Wayne State buys historic Hecker-Smiley mansion

Wayne State University closed Wednesday on the purchase of the historic Hecker-Smiley mansion in Midtown for $2.3 million. Built between 1889 and 1892, the property consists of the 21,000-square-foot home and a 5,700-square-foot carriage house. The university plans to move the roughly 15 Alumni Relations Department employees there from Gilmour Mall in the spring, said Rick Nork, Wayne State's vice president of finance and business operations, treasurer and CFO. It will also be used for alumni-related activities and for emeritus faculty events, he said. Matt Lockwood, Wayne State's director of communications, said the university will drop the reference to Smiley Bros. in the mansion's name and instead call it the Hecker House. Renovations are not expected to be immediately needed, Nork said. "The building is in pristine condition. It was immaculately restored by the current occupants about 20 years ago," he said.

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http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2014/09/25/wayne-state-university-buys-detroit-mansion-for-2-3-million/
http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20140924/NEWS/140929924/wayne-state-buys-historic-hecker-smiley-mansion
http://www.freep.com/story/money/business/michigan/2014/09/24/midtown-hecker-wsu-architecture/16161397/