GM to keep up to 5,000 at Ren Cen

[texorama]

Don't know if it will or not, but the most recent rash of closings may have been due to all the rumors of departures. The Wintergarden area was originally envisioned as a destination, not just a convenience for people who work in the building. If it could reach a critical mass I think it could be an asset to downtown.

[MotownSpartan]

Don't know if it will or not, but the most recent rash of closings may have been due to all the rumors of departures. The Wintergarden area was originally envisioned as a destination, not just a convenience for people who work in the building. If it could reach a critical mass I think it could be an asset to downtown.

Maybe so but the RenCen is so seperated from the rest of downtown it's really hard to imagine it ever becoming a destination. The average downtown worker would have to drive to the RenCen, park, get out, get into the RenCen, find the store[[s) they're looking for, then go back out to their car, etc. That's a very time-consuming process. Either that or they could take the People Mover, but then they will have to take it back to their car [[where ever it's parked downtown), a very time consuming process. Most office workers downtown probably live in the suburbs or Detroit neighborhoods where shopping is much more "convenient" [[from the perspective of a person who is locked into the automobile as their primary form of transportation). It's also very confusing to get around on the interior, even for people who are familiar with the building. GM did a lot of good by creating the Wintergarden and opening up the RenCen but it's still not as open as it could've been [[had been designed to be open from the start).

That being said, I would love to see the RenCen become more of a destination and attract more office workers.