Trash and debris are being removed from the long abandoned Hotel Eddystone across from Little Caesars Arena in advance of the anticipated installation of new windows.

The work is needed before the Ilitch family's Olympia Development of Michigan puts in the promised historically accurate windows, the company said Tuesday in a statement to Crain's.

A reporter spotted a worker in the 13-story eyesore's upper floors Tuesday morning, and materials were seen coming down a chute on its western side.

Detroit-based Olympia, which is spearheading the District Detroit development project anchored by the new arena, said in August that windows were expected to be installed in September after it blew through a deadline to redevelop the hotel, which was spared from demolition following a protracted battle with the city and historic preservation community.

"We remain committed to restoring and redeveloping the former Eddystone hotel into new residential housing units, 20 percent of which will be designated as affordable units," the company said in a statement Tuesday, as well in a statement in August.

"Planning, partnership and financing work continues, as our previously announced developer is no longer participating on the project."

That had been Detroit-based American Community Developers, which pulled out of the project and four others earlier this year. The Eddystone had been slated for 96 residential units as part of a 686-unit residential plan.

A 2015 agreement with the Downtown Development Authority says the Olympia had one year from the issuance of a temporary or permanent certificate of occupancy for the new arena to redevelop the Eddystone building that opened in 1924.

The temporary certificate was issued Sept. 12, 2017. The Eddystone was spared from demolition in a compromise agreement with the city that allowed Olympia to implode the former Hotel Park Avenue nearby in 2015.