DETROIT | Hudson's Detroit | 685 FT & 240 FT | 49 & 14 FLOORS

[LMich]

May 29


48307

[seabee1526]

LMich, how goes the progress at Monroe Blocks? I thought I heard they were going to start some demo over there as well.

[The Best Forumer]

that is a nice tower...!!! looks a lot like the one in delta city.

[pianowizard]

I learned about this proposed 800-footer only a couple days ago. When will we know for sure that it will be built?

I just went to the Diagrams site to search for all >300ft highrises built in Michigan since 1977, the year when the Detroit RenCen complex was completed. Ten were built in the 1980s, only two in the 1990s (one each in Detroit and Grand Rapids), only two in the 2000s (also one each in Detroit and Grand Rapids), and nothing at all in the 2010s. If we use the widely accepted threshold of 492 ft (150 m) as the definition for a skycraper, Michigan has built just one skyscraper after the RenCen: the 619 ft Ally Detroit Center in 1993.

It's so exciting that Michigan is potentially getting the first skyscraper since 1993, and a new tallest building that shatters a 41-year-old record.

[seabee1526]

Originally Posted by pianowizard

I learned about this proposed 800-footer only a couple days ago. When will we know for sure that it will be built?

I just went to the Diagrams site to search for all >300ft highrises built in Michigan since 1977, the year when the Detroit RenCen complex was completed. Ten were built in the 1980s, only two in the 1990s (one each in Detroit and Grand Rapids), only two in the 2000s (also one each in Detroit and Grand Rapids), and nothing at all in the 2010s. If we use the widely accepted threshold of 492 ft (150 m) as the definition for a skycraper, Michigan has built just one skyscraper after the RenCen: the 619 ft Ally Detroit Center in 1993.

It's so exciting that Michigan is potentially getting the first skyscraper since 1993, and a new tallest building that shatters a 41-year-old record.

Hello, from what I've read all financing for this project as well as the Monroe Blocks project is in place. The Monroe Blocks has 3 buildings with the tallest being 35 floors. I'd like to think that other developers or businesses will see these projects and start one of their own. It should be exciting to watch.

[deja vu]

Originally Posted by pianowizard

I learned about this proposed 800-footer only a couple days ago. When will we know for sure that it will be built?

I just went to the Diagrams site to search for all >300ft highrises built in Michigan since 1977, the year when the Detroit RenCen complex was completed. Ten were built in the 1980s, only two in the 1990s (one each in Detroit and Grand Rapids), only two in the 2000s (also one each in Detroit and Grand Rapids), and nothing at all in the 2010s. If we use the widely accepted threshold of 492 ft (150 m) as the definition for a skycraper, Michigan has built just one skyscraper after the RenCen: the 619 ft Ally Detroit Center in 1993.

It's so exciting that Michigan is potentially getting the first skyscraper since 1993, and a new tallest building that shatters a 41-year-old record.

To be honest, I've never heard or known that this was the widely-accepted definition of height. Wikipedia says otherwise though... I think it is far more fluid, and based largely on context. In Kalamazoo, for example, something over 8 stories is basically deemed a 'skyscraper'. A 15-story tower is going up here right now that is making headlines and stopping traffic with gawkers, because something this tall hasn't gone up since the early 1980s.

That's beside the point though.

I guess the best way to know if something will get built is when it is complete and you are looking right at it. A bit tongue-in-cheek, but as seabee1526 mentioned, if the financing is secured, that is always a big help.

[LMich]

I mean, Gilbert isn't just paying millions of dollars out of the goodness of his heart to remove a massive parking garage for nothing.

Chad Livengood of Crain's Detroit Business got a few site prep./construction photos for the Hudson site last Friday:

Hudson

[subterranean]

I think one of the only bad things about this site being built on again is that the view of Merchant’s Row et. al. will once again be obstructed. What a beautiful set of buildings.

[seabee1526]

Has the final design been locked in? Can they even start the project until all the drawings etc are finalized? Will there be a delay after demo of the parking garage is complete and footings/foundation can be started? All of the engineering needs to be worked out?

[subterranean]

Originally Posted by seabee1526

Has the final design been locked in? Can they even start the project until all the drawings etc are finalized? Will there be a delay after demo of the parking garage is complete and footings/foundation can be started? All of the engineering needs to be worked out?

I said something similar a few pages back. No way a building starts construction here in the PDX area without the design being finalized, save for very minor or necessary changes stumbled upon along the way. However, City of Detroit could've issued an entirely separate set of permits for the demolition of the garage.

[deja vu]

Issuing phased permits for demo, or footings and foundations, ahead of permits for everything else is not that uncommon. Especially if it is a fast-track type project (which I don't think this is). In a true fast-track project, foundations are being installed while the building design is still getting refined. The structural calculations, structural design, major building systems, etc. would basically need to be worked out to get the permit for the foundation design, but while the foundation is being built, it buys the design team extra time to work out other elements of the design. Again, I don't think that is the case here, but it happens a lot.

I would not be at all surprised though if they pulled a separate demolition permit ahead of the full building construction permit.

[LMich]

They have not filed construction permits for the actual building yet. We're in the site prep phase of this thing; these are demolition permits. Look closely, this is a Homrich project at the moment. It's why SHoP, Hamilton Anderson Associates, and Barton Malow have been so quiet on their social media about this project; the design isn't done. It's probably we don't have a constrution cam of this, because it's not actually under construction, yet.

They'll file the construction permits when they need to; no need to file so early that you have them expire during the actual construction of the buildings. My guess is that we don't see stuff like the site plan review process and all that jazz formally filed until we're getting close to the end of the demo work, which actually shouldn't be that long away considering how quickly this has picked up. In any case, Gilbert has no reason to drag this out, and actually good incentive against having this drag this out.

