Think 313

Overview of construction projects in Downtown Detroit, shown in red.

The city of Detroit is enjoying a construction boom right now, especially in Midtown and Brush Park. But Downtown Detroit is undergoing its own transformation, including new hotels, apartments, and office buildings. Let’s check out the biggest construction projects below.

Monroe Blocks

A 35-story office building and 482 new residential units spread across multiple buildings will be constructed in the mostly vacant blocks adjacent to Campus Martius. Groundbreaking is expected to begin at the end of this year and is supposed to be completed in 2022. After demolishing the two buildings at 1000 Farmer Street and 815 Bates Street, the National Theatre will be the only remaining structure on the construction site. While there has been much discussion over whether or not the theatre’s facade will be maintained and integrated into the Monroe Blocks project, no official comment has yet been made by Bedrock LLC.

Detroit City Club Apartments

The 288-unit apartment building will feature units between 400 and 1,700 square feet, a theater, a restaurant, outdoor terraces, a pet shop, and a market. Sitting on the site of the former Statler Hotel, City Club Apartments is set to open in November.

Little Caesars World Headquarters

The nine-story building on Woodward Avenue between The Fillmore and the Fox theaters is in the later stages of construction, and it will hold 700 Little Caesars employees once it opens. The pizza chain is installing 102 14-foot pizza-slice-shaped windows, each weighing 1,000 pounds, on the front of the building.

Rendering of Hudson’s Site development. Courtesy of Bedrock Detroit.

Hudson’s Site

A million square feet of retail, office, residential, and public space will fit in what will be the tallest building in Michigan. The 800-foot tower will contain 330-450 residential units and a skydeck with the best view of the city and surrounding areas. A market and office space will anchor the smaller building, and over 700 parking spaces will be underground.

Fail Jail

Crain’s Detroit reports that demolition on the unfinished jail will continue throughout the summer and into the fall and will require both above- and belowground work. Although there are no official reports on what will be constructed on the 15-acre site, it’s safe to assume based on Gilbert’s past projects that a mixed-use development containing residential units, restaurants, and retail space will be present.

Joe Louis Arena and Parking Structure

The City of Detroit must demolish the arena, and crews will begin at the beginning of next year. The 9-acre site sits crammed between the Cobo Center, the Detroit River, the Lodge Freeway, and the Lodge exit ramps. Nevertheless, the location is still valuable riverfront property in a city that is developing fast. Possible redevelopment ideas include “a 24-story residential tower, an expansion of Cobo Center and parking with about 2,000-4,000 spaces.” The city is also trying to create a more open framework for the area, and they’ve thrown out the idea of demolishing the Exit 1A ramp from the Lodge Freeway, the Cobo parking ramp on Congress Street, and the parking garage pedestrian tubes that connect to Cobo. The city also hopes to reinstate the street grid and build more pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly infrastructure.

Chemical Bank Headquarters

Chemical Bank announced it’s moving its headquarters to Downtown Detroit. Michigan’s largest bank will build a 20-story tower at 2047 Woodward Avenue, just across the street from The Fillmore theatre, and will create 500 jobs in the city. The building will contain retail space and parking as well as offices for the bank. Chemical Bank was founded in Midland, Michigan in 1917. The bank will retain all of its staff in its Midland location, and they will expand the current downtown office at 333 Fort Street until they complete the new headquarters. The new building is expected to be 400,000 square feet in size and may even include luxury condominiums. Not much is known at the moment, but check back for more updates as they roll in.

Shinola Hotel

The Shinola Hotel spans eight floors, 130 rooms, and 16,000 square feet of food, beverage, and retail space. The building at 1400 Woodward and the Singer Building are being renovated, and new buildings on Woodward Avenue and Farmer Street are currently under construction. The boutique hotel is slated to open later this year.