Renaissance Center Future: Bedrock secures blessing from development authority

Renaissance Center plan gets $75M for demolition of two towers

The DDA has chipped in $75 million for massive undertaking the would preserve the iconic landmark, but make the riverfront more accessible.

(FOX 2) - The Downtown Development Authority has given its blessing and a $75 million commitment to plans to transform the riverfront and space around the Renaissance Center.

The project includes knocking down two of the Detroit river-facing towers part of the downtown complex and turning the concrete-centric area into a space resembling Navy Pier in Chicago.

Considered "obsolete" by developers, plans to change the Renaissance Center is the latest push to update Detroit.

The reimagined riverfront in Detroit after construction on the Renaissance Center is complete. Rendering via Bedrock.

Renaissance Center Vision

Currently surrounded by walls of cement that separate the riverfront from downtown Detroit, the vision for the Renaissance Center includes reimagining the space to make it more accessible to the public and more usable to the city.

It won't be cheap though. Despite there being over $1.6 billion in original commitments to fund the redevelopment, Bedrock which is overseeing the plan will still seek state funding through Michigan's brownfield program.

Two of the towers located at the Renaissance Center would be knocked down as part of the plan to update the space. Rendering via Bedrock.

The backstory:

The future of the Renaissance Center came into view after General Motors announced it would be leaving its historic headquarters for the newly-built Hudson's Detroit.

As tenants leave business space in downtown Detroit, questions about what to do with the available offices have only grown. With its biggest tenant leaving for another home down the street, the Renaissance Center will be downsized and turned into a combination of housing and hospitality.

The vision was announced in January during the Detroit Policy Conference when Bedrock CEO Jared Fleisher said the goal was to return connectivity to the city.

To do that would require knocking down Tower 300 and 400, converting the central tower into a hotel with 200 apartments, while turning Tower 100 into a mix of affordable housing and apartments.

Long an eyesore in downtown Detroit, the Renaissance Center plan includes removing the concrete that cuts off the downtown area from the riverfront. Rendering via Bedrock.

The proposal also calls for removing the "fortress-like" barrier that currently cuts off downtown Detroit from its award-winning riverfront.

"We remove the podium, we open the site, we reconnect downtown to the riverfront - the sight-line from downtown to the riverfront - and for the first time in 50 years, you'll be able to walk right up to the front door of the towers," Fleisher said at the time, adding it would become "truly public infrastructure."

Big picture view:

On Wednesday, the DDA promised to commit $75 million, primarily for the purpose of creating a new pedestrian promenade from Jefferson Avenue to the riverfront.

In between would be public plazas and easier access between the two spaces.

"For the past 50 years, however, the Renaissance Center has been an impediment to the public access and enjoyment of such a remarkable natural amenity," said Eric Larson, CEO of the Downtown Detroit Partnership. "Over the past two decades, Detroit has made tremendous progress in reconnecting people to the riverfront, creating an accessible, connected, world-class destination for residents and visitors alike."

Bedrock has already committed $1 billion to the project, while GM says it will spend $250 million.