New Entrances to Towers 500 and 600.

**French777** · July-13-11, 11:19 AM

Does anyone have any pictures or information about the reconstruction of the Ren Cen towers 500 and 600's entrances.

From today's Free Press

"Among other future moves, BCBSM employees will begin moving into the RenCen Tower 600 in February 2012. Meanwhile, crews continue to construct a new entrance along Jefferson Avenue to Towers 500 and 600."

http://www.freep.com/article/2011071...text|FRONTPAGE

**cramerro** · July-13-11, 02:30 PM

Right now it's all torn up - everything has been removed down to below street level. I haven't seen any renderings/plans of what it will look like when it's done so far. Right now the only way to use the 'front' door is from the east [[St. Antonie).

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · July-13-11, 03:03 PM

So Tower 500 has gone from 0% occupancy to 100%. Sure can't beat that!

**RedeemerKid** · July-13-11, 03:17 PM

That torn up entry is right by a business called Gourmet Deli. That torn up entry is right where shuttle buses used to drop off people from nearby commuter lots, where they would then walk right into Gourmet Deli for coffee or breakfast items. Since the entry has been closed for construction, the shuttle buses drop commuters off at the main entrance between towers 100 and 200.

Gourmet Deli has lost a lot of foot traffic because of that, but are enjoying the benefits of Tower 500 being so full. When that entry is re-opened, they'll have the most prime retail spot in the Ren Cen.

Good hard working people in there. Hope they thrive!

**artds** · July-13-11, 03:39 PM

Isn't there like a 2 or 3-level parking structure that separates towers 500 and 600 from Jefferson?

It makes me wonder if there's even the option to build anything much more elaborate than a simple covered or enclosed walkway

**Gistok** · July-13-11, 06:28 PM

artds.... I think that parking structure is behind the towers... on the Atwater St. side...

**One Shot** · July-13-11, 11:09 PM

Would like to see some old pics of the original layout-"fortress".
What about the concept with all the cylinder shapes around the base?

**Scottathew** · July-14-11, 01:44 AM

Originally Posted by DetroiterOnTheWestCoast

So Tower 500 has gone from 0% occupancy to 100%. Sure can't beat that!

Yup! Detroit is coming back. Baby steps. althought a fully occupied Tower 500 is more than just a baby step.

**RedeemerKid** · July-14-11, 07:05 AM

Originally Posted by Gistok

artds.... I think that parking structure is behind the towers... on the Atwater St. side...

Correct, as illustrated here:

http://www.gmrencen.com/Directions/M...2/Default.aspx

Except there is actually another structure not visible on this schematic that sits between the Beaubien structure Place and Tower 600.

**gnome** · July-14-11, 09:27 AM

There is also a garage under both 500 and 600. This garage extends out and under the Jefferson entrance which results in a slight elevation between the sidewalk and the building. Hence there is both a visual and physical barrier to the building. I do not know if the new entrance will remove part of that underground garage and therefore make the 5/600 tower entrance mirror the main RenCen entrance, but it sounds like a good idea.

**cramerro** · July-14-11, 10:12 AM

Originally Posted by artds

Isn't there like a 2 or 3-level parking structure that separates towers 500 and 600 from Jefferson?

It makes me wonder if there's even the option to build anything much more elaborate than a simple covered or enclosed walkway

In addition to "Port Atwater" parking deck in between Beaubien Place and the 500/600 towers, there is, in fact, a parking structure below towers 500 and 600 - the entrance is off Beaubien - passes only. However, the structure doesn't go past the footprint of the building toward Jefferson. It always seemed like it may have since the entrance loop was so 'built up' like everything else int he Ren Cen, but it was just an incline to rise up to the entrance level [[which sits atop the parking). You can see the wall of the underground deck now that it's all cleared away. So, anything goes out front - a clean canvas so to speak

.

**gnome** · July-14-11, 10:18 AM

C- I thought the garage extended beyond the footprint, thank you for the correction. I'll swing by today to check it out.

**lizaanne** · July-14-11, 12:42 PM

I worked in 500 Tower for years - was sad to leave. So many of my co-workers who worked in the burbs always crabbed when they had to go downtown for anything, but I really loved working there. I sat right at the windows and had the most awesome view right into Greek Town, and when I came in really early before dawn, I could watch the city wake up. It was so cool. Better than a riverside view any time. I'm glad to see the building occupied again, it's a good thing.

**artds** · July-14-11, 03:22 PM

Cramerro and Gnome know the structure I'm talking about that separates Towers 500 & 600 from Jefferson.

For everyone else, here are some images. So it sounds like this thing has been completely removed, yes?

