The Renaissance Center you grew up with is about to change shape. Under the $1.6 billion Bedrock and GM plan, two of the five towers come down, a six-acre riverfront park takes their place, and the remaining towers convert to apartments, offices, and a smaller hotel. Here is the plain-English version of what stays, what goes, and what Detroit’s skyline gains in the trade.
For the city’s full development picture, see our Detroit projects to watch in 2026.
At a Glance
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| The plan | $1.6 billion redevelopment by Bedrock and General Motors |
| Coming down | Towers 300 and 400 plus the podium (about 1.25 million of 5.5 million sq ft) |
| Replacing them | A six-acre public riverfront park connected to the RiverWalk |
| Tower 100 | Converts to about 400 apartments, including mixed-income units |
| Tower 200 | Stays office space |
| Central tower | Hotel shrinks from 1,200 to 850 rooms; top floors become luxury apartments |
| Timeline | Demolition targeted for summer 2027, after Detroit hosts the April NCAA Final Four |
| Funding | $1 billion from Gilbert’s Bedrock, $250 million from GM, plus public subsidies |
What Is Actually Being Torn Down?
Two of the RenCen’s five towers, the riverfront-facing Towers 300 and 400, come down along with the podium, the fortress-like base of retail and showroom space that has walled the complex off from the river since the 1970s.
That is about 1.25 million square feet removed from a 5.5 million square foot complex. The skyline keeps its center: the 73-