Finishing One Campus Martius.

[Bill Carver]

15 years ago [[ish) The building originally known as the Compuware Headquarters, now One Campus Martius was declared complete. However the building is actually short of its original design. As Bedrock Detroit had announced the building is getting an addition which is really more of a completion.

According to the the buzz around downtown, when One Campus Martius was built the then owner had made a decision that they would not need all the space that the origin so the building which was originally intended to be a diamond shape, instead became a big W.

[[See https://youtu.be/r97Nv8N7-mI)

Though it has been some time since Bedrock Announced their intention, construction has begun during the summer, but now things are looking up. Literally.



The finished product is expected to look like this excess except for the over 900 foot tower that will be in front of it.



What's not known at this time is what will be the fate of the artwork currently on the back of the building.

[EGrant]

Here's a rendering from May of this year, from a Curbed article. It'll be cool to see multiple cranes in the air at once!

[Honky Tonk]

It'll be cool to see multiple cranes in the air at once!

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[Junjie]

Here's a rendering from May of this year, from a Curbed article. It'll be cool to see multiple cranes in the air at once!

Don't forget the Monroe blocks, too. We could have a lot of cranes on the skyline soon!

Has anyone totaled up the office square footage and new apartment units across Hudson's, 1CM, and Monroe blocks to estimate the total number of new people who will be added downtown? There should clearly be an appreciable jump in foot traffic [[and viability for businesses) once all these projects are completed, but I'd be interested in the actual scale.

[Bill Carver]

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I imagine these taste like chicken

[Scottathew]

Here's a rendering from May of this year, from a Curbed article. It'll be cool to see multiple cranes in the air at once!

I hope your rending comes to fruition instead of Bill's.

Thanks for the great post, Mr. Carver!

[Bill Carver]

Here's a rendering from May of this year, from a Curbed article. It'll be cool to see multiple cranes in the air at once!

This is more like how it will look once the construction is complete. One note also. The one Campus Martius construction is being completed by the same company that originally was hired to build it. Walbridge.

[Dexlin]

To be clear, it wasn't ever really a rumor. It was always known the "bite" was left out for future expansion. Compuware might have even publicly said that. In any case, you could always see the steel supports sticking out from where the expansion would rise.

Anyway, FAA records show they got a permit for the tower crane last month, so this is imminent.

[Bill Carver]

To be clear, it wasn't ever really a rumor. It was always known the "bite" was left out for future expansion. Compuware might have even publicly said that. In any case, you could always see the steel supports sticking out from where the expansion would rise.

Anyway, FAA records show they got a permit for the tower crane last month, so this is imminent.

Yes there is lots of evidence that indeed the building was not finished to its original specification including the beams or the four elevator cars that were not in the building that are being installed now. The reason I didn’t say definitively that this is the case is that I don’t have a verified statement from anyone in authority not could I find Compuware saying anything about it. I believe what I have heard to be true but to put that on paper [[virtually) adds the additional responsibility to acknowledge that what I have written is a deduction that the building was unfinished based on the evidence you stated that I also have observed.

[Atticus]

Yes there is lots of evidence that indeed the building was not finished to its original specification including the beams or the four elevator cars that were not in the building that are being installed now. The reason I didn’t say definitively that this is the case is that I don’t have a verified statement from anyone in authority not could I find Compuware saying anything about it. I believe what I have heard to be true but to put that on paper [[virtually) adds the additional responsibility to acknowledge that what I have written is a deduction that the building was unfinished based on the evidence you stated that I also have observed.

Good stuff. I do hope whatever the backside of one Campus Martius ends up looking like, that it contrasts enough with original structure to look like two separate buildings aesthetically. [[Or as much as can be done given the first two or three floors are already there).

Personal opinion, but never liked the mega block where one continuous building design ran the entire block. Doesn’t matter to me if the interior functions as one building, but think it makes the cityscape is more interesting with blocks having multiple different building exteriors.

[DetBill]

I must admit that I’m curious as to whether the artwork at the back and the murals will be kept to any extent. Just personally, I really enjoyed them, I think they look great on the downtown landscape, especially at night, and many of my out-of-town friends have commented how cool they thought they are on the building. I personally would really hate to see them go.

[southen]

They have already been removed in some spots in preparation of construction. I think they are toast, but I am sure Gilbert will have artists back to work on this site as well as Hudson's and Monroe.

[Dexlin]

I was under the impression that at least some of the art was going to exist as wall inside the new addition, but it may have just been a rumor I heard.

As Southen said, even if they are lost, you better believe Gilbert is going to be back commissioning art all around the Hudson and Monroe blocks. Maybe the Kaws statue was meant to make-up for the loss of the mural.

[Scottathew]

The artwork is on the back of the elevator shafts, so it is possible it may be kept, as they will remain as walls.

[Warrenite84]

No more lame statues at the new Hudson's site, please. Too hard to explain the message behind the Kaws Statue to out of town family...

[Scottathew]

No more lame statues at the new Hudson's site, please. Too hard to explain the message behind the Kaws Statue to out of town family...

Could not agree more. I hated it when it was installed, and I still hate it now. It's not growing on me, nor do I ever feel like it will be an accepted piece of Detroit.

[Jason]

The possibility of an addition in the back was open and common knowledge at the time.

Also what was built was what was planned to be built and I don't have any recollection of any specific plans to build the addition or there being any expectation that it would be done in the immediate future. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

So this isn't a case of "unbuilt Detroit", it's just that they had the foresight at the time to understand that in the future the office market might improve and that the location would be more valuable.

[Dexlin]

BTW, here is the FAA's obstruction evaluation for the crane for this project:

https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external...68556194&row=9

It appears it was approved on September 21st, and can stand until March 21, 2020. The crane is coming from JJ Curan Crane Company, which most recently supplied the tower crane for The Boulevard at Third & Grand in New Center.

[Scottathew]

Folks! Steel beams are rising! This project is moving quickly!

[Scottathew]

What a difference a few weeks make! Check this out!

[Scottathew]

18 days later and WOW!

[Lowell]

More great pix for 48307! Thanks.

[Worldsgreatest]

I don't know you guys. something's fishy about this. that looks like fake steel. this is a page out of the Ilitch handbook they use plastic instead of steel. I also see possible photoshop? I'll believe it when I see it.

[EGrant]

I think this project is moving too fast for there to be a chance of the tower crane remaining up when the Hudson or Monroe cranes are in the air. Multiple tower cranes! What a time!

[Scottathew]

18 days later and another WOW! Major, huge progress!

Previous picture: Steel done completly up to bottom of 5th floor
Current picture: Steel done completely up to bottom of 7th floor