Post #761896 by uncle trav on Sun, Apr 3, 2016 5:50 AM

Here is an article about the final death knell of the property from 2003.

More than 70 firefighters from nine area fire departments battled the blaze for nearly seven hours.

North Oakland County Fire Authority (NOCFA) Deputy Chief Doug Smith said the firefighters faced a couple of problems with the structure, the first being that the nearest fire hydrant was a half a mile away.

According to Smith, firefighters had to set up portable water tanks in the parking lot and ferry water back and forth to the tanks from the hydrants in town using pumper trucks.

Smith estimates it took them 25 minutes to get their water fully operational.

"During that time, the fire grows on you," Smith said.

The other problem Smith said they faced, was the significant amount of flammable material in the structure. It was a 100 percent wooden structure, and the domed section was coated with foam and plastic causing it to explode when it got too hot, he said.

By the time the last firefighter left, about 4 a.m. Monday morning, approximately 50 percent of the structure was burned to the ground. Smith said there were aspects of the fire that seemed suspicious, particularly that it was started in two different areas. The Oakland County Sheriff's Department arson investigator was at the fire scene all day Monday and could not be reached for comment.

There were no reported injuries in the blaze and damage estimates were unknown at press time.

Holly Gardens was a well-known restaurant for many years, changing hands several times. It was known as Hawaiian Gardens Restaurant and Inn, The Gardens, Huki-Lau Restaurant. It was in its final use, Holly Gardens, a drug and alcohol treatment center.

Holly Gardens, located at 4501 Grange Hall Road was built in 1961 by Fred Barton, an automotive manufacturer, who died in 1975. According to his daughter Barbara Soloko, her father initially came to Holly looking for a site for his manufacturing business, Bars Leak.

Holly was an ideal location for her father's manufacturing company due to the proximity of the many General Motors facilities in the surrounding area, Soloko said.

Barton built Hawaiian Gardens because there were no "themed" restaurants in the area and he loved Hawaii, she said. James Livingston of Ann Arbor was the architect who designed it, she added.

"It was a wonderful place," Soloko said. "I was there at the beginning when he was building it."

The restaurant was famous for its Polynesian food and drinks and the dance floor, which was glass and lit up like a volcano, she said. Real trees grew inside the building and lamps surrounded the lake that sat behind the restaurant, she said. The restaurant was also famous for drawing "big name" bands back in the 60s, she added.

Her father sold the restaurant after a few years and it changed hands a few times after that, Soloko said.

In 1984, it became a residential treatment center for drugs and alcohol and became known as Holly Gardens. The treatment center officially closed its doors on Nov. 15, 2001 due to financial difficulties and the poor condition of the building.

Some past problems involving alleged mismanagement of funds also led to the closing of the nonprofit, state and grant funded facility, which once housed former Red Wing Hockey player, Bob Probert who sought treatment at the facility. The treatment center claimed helping hundreds of people in their battle against drug and alcohol addictions.

According to Holly Township Treasurer Bernice Alexander, the property is now owned by Holly Inter-Lakes Associates in Southfield. The 27-acre commercially zoned property has been for sale since the closing of the treatment center.

"Maybe someone will buy it now," Soloko said. "In its day, it was really nice.