6815 Charlevoix Street
Al’s Market, A Positive, Inc., Wings & Things
This address originally included 6815-6819 Charlevoix Street and is now lumped in with 6811 Charlevoix Street, the vacant lot next door.
This structure used to have an incredibly unique neighbor on the downtown side of Charlevoix. When it was torn down a few years ago, it would have been at least 105 years old. Though I’m disappointed that I wasn’t able to document that one in-depth, I’m happy to have photographed this one before it is redeveloped.
This structure wasn’t there in 1915, though its neighbor on the downtown side was, and there was a garage on the uptown side. Berry School across Concord was already there, too.
The early years of this structure have been hard to trace.
In 1924, the paper ran an ad for a furnished room for rent in a house on Beniteau Street. The room came with kitchen privileges, and there was a number to call. Or, you could stop into 6815 Charlevoix, pictured here, to inquire about the room.
In 1931, Teofila Silva, 34, was injured in front of the structure in an auto accident.
According to the 1951 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, the structure was divided into two storefronts, 6815 and 6819 Charlevoix. Berry School was still there and it was quickly becoming one of the oldest schools in use in Detroit. In the 1960s, it would be replaced by the modern school that’s on the parcel today, though it’s now abandoned.
By 1970, 6815 Charlevoix was a corner store called Al’s Market. On March 4, 1970, Al’s was robbed by two men, one of whom was armed. They ripped out two telephones and made off with an estimated $900 from the cash register.
In 1996, Paul A. Harlan incorporated A Positive, Inc. at the address. The company folded by 1993; however, I believe Harlan still utilized the property for a few more years.
In 1996, Mayor Dennis Archer nominated 44 people for the board that would help administer Detrout’s Federal Empowerment Zone Program. This program, signed into law in 1993, aimed to help economically distressed communities nationwide with tax incentives and grants. Paul A. Harlan-Harvill was selected by the mayor, and he was listed as operating the Harvill Party Store, Alabama-Style Chicken, and Positive Pagers.
I can’t be certain this is the same person, but the names, dates, and businesses stack up. Positive Pagers is similar to Harlan’s A Positive, Inc. There was a Harvill’s Alabama Style Chicken on Joy Road in the 1990s, which may have been related.
In 1998, the State of Michigan Department of the Treasury posted an advert in the newspaper for a public auction of the “assets of A Positive, Inc.,” which included party store items, restaurant equipment, and supplies. The auction was on October 28, 1998, at the structure pictured here.
I’m not certain when the party store closed; however, most of the signage was still there until around 2008. The last use of the structure was for Wings & Things, and the corner store had beer, wine, and groceries in addition to chicken, fish, corned beef, and ribs takeout food. The metal sign went sometime between 2011 and 2013, and the only remaining evidence of the store is a “God is good” mural on the bottom left side of the structure.
There’s a sign on the downtown side of the structure that reads ‘One Stop Shoe Shine’ that appears to be old; however, it’s hard to date it. The sign was visible before the structure next door was torn down, so it was never hidden.
Today, the building and lot next door are listed under the ownership of Charlevoix Studio and Gardens LLC. I haven’t found much information about this company online; however, it owns the vacant lot behind the structure. It appears well-maintained, so I’d like to think we’ll see work done here soon.
