Detroit's iconic Renaissance Center could see 2 towers razed in $1.6B redevelopment plan

Two towers at Detroit's iconic Renaissance Center would be razed and the complex converted to a mix of housing and offices under an ambitious $1.6 billion plan announced Monday.

The complex, which next year will lose the headquarters of owner General Motors Co., is the symbol of Detroit, with aerial views often shown on television sports broadcasts.

GM decided last spring to leave what's locally known as the “RenCen” for a more modern building being constructed downtown.

GM said in April it would join forces with the Bedrock real estate development firm and Wayne County to turn the partially vacant property into a roughly 27-acre entertainment complex across the Detroit River from Windsor, Ontario.

Under the plans, Bedrock would invest at least $1 billion in the property, with roughly $250 million more coming from GM and another $250 million in yet-to-be-allocated public money, possibly from the state of Michigan.

The plan, called conceptual by Bedrock, would preserve most of the skyline and reduce the center's office footprint. Demolishing the two 39-story towers would free land for the waterfront project that would complement a walkway along the river, Bedrock said in a press release. A pedestrian promenade would link the heart of downtown to the riverfront, Bedrock said.

The 73-story main tower would remain, with high-end housing on the upper floors, according to Crain's Detroit Business, which first reported the plans.

GM CEO Mary Barra said last April that the move to a brand new state-of-the-art office building in the heart of the city will help GM recruit talent in the future. The new site, being built by Bedrock, is about a mile (1.6 kilometers) north of the Renaissance Center. The move also keeps GM’s headquarters in the city for the foreseeable future, she said.