GM to plan move from RenCen to Dan Gilbert’s Hudson’s tower

[Canadian Visitor]

While I certainly sympathize w/small retailers in the Ren Centre facing down a tough financial situation..........

I have to come out in favour of tearing it down.

Its incredibly anti-urban, anti-waterfront, it really contributes nothing positive to its surroundings [[other than being occupied [[once) by employers).

Re-extend Brush Street through to Atwater, extend Franklin and Woodbridge through to what should be Randolph and you gain urban, human-scaled blocks.

Make the riverside parking lots a waterfront park; reduce the width of Jefferson from 5 lanes each way to 3, and add cycle tracks.

Now you've got the basis of an area that can be attractive for hotels, for office and for residential.

Its a huge deal; and yes, it would be missed on the skyline but as structured it probably doesn't have a future and it probably shouldn't.

Any remaining office tenants can easily find space, maybe even trigger restoration of some in a nice heritage footprint.

The sad thing here is simply that REN is so big, a 3-tower version limited to one block might justified for retention, its shortcomings notwithstanding. But just like badly executed slum clearance for public housing, or a massive urban expressway, the damage is at such a scale its hard not to scar the landscape again when correcting the mistake.

[gthomas]

While I certainly sympathize w/small retailers in the Ren Centre facing down a tough financial situation..........

I have to come out in favour of tearing it down.

Its incredibly anti-urban, anti-waterfront, it really contributes nothing positive to its surroundings [[other than being occupied [[once) by employers).

Re-extend Brush Street through to Atwater, extend Franklin and Woodbridge through to what should be Randolph and you gain urban, human-scaled blocks.

Make the riverside parking lots a waterfront park; reduce the width of Jefferson from 5 lanes each way to 3, and add cycle tracks.

Now you've got the basis of an area that can be attractive for hotels, for office and for residential.

Its a huge deal; and yes, it would be missed on the skyline but as structured it probably doesn't have a future and it probably shouldn't.

Any remaining office tenants can easily find space, maybe even trigger restoration of some in a nice heritage footprint.

The sad thing here is simply that REN is so big, a 3-tower version limited to one block might justified for retention, its shortcomings notwithstanding. But just like badly executed slum clearance for public housing, or a massive urban expressway, the damage is at such a scale its hard not to scar the landscape again when correcting the mistake.

I agree with some things you're mentioning. This reminds me of the Water Square development on the riverfront. They came up with a great solution to tackling the "isolation" problem with the site, same goes with the RenCen.

The indoor podium needs to be demolished and create a direct street access to the hotel and the other buildings, with it's own entrance from street. Should build roads thru the site. Turn the Winter Garden into an outdoor event, retail, bar, restaurant destination. Similar to the outdoor led ceiling plaza in Las Vegas with the Zipline.

This solves the terrible pedestrian and automobile access, similar to the Joe Louis Site. Do the same for the RenCen

[Lowell]

Ooo I like this idea! Open air among the buildings. Break up the gloom.

The indoor podium needs to be demolished and create a direct street access to the hotel and the other buildings, with it's own entrance from street. Should build roads thru the site. Turn the Winter Garden into an outdoor event, retail, bar, restaurant destination. Similar to the outdoor led ceiling plaza in Las Vegas with the Zipline.

This solves the terrible pedestrian and automobile access, similar to the Joe Louis Site. Do the same for the RenCen