Hudson's Site Building Thread

[DetroitSoldier]

I also think the tube connecting the event space in the block and hotel made a lot of sense. If you have a bigger event using both spaces, having a direct connection above the plaza makes more sense to me than forcing people to go down to ground level, go outside, walk around, then go up a few more levels. My assumption is that they took the common uncritical and lazy view that skywalks are anti-urban, when in reality sometimes skywalks are practical. Unless I'm misunderstanding the nature of the two event spaces and directly connecting them would be undesirable.

The two buildings will already be connected underground via the parking structure and utility corridors. I wouldn't be shocked if there was a well defined underground pedestrian tunnel. It achieves the same result as the bringe without disturbing the views at street level.

[Gistok]

The two buildings will already be connected underground via the parking structure and utility corridors. I wouldn't be shocked if there was a well defined underground pedestrian tunnel. It achieves the same result as the bringe without disturbing the views at street level.

The plan for the now scrapped skyway did not impact any views at street level.

[southen]

A lot less gold as well which I personally preferred.

[DetBill]

It’s a pretty cool looking building overall, albeit not a stand out architecturally , seeing the unique designs of some of the buildings going up presently in the United States [[ New York, L.A., San Fran., Austin, Chicago etc, the tiered tower design is quite common now ) , but will definitely be a asset to downtown and an attention getter, and I know it’s just a personal thing, but I will never understand the reduction of the height to 685 , they really should’ve made it the tallest building in Detroit, even if it was just 20 or 30 feet taller [[750 or so ) than the Ren Cen , they bragged about this for years and posted that it was going to be the tallest building and new symbol for Detroit in our century. Never build up your audience and then drop them, it tends to stay with you.…just the other day I was walking behind a couple on Woodward who were looking at it and the one lady said to the fellow she was with,” it looks like its going to be nice but now it’s only going to be the second tallest building” [[ sigh), it was exactly what I thought people would probably end up saying about it. Kind of like running a marathon [[26.2 ) and stopping at mile 25. Bragging rights are not only good for image but also for marketing as silly as it may sound. Otherwise , it is a nice looking complex , and I’m sure everyone will be proud, and we are still very lucky to get a building of this quality going up, as everyone knows, Detroit is a very tough market to accomplish something like this, always has been in recent decades .
Thanks Bedrock and Mr. Gilbert.

[Zacha341]

^ Yes. Once completed it will takes it's place in the list of tallest building in Michigan. The RenCen [GM Building] being the tallest:

https://yamm.finance/wiki/List_of_ta..._Michigan.html

[stasu1213]

It’s a pretty cool looking building overall, albeit not a stand out architecturally , seeing the unique designs of some of the buildings going up presently in the United States [[ New York, L.A., San Fran., Austin, Chicago etc, the tiered tower design is quite common now ) , but will definitely be a asset to downtown and an attention getter, and I know it’s just a personal thing, but I will never understand the reduction of the height to 685 , they really should’ve made it the tallest building in Detroit, even if it was just 20 or 30 feet taller [[750 or so ) than the Ren Cen , they bragged about this for years and posted that it was going to be the tallest building and new symbol for Detroit in our century. Never build up your audience and then drop them, it tends to stay with you.…just the other day I was walking behind a couple on Woodward who were looking at it and the one lady said to the fellow she was with,” it looks like its going to be nice but now it’s only going to be the second tallest building” [[ sigh), it was exactly what I thought people would probably end up saying about it. Kind of like running a marathon [[26.2 ) and stopping at mile 25. Bragging rights are not only good for image but also for marketing as silly as it may sound. Otherwise , it is a nice looking complex , and I’m sure everyone will be proud, and we are still very lucky to get a building of this quality going up, as everyone knows, Detroit is a very tough market to accomplish something like this, always has been in recent decades .
Thanks Bedrock and Mr. Gilbert.

GM wanted to be the tallest. A symbol of who still rules Detroit

[Gistok]

GM wanted to be the tallest. A symbol of who still rules Detroit

I don't think they really care. They offered to sell Gilbert the Renaissance Center, but he passed.

[stinkytofu]

I don't think they really care. They offered to sell Gilbert the Renaissance Center, but he passed.

I'm guessing GM would love to sell the RenCen at this point if they found an actual interested buyer.

[stasu1213]

I'm guessing GM would love to sell the RenCen at this point if they found an actual interested buyer.

Someone suggested that GM put classic 1950s and 60s cars on display throughput the building especially on the newly renovated section during the week of the Dream Cruise but GM turned that idea down. Their reason was that they were in the business of selling cars not to be a museum. GM had done a good job renovating the RenCen but failed on the use of it's retail spaces such as The Winter Garden and the renovated area in the lower level.

[K-slice]

Someone suggested that GM put classic 1950s and 60s cars on display throughput the building especially on the newly renovated section during the week of the Dream Cruise but GM turned that idea down. Their reason was that they were in the business of selling cars not to be a museum. GM had done a good job renovating the RenCen but failed on the use of it's retail spaces such as The Winter Garden and the renovated area in the lower level.

