RUMOR: Dan Gibert to buy One Woodward Avenue

**hybridy** · September-07-12, 10:00 AM

Facts

Design by Minoru Yamasaki, One Woodward was his first skyscraper, and the precursor to the World Trade Center Towers
Each floor is 15,000 square feet in area.
When completed, this was the tallest all-welded steel frame in the world.
This building has a strong presence in the Civic Center area. The architect varied the stern Miesian International Style formula with the use of white marble, precast concrete panels, and lacy vertical grillwork.
The recessed glass lobby rises to a height of 25 feet, and creates a small plaza around the base which includes public art.
Floors 27 and 28 are entirely mechanical, and the building is topped with a prominent mechanical penthouse that includes 4 more floors that also serves as an architectural rooftop element which can be lit different colors by night.

Yamaski Associates closed their doors at the end of 2009. Oakland County took control of the firm's archives and tried to shred them for security reasons. Thankfully, the Michigan History Foundation stepped in to save the archives.
http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...OG04/120909947

**Scottathew** · September-07-12, 10:12 AM

Gilbert has a track record of buying buildings, renovating, and then filling them with jobs. I hope this rumor is true!

He's got quite the CBD empire going. With all the extra people from Quicken\Title Source\BCBS\GM downtown has REALLY picked up the last few years with ancillary businesses opening up in response.

**Gannon** · September-07-12, 11:05 AM

Ooh, how's this gonna look lit up in neon rainbows?

Maybe they can make it pulse-flash like a huge strobe! Windsorites would LOVE that.

Bye-Bye white marble. Too pedestrian for the modern eclectic design palate.

Hope his wife likes the statue. She's going to leave the Spirit without a playmate if she makes Dan take it away.

**Flintoid** · September-07-12, 12:00 PM

I really hope this happens. It would be AWESOME for downtown. And Dan Gilbert really is in need of more real estate. These are the occupancy rates of the office buildings he owns:

M@dison Building: 100%
Chase Tower: 100%
First National Building: 93%
Chrysler House: 92%
source:http://www.positivedetroit.net/2012/...impact-on.html
The old Federal Bank building is still seeking a tenant, but is really suited for just one tenant alone
The smaller spaces up on Woodward by the Broderick Tower are great for small companies [[as Sasche Construction has proven by moving there) but couldn't hold someone like a Title Source LLC that needed 10 floors in First National.

With occupancy numbers like that, Gilbert really needs more real estate if he is going to attract more large companies Downtown. Can't wait to see an OFFICIAL press release confirming this

**Islandman** · September-07-12, 12:02 PM

Why did they try to shred the archives for security reasons?

**Wheels** · September-07-12, 12:05 PM

Whats Gilbert trying to do, kill the suburbs?

**Gannon** · September-07-12, 12:12 PM

Originally Posted by Islandman

Why did they try to shred the archives for security reasons?

9/11, remember it?

They sealed up all documentation on sewer systems, power distribution, gas lines and the like as well...except, of course, for what MikeM has in his library.

**Richard** · September-07-12, 12:19 PM

Originally Posted by Wheels

Whats Gilbert trying to do, kill the suburbs?

Naw they need those for the anybody over thirty and a place to move the undesirables that do not fit into the mold ,they have to live somewhere.

**Danny** · September-07-12, 12:25 PM

Originally Posted by Wheels

Whats Gilbert trying to do, kill the suburbs?

Yes, Gilbert sought that the suburbs are getting too boring and too quiet to start his real estate and regional ventures. He choose Detroit because he believed that the almost failing city could need capital help. He knows what risks he took to bring over 2,000 employees to Detroit. Gilbert has Downtown Detroit all planned into his liking. Within 30 years Downtown Detroit [[or should I say Glibertown) will be ready to be yuppified, busting with glass covered skyscrapers and exotic retail department stores that would reach beyond the clouds. It would rival Chicago, Toronto and New York City combine. Gibert is the Donald Trump of Detroit and I have appaud his quick development.

**Gannon** · September-07-12, 12:28 PM

Gilbertown.

Best thing you've ever posted, Danny. Thanks for the grin.

**artds** · September-07-12, 12:42 PM

Originally Posted by Gannon

Ooh, how's this gonna look lit up in neon rainbows?

Maybe they can make it pulse-flash like a huge strobe! Windsorites would LOVE that.

Bye-Bye white marble. Too pedestrian for the modern eclectic design palate.

Hope his wife likes the statue. She's going to leave the Spirit without a playmate if she makes Dan take it away.

lol they already light that building up in neon rainbows. do you even live in Detroit, dude?

**Gannon** · September-07-12, 01:32 PM

Originally Posted by artds

lol they already light that building up in neon rainbows. do you even live in Detroit, dude?

They do the TOP of the usurper to the ONE Woodward title...the neo-Gothic thing across the street. This is the mini-WTC at the corner, and NO...it doesn't yet get lit up...although the firm that helped animate the RenCen is within it.

I live 1.5 blocks just outside the city...but am at that intersection very, very often at all times of the day and night. LOL...

Cheers

**townonenorth** · September-07-12, 03:39 PM

Originally Posted by Gannon

They do the TOP of the usurper to the ONE Woodward title...the neo-Gothic thing across the street. This is the mini-WTC at the corner, and NO...it doesn't yet get lit up...although the firm that helped animate the RenCen is within it.

