Hudson's Site Building Thread

[401don]

I am not an expert but my question is didn’t Bedrock and Dan Gilbert look at the economic forecast when designing this development? Detroit, as I had posted a few years back, has a history of announcing developments that included tall buildings that reached up to 800 feet but plans changed due to thee economy. The Fisher building was originally designed to be 800 plus feet in height. The Book Tower was originally designed to be around the same height as the Fisher Building was designed to be. One would wonder why the Chrysler Building, which is 1000 feet or so high, hasn’t put their skyscraper in Downtown Detroit instead of Manhattan. That if this the same Chrysler of Chrysler Corporation. I credit Gilbert for almost single handily turning downtown around. However, he should had been honest with himself and know that unlike other cities that have a true Metropolis Detroit just have a smaller downtown as comparing to probably Toledo. Maybe build the low rise buildings that are to be built on the site first then save space for the tall 900 ft plus skyscraper to be added, The rendering of the retail part of the development still look appealing and could be a great addiction to the street wall that line Woodward from Campus Martin’s to Grand Circus Park. Maybe Bedrock was self deceived by the influx of people working, living, and playing downtown that the planners thought that Detroit was ripe for a 900ft tall building. Also, The RenCen will not be dethroned from being the tallest building in Michigan. I am still routing for a building to be taller than the RenCen that will have a much better design than the former gothic looking Comerica Tower or the half Pentagon shaped Compuware building

Comerica Tower is a gorgeous building, far better than the cheap glass rectangles being constructed elsewhere at the time. A recession is a great time to build a highrise. Construction costs go down and you open when it's over.

[313WX]

And the Book Tower and Fischer Tower plans were scaled back by The Great Depression, not sure what that has to do with modern day Detroit. Every city in the world has their fair share of unrealized renderings; Detroit is not an outlier.

I would imagine a company that deals in the bond markets, interest rates, and the Federal Reserve on an hourly basis on the mortgage side of things did in fact, look at the economic forecast.

What makes Detroit an outlier is that these unrealized renderings stand out a lot more because the city has very few high profile projects that have been proposed or under construction

[Dmberko11]

Comerica Tower is a gorgeous building, far better than the cheap glass rectangles being constructed elsewhere at the time. A recession is a great time to build a highrise. Construction costs go down and you open when it's over.

That’s actually pretty good logic. Too bad developers don’t always think that way though

[SammyS]

All of this amateur talk of recession only makes me think the economy will continue on its upward trajectory. Remember, a booming economy is fueled by the dumb money meaning, as long as the majority is hedging a downturn [[thanks to the bullshit MSM), then it will continue to slaughter them.

[Scottathew]

The concrete pour for the crane base has started!

[bigboat]

They have only a few more caissons to drill for the tower side
so the start of vertical contruction for the podium side will start soon.

[ILKSGAMI]

Nice! That concrete should cure nicely with this was weather we are having

[angry_fred]

They have only a few more caissons to drill for the tower side
so the start of vertical contruction for the podium side will start soon.

Does anyone have an actual count on caissons?

It would be nice to know when we can expect those drill rigs to disappear... Keep in mind that although the tower cranes could probably lift them out, I'd expect them to not do so, which means they can't remove the ramp and really start building the block until the caissons are done on the tower side

[Gistok]

Does anyone have an actual count on caissons?

I thought someone mentioned 150 caissons on the block, and 18 on the tower....

[DetBill]

Have any of you visited the Hudsons' Site website lately.? I cant tell if the picture posted now is of the latest design? It doesn't really look like any of the prior released drawings?? It actually looks a bit taller than the Ren Cen, very plain in structure, but definitely not what was on there before from what I recall....Not sure if my eyes are just deceiving me.. It does not have the first Skydeck version , nor does it have the step up version as it rises per the most recent {912 ft) conception and the one portrayed on the Woodward site,, It just looks like a straight up type building high rise..
.
https://www.hudsonssitedetroit.com/#about

[Metro25]

^ It's an old video

[Gistok]

^It may be about 2 years old, but it is the most recent video.

There is one thing that has bothered me about the Hudson Block development... and that is that there is about 250,000 sq. ft. of event and exhibition space. But we've not really been told for what?

This kind of space does not lend itself to anything more than part time use. Detroit has a lot of event space in the entertainment district [[sports facilities, theatre's, and other venues).

There is only 1 floor of retail shown in the Hudson block diagram. I just have a hard time believing the space above the retail will have a full time use.

Recently I saw an image of the Macy's flagship in San Francisco, and thought that a 6 story department store [[with not a really large footprint) might be a nice addition to the block portion of the new development.

It would be a nice cornerstone for downtown retail, and since the site is the location of the original Hudson's that today could be a Macy's, it would be a great location to [[as it was with Hudson's) end a Thanksgiving Day Parade where Santa would disembark.

This would make for a nice spot built within the event space planned for that area.... near the NW corner of the block...

[stasu1213]

^It may be about 2 years old, but it is the most recent video.

There is one thing that has bothered me about the Hudson Block development... and that is that there is about 250,000 sq. ft. of event and exhibition space. But we've not really been told for what?

This kind of space does not lend itself to anything more than part time use. Detroit has a lot of event space in the entertainment district [[sports facilities, theatre's, and other venues).

There is only 1 floor of retail shown in the Hudson block diagram. I just have a hard time believing the space above the retail will have a full time use.

