Construction begins on future AC Hotel in Midtown Detroit

**Airforceguy** · June-08-23, 06:46 PM

Construction begins on future AC Hotel in Midtown Detroit

Construction has begun on a long-awaited 154-room Marriott International AC Hotel in Midtown Detroit that will incorporate the historic Bonstelle Theatre as a bar and event space.

Developer Roxbury Group announced Thursday that work on the new 10-story building is officially underway and could finish in the fourth quarter of 2024. The AC Hotel was first announced in early 2020, on the eve of COVID-19, and construction was subsequently delayed by the pandemic and its effect on the travel and hotel industries.

AC Hotel is a mid- and upper-level, European-inspired brand that began in Spain and has been owned by Marriott since 2011. The Midtown location will be the second AC Hotel in Michigan after Grand Rapids.
https://www.freep.com/story/money/bu...t/70303244007/

**Gistok** · June-08-23, 08:22 PM

Great to hear that things are finally happening!!

Does anyone have any photos of the interior of the Bonstelle? All I can find in Google searches are images of the interior of when it was the old Temple Beth El. I have never been inside it, but I do know that C. Howard Crane was involved with turning it from a Jewish Temple to a playhouse/theatre.

**ptero** · June-09-23, 07:22 AM

I enjoy that they are removing the added front to expose the original pillars and steps that had been enclosed.

**royce** · June-09-23, 02:36 PM

Great to see this development coming to fruition. I must say that the footprint looks tight to get the hotel and atrium area between the hotel and the Bonstelle developed. I guess I'll just have to wait and see how they do it. BTW, what does "AC" stand for?

**kuuma** · June-09-23, 02:53 PM

Originally Posted by royce

Great to see this development coming to fruition. I must say that the footprint looks tight to get the hotel and atrium area between the hotel and the Bonstelle developed. I guess I'll just have to wait and see how they do it. BTW, what does "AC" stand for?

agreed, it's a low key design but that integrated ground floor is gonna be so cool on the inside. recent articles just call it a "conservatory" but is this glass space going to be outfitted another performance space, or a restaurant or something? i mean event if it's literal conservatory i.e. a humid space full of tropical plants that would be awesome too.

**Jimaz** · June-09-23, 03:22 PM

Originally Posted by royce

... BTW, what does "AC" stand for?

"Antonio Catalan, AC Hotels Founder" I had to google it.

**401don** · June-09-23, 03:43 PM

Originally Posted by Jimaz

"Antonio Catalan, AC Hotels Founder" I had to google it.

How could you not know? Marriott only has 30 brands.

They have niches between their niches.

**Jimaz** · June-09-23, 03:49 PM

Originally Posted by 401don

... They have niches between their niches.

They better get that looked at. Sounds contagious.

**southen** · June-09-23, 04:03 PM

I am hoping this might be a tipping point for this part of town and have other developers, cough-cough The Mid cough-cough, finally make some moves for hotels and larger residential developments north of downtown. This is what you hoped that the Q-Line would eventually spur along Woodward.

**Satiricalivory** · June-09-23, 04:46 PM

Absolutely ridiculous how long this took to break ground.

**Gistok** · June-09-23, 05:43 PM

Originally Posted by Satiricalivory

Absolutely ridiculous how long this took to break ground.

Nothing compares to the ridiculous amount of time that the Ilitches have been working on the Detroit Life Building behind the Fox... they've been at it for 20 years... on and off... and it's still not done...

**Zacha341** · June-10-23, 05:23 AM

^ Ridiculous indeed! I guess they're keeping it heated during the winter?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/71288712@N00/440359515/

**Danny** · June-10-23, 05:32 PM

I see the construction and I believe it.

**Hypestyles** · June-10-23, 10:07 PM

hope they have great breakfasts.

**stinkytofu** · June-12-23, 11:35 AM

Hmmm...someone with better memory can chime in, but I think some new fence signs popped up in last couple days where the City Club is supposed to be basically advertising the project. Maybe a sign construction may finally start soon?

