DETROIT (Michigan News Source) – The city of Detroit’s Historic Designation Advisory Board determined that the Renaissance Center is eligible to be given a “Historic Designation.” That may help make it eligible for additional funding in the midst of a proposed redevelopment.

What’s the criteria?

The advisory board cited the criteria for why the RenCen would qualify as historic at the request of the city council.

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The properties had “cultural, social, spiritual, economic, political and architectural” significance as well as it being “identified with historic personages or with important events.” In addition, it cited the impact the building has had with historic development. The history advisory board’s statement was included in materials provided to the city council for its Jan. 28 meeting.

Redevelopment ideas.

Bedrock and General Motors released a statement in November that said they have a plan to redevelop the Renaissance Center and 27 acres along the Detroit riverfront. The statement said Bedrock and General Motors are “committed to funding the majority of the project, with the remainder contingent on public financing.”

Historic Detroit cited an anonymous source in the Detroit Free Press as saying the development came with a $1.6 billion price tag with $250 million needed from public funding.

Jared Fleisher, vice president of Government Affairs and Economic Development for Rock Family of companies, said the plan would be to remove two office towers and replace them with a signature park open to the public, according to a Detroit Regional Chamber press release.

The history of the RenCen.

The RenCen is made of seven interconnected building and has been called an “iconic piece of Detroit’s skyline for almost half a century,” by HistoricDetroit.org. The RenCen has its own ZIP code and had 10,000 people working in it before the pandemic.