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**Wintersmommy** · July-14-11, 04:44 PM

thats not so true...my office is in tower 500 and has been for about a year and a half now. there were others in the tower as well that just moved out in the last 6 months to make room for Blue Cross. But I assure you there were some of us here so not quite 0%

**BrushStart** · July-14-11, 05:24 PM

Thank goodness they got rid of that ridiculous 'thing' in front of the building. What an awful design. I can't even imagine what the designers were thinking when they thought it'd be a good idea to put a giant, obstructive, concrete car ramp right in front of the building's main entrance, then soften the appearance with a parking lot, and finally enclose the entire thing from the sidewalk with an uninviting steel fence. Truly, an award winning design in functionality, accessibility, and aesthetics. [[*sarcasm*)

**Wintersmommy** · July-14-11, 05:27 PM

Originally Posted by lizaanne

I worked in 500 Tower for years - was sad to leave. So many of my co-workers who worked in the burbs always crabbed when they had to go downtown for anything, but I really loved working there. I sat right at the windows and had the most awesome view right into Greek Town, and when I came in really early before dawn, I could watch the city wake up. It was so cool. Better than a riverside view any time. I'm glad to see the building occupied again, it's a good thing.

I love working here too...our kitchen faces the city side. I love to be the 1st one here with a cup of coffee sitting in the window watching the city, also love it at night with all the lights

**313rd** · July-14-11, 07:36 PM

Didn't that ramp at one point cross over Beaubien and connect to the main entrance?

**BrushStart** · July-14-11, 09:16 PM

You know, it really is a subtle distinction, but I think GM may have finally realized that cars are beautiful, but parking lots are not.

Simply because Americans love cars, does not mean we want to live a sea of parked ones. The world should be designed around people, not cars. We are the masters; the machines are the servants.

**Gistok** · July-14-11, 09:50 PM

Originally Posted by BrushStart

Thank goodness they got rid of that ridiculous 'thing' in front of the building. What an awful design. I can't even imagine what the designers were thinking when they thought it'd be a good idea to put a giant, obstructive, concrete car ramp right in front of the building's main entrance, then soften the appearance with a parking lot, and finally enclose the entire thing from the sidewalk with an uninviting steel fence. Truly, an award winning design in functionality, accessibility, and aesthetics. [[*sarcasm*)

As 313rd was pointing out... that ramp once crossed over Beaubien [[which slopes downward from Jefferson) and connected with the elevated ramp between the main RenCen Towers and the berms in front of it. It's the last survivor of that removal process.... and was never a stand alone ramp.

At one time you could go around 3 of the 4 sides of the RenCen on that elevated roadway.

**KarmicCurse** · July-15-11, 03:03 AM

Originally Posted by BrushStart

Thank goodness they got rid of that ridiculous 'thing' in front of the building. What an awful design. I can't even imagine what the designers were thinking when they thought it'd be a good idea to put a giant, obstructive, concrete car ramp right in front of the building's main entrance, then soften the appearance with a parking lot, and finally enclose the entire thing from the sidewalk with an uninviting steel fence. Truly, an award winning design in functionality, accessibility, and aesthetics. [[*sarcasm*)

When you spell it out like that it seems even more absurd.

Had I submitted such a ferociously anti-urban design like that when I was in architecture school, the instructors would have cut me down early. I don't know how this passed in real life, unless the goal really was to make suburbanites who worked within feel safe and cut off from the city.

**cramerro** · July-15-11, 07:29 AM

Originally Posted by artds

Cramerro and Gnome know the structure I'm talking about that separates Towers 500 & 600 from Jefferson.

For everyone else, here are some images. So it sounds like this thing has been completely removed, yes?

Everything is totally removed. You can walk on the sidewalk from St Antoine to the front door, that's it - everything else is dirt.

What a difference the redesign of the front of the Ren Cen makes. It's still mostly self-contained, but with the new GM front treatment, removal of the berms, plantings in Jefferson median, and closing Brush in favor of a crosswalk is night and day difference. I've used that crosswalk several times in the last month and there are always a group of people crossing with me.

**stinkytofu** · July-15-11, 08:41 AM

I would love for there to be a much more pedestrian-friendly crossing on the south side of Jefferson right where you enter the Windsor Tunnel. There is no crossing there and the road is rippled as well - making it pretty dangerous if you're walking from Hart Plaza to the RenCen.

**RedeemerKid** · July-15-11, 09:58 AM

Originally Posted by stinkytofu

I would love for there to be a much more pedestrian-friendly crossing on the south side of Jefferson right where you enter the Windsor Tunnel. There is no crossing there and the road is rippled as well - making it pretty dangerous if you're walking from Hart Plaza to the RenCen.

It's apparently more dangerous if you are in a wheelchair.

http://detnews.com/article/20110623/...4-despite-cops

**cramerro** · July-15-11, 10:33 AM

I just avoid that intersection. There's so much turning traffic, the mid-block/Brush crossing or the habitrail tube in between Randolph and Brush are good options that aren't too far out of the way. It would be really nice if they could add a 'median island' ped refuge in the tunnel driveway - that is a long way to cross with so much traffic turning on red - almost impossible to cross.