Downtown Detroit department store gets reimagined as $1.5 billion mixed-use development
J.L. Hudson, a Detroit department store built over a century ago, has been reimagined as Hudson’s Detroit, a $1.5 billion, 1.5 million-sf mixed-used development.
Designed by SHoP Architects and developed by Bedrock, Hudson’s Detroit has completed the first phase: a 12-story, 400,000-sf office building anchored by General Motors’ new global headquarters, which spans multiple top floors of the glass and terracotta building.
Following more than a decade of planning and design, the development also includes a 45-story EDITION hotel and residential tower with 97 luxury condos, which will reach completion in 2027.
“Ten years in the making, Hudson’s Detroit is elevating downtown and creating space for the community to come together,” Dan Gilbert, Bedrock’s Founder and Chair, said in a statement. Bill Sharples, SHoP Founding Principal, called Hudson’s Detroit “a decade-long passion project.”
SHoP drew inspiration from Detroit architecture to design the office building’s contemporary glass-and-steel frame with white-glazed terracotta. The building provides flexible, open-format spaces with 360-degree skyline views. A seven-story atrium features a skylight inspired by the headlight cover of a 1954 Corvette, a nod to Detroit’s automotive legacy.
Amenities include The Rec Room, a multipurpose space designed by Pophouse that offers a living room and library area with attached kitchenette, pickleball court, lounge areas, fitness center, private training rooms, and multisport simulator room. Other amenities include an atrium café, underground parking, and a rooftop lounge that will open in 2026. In addition, The Department at Hudson’s, a 56,000-sf event venue, debuted in spring 2025.
The project also adds a new public plaza, Nick Gilbert Way, an accessible gathering space with seasonal programming such as live music, art installations, and retail pop-ups.
On the project team: Bedrock (developer), SHoP Architects (design architect), Kendall/Heaton Associates (architect of record), Buro Happold (MEP and structural engineer), Barton Malow (contractor).
