Atwater Beach Club and nearby industrial ruins.

The Atwater BC is one of the many defunct establishments that dot a once vibrant area of nightclubs and small industry, dubbed Rivertown. To the left can be seen the ruins of the Globe Trading Company that once served as a 19th Century shipbuilding facility. The story of Rivertown is one of urban indecision that led to a loss of community, history and continuity that began with its speculation as a site for Detroit's casinos as previously presented in this in this website.

Follow along as I revisit Detroit's Rivertown District in Autumn 2003.