DETROIT (WWJ) — As General Motors prepares to move its global headquarters from Detroit’s Renaissance Center to the Hudson’s Building sometime this year or in early 2026, focus is shifting to what will become of the iconic riverfront towers.
Speaking at the 2025 Detroit Policy Conference on Thursday, GM and Bedrock officials discussed what the future of the RenCen could look like — including tearing down two of the smaller towers, creating some 600 apartments and retaining office space.
Plans would call for tearing down Tower 300 and Tower 400 — the two closest to the riverfront — along with the “podium,” or the base of the RenCen, to create greater access to the riverfront. The podium contains public spaces, a conference center, retail stores, restaurants, and a showroom.
David Massaron, GM’s vice president of infrastructure and corporate citizenship, described the podium as “essentially a giant dead mall with over 1 million square feet of space,” according to a report from The Detroit Free Press.
Those demolitions would make way for a signature park that will help make the redeveloped space a “Navy Pier-like family-friendly entertainment destination,” according to Jared Fleisher, vice president of the Rock Family of Companies. That’s a reference to Chicago’s well-known tourist destination along the shores of Lake Michigan.
In addition, the proposal would see Tower 100 redeveloped into roughly 400 mixed-income and affordable apartment units, while Tower 200 would remain as office space. The RenCen’s main, 73-story center building would remain a hotel, with 200 apartments being added on the top floors.
The project is estimated to cost $1.6 billion, seeking about $350 million in city and state-level assistance. The Free Press reports the $250 million requested from the state would be a type of future tax-capture and not any direct infusion of state funds.
The redevelopment plan was proposed to the Michigan Legislature last November, but no funds were ever approved in the “lame duck” session. Fleisher said at Thursday’s conference said they “didn’t do a good job of explaining” the proposed partnership with the state to lawmakers, according to the Freep. He said GM and Bedrock are planning to revisit Lansing lawmakers at some point this year to clarify the plans, according to the report.
GM announced last April it would be relocating its headquarters to the new Hudson's site. An exact date for when that move will be completed has not been announced.