GM to keep up to 5,000 at Ren Cen

[texorama]

You want good news? Here's good news.

http://freep.com/article/20100205/BU...yees-at-RenCen

Wonder if this might begin to fill in a bit of the retail again.

[Detroit500]

yes, this is excellent news for the City. Let's hope that it is true.

ANyone know how many work there now?

[MotownSpartan]

You want good news? Here's good news.

http://freep.com/article/20100205/BU...yees-at-RenCen

Wonder if this might begin to fill in a bit of the retail again.

I don't know why it would fill in retail? They aren't moving employees to the RenCen, it appears they are just "keeping" some employees here. If the retail stores can't exist based on the employee level now, they won't be able to exist in the future unless more employees move into the complex.

[texorama]

Don't know if it will or not, but the most recent rash of closings may have been due to all the rumors of departures. The Wintergarden area was originally envisioned as a destination, not just a convenience for people who work in the building. If it could reach a critical mass I think it could be an asset to downtown.

[Hermod]

ANyone know how many work there now?

About half.

[Hermod]

I don't know why it would fill in retail? They aren't moving employees to the RenCen, it appears they are just "keeping" some employees here. If the retail stores can't exist based on the employee level now, they won't be able to exist in the future unless more employees move into the complex.

Other than lunch, snacks, and convenience store type items, most downtown workers make a beeline for the door and car once quitting time comes.

I worked downtown in 1961 and none of the workers used to talk about going shopping after work [[and that was when Hudsons, Crowleys, and a lot of other stores were still open).

[MotownSpartan]

Don't know if it will or not, but the most recent rash of closings may have been due to all the rumors of departures. The Wintergarden area was originally envisioned as a destination, not just a convenience for people who work in the building. If it could reach a critical mass I think it could be an asset to downtown.

Maybe so but the RenCen is so seperated from the rest of downtown it's really hard to imagine it ever becoming a destination. The average downtown worker would have to drive to the RenCen, park, get out, get into the RenCen, find the store[[s) they're looking for, then go back out to their car, etc. That's a very time-consuming process. Either that or they could take the People Mover, but then they will have to take it back to their car [[where ever it's parked downtown), a very time consuming process. Most office workers downtown probably live in the suburbs or Detroit neighborhoods where shopping is much more "convenient" [[from the perspective of a person who is locked into the automobile as their primary form of transportation). It's also very confusing to get around on the interior, even for people who are familiar with the building. GM did a lot of good by creating the Wintergarden and opening up the RenCen but it's still not as open as it could've been [[had been designed to be open from the start).

That being said, I would love to see the RenCen become more of a destination and attract more office workers.

[bartock]

About half.

I think I read about 4,000 right now. Only 2,000 were going to stay in the RenCen, but the others had not moved yet. The others are staying, and the extra 1,000 are consultants, etc., not GM employees. Basically, things are going to stay status quo.

[Hermod]

I think I read about 4,000 right now. Only 2,000 were going to stay in the RenCen, but the others had not moved yet. The others are staying, and the extra 1,000 are consultants, etc., not GM employees. Basically, things are going to stay status quo.

went over your head?

How many people work there? About half.

[bartock]

Went over yours? Question was anyone know how many work there now based on the assumption there were 5,000 people. You said "about half." Not so -

"The decision to stay was first reported at freep.com this morning. “The big move is off,” a person familiar with GM’s plans told the Free Press.

Late last year, GM received state tax credits that would have allowed it to keep just 2,000 of the 4,000 workers it had at the Renaissance Center.

Wilkinson said GM will have about 5,000 people at the RenCen. The number is larger than the previously stated 4,000 number because it includes workers such as consultants, he said.

“We’ve got a lot of indirect people … that actually work in GM offices,” Wilkinson said."

[jcole]

Went over yours? Question was anyone know how many work there now based on the assumption there were 5,000 people. You said "about half." Not so -

"The decision to stay was first reported at freep.com this morning. “The big move is off,� a person familiar with GM’s plans told the Free Press.

Late last year, GM received state tax credits that would have allowed it to keep just 2,000 of the 4,000 workers it had at the Renaissance Center.

Wilkinson said GM will have about 5,000 people at the RenCen. The number is larger than the previously stated 4,000 number because it includes workers such as consultants, he said.

“We’ve got a lot of indirect people … that actually work in GM offices,� Wilkinson said."

He means only about half of the current workers do their work on a daily basis.
Sheesh

[Hermod]

Went over yours? Question was anyone know how many work there now based on the assumption there were 5,000 people. You said "about half." Not so -

It is an old Washington DC joke. Anytime anyone asks "how many people work in your office?", you reply "about half" meaning that the rate of productivity is very low.

[DetroitPlanner]

I'd see this as an opportunity. Its now time for Rock Financial to come on down. GM moves some folks out of one of your towers and move in the Rock.

Compuware has begun to right itself finally. There won't be space there for both of them.

[bartock]

It is an old Washington DC joke. Anytime anyone asks "how many people work in your office?", you reply "about half" meaning that the rate of productivity is very low.

Foot out of mouth. Sorry.

[bigtreble]

RenCen-GM employees pay 1.5% of their paychecks to Detroit City Taxes regardless of their residence.

Late last year, GM received state tax credits that would have allowed it to keep just 2,000 of the 4,000 workers it had at the Renaissance Center"

In essence, GM employees pay 1.5% city tax, and the city pays back GM in tax credits from the funds collected. Keep in mind GM employees at the Warren Tech Center do not pay any city taxes. The 1.5% tax wouldn't be so bad if RenCen tenants were considered tax-payers and given voter rights.

The RenCen facilities are far superior to Warren's, but the 1.5% "raise" would have made the move worthwhile to most GM employees.

[DetroitPlanner]

RenCen-GM employees pay 1.5% of their paychecks to Detroit City Taxes regardless of their residence.

Not true. The current tax rate is 1.25 percent for suburbanites and 2.5 percent for City Residents. For those who live outside Detroit, every day they work outside of the City they do not have to pay the tax, so if you live outside the City and telecommute 20 percent of the time it works out to be about 1 percent. If you live within the City you might as well go to the office because you will still pay 2.5 percent.

[bigtreble]

Not true. The current tax rate is 1.25 percent for suburbanites and 2.5 percent for City Residents. For those who live outside Detroit, every day they work outside of the City they do not have to pay the tax, so if you live outside the City and telecommute 20 percent of the time it works out to be about 1 percent. If you live within the City you might as well go to the office because you will still pay 2.5 percent.

Thanks DetroitPlanner for clarifying my #s.

1.) Telecommuting is "not part of GM's culture" [[a kind way of saying 'no working from home').
2.) City taxes= 1%, 1.25%, 2%, whatever. It still amounts to several hundred $'s per year for the avg employee that could be avoided if they worked from Warren instead of Detroit.

[East Detroit]

Good news for the City of Detroit.

Good news for all of us if the alternative was a Haliburton Dubai style move to China.

[Gistok]

... the bad news is that the RenCen can hold 10,000.

[spiritofdetroit]

Gistok,

The RenCen does hold close to that many. 5,000 are at GM. Deloitte has several hundred [[close to 1,000, but most auditors are not in the office daily).... EDS, Marriott, and all of the smaller tenants make up a couple thousand more

[DetroitTitan]

What's at that Grand Blanc GM facility? Why don't they move them downtown? I'm sure they'll get some sum of incentives or tax breaks from it.