True, the lower levels of the RenCen could be a destination very easily. The amount of unused space in the publicly accessible areas is massive. Give people a reason to stop in off the River Walk and they might just do it.

[stasu1213]

True, the lower levels of the RenCen could be a destination very easily. The amount of unused space in the publicly accessible areas is massive. Give people a reason to stop in off the River Walk and they might just do it.

The building manager only see the complex as an office building and not a retail/tourist attraction also. I would even suggest that a sporting goods store be in the Winter Garden being that it's off the Riverwalk. Management is so detached from making the complex more visitor friendly

[royce]

The one thing I don't see in any of the renderings is access to the underground parking. Where will that be located?

[401don]

The one thing I don't see in any of the renderings is access to the underground parking. Where will that be located?

Based on the construction video, if you enter and drive straight down the ramp it would be on Grand River.

[Scottathew]

There's a ramp to the underground on Gratiot. I'm not sure about Grand River. You can see the Gratiot ramp in the pre-steel videos of the tower.

I don't know if this is the plan still, but at one time I saw a concept that had a giant turntable at the bottom of the Gratiot ramp. This would allow truck to pull straight in, go on the turntable, get spun around, back up into a loading dock, and then pull straight out. The big win is that the trucks don't have to block the road to back into a loading dock, they can pull straight in.

I'm not sure if the turntable is still a thing or not.

[Gistok]

I'm sure 401don just had his streets off by 1 block. Grand River is 1 block north of the Shinola Hotel, not adjacent to the Hudson's development.

[bigboat]

Does anyone have recent pictures of this development. Cannot see much from the YouTube videos. No height added to the steel frame work in about a month or maybe the elevator core has not moved upward yet either.

[southen]

The facade is starting to go up on the block portion.

[Kathleen]

I'm sure 401don just had his streets off by 1 block. Grand River is 1 block north of the Shinola Hotel, not adjacent to the Hudson's development.

The Shinola Hotel is indeed at Woodward and Grand River, which runs on the north side of the Hudson's development site. Gratiot runs along the south side. Clifford Street, where the Metropolitan Hotel sits, is one block north of the site.

[royce]

^ Yes. Once completed it will takes it's place in the list of tallest building in Michigan. The RenCen [GM Building] being the tallest:

https://yamm.finance/wiki/List_of_ta..._Michigan.html

Reading up on the David Stott Building, it says that it took 13 months to build and that it was the last major building built in downtown Detroit before the Great Depression. It would not be until the 1950s before a major building would be built in downtown Detroit. My point here is that the David Stott building took 13 months to build while the mid-rise and tower buildings on the Hudson's site won't be completed until 2024. They're dragging out construction like the NBA is dragging out the NBA Finals.

Also, what will the final name of the development be? Are they going to keep the Hudson's name or is it just used as a reference for conversation sake?

[hybridy]

Does anyone have recent pictures of this development. Cannot see much from the YouTube videos. No height added to the steel frame work in about a month or maybe the elevator core has not moved upward yet either.

here you go

[drjeff]

Reading up on the David Stott Building, it says that it took 13 months to build and that it was the last major building built in downtown Detroit before the Great Depression. It would not be until the 1950s before a major building would be built in downtown Detroit. My point here is that the David Stott building took 13 months to build while the mid-rise and tower buildings on the Hudson's site won't be completed until 2024. They're dragging out construction like the NBA is dragging out the NBA Finals.

Also, what will the final name of the development be? Are they going to keep the Hudson's name or is it just used as a reference for conversation sake?

The more relevant example would be the Renaissance Center and not something built in the 1920s that is considerably smaller. The Ren Cen construction began in 1973 and was finished in 1977, not including the 500 and 600 towers that were added later..

[stasu1213]

Reading up on the David Stott Building, it says that it took 13 months to build and that it was the last major building built in downtown Detroit before the Great Depression. It would not be until the 1950s before a major building would be built in downtown Detroit. My point here is that the David Stott building took 13 months to build while the mid-rise and tower buildings on the Hudson's site won't be completed until 2024. They're dragging out construction like the NBA is dragging out the NBA Finals.

Also, what will the final name of the development be? Are they going to keep the Hudson's name or is it just used as a reference for conversation sake?

The mindset now is probably let's keep ourselves employed by dragging out projects unlike 50 years ago when the mindset was "let's get this project done in a timely manner so that we could take on more projects"

[bigboat]

here you go

Thank You and it will look very nice.

[bigboat]

If the construction company has completed up to 8 floors and has not added anything in height in the last month. How are they ever going to complete this building within 2 years. There has been no change in steel structure from what I can see in the You Tube videos. I hope there is no scaling back of this tower project now that we are headed into an economic recession.

[angry_fred]

If the construction company has completed up to 8 floors and has not added anything in height in the last month. How are they ever going to complete this building within 2 years. There has been no change in steel structure from what I can see in the You Tube videos. I hope there is no scaling back of this tower project now that we are headed into an economic recession.

I like to believe it had something to do with Bedrock's request for additional tax breaks.

That said, it could also be apprehension to spend or a flaky hotel operator. For what it's worth, the block seems to be progressing- windows are going up