Abandoned Detroit Bank Vault Is Transformed Into a One-of-a-Kind $1.3 Million Home—After Being Used as an Illicit ‘After-Hours Club’

A former Detroit bank building that was abandoned and then turned into an impromptu nightclub has now undergone a much more intriguing transformation—after being made over into a stunning family home.

Most people don’t look at a shuttered bank and think, “home, sweet home.” But for Lynne and Mike Savino, that kind of unconventional thinking was the entire ethos behind their ultraunique dwelling, which they have now put on the market for $1.3 million.

When the Savinos purchased the property in 2013, they weren’t just buying a building, they were diving into a full-scale reinvention; the former Michigan Avenue Bank had no kitchen, no bedrooms, no bathrooms, and definitely no cozy patio.

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In fact, all that remained were the sordid remnants of its past as an unofficial party venue.

“This was an after-hours club back in the 2000s. There were definitely some random ‘characters’ living in the bank back then,” Lynne explains to Realtor.com®, adding that all that remained of those times were “an old beer cooler and a vintage porn collection from the ’80s.”

But what might’ve deterred others only intrigued the Savinos more.

“We always dreamt about living in an unconventional space,” Lynne explains. “In 2013, the dream became our crazy adventure.”

The couple purchased the abandoned building for just $28,470, according to records—just over 2% of what it is now listed for.

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A little more than 12 years later, all evidence of those after-hours goings-on have been entirely eradicated—to be replaced by an artistic abode that is now on the market for the very first time.

Located at 3401 Michigan Avenue in Detroit’s vibrant Corktown-adjacent neighborhood, the former bank feels more like an industrial art piece than a traditional home, thanks to the Savinos dedication to its transformation.

Listed at $1.3 million, the 3,000-square-foot space is anything but average, and its backstory is just as wild as its architecture.

The once-abandoned structure has become a fully functional, high-style home complete with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. And yes, it’s now officially homesteaded, with the Savinos as its first legal residents.

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Inside, the house still boasts many of its original features: soaring 18-foot ceilings, terrazzo floors, a jaw-dropping copper vestibule, two intact vaults, and marble wainscoting that gives every corner a kind of gravitas you can’t buy at Home Depot.

“There are countless features that just can’t be duplicated in this day and age,” Mike says. “And the good news is—it’s a bank. Solid! More solid than any other building.”

Outside, the limestone exterior and stately Renaissance Revival columns keep the home rooted in its historic past, even as the area around it rapidly evolves.

The location is a dream for anyone drawn to Detroit’s creative energy, as it’s just a 10-minute walk from Michigan Central Station and is soon-to-be neighbors with a jazz bar and a microdistillery/speakeasy right around the corner.

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Still, the best part of this house might be what happens just beyond its doors. Over the years, the Savinos have transformed the formerly empty lot into a vibrant patio perfect for parties, dinners, and even a wedding reception.

“There’s been more than one wine tasting,” Lynne adds. “And there’s just no other house like it, period. It is truly one of a kind, never to be duplicated.”

For anyone dreaming of life outside the white-picket-fence box, this Detroit original offers a bit of everything: History, style, and plenty of wow factor. And while it may have once guarded piles of cash, some of its best assets these days are the memories of a family who dared to imagine something a little different.

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