Reposting the schedule, again:

Originally Posted by animatedmartian

Here's the approximate timeline for the project:

• end of 2017-spring 2018: demolition, earth retention, temporary electrical installation
  
• summer/fall 2018: demolition of some of the underground garage foundation
  
• fall 2018: building tower foundations
  
• spring 2019: parking deck foundations and structure
  
• spring 2019: building the tower structure
  
• summer 2019: building the block structure
  
• fall 2019: mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection system installation
  
• fall 2019: site utilities
  
• fall/winter 2020: enclosure of the block and tower
  
• winter 2020: elevator and escalator installation
  
• spring 2021: building interiors and finishes
  
• summer 2022: final site work

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...e-construction

We are at step 2, here, and still very much on schedule, maybe a little bit ahead, in fact, considering we've not even officially hit summer. Expect construction permits to be pulled no earlier than this fall, though. "Construction" on this project doesn't begin on until fall of this year.

[LMich]

From June 13:


1953


1953

I still can't quite get over how massive and long the concrete pours are going to have to be when they begin rebuilding the bowels of this thing in the fall. And look at all that steel. Homrich is making a killing off this one project; this is the biggest thing they are going to do this decade. The last time they landed a contract this big was...when they destroyed the building, itself.

[LMich]

Barton Malow has finally gotten this project on their social media platform, which means we're getting closer to actual construction.

Barton Malow Preps for Five-Year Project

By Irwin Rapoport – CEG Correspondent

Wed June 27, 2018 - Midwest Edition #13

The project consists of two buildings. To the south will be a 58-story tower building with residential capacity of between 330 and 450 units above 11 floors of amenity and exhibition space. The top floors of the tower will consist of a multi-level public observation deck providing spectacular vistas of the city. At the north is a 10-story “block” building that will house a ground floor market and have five floors of large, flexible space designed to accommodate a wide variety of events, conferences, technology attractions, etc., and four floors of office space at the top. Under both buildings will be two floors of semi-automated underground parking for 700 vehicles.

“The complex is a bit of a homage to Detroit, in terms of the exterior skin,” said Joe Guziewicz, Bedrock's vice president of construction. “It starts out with terracotta at street level and transitions to a more modern glass structure as it goes up the building. It's an interesting play off of what's around it and definitely a nod of the Detroit heritage, which is rich in architectural design with Albert Kahn buildings. Our project is a very modern take on that.”

Once the demolition of an existing parking deck is complete, the construction will begin on the tower's foundations and superstructure. As the tower comes out of the ground, the new parking structure will follow. The 10-story building will be the last to emerge and work will continue on both structures concurrently and year-round.

“Building construction in winter is common in Michigan,” said Lorenzo. “Some of the most complex and long-lead systems include structural steel, curtain wall [aluminum/glass enclosure] and vertical transportation [elevators/escalators]. Early design packages will be released to expedite procurement to match the flow of work.”

For the 2018 construction season, the goals are to complete demolition and begin the tower foundations. Most of 2019 will be spent building the structure. The interior work will begin as soon as there is clear floor area to start. Enclosure work is key to completing the final build-out and finishes.

As the construction progresses, the number of workers will increase. At peak, it is expected that there will be up to 600-plus workers on-site.

Lots and lots of detail and good information in this piece, including the fact that we finally get confirmation that the 700-space parking garage will be "semi-automated." An old graphic seems to have shown this, but we get that confirmed, here. We also learn that we're going to have some nice terra cotta near the base.

[NYguy]

Forgot to mention I went by this site a few weeks ago. Clearly this will change things a lot, but I can see the area is already changing around it. Good to see development in the core area.

As a whole, there is a lot of street construction, and there were a lot of boarded up homes in places, but there are a lot of intact neighborhoods close to the center. Some even had a Brooklynish feel. Not the image of Detroit that you get in the media. The city clearly seems to be on the way up again.

[seabee1526]

Originally Posted by LMich

Barton Malow has finally gotten this project on their social media platform, which means we're getting closer to actual construction.









Lots and lots of detail and good information in this piece, including the fact that we finally get confirmation that the 700-space parking garage will be "semi-automated." An old graphic seems to have shown this, but we get that confirmed, here. We also learn that we're going to have some nice terra cotta near the base.

Have any new drawings / sketches been released to the public. I'm looking forward to seeing the final design.

[subterranean]

Oh, that's super fascinating about the terra cotta. SHoP also designed 111 West 57th in Manhattan, which includes terra cotta as well:



(via Curbed)

[LMich]

You know, now you can kind of see it on the rendering:





The terra cotta looks like it's going to be around all the bands on the base. It might even be in the mullions that run up the tower. That would be really cool.

[pianowizard]

I was near the site this morning and took some photos. The first one was taken on street level, obviously, while the second and third ones were taken on the top (10th) level of two nearby parking structures. In the absence of any public observation deck -- Detroit Marriott's top-floor restaurant is undergoing renovation and the Penobscot Building's top-floor observation deck has been closed for decades -- these parking structures are the best currently available options, unless you work in a skyscraper or stay at a tall hotel (more on this below):







Last night I did stay on the 67th floor of Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center, which gave me this stunning view of the Financial District:

[LMich]

July 30


Kirk Pinho


Kirk Pinho

This is starting to get fun. We'll very soon be able to call this one under construction. This site is just a total monster. They were supposed to start on the foundation in the fall, but it looks like things might be a bit ahead of schedule.