Recently I saw an image of the Macy's flagship in San Francisco, and thought that a 6 story department store [[with not a really large footprint) might be a nice addition to the block portion of the new development.

It would be a nice cornerstone for downtown retail, and since the site is the location of the original Hudson's that today could be a Macy's, it would be a great location to [[as it was with Hudson's) end a Thanksgiving Day Parade where Santa would disembark.

This would make for a nice spot built within the event space planned for that area.... near the NW corner of the block...

This exhibition space probably stems from some type of agreement that the developers and city planners and elected officials also the DEGC came up with

[Gistok]

This exhibition space probably stems from some type of agreement that the developers and city planners and elected officials also the DEGC came up with

Oh my.... I don't trust a lot of what they do in the way of development...

Those are many of the same people that give the Ilitches the right of way to turn downtown into parking lots...

[bigboat]

Personally, I think the Illitches are a joke and are not to be trusted ever again as obviously they do not live up to their word. The Illitches only develop parking lots and charge rediculous parking fees for downtown events.

[Richard]

This exhibition space probably stems from some type of agreement that the developers and city planners and elected officials also the DEGC came up with

Or with a major hotel,it is a nice tool to fill rooms.

[SammyS]

Or with a major hotel,it is a nice tool to fill rooms.

Big enough for NAIAS?

[401don]

Big enough for NAIAS?

uh, no.

[Richard]

Big enough for NAIAS?

Lol the average hotel convention center is between 80,000 to 100,000 at 250,000 it would give bragging rights to somebody high up on the totem pole.

City of Tampa convention center is 200k in exhibition space like most cities,Chicago is at 2.6 million.

If it was connected with a hotel it would be the largest in the country in beating out other hotels and a majority of cityÂ’s,it would also put it on the world stage for international conventions.

http://www.cvent.com/rfp/us-conventi...9a22e32d2.aspx

Scroll down to the Gaylord one,I had an acquaintance that used to run that one,the convention center was the revenue generator.

[EGrant]

Interesting comparison [[which has been mentioned here before), One Chicago Square is somewhat* similar to the tallest version of the Hudson's site renders; it's been a few months since they finished drilling and pouring the caissons, and they still haven't placed vertical steel beams. Once the Hudson's site drilling concludes, it still might be a while before we see the steel structure start to rise.

Of course, OCS didn't have an existing parking garage with the ruins of an old building buried below it, and the basement doesn't go as deep as Hudson's, but I think it will give a good idea of the construction process.

*yes, it isn't exact, but the height is similar.

[Dmberko11]

Interesting comparison [[which has been mentioned here before), One Chicago Square is somewhat* similar to the tallest version of the Hudson's site renders; it's been a few months since they finished drilling and pouring the caissons, and they still haven't placed vertical steel beams. Once the Hudson's site drilling concludes, it still might be a while before we see the steel structure start to rise.

Of course, OCS didn't have an existing parking garage with the ruins of an old building buried below it, and the basement doesn't go as deep as Hudson's, but I think it will give a good idea of the construction process.

*yes, it isn't exact, but the height is similar.

How come Chicago gets all the nice things...lol.

I am so excited for Hudson’s to go vertical. Where I live there’s about 4-5 towers that will be over 700’ that have started construction or are in the late stages of planning. I love it. Hopefully Detroit is blessed with a little skyscraper boom of their own!

[ASilvaman]

Detroit is nowhere near being able to support a skyscraper boom, Gilbert can't even find tenants for the one single skyscraper that is [[eventually maybe) being built. The reason for the slow walk construction is due to this issue. It's also the reason the building seems to be getting progressively smaller with each new announcement

[Dmberko11]

Detroit is nowhere near being able to support a skyscraper boom, Gilbert can't even find tenants for the one single skyscraper that is [[eventually maybe) being built. The reason for the slow walk construction is due to this issue. It's also the reason the building seems to be getting progressively smaller with each new announcement

You’re not wrong but if Hudson’s is built, TCF tower, the Mid, and the fail jail site? That wouldn’t be so bad. Other projects seem like a long shot like the Monroe blocks and the joe Louis site. Who knows. Maybe we’ll get a surprise announcement like with that property next to the Detroit opera house that they put an rfp out for. Fingers crossed

[Metro25]

Detroit is nowhere near being able to support a skyscraper boom, Gilbert can't even find tenants for the one single skyscraper that is [[eventually maybe) being built. The reason for the slow walk construction is due to this issue. It's also the reason the building seems to be getting progressively smaller with each new announcement

You're not only wrong but making things up out of thin air. The building is still officially 912ft, the only progression we've seen is it getting larger.

[bigboat]

Unfortunately, Detroit has always played second fiddle to Chicago. You look at their downtown and it is full of new super tall development. Detroit has had a bad rap in national newspapers, but much of it is the residents fault.
The Devils Night arson was making international headlines, the bankruptcy of the city did not help, our massive population loss. The continued loss of Michigan's population and we are losing another congressman and will be down to 14 from 18 originally. Michigan is not growing much, will be over taken by Georgia after the 2020 census. Governor Witmer announcing that Michigan will take any and all immigrants to help reduce the outward flow of population. Michigan is #9 out of the top 15 states for residents wanting to leave. We cannot even get agreement on a plan to repair our infrastructure. What comes to mind is incompetence, disagreement and what good ever comes out of Lansing.