GM to move Detroit HQ to new downtown tower, plans to redevelop iconic Renaissance Center

DETROIT (AP) – General Motors plans to move its iconic Detroit headquarters to a new downtown office tower and redevelop its home office site, a person briefed on the plans said.

The company has scheduled a press conference with real estate firm Bedrock for Monday afternoon to announce its plans, the person said.

Meanwhile, Bedrock, which owns several downtown office buildings, will join GM and explore redeveloping the seven-building Renaissance Center, now owned by GM, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the plans have not been officially announced.

GM CEO Mary Barra and Bedrock Chairman Dan Gilbert attend a news conference at the site of the new tower Bedrock is building on the site of the old Hudson's Department Store downtown.

Adam said GM's headquarters will be moving to the Hudson Tower.

The plan does not include the sale of GM RenCen, as the tower complex is known locally. The complex is a centerpiece of Detroit's skyline and is often seen on sports telecasts.

GM bought the tower complex in 1996 and later moved its headquarters there from a site north of downtown. It has since housed the company, so the move marks the end of an era on the site.

Gilbert's Bedrock has spent years buying properties downtown and leading its rebirth. He also runs the loan company Rocket Mortgage.

In a 2022 interview, Barra told The Associated Press that GM would keep its main office at the RenCen complex across the Detroit River from Canada.

But he qualified his statements by saying that he cannot predict what will happen in five, 10 or 15 years. Since then, about 5,000 white-collar workers at GM have taken early retirement, presumably because workers are still on hybrid office-home schedules, so GM needs less office space.

“Our headquarters will always be in Detroit, RenZen,” he said, using the name given to the complex by locals. “Right now, there are plans for it to be at the Renaissance Center. This is our home,” he said.

The company occupies about 1 1/2 of the RenCen towers, which have seen little foot traffic for years. Most of GM's workforce, including product development and engineering, is housed in a renovated 1950s technical center in suburban Warren, north of the city. After GM filed for bankruptcy in 2009, the company considered moving its headquarters there.

“As we move to a hybrid work structure, we need to consider what the right space is,” Barra said.

He also said in an interview that GM is exploring riverfront development opportunities with the city.

The Renaissance Center was built in the 1970s by Henry Ford II, who formed a coalition to revitalize downtown Detroit.

Bedrock announced last week that the final structural steel beam has been installed for the Hudson Tower, which is expected to include 1.5 million square feet of retail, office, dining, hospitality and residential space. The new tower is about a mile north of GM's current headquarters.

Tom Krisher, Associated Press