I live 1.5 blocks just outside the city...but am at that intersection very, very often at all times of the day and night. LOL...

Cheers

Yeah, right. I have a more modern example, but this was more illustrative.

**Gannon** · September-07-12, 03:56 PM

Pretty cool...was that back when it was the ANR or Gas building?

It looks so LONELY in that skyline...amazing how it has grown over the years...only two major additions really make a difference at that angle.

Still don't see no rainbow...

**Gannon** · September-07-12, 03:59 PM

And it that the VINTON lit up like Christmas behind it?! Whoa...

**mikeg19** · September-07-12, 04:43 PM

That view almost makes me wanna relocate to Windsor

**Guideboat** · September-07-12, 04:49 PM

Originally Posted by Gannon

Pretty cool...was that back when it was the ANR or Gas building?

I'm going to guess that it is the Gas Building with a blue flame on top.

**townonenorth** · September-07-12, 07:31 PM

Originally Posted by Gannon

Pretty cool...was that back when it was the ANR or Gas building?

It looks so LONELY in that skyline...amazing how it has grown over the years...only two major additions really make a difference at that angle.

Still don't see no rainbow...

At the Freedom festival , was lit red white, and blue. Christmas, red and green. Pretty much the extent of lights there.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/waltpix/5779060590/

**grumpyoldlady** · September-08-12, 12:38 AM

I worked at One Woodward for the better part of 20 years. I've been from the very bottom all the way to the roof in places most people never get to go. It has/had a vertical mail conveyor that would drop off baskets of mail on each floor, but it was always malfunctioning due to people overloading the baskets and them tipping over. There's probably STILL mail stuck in the shaft. I was allowed access to the roof very early one winter morning after an ice storm. We went up to take pictures for our company magazine. When we stepped through the door onto the roof, it was like a skating rink. Even with the high ledge all the way around, I still was scared silly. I was sorry when they converted the Top O' The Flame [[26th floor) into more office space. 25th floor continued to be the senior executive offices for Mich Con and later ANR. There was a metal sculpture that to me looked like the fuzzy top of a dandelion in the 25th floor lobby. Once when there was a minor earthquake, the receptionist told me that sculpture had really been shaking and rattling.Driving UP the ramp from the basement executive parking area was quite an experience...it is VERY steep.Up to a certain floor...at least the 14th...some of the long windows were designed to be kicked out and used as an emergency exit to a fire ladder should the need arise. These windows were/are marked with a red circle sticker at the bottom. Once, an employee had guests into the office to watch the fireworks, and someone kicked one of these windows and it fell to the marble below. Fortunately nobody was injured.

**Gannon** · September-08-12, 12:47 AM

Originally Posted by grumpyoldlady

I worked at One Woodward for the better part of 20 years. I've been from the very bottom all the way to the roof in places most people never get to go. It has/had a vertical mail conveyor that would drop off baskets of mail on each floor, but it was always malfunctioning due to people overloading the baskets and them tipping over. There's probably STILL mail stuck in the shaft. I was allowed access to the roof very early one winter morning after an ice storm. We went up to take pictures for our company magazine. When we stepped through the door onto the roof, it was like a skating rink. Even with the high ledge all the way around, I still was scared silly. I was sorry when they converted the Top O' The Flame [[26th floor) into more office space. 25th floor continued to be the senior executive offices for Mich Con and later ANR. There was a metal sculpture that to me looked like the fuzzy top of a dandelion in the 25th floor lobby. Once when there was a minor earthquake, the receptionist told me that sculpture had really been shaking and rattling.Driving UP the ramp from the basement executive parking area was quite an experience...it is VERY steep.Up to a certain floor...at least the 14th...some of the long windows were designed to be kicked out and used as an emergency exit to a fire ladder should the need arise. These windows were/are marked with a red circle sticker at the bottom. Once, an employee had guests into the office to watch the fireworks, and someone kicked one of these windows and it fell to the marble below. Fortunately nobody was injured.

Fabulous post, Grump! Wow.

Ever see it lit up like a rainbow?! LOL...

Actually, the Red, White, and Blue technically is one...since all of the colors could be derived from it. Damn. OK, so I was wrong!

Cheers

**RaumVogel** · September-08-12, 09:21 AM

Building always reminded me of this movie.

**mikeg19** · September-08-12, 01:02 PM

If those occupancy numbers are accurate or close to, that's pretty impressive. Now if we can only get him to buy the book tower. Too bad it doesn't fit the description of buildings he typically purchases.

**mjb3** · September-08-12, 01:37 PM

Is this the old Madden bldg??

**Gistok** · September-08-12, 04:51 PM

No... next door... it's the former ANR Building which was the former Gas Building... which has an [[now unused) skywalk connecting it to the Guardian Building on the 19th [[or so) floor.

**Flintoid** · September-09-12, 12:49 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

No... next door... it's the former ANR Building which was the former Gas Building... which has an [[now unused) skywalk connecting it to the Guardian Building on the 19th [[or so) floor.

Does the purchase of this building also include the unused skywalk? I know for a while a guy has wanted to turn that skywalk into a bar [[which I think would be awesome!) and Dan Gilbert seems like just the kind of building owner who would support that 100%.