- Posted on Friday, May 12th, 2006 at 10:49 am
A Catalyst for Economic Development in Detroit
Development.
By Matt Cullen
General Manager of Economic Development and Enterprise Services
As many of you know, GM moved into its headquarters at the Renaissance Center on Detroit’s riverfront in 1996. One of our goals in that move was to play a leading role in the revitalization of Detroit’s riverfront neighborhood, an area that had become yet another symbol of Detroit’s decline.
Over the past 10 years, the RenCen, as it’s known around the Motor City, has benefited from more than $500 million of GM investment into the office, hotel and retail spaces. There are now 6,000 GM employees, 4,000 other tenants, and hundreds of visitors every day at our world-class global business center.
But GM’s efforts didn’t stop there. We replaced a section of the building’s parking deck with a magnificent, five-story, riverside atrium called the Wintergarden. During January’s Super Bowl, there was a practice football field in the atrium, and ESPN broadcast for a week straight from the middle of the floor. Thousands of people visited the Wintergarden each day to catch a glimpse of their favorite sports and broadcast personalities. During the rest of the year, the Wintergarden is used for charity events, employee activities, and as a meeting location for visitors from around the world.
In December 2004, GM dedicated the GM Riverfront plaza and its portion of Detroit’s River Walk, which is right behind the RenCen – each of which are important symbols of Detroit’s riverfront rebirth. GM is a driving force behind the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, and I’m proud to be co-chair. The Conservancy is transforming six miles of the riverfront, providing inviting places for people to stroll, play – and just as importantly – for developers to have an attractive location to bring new jobs, housing and businesses into the city’s core. When finished, the Conservancy’s River Walk project will include a state park, harbor, port authority docking facility, and waterside green spaces.
GM also owns additional land along the river, which will soon be transformed by an outside developer into a new “urban village,” with residential, retail and office uses – all linked by the riverfront promenade.
GM is proud to play a role in the revitalization of the Detroit riverfront. But our efforts are not limited to the Detroit area. In fact, GM is involved in economic development efforts all over the country. In future FYI posts, we will be featuring some of GM’s other projects in other cities – stay tuned.
6 Comments
Edward Hayes
I love the article in “Architectural Record” magazine which covered the changes to the Ren Center which GM recently completed. The headquarters are stunning and the location is perfect. There is nothing like being on the water, and nothing compares to a riverfront promenade.
When I was growing up waterfronts in cities were used as parking lots, dumps, dilapidated and worn out docks and highways. I had the pleasure of seeing these areas transformed before my eyes.
From Jersey City, NJ which overlooks Manhattan, they plan a 20 mile walkway, and the place is getting gentrified. They call it the gold cost, after 9/11 everything slowed to a crawl but things are progressing again.
Across the river in Manhattan, unbelievable. They want to create an uninterupted promenade, park and bike path around the entire 24 mile long coastline of Manhattan. My favorite urban place on earth is Battery Park City, what with 20 full time botanists the flowers by the end of summer are taller than the people. I do miss the towers however.
Urbanscapes is one of my passions and I like to follow such developments in the “Landscape Architecture” magazine. There is an economic benefit to all of this but the quality of life improvements cannot be measured, they are, well, priceless.
Everything you do helps.
By the way I read an article in Business Week several years ago and it said Ceasars Las Vegas was expanding its Forum Shops, the most successful retail mall in America. They said they planned to have horse drawn chariot races right in the mall. Well after the shops completed their expansion I see no chariot races. But could you imagine the crowds, the interest and the attention chariot races would have at any venue?
One day somebody might just have the guts to try it somewhere, why not GMAC Real Estate.
Jason Zebersky
Just be sure to include afordable housing in the plans. This way the revitalized area can be er um well vital, home a, a neighborhood. Be a leader in urban renewal, one more thing that “only GM” can be strong, farsighted and commpasionate to do!
Edwin
Matt,
GM has done a great job with the Renaissance Center. Enjoyed visiting. What about the West River? The Train Depot? An new National Aquarium? Cleaning up Belle Isle? More green space downtown, more new traffic circles and boulevards? Attract other companies downtown?
Will there be a new convention center downtown for the NAIAS?
Why not move the GM heritage collection downtown?
getalifeagain
I agree with Jason. I think it is GREAT what GM is doing, but with the neighborhood not including affordable housing, it will be difficult to have complete renovation.
Ask the government for big tax breaks if you do decide to build affordable housing. And to make the homes more affordable, start a non-profit organization to help subsidize those that might want to live in these new homes. Maybe offer tax breaks for a few years for those moving into these homes.
Edwin
Matt,
You have exciting work, seeing the results of the Renaissance Center makes it all worth while.
With many things on the wish list, which one is next? Here are some things that came to mind while touring the city.
Imagine a new Convention Center as part of the Train Depot for the auto show with the GM heritage collection at the center piece with Michigan Avenue all cleaned up as a new Main Street USA. Detroit ought to have a major media center perhaps as part of a new convention center to bring all the elements together to boost the image of the auto industry. The synergy might attract major media offices to Detroit.
Envision a combination light rail/monorail system circling linking the central business district with the Airport, Dearborn, Southfield Town Center, Royal Oak Zoo having pedestrian overpass stations fed by bus service. Turn the old Cobo into an upscale shopping mall with a hotel and another Winter Garden. Just look at MacArthur Center in Norfolk, VA. If Norfolk, VA can do it, Detroit can do even better.
Is there a plan to beautify the gateways to downtown? Add greenspace?
Imagine making another traffic circle between Detroit’s Public Library and Institute of Arts. Place the DIA Rodin’s Thinker in the center of the traffic cirle under lights. This would help the city show more of its European flair.
Detroit should use more of those historic street lights, even up to to River park, they give the city its ambiance.
Sometimes just adding the little things can attract more of the big things.
Belle Isle needs attention, a capital investment the old boat club would go a long way to boosting the image, and cleaning the landscape.
Belle Isle really ought to have its own Iwo Jima memorial, the history books on detroit say it was a staging area for the real Iwa Jima.
Detroit Auto Show
Detroit Auto Show
Chrysler also will branch into newWhile Mitsubishi had its heyday through the first weekend of the Detroit Auto Show will tantalize with more concep…
Leave a Reply
(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)