Downtown Detroit is the central business district and a residential area of the city of Detroit , Michigan , United States. Locally, "downtown" tends to refer to the 1.4 square mile region bordered by M-10 (Lodge Freeway) to the west, Interstate 75 (I-75, Fisher Freeway) to the north, I-375 (Chrysler Freeway) to the east, and the Detroit River to the south. It may also be used to refer to the Greater Downtown area, a 7.2 square mile region that includes surrounding neighborhoods such as Midtown , Corktown , Rivertown, and Woodbridge .
44-647: The Wayne County Building is a monumental government structure located at 600 Randolph Street in Downtown Detroit , Michigan . It formerly contained the Wayne County administrative offices – now located in the Guardian Building at 500 Griswold Street – and its courthouse . As Wayne County Courthouse , it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. When it was completed in 1902, it
88-472: A 200-plus-room hotel, office, retail and event space. Further ongoing new construction underway were The Exchange, a 16-story residential tower, and the 20-story Huntington Bank headquarters tower. In late 2021, Stephen Ross and Christopher Ilitch announced plans for the new home of the University of Michigan's Detroit Center for Innovation (DCI), a $ 250 million, 4-acre, three building graduate school campus in
132-684: A number of primary and secondary schools in the city, along with those in the metro area. There are 23 Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese of Detroit . Of the three Catholic high schools in the city, two are operated by the Society of Jesus and the third is co-sponsored by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Congregation of St. Basil . The Detroit Public Library operates
176-681: A plaque along the Windsor waterfront park). Ally Detroit Center won an Award of Excellence for its design in 1996. Ally Detroit Center replicas have become a souvenir item along with those of other Detroit skyscrapers. Project plans for a twin tower directly to the east, Two Detroit Center , were placed indefinitely on hold. Two Detroit Center parking garage was constructed on the site in 2002. The law firm Dickinson Wright (formerly Dickinson, Wright, Moon, Van Dusen & Freeman) has its headquarters in Ally Detroit Center. The company moved into
220-553: A reflecting pool. In 2007, Downtown Detroit was named among the best big-city neighborhoods in which to retire by CNN Money Magazine editors. Downtown contains popular destinations, including the International Riverfront , the MGM Grand Detroit , Greektown Casino Hotel , and many sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places . Downtown Detroit hosts over 92,000 workers which make up about one-fifth of
264-834: Is a skyscraper and class-A office building located in Downtown Detroit , overlooking the Detroit Financial District . Rising 619 feet (189 m), the 43-story tower is the tallest office building in Michigan and the second tallest building overall in the state behind the central hotel tower of the Renaissance Center , located a few blocks away. Although the Penobscot Building has more floors above ground (45), those of Ally Detroit Center are taller, with its roof sitting roughly 60 feet (18 m) taller than that of
308-404: Is an ongoing debate whether or not this redevelopment is good for the downtown area and Detroit as a whole. In 2021, the 2-acre Hudson's site 680-foot tower, and the 232-foot tall, block-long building called "the block", with the two sections being separated by an activated alley, were under construction by Dan Gilbert's real estate firm, Bedrock Detroit, that will include 150 apartments,
352-622: Is full of murals and other artwork from 27 international artists, and the floors are color-coded. The Z opened on January 30, 2014. On December 10, 2014, Punch Bowl Social opened a new 24,000-square-foot bi-level eatery and entertainment complex in The Z structure. Some places for entertainment and attractions within the downtown region include Campus Martius Park , Philip A. Hart Plaza , Coleman A. Young Community Center, Detroit Riverwalk , Fox Theatre , Ford Field , Little Caesars Arena , and Comerica Park . The University of Detroit Mercy School of Law
396-569: Is lies on the historic site of Black Bottom and Paradise Valley. Black Bottom was one of the city's major African American communities, historically named by French colonial settlers for its rich soil. Paradise Valley was the business and entertainment district of Black Bottom, best known for its Paradise Theatre and Hotel Gotham, where prominent jazz figures such as Duke Ellington , Billie Holiday , and Louis Armstrong performed and stayed. Both neighborhoods were demolished to build I-375, and have since been replaced with Lafayette Park . Downtown
440-630: Is located downtown across from the Renaissance Center . Wayne County Community College District (WCCCD) has its headquarters in Downtown Detroit. The Downtown Campus of the district is located adjacent to Downtown Detroit and adjacent to the WCCCD headquarters. Wayne State University is located in Midtown Detroit . The Corktown Campus, near downtown at 2700 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, houses
