Detroit's tallest tower to rise at site of former J.L Hudson's Department Store
By David Malone, Associate Editor
J.L. Hudson’s Department Store was one of the premier locations in the heart of downtown Detroit in the 1970s and 1980s. After closing in 1983, however, it has sat as one of the few vacant sites in downtown Detroit.
But the site is about to be vacant no longer, as a new design from SHoP Architects and Hamilton Anderson Associates calls for a 52-story mixed-use building to rise and create a new destination location in the heart of Detroit.
The building, which will stretch 734-feet into the sky and become Detroit’s tallest tower, will offer 250 residential units totaling 441,500 GSF. A nine-story, 176-foot podium will contain another 733,823 GSF for use as commercial, office, technology, and arts and culture space. An additional three stories will be located below grade and comprise more commercial space and 700 parking spots. About two-thirds of the first underground floor will be used as a market. The remainder of the first underground floor, as well as the second and third floors, will be used for parking. In total, the building will provide 1.2 million GSF.
The Hudson’s Site building will be one of the largest construction projects in Detroit in decades and will attempt to once again turn the Woodward Avenue site into a premier location in the city. The new mixed-use tower is expected to attract visitors, create thousands of jobs, and lure talent, business, and investment opportunities. Bedrock Detroit, the project’s developer, estimates the project will create 5,800 jobs during the construction phase and 3,000 new permanent jobs. It is also estimated the Hudson’s Site project will create $560 million in annual economic output.
The Downtown Development Authority was presented with plans for the site and has approved the timeline for the groundbreaking of the development by Dec. 1, 2017.