Bedrock, Detroit’s largest real estate developer, today announced it will make the Book Tower home to ROOST Apartment Hotel, the city’s first high design extended stay concept.
As the city’s hospitality market continues to grow — 754 rooms have been introduced in the last five years — the Book Tower, located at 1916 Washington Boulevard (at West Grand River Avenue), will feature 118 studio, one, and two-bedroom ROOST extended stay apartments across four floors of the redevelopment.
The Book Tower is currently undergoing an extensive historic restoration and is set to reopen in late 2022 with a mix of retail, office, and residential space.
“As Detroit continues to grow as a place where people want to live, work, and play, the ROOST Apartment Hotel will offer a completely new hospitality option for those who may be relocating to the city, but also for those who just want to enjoy a few nights downtown,” says Kofi Bonner, CEO of Bedrock.
The ROOST brand, a concept known for bridging a boutique hotel concept and apartment-style living, offers spacious studio, one, and two-bedroom apartments equipped with full-sized kitchens and modern appliances.
The rooms feature contemporary furnishings, antique elements, custom lighting, and unique artwork. Other amenities include a coffee concierge and in-apartment artisanal coffee program with La Colombe, a bike share program, a 24-hour concierge desk, a fitness center, a co-working space, and on-site housekeeping and maintenance services.
The new ROOST at Book Tower will be operated by Method Co. in Philadelphia, which oversees several ROOST locations across the country, including an upcoming outpost in Cleveland at The May, in addition to several design-centric boutique hotel properties and restaurants.
Method Co. will also operate multiple dining options at the Book Tower, including two restaurants, a lobby bar/lounge, and a bakery opening at a later date.
“We are thrilled to be working with Bedrock on their incredible undertaking to bring The Book Tower back to its former glory, and are even more excited to be part of the neighborhood/city transformations that are taking place outside its doors,” says Randall Cook, CEO and co-founder of Method Co. “With this new location of ROOST, whether guests are staying with us for a few days or a few months, we will be able to offer the opportunity to experience living in an incredible historic building with all the luxuries, amenities and services of modern living.”
According to Emsi, downtown Detroit’s population has increased 34 percent in the last 10 years, and the number of residents living downtown between the ages of 20 and 34 has more than doubled. ROOST Apartment Hotel in both Detroit and Cleveland will serve to meet the near-term living needs of those relocating to the city for opportunities as several sectors, including technology, continue to build momentum across the region.
“ROOST will be the first property of its kind in Detroit’s rapidly growing hospitality market,” said Andrew Leber, VP of Hospitality at Bedrock. “The ROOST experience offers travelers and professionals a long-term accommodation option with all of the amenities of home, while placing them in the heart of downtown Detroit, just steps from numerous restaurants, entertainment, and shopping destinations.”
Acquired by Bedrock in 2015, the revitalization of the 486,760 square-foot Book Tower is one of the most significant historic rehabilitation projects ever undertaken in Detroit.
New York-based architecture firm ODA is leading the historic renovation and interior design of Book Tower. Morris Adjmi Architects, who has designed all prior ROOST properties, is designing the custom furniture for the ROOST units at Book Tower.
ROOST Book Tower is just one component of the overall Book Tower development, which will feature an additional 229 residential units (managed separately from ROOST), 85,000 square feet of retail and office space, two restaurants, a hotel lobby bar and lounge, a bread and pastry bakery, and a rooftop event space with sweeping views of the city.
Since its founding in 2011, Bedrock and its affiliates have invested and committed more than $5.6 billion to developing and restoring more than 100 properties in Detroit and Cleveland.
Current projects include landmark developments at the Hudson’s Site, the Book Tower restoration, and City Modern, all in Detroit, and the May Company Building in Cleveland. Bedrock’s portfolio totals more than 18 million square feet of office, retail and residential space within new construction and adaptive reuse projects.