484-474: Is located in Downtown Detroit; it is the only TV station in the Detroit media market with studios located in the city as WXYZ , WJBK , WWJ , WMYD , WPXD , and WKBD (affiliates of ABC , Fox , CBS , MyNetworkTV , Ion Television and The CW respectively) have their studios in the nearby city of Southfield . Downtown Detroit has seen a major growth in entertainment in the past decade. Campus Martius Park
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#1732848980978528-561: Is open year-round, with ice skating in the winter with a huge Christmas tree display, to a large fountain and many concerts in the summer. Downtown Detroit has also seen major growth in retail, such as Michigan-based Moosejaw outdoor clothing. In December 2012, the largest Buffalo Wild Wings in the country opened in the district, and a new mixed-use development by CEO Dan Gilbert , businessman, and developer, The Z , due to its Z-like shape, with 1,300 parking spaces, artwork, LED lighting, and 33,000-square-feet of street level retail space. The Z
572-482: Is profusely ornamented with sculpture; the interior is finished in a variety of woods, marbles , tiles , and mosaics . Built with buff Berea sandstone , the façade features a rusticated basement story and a balustrade between the third and fourth stories. At the main entrance, a broad flight of stairs leads up to a two-story Corinthian column portico. The structure boasts a tall, four-tiered, hipped roof central tower balanced by end pavilions . The courthouse tower
616-693: Is the Westin Book-Cadillac Hotel . In 2006, the Cleveland-based Ferchill Group began the $ 180 million redevelopment of the historic Book Cadlliac Hotel at the corner of Washington Boulevard and Michigan Avenue. The project, which has been hailed by preservationists, houses a 455-room Westin Hotel, 67 high-end condominiums, and two to three restaurants, and some miscellaneous retail serving hotel and conference center guests. DTE Energy Headquarters features an urban oasis of parks, walkways, and
660-570: The Fox Theatre . Ernst & Young has offices in One Kennedy Square on Campus Martius Park . Pricewaterhouse Coopers has offices in a building across from Ford Field . Chrysler maintains executive offices at Chrysler House in the city's Financial District . In 2011, Quicken Loans moved its headquarters and 4,000 employees to downtown. Comerica Bank and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan are also major employers downtown. Throughout
704-689: The M-1 Rail Line , which opened to the public in 2017. It runs 3.3 miles on Woodward Avenue from Congress Street in Downtown Detroit to the Grand Boulevard station in New Center . Companies with headquarters in Downtown Detroit include Compuware , Dickinson Wright , General Motors , Little Caesars , Campbell-Ewald , Miller Canfield , and Quicken Loans . On October 28, 2014, Fifth Third Bank announced plans to move its Michigan regional headquarters from Southfield to downtown Detroit in what
748-489: The Renaissance Center , and the Detroit Lions have relocated from Pontiac to Downtown Detroit. High-profile events like the 2005 MLB All-Star Game , Super Bowl XL , and the 2006 and 2012 World Series have taken place in downtown, generating income for local businesses and spurring more growth. As a result, new residents are moving into Detroit in the assortment of new lofts that are opening. An example of these trends
792-454: The Renaissance Center , the Penobscot Building , One Detroit Center , and the Guardian Building . Historic churches, theatres , and commercial buildings anchor the various downtown districts. Downtown has a number of parks including those linked by a promenade along the International Riverfront . Its central square is Campus Martius Park . Following the Great Fire of 1805 , the design for
836-534: The University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry and Dental Clinic. The main campus of the University of Detroit Mercy is located uptown. The Detroit College of Law was in Downtown Detroit until 1997. It moved to East Lansing, Michigan in 1997 and is now known as the Michigan State University College of Law . As of 2016 there is a concentration of charter schools and senior high schools in
880-681: The 400 Tower, the Consulate-General of Canada in Detroit is located in Suite 1100 of the 600 Tower, and the Consulate of Italy in Detroit is located in Suite 950 of the 400 Tower. The Consulate of Italy in Detroit used to be located in Suite 1840 in the Buhl Building until 2021. The Consulate of Mexico in Detroit is located in Suite 830 in the Penobscot Building . One Detroit Center Ally Detroit Center , formerly One Detroit Center ,
924-453: The Downtown Detroit area - there were eleven high schools and 1,894 high school-aged students in the area- relative to other parts of Detroit which had more high school students but fewer schools available. This is because Downtown Detroit is relatively wealthy compared to other parts of Detroit and because of gentrification . The Detroit Public Schools , charter schools, and private schools serve city residents. Downtown residents enrolled in
