David Whitney Building Renovation [Now Open for Business]

[1953]

Walked by this evening...they were hanging an iPad advertisement.

[EL Jimbo]

Walked by this evening...they were hanging an iPad advertisement.

Apple Store?

[Dexlin]

Does a Chrysler ad on the side of the 1001 mean that some dealership is opening on the ground floor? Some buildings have ad space on them; it's really simple as that.

[gthomas]

Was riding my bike through Downtown lastnite and notice them putting a huge Iphone billboard up over the frontage of the building and a smaller banner showing concept called "The David Whitney" coming 2013. It showed a picture and some words describing it. Surprise no one discuss this..?

[EZZ]

Is this the right Whitney building or do you mean the Whitney on Woodward?

[gthomas]

Yes, that's the building.

[gthomas]

Also, I've notice atleast 4 " Apple products" banner downtown. Are they advertising to have a major prescence here downtown? Do they have a contract or something with the city?

[drjeff]

There's been some small scale work going on at the David Whitney for awhile, according to a friend who knows the owners. Just this morning there were guys working on something on the exterior as I drove by. I assume the financials are still being completed before the big work begins but I am very excited about having the Broderick and Whitney back in business in the next couple of years.

[Danny]

We need more proof!

[buckster1986]

Snapped a picture the last time I was down there....

http://woodwardspine.com/2011/11/16/...ad-in-detroit/

[animatedmartian]

Woah...well...nothing tacky about that!

[Designerguy24]

According the the free press article the Starwood group is putting the Aloft line name on the hotel it should open in late 2013 to early 2014 very exciting! http://ow.ly/7Wllv

[Genesyxx]

Got it just before I did!

But this is great news. I loved the building for the short time I remember it being open. [[I'm a youngling) Hopefully this will spur retail on Woodward and FINALLY get the nearby theatre and vacant parcels to kick up some dirt.

[Designerguy24]

If that happened it would be a dream! and with Dan Gilbert buying the old Lane Bryant and other buildings down there maybe this time something can REALLY happen on Woodward Lets hope! I am a young 30 year old that wants to see Detroit back to it's glory days!!

[mikefmich]

Keeps fingers crossed.

My first pediatrician as a kid was at the Whitney Bldg.....like a ton of other medical professionals of that era. I'd love to see that place get cooking again.

[casscorridor]

Good to see a landmark redeveloped. I hope the multi-level atrium will stay all commercial/retail. Hopefully the Broderick + Whitney will act as a catalyst for for retail on lower Woodward and adjacent streets. Perhaps the third David [[Stott), will be redeveloped as well.

[stinkytofu]

Oh man, this has the potential to be so cool. The interior of the David Whitney is already awesome - and if they do a great job of making the atrium area a nice mix of preserving the history while giving it a cool, hip vibe...that place will be the place to go get drinks/hangout. I'm really excited to see how this works out.

[ProudMidwesterner]

Awesome; I'm glad to see concrete development plans for another grand pre-war skyscraper. Now for the Book...

[Scottathew]

I'm hoping to see Woodward fully-functional between Grand Circus and Jefferson before the end of the decade. That's a little optimistic, but I think it's possible.

[dtowncitylover]

...and with Dan Gilbert buying the old Lane Bryant...

He did?! It was my dream to buy that building, glad it has been bought by someone credible.

[313rd]

As positive as this sounds, financing is still NOT in place and we all now how long it can take to get financing!

Still needed for the project to move forward are final approval of historic tax credits and other financing sources.

David DiRita of the Roxbury Group, the Detroit-based development company heading up the project, said if other financing falls into place then construction could begin in the first half of 2012, with the reopening of the building sometime in late 2013 or 2014

[ghettopalmetto]

This is most excellent news!!!

My only question is, where are all the naysayers that told us such a "dinosaur" of a building was outdated, and could never be renovated to modern usage?

[Gistok]

Well I think the naysayers are all out at the malls... but I do worry about one thing...

Back when the People Mover first opened there was a stop that let you off inside the David Whitney Building [[while it was still at least partly occupied). This spurred some shops and art galleries to open up in the 4 story atrium area. Well that didn't last too long, and before the end of the century, the last of the retailers was gone. The only one there was Pure Detroit that had a tiny Woodward facing store that could be entered from the outside of the DW Building. That was when the building went empty and dark, and if I recall Pure Detroit operated with a generator in their tiny space for a while.

Now today we have issues with all the empty store fronts on Woodward between Campus Martius and GCP. I do hope that with the opening of the Broderick Tower and Whitney Buildings [[and Madison Building), that there is enough foot traffic to help the street retailers, as well as any retailers that open up in the the Whitney atrium, or off the Broderick lobby.

Also... they need to reopen the inside entrance to the People Mover....

[Flintoid]

If this project gets finished [[pending final approval of course, knock on wood) the old thought of Grand Circus Park being a skyscraper graveyard seems almost comical.Within the last 15 years we have seen redevelopment of the Kales, Grand Park Centre, 2 new stadiums, all the activity on Park Ave, the Opera House reopen, the redevelopments that led to the Beer Co. Small Plates, and 1515, and now the Madison Building and the Broderick Tower. More work to be done, but amazing progress from where we were!

[canuck]

That is good news for retailers wanting to make a move into the area.