**Gistok** · June-18-23, 03:57 PM

Well I had never been inside of the Bonstelle before, and most of the images online are historic [Albert Kahn] interior shots. So when I had a discussion with Dan Austin... it was kind of depressing...

For folks who will be staying at AC Hotel when it is finished, may experience some disappointment after they drive by and get their first impression. When they restore Albert Kahn's former synagogue facade to something like it was during the Temple Beth-El era... that will likely pretty much be all the historic detailing they may get!

When C. Howard Crane remodeled the building [adding a stage house and dressing rooms in back], he also pretty much destroyed the historic rotunda interior of the fancy former synagogue [think old Mayanesque Fisher Theatre vs. new brass & teak very dated modern Fisher Theatre].

The original Kahn design had a very elegant dome with intricate glass skylight. I'm sure none of that will be recreated, nor will the fancy paneled walls get restored. I think that just a relatively underwhelming drop ceiling interior is all that will be available, although it will be interesting to see what KDG architects will do.

Yes the facade will be much improved, but the inside will be [I believe] just ho-hum. It will be as though someone took Rome's world famous rotunda Pantheon, and inserted a drop ceiling!

**401don** · June-18-23, 05:45 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

Well I had never been inside of the Bonstelle before, and most of the images online are historic [Albert Kahn] interior shots. So when I had a discussion with Dan Austin... it was kind of depressing...

For folks who will be staying at AC Hotel when it is finished, may experience some disappointment after they drive by and get their first impression. When they restore Albert Kahn's former synagogue facade to something like it was during the Temple Beth-El era... that will likely pretty much be all the historic detailing they may get!

When C. Howard Crane remodeled the building [adding a stage house and dressing rooms in back], he also pretty much destroyed the historic rotunda interior of the fancy former synagogue [think old Mayanesque Fisher Theatre vs. new brass & teak very dated modern Fisher Theatre].

The original Kahn design had a very elegant dome with intricate glass skylight. I'm sure none of that will be recreated, nor will the fancy paneled walls get restored. I think that just a relatively underwhelming drop ceiling interior is all that will be available, although it will be interesting to see what KDG architects will do.

Yes the facade will be much improved, but the inside will be [I believe] just ho-hum...

Kind of like the Book Cadillac. Can they get historic credits for just restoring the facade?

**stasu1213** · June-20-23, 07:26 AM

Crickets ate still being heard on the Cityplace construction site next to it.

**Gistok** · November-26-23, 05:20 PM

Well the AC Hotel development is underway... the facade of the former Bonstelle Theatre is finally being restored by the removal of the later facade addition. If you look at the images on my Post #16, the interior will be a disappointment, and any subdivision of that space will not receive an outcry. These 2 images are from a 3 day old Facebook discussion...

**Richard** · November-26-23, 05:50 PM

^ it’s another example of the architecture in Detroit was on a world scale,I still think the entire city needs to be declared a National Architectural heritage site .

What happened to pnh?

**stasu1213** · November-27-23, 07:12 AM

Originally Posted by Richard

^ it’s another example of the architecture in Detroit was on a world scale,I still think the entire city needs to be declared a National Architectural heritage site .

What happened to pnh?

If that is done then greedy developers can't get their hands on areas of interest. They will lobby the elected officials not to sign that idea into law

**stasu1213** · November-27-23, 07:15 AM

Still crickets being heard at the Target site almost 3 years after announcing there would be a store in Midtown. Maybe Dan Gilbert need to come to the rescue and allow Target to open in one of his properties

**JonWylie** · November-27-23, 12:46 PM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

Still crickets being heard at the Target site almost 3 years after announcing there would be a store in Midtown. Maybe Dan Gilbert need to come to the rescue and allow Target to open in one of his properties

This thread isn't about that project, which is probably why there isn't any talk about it.