The Book Tower Restoration Project

**Atticus** · September-05-19, 06:12 PM

Originally Posted by Metro25

I'm a little confused about the orientation of the atrium. It's going to have natural light so this must be wedged in the middle of the midrise portion. but then the elevators are right on the narrow side which means they could only be possible in that position if they're for the tower, yes? The book tower elevators directly face the south wall?

Oh and yeah this looks amazing pure Detroit grandiosity!

If you look really closely in the satellite view of Google maps, you can see where it is.

Basically, the midrise building [[not the tower) is built in the shape of a capital letter “H” if looking at down from the sky. The atrium is located in the upper gap of the “H”. The elevators are in the horizontal part of the “H”. Thus, the elevators are for the midrise, and the atrium runs north-south with the elevators shown on the south side of the atrium.

**NSortzi** · September-05-19, 06:17 PM

Seeing the atrium in person is going to be amazing. I can’t wait.

**Gistok** · September-05-19, 06:19 PM

I think that the Free Press article is very misleading.

There is the Book Building... and the Book Tower. Well they're call it the Book Tower as one complex... but the oval rotunda skylight area is within the 17 story Book Building, and not the 38 story portion known as the Book Tower.

So the spacious lobby of the Book Building is larger than the lobby of the Book Tower. That article doesn't help... and neither does a Google search.

It would have made more sense if they showed us the 2 lobbies separately. I'm not even sure if they showed us any part of the Book Tower lobby.

**gumby** · September-06-19, 07:31 AM

Originally Posted by Atticus

If you look really closely in the satellite view of Google maps, you can see where it is.

Basically, the midrise building [[not the tower) is built in the shape of a capital letter “H” if looking at down from the sky. The atrium is located in the upper gap of the “H”. The elevators are in the horizontal part of the “H”. Thus, the elevators are for the midrise, and the atrium runs north-south with the elevators shown on the south side of the atrium.

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**Detroit500** · September-08-19, 07:56 PM

Is Gilbert not renovating the tower?

**EGrant** · September-09-19, 06:08 AM

He is renovating the tower.

**Gistok** · August-20-20, 03:19 PM

Reopening this old thread...

I've always wondered about this building next to the Book Building. It is the site where the 81 story Book Tower was originally planned before the Great Depression hit. Was this building just built to replace the never built 81 story tower, or did the Book Brothers build the foundations and basements to the 81 story tower, and then just put a 2 story building on top when it was decided not to build the tower?

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.3326...7i16384!8i8192

**EGrant** · August-20-20, 04:52 PM

I don't think there was any foundation work done for the tower. The footprint of the unbuilt tower is also a lot bigger than the current 2-story building's footprint.

Here's a cool mock-up of what it might have looked like today.

**MrChrome** · September-15-20, 03:13 PM

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**NSortzi** · September-15-20, 10:21 PM

The crane is for a partial 14th floor they’re adding to the top of the Book Building.

**JonWylie** · September-16-20, 08:16 AM

Originally Posted by EGrant

I don't think there was any foundation work done for the tower. The footprint of the unbuilt tower is also a lot bigger than the current 2-story building's footprint.

Here's a cool mock-up of what it might have looked like today.

I feel like I saw somewhere that caissons were drilled for the taller tower, and they are under the small 2 story building right now. I can't remember where, so it's just my memory now, but maybe I can find the document.

**southen** · September-16-20, 10:54 AM

Originally Posted by NSortzi

The crane is for a partial 14th floor they’re adding to the top of the Book Building.

Yeah and I think all of the HVAC equipment. I do find it odd that outside of one announcement some time ago with what they want to do with the garage that we haven't seen much else since. The firm they hired for the interior work does mostly new construction with what looks like an emphasis on residential. The Book Tower project on their website is the only one that does not include some type of new construction along with it. I wonder if changes are being made with what they want to do on that site. Perhaps it will be parking and more on top? Pure speculation.

**JonWylie** · September-16-20, 11:51 AM

Originally Posted by EGrant

I don't think there was any foundation work done for the tower. The footprint of the unbuilt tower is also a lot bigger than the current 2-story building's footprint.

Here's a cool mock-up of what it might have looked like today.

Here we go, page 14 of this bad-boy seems to indicate that there was some work done on the south side tower.

https://detroitmi.gov/sites/detroitm...esentation.pdf

**stasu1213** · September-16-20, 01:16 PM

No taller tower would be added to the Book building. Gilbert cant even get a tower taller than the Rencen on the Hudson site. Nice pipe dream anyway

**EGrant** · September-16-20, 01:30 PM

Originally Posted by JonWylie

Here we go, page 14 of this bad-boy seems to indicate that there was some work done on the south side tower.

https://detroitmi.gov/sites/detroitm...esentation.pdf

That's a great find. I'd love to hear the context of the presentation; was that foundation built as page 14 implies, or was that just planned and never built? I wonder if there are some photos somewhere of the foundation work they did back in the day?

