Rendering courtesy of Bedrock.
Detroit Regional Chamber Statement on Redevelopment of Renaissance Center and Detroit Riverfront
November 25, 2024“Like the Detroit Lions, the City of Detroit has been on a winning streak that has made us ‘America’s City’ – a city that Americans, not only Detroiters, are proud of. Detroit is Michigan’s signature city, and the iconic Renaissance Center has made an indelible impression on our skyline. But the skyline is not the primary issue at hand; it is how we move forward. We can leverage our assets – such as the Detroit RiverWalk and Dan Gilbert’s personal investment, and plan for our continued growth – or retreat with negative consequences for Detroit and Michigan. For the Detroit Regional Chamber, there is no choice. We call upon Lansing to help realize the extraordinary partnership and philanthropic investment that is on the table.”
– Sandy K. Baruah, President and Chief Executive Officer, Detroit Regional Chamber
Learn more about Bedrock and General Motors’ vision for redevelopment of the Renaissance Center and the Detroit Riverfront in the news release below.
DETROIT – Bedrock and General Motors announce a conceptual plan to redevelop the Renaissance Center (RenCen) 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, drawing international visitors and featuring restaurants, hospitality, residential and market space—complementing 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 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.
Kofi Bonner, Chief Executive Officer of Bedrock, emphasized the Renaissance Center’s significance: “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.
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.”
A New Vision
The conceptual plan calls for the iconic property to be reinvented to serve the people of Michigan, drawing international tourism, and providing opportunities for growth and connectivity by:
- Creating a new pedestrian promenade connecting the heart of the city to the riverfront.
- Removing the low-rise base of the complex and the two office towers nearest the river, creating an inviting destination and reducing obsolete office space.
- Redeveloping three towers into a mix of hospitality and housing, preserving the essence of the skyline.
- 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,” said 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.
###
General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.
About Bedrock
Bedrock is a full-service real estate firm specializing in innovative city building strategies. Since its founding in 2011, Bedrock and its affiliates have invested and committed more than $7.5 billion to acquire, develop and operate more than 140 properties in Detroit and Cleveland with landmark developments at Hudson’s Detroit, Book Tower, City Modern, Tower City Center and the May Company Building.
Bedrock’s projects include new construction, adaptive reuse and a portfolio totaling more than 21 million square feet of office, retail, residential, industrial, hospitality and parking.
For additional information about Bedrock, please visit bedrockdetroit.com or engage with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.