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#1732848980978968-453: The Penobscot. It has a floor area of 1,674,708 sq ft (155,585.5 m ). The building was designed by noted architects John Burgee and Philip Johnson , partners influential in postmodern architecture . Ally Detroit Center was constructed from 1991 to 1993. It houses numerous tenants, including many prominent Detroit law firms and PricewaterhouseCoopers . In addition to retail ,
1012-558: The Rose and Robert Skillman Branch Library downtown at 121 Gratiot with the library headquarters located in Midtown . The downtown branch first opened January 4, 1932. Skillman received its current name after the Skillman Foundation donated to the library system. Three consulates are located in the Renaissance Center ; the Consulate-General of Japan, Detroit is located on the 16th Floor of
1056-598: The Wayne County Building. This purchase would commence when the county's lease on their current home expires in 2008 and end a difficult tenant-landlord relationship between the owners and the County. The Detroit Free Press print edition on July 21, 2007, carried a front-page article about the current landlord offering a reduced rate for the county to remain. In July 2014, the Wayne County Commission approved
1100-399: The building also contains a restaurant and a gym . The building is famous for its postmodern architectural design topped with Flemish -inspired neo-gothic spires which blend architecturally with the city's historic skyline. It is constructed mainly of granite . Sometimes called a "twin gothic structure", for its pairs of spires, it is oriented North-South and East-West (as named on
1144-549: The building when it opened in 1992. In 2007, when it renewed its lease, the company occupied almost 100,000 square feet (9,300 m ) of space in the building. Additionally, the international law firm of Clark Hill, PLC operates its headquarters on three floors of the building. The building was previously occupied by Comerica Bank . The bank's lease on then Comerica Tower at Detroit Center ran through 2012, and in December 2009, Comerica announced it would vacate One Detroit Center at
1188-462: The bus systems downtown. It is adjacent to two stops on the Detroit People Mover . The People Mover, a 2.94-mile (4.7 km) automated rail rapid transit system, operates on a single-track, one-way loop through the downtown area. Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation has its headquarters in the Buhl Building in Downtown Detroit. In late July 2014, construction began on
1232-748: The city's total employment base; in addition, it is home to about 6,200 residents. Downtown offers a number of residential high rises, including Riverfront Towers , The Albert , and Town Residences . The Renaissance Center contains the Detroit Marriott hotel, General Motors headquarters, as well as many shops and restaurants. Compuware has its headquarters in the Compuware World Headquarters building by Campus Martius Park in Downtown Detroit. Compuware moved its headquarters and 4,000 employees to Downtown Detroit in 2003. Little Caesars and Olympia Entertainment have their headquarters in
1276-399: The discussion of gentrification within the city. The downtown area is notably wealthier than other parts of the city, and has attracted a new demographic of white, middle-class tourists and residents, physically and culturally displacing the black residents of the inner city. The ever-increasing lack of affordable housing and venues for locals have further contributed to this displacement. It
1320-454: The downtown District Detroit area. As of the 2020 Census , there were 6,151 people living in the district. The population density was 4,271.5 people per square mile (1,649.2/km ). There were 5,323 housing units. The census reported the district residents as 54.2% White , 30.4% Black , 0.4% Native American , 6.4% Asian , 0.09% Pacific Islander , 2.2% other races , and 6.0% two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.5% of
1364-439: The downtown area was left open to a new vision. Augustus B. Woodward proposed a radial design for the post-fire city, where major streets such as Woodward , Washington, and Madison Avenue would spiral off Grand Circus Park . The downtown streets still loosely follow Woodward's original design. Business in Detroit boomed along with its growing automobile industry, leading to an increase in downtown's population and wealth. Much of
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1408-558: The downtown area's architecture was built during this boom, in the late 19th century and early 20th century, and still attracts the attention of architects. Several buildings were built by the famous Minoru Yamasaki (most well known for designing the twin towers in New York City), including the McGregor Memorial Conference Center and Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Detroit Branch Building . The area where I-375
1452-418: The end of the lease, consolidating its Michigan operations at 411 West Lafayette Boulevard. In March 2015, following the purchase of the building by Dan Gilbert through his Bedrock Real Estate Services, Bedrock and Ally Financial announced a 12-year lease under which it would move its main office into the building from the nearby Renaissance Center as well consolidate all employees in suburban Detroit to
