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These motels sat on the same lot in "REO Town", which is a district located south of downtown. The neighborhood is bordered by West Malcolm X Street to the north; South Cedar Street BL I-96 to the east; West Mount Hope Avenue to the south; and Townsend Street, the Grand River, and South Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to the west. A sign designating REO Town sits on the former lot of this motel.
The Deluxe Inn occupied this site after the Riverside was torn down so I will document both here. You can see on the aerial comparison the 1973 photo shows the awning for the Riverside pictured on the postcard. The 1981 aerial is a different building on the same lot. To say this motel underwent some turbulent times is the understatement of the century. It went through a familiar cycle as follows:
A normal run followed by infestations of crime and decay, followed by local residents raising hell and city administrators wanting to be rid of it. The lawyers get involved and try to save the place, community outreach efforts occur with alternate uses being proposed, keeping the wrecking ball at bay for a coule of years. The place eventually gets closed, padlocked and demolished. I found DOZENS of articles on this place so I posted a few to give you a flavor of what went on. This is a common cycle I have seen all over the state.