This Detroit Bar Is Sinking Into A Toxic River

The Ideal Bar, an institution in Detroit’s Delray neighborhood, was constructed between November 1913 and 1914. Located on the shores of the Old Channel of the Lower Rouge River, it overlooks Zug Island, one of the most polluted places in Michigan. For decades, the bar was run by the Jelics family before it closed in the 1980s. After that, it was sold to Richard Truchan. Since then, the bar has fallen into disrepair as Delray’s population has plummeted thanks to decades of industrial use in the underserved neighborhood. Read more about the history of the Ideal Bar: https://www.eherg.com/locations/8415-...

SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:
T-Shirts: https://thisbuildingmatters-shop.four...
Print Shop: https://www.eherg.com/shop

00:00 - Introduction
00:16 - The Creation of Zug Island
01:24 - The Village of Delray
02:19 - The Ideal Bar
03:49 - New Ownership
04:08 - Detroit’s Disinvestment in Delray
04:39 - Richard Truchan
06:06 - The Ideal Bar in 2025
07:16 - John Kar Bottling Works Demolition
07:38 - Cleaning the Old Channel of the Lower Rouge River
09:03 - The Future of Delray
10:02 - Final Thoughts

Use my Historically Significant Interactive Map: https://www.eherg.com/map

Check out recently added locations: https://www.eherg.com/locations