1496-473: The late 2010s a large amount of business and investment continued to enter the city and transform it. As of 2019, businesses such as Shinola , Google , Moosejaw , and Nike occupy the once-vacant street fronts. Investments such as new bike lanes, the Little Caesars Arena and QLine have been successful in attracting newcomers to the city. Downtown's transformation in recent years has also perpetuated
1540-403: The other end of Campus Martius was the old Detroit City Hall , and they adorned the landscape as 'bookends'. A renovation was carried out in 1987 by Quinn Evans Architects and Smith, Hinchman & Grylls Associates. On July 18, 2007, Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano announced Wayne County had entered into an agreement to purchase the Guardian Building to relocate its offices from
1584-737: The owner of black newspapers in the United States, had its headquarters in the Globe Tobacco Building , and later the Buhl Building . The Detroit Media Partnership , housing both The Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press , has its headquarters in Downtown Detroit. The Metro Times was previously headquartered in the Detroit Cornice and Slate Company Building in Downtown. The studio of WDIV (Detroit's NBC affiliate)
1628-511: The police department serves Downtown Detroit. Federal offices are in the Patrick V. McNamara Federal Building . They include an FBI field office . The Detroit Greyhound Lines station is directly west of Downtown along the John C. Lodge Freeway. The Detroit Department of Transportation system provides mass-transit by bus. The Rosa Parks Transit Center, completed in 2009, serves as the main hub for
1672-639: The public school system are zoned for Martin Luther King High School . Some downtown residents are zoned for Burton K-8 for elementary school, while others are zoned to Chrysler Elementary School. Burton K-8 and Bunche K-8 serve portions of Downtown for middle school. Previously Dewey K-8 served portions of Downtown Detroit for elementary school. Previously Miller Middle School, and Duffield Middle School served portions of Downtown Detroit. Previously Murray-Wright High School served Downtown Detroit for high school. The Archdiocese of Detroit lists
1716-497: The sale of the building along with a county-owned parking lot at 400 E. Fort Street to a New York investment group for $ 13.4 million. The building is expected to be renovated for single tenant occupancy. Downtown Detroit The city's main thoroughfare M-1 (Woodward Avenue) links Downtown to Midtown , New Center , and the North End . Downtown contains much historic architecture , including prominent skyscrapers, ranging from
1760-650: The total population. As recently as 2011 the population of full-time residents in Downtown Detroit was relatively low. However, its population grew by an estimated 15 percent between 2012 and 2016 as it experienced a construction boom. The city of Detroit offices are located in the Coleman Young Municipal Building . The Guardian Building serves as headquarters for Wayne County . Detroit Fire Department has its headquarters in Downtown Detroit. The Detroit Police Department has its headquarters in Downtown Detroit. The Central District patrol division of
1804-412: Was once notorious for its abandonment, vacant buildings, and disinvestment. However, in recent years, the downtown area has seen tremendous growth and redevelopment. Since 2000 a number of major construction projects have been completed including the new Compuware Headquarters at Campus Martius Park and two new stadiums: Comerica Park and Ford Field . General Motors moved their headquarters into
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1848-577: Was originally 227' 8½" tall; the copper dome and spire were redone in the 1960s, bringing its height to 247 feet. The exterior architectural sculpture , including the Anthony Wayne pediment , was executed by Detroit sculptor Edward Wagner . The other sculptures, two quadrigas , Victory and Progress and four figures on the tower, Law , Commerce , Agriculture , and Mechanics , were sculpted by New York sculptor J. Massey Rhind , and made by Salem, Ohio resident William H. Mullins in 1903. On
1892-544: Was regarded as "one of the most sumptuous buildings in Michigan". The building was designed by Detroit architects John and Arthur Scott. Constructed from 1897 to 1902, it may be one of the nation's finest surviving examples of Roman Baroque Revival architecture, with a blend of Beaux-Arts and some elements of the Neoclassical style. The building stands 5 floors and was built using copper, granite , and stone . The exterior
1936-642: Was to be named the Fifth Third Bank Building at One Woodward . The bank was to occupy about 62,000 sq ft (5,800 m ) of the structure and has also pledged to invest $ 85 million in the city of Detroit. The office had 150 employees. Previously Comerica Bank had its headquarters in Downtown Detroit. On March 6, 2007, the company announced its decision to relocate its corporate headquarters to Dallas . The company executives began moving to Dallas in November 2007. At one time Real Times Media ,
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