SkyscraperPage user SperamusMeliora found this doc that seems to indicate that the building will use City Club's parking, rather than a new structure. There's some nice details about the Book in there as well.

**Satiricalivory** · September-16-20, 01:36 PM

It also says on there that they're filling in the windows for anticipated future development. Whatever that is, could still be a garage or a new building. I'd like to see some infill there.

**JonWylie** · September-16-20, 01:41 PM

Originally Posted by Satiricalivory

It also says on there that they're filling in the windows for anticipated future development. Whatever that is, could still be a garage or a new building. I'd like to see some infill there.

I know originally Bedrock wanted to knock down the 2-story arcade building to build a parking garage, then they compromised with the community to integrate the facade. Now I'm not sure, but they are rehabbing the bridge to City Club to use that garage for sure.

**Gistok** · September-16-20, 02:02 PM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

No taller tower would be added to the Book building. Gilbert cant even get a tower taller than the Rencen on the Hudson site. Nice pipe dream anyway

Well at least we know now that the foundations for the 81 story tower were started in 1926 and finished in 1928. The stock market crash didn't happen until Oct. 1929, so it appears that the foundations were completed. At least the foundations of a future tower [[doesn't have to be 81 stories) exists, and should Bedrock ever need to expand the complex, due to demand, any height tower [[up to 81 stories) can be built as needed.

**Satiricalivory** · September-16-20, 03:38 PM

I find that hard to believe. So there's a foundation for a 700ft tower just sitting there ready to be built on? And nobody has took this opportunity? In that case it would be much wiser to save it until a proper tower could be built. Pretty great spot for a tower, honestly.

Well now I feel like this might actually be their plan in the distant future. Why build a parking garage when you could build the city's tallest building.

**Dmberko11** · September-16-20, 03:42 PM

Originally Posted by Satiricalivory

I find that hard to believe. So there's a foundation for a 700ft tower just sitting there ready to be built on? And nobody has took this opportunity? In that case it would be much wiser to save it until a proper tower could be built. Pretty great spot for a tower, honestly.

Well now I feel like this might actually be their plan in the distant future. Why build a parking garage when you could build the city's tallest building.

Yep, I agree. Wait for a future tower there.

**EGrant** · September-16-20, 04:25 PM

Would a buried 95-year-old foundation be in good enough shape to support a new tower? And is it 100% confirmed that it exists?

**Gistok** · September-16-20, 04:44 PM

Originally Posted by EGrant

Would a buried 95-year-old foundation be in good enough shape to support a new tower? And is it 100% confirmed that it exists?

I too would be skeptical... but why would they show it in the schematics of the block if it didn't exist. They mention that it was done from 1926-28, which is a year before the depression started. As for it being buried... it sounds like it's underneath the 2 story existing building [[would love to check out the basement of that building).

But it does make for some interesting ideas for the future, if it is there. Back in those days they built things with "overkill" [[more support infrastructure than they do today).

My guess would be that as long is it has been kept dry [[sump pumps), it would likely still be in good condition.

**EGrant** · September-16-20, 07:28 PM

^That would be a nice little historic feature/investigative piece, in case someone in the local media needed an interesting development-related story. However, its probably too niche to leave the [[mostly) friendly confines of DetroitYes.

**Gistok** · September-16-20, 08:53 PM

I just studied the Book complex plans/timeline. It does look as though the foundation work was done, and then when completed, they built the garage over the back portion of the foundation, and the 2 story current building as a temporary building to connect the garage to the Book Building.

It looks like the garage was going to be part of the 81 story complex, but if that is true, it must have had some massive interior supports when the garage was demolished in 1970, since part of the office tower was going to be above the garage [[the taller tower portion was going to be above where the 2 story building is now).

This is very interesting... so one day Gilbert could build a tower of some height on the 2 story portion of the building. It looks like part of the tower foundations are today below the People Mover garage.

Update: No I take that back... Gilbert's plan is to build a 12 story parking deck on top of the 2 story building.... eventually. So there are no plans then for a future tower on top of the new towers foundations... see Page 57 of the proposal.

**Satiricalivory** · September-16-20, 09:59 PM

^ No, that proposal document is old [[2017), there is currently no garage in the most recent plans [[the ones EGrant posted) submitted on March 2020.

So I believe they changed their minds. They are however restoring the skywalk that goes to City Club's parking deck. Which is why people think they're using that parking instead.

A parking garage built in the 1920's? Wow I've never heard of such a thing, I had no idea the taller book building was even going to be built with a garage.