Bedrock and General Motors Co. today announced a conceptual plan to redevelop the Renaissance Center and 27 acres along the Detroit riverfront.
The plan preserves the essence of Detroit’s skyline, “right sizes” the RenCen’s footprint, and connects the site to the heart of downtown.
The surrounding entertainment district would become a vibrant waterfront destination that would feature restaurants, hospitality, residential, and market retail space. The new additions will complement Detroit’s award-winning Riverwalk, which draws more than 3.5 million annual visitors to the city.
Earlier this year, GM and Bedrock, with the City of Detroit and Wayne County, established a partnership to study redevelopment opportunities for the Renaissance Center site.
A team of urban planners, architects, and engineers analyzed several possibilities to determine the best possible outcome. First opened in 1976, the Renaissance Center is Michigan’s most iconic and recognizable building.
When GM purchased the building in 1996, it was a part of a catalyst for the revitalization of downtown Detroit and development of the Riverwalk. To date, GM has invested more than $1 billion in improvements to the RenCen site, however, it must be reinvented to be viable into the future.
“This iconic landmark’s future is important to Detroit and Michigan, and our shared vision with General Motors ensures that its redevelopment aligns with Detroit’s economic advancement,” says Kofi Bonner, CEO of Bedrock.
“Additionally, our collaborative approach makes certain that the reimagined Renaissance Center and the riverfront further augment and support the city’s continued growth, benefiting the community and region at large.”
The conceptual plan calls for the RenCen to be reinvented to better draw residents and tourists as well as provide opportunities for growth and connectivity by:
Creating a new pedestrian promenade connecting downtown to the riverfront.
Removing the low-rise base of the complex and the two office towers nearest the river, creating a more inviting destination and reducing obsolete office space.
Redeveloping three towers into a mix of hospitality and housing.Turning reclaimed land into signature public spaces. Reconfiguring the flow of the site to allow direct access to the buildings and the riverfront.
“GM has the best possible partner with Bedrock in this effort to redevelop the Renaissance Center,” says Dave Massaron, vice president of infrastructure and corporate citizenship for General Motors. “Nobody has repurposed more buildings in Detroit than Dan Gilbert and his Bedrock team. This is another chapter in their unprecedented commitment to building the best possible future for the city and Michigan.”
Bedrock and General Motors have committed to funding the majority of the project, with the remainder contingent on public financing.
Over the coming weeks, the proposed redevelopment plan will be presented to local and state leaders to determine if, based on public support and legislative funding approval, it is possible to move forward with the redevelopment.
“We’ve said since the very beginning of this process that we were going to make a realistic decision about preserving as much of the Renaissance Center as possible,” says Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. “Dan Gilbert’s vision gives us a path forward to preserve and reuse three of the towers and, at the same time, creates a beautiful expansion of public space on the Detroit riverfront.
“We will need a public-private partnership to get this done and avoid the decades of inaction that accompanied so many other Detroit landmarks, like Hudson’s, Michigan Central Station, AMC Headquarters, and the Packard Plant. I am grateful for Dan Gilbert’s leadership in trying to prevent that fate for the Renaissance Center.”
The new concept plan, as presented, does not include Towers 500 and 600 of the RenCen, which was acquired by Friedman Real Estate in Farmington Hills in late 2023. Terms of the transaction were not released.
“Since the construction of 500 and 600 River East Towers, it has been the chosen home for prominent corporate tenants,” said David Friedman, co-founder, president, and CEO of Friedman Real Estate, in a statement. “We are excited to present a significant and rare opportunity to the market for a corporation to make 600 River East Tower a space of their own.”
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has been a tenant of 500 River East Tower since 2011, and signed a long-term lease with Friedman following the purchase.
Going forward, plans are to keep hosting the annual Detroit Grand Prix on the streets around the RenCen. Next year the race will be held from May 30-June 1.
“It is impossible to imagine the Grand Prix taking place on the streets of Detroit without the iconic Renaissance Center as the backdrop,” says Bud Denker, president of Penske Corp. in Bloomfield Township.
“More to the point, it is impossible to imagine Detroit without the Renaissance Center defining the skyline. This vision will not only save and redevelop the Renaissance Center, but also turn the riverfront around it into a major economic driver. There is no question that Detroit will be stronger for this vision, and that a strong Detroit is vital to a strong Michigan.”
For more information, visit bedrockdetroit.com/.
