Bedrock: Hudson’s Site Tower Won’t Be Tallest In The State
February 5, 2020The Detroit News
Ian Thibodeau
Detroit — Dan Gilbert’s real estate arm, Bedrock LLC, is no longer planning on making the forthcoming Hudson’s site tower in the downtown the tallest building in the state.
The company confirmed Wednesday what Bedrock officials hinted at in August when giving an update of the site plan.
The original plans called for the $1 billion, 1.4 million-square-foot mixed-use development on the former Hudson’s site to be the tallest building in Michigan at around 912 feet tall. The development was set to be completed in 2022, which has since been pushed back to 2023.
The tallest building in Michigan is General Motors Co.’s Renaissance Center, which stands at 727 feet.
Bedrock CEO Matt Cullen confirmed the height reduction following an appearance at the Detroit Policy Conference on Wednesday, Crain’s Detroit Business reported. Bedrock spokeswoman Gabrielle Poshadlo confirmed the current plans won’t make the building the tallest in Michigan.
“I should reiterate that our focus isn’t on being the tallest,” Poshadlo said. “It’s on making it the most iconic development it can be.”
Bedrock has not revealed what the final height will be. The news comes roughly six months after Bedrock scrapped plans for an observation deck.
The company broke ground on the project in 2017. It’s expected to house a hotel, retail and other mixed-use space. In May 2018, Bedrock won approval for $618 million in tax incentives for the Hudson’s site and other downtown projects.
Cullen on Wednesday also addressed the continuing recovery of Gilbert, who is founder and chairman of Rock Ventures and founder and chairman of Quicken Loans. Gilbert suffered a severe stroke last May.
“He’s getting out to the office a lot more,” Cullen said. “He’s still making all the big decisions.”
“The next decade will reflect his continued involvement at the same level,” Cullen said, “and I think we’re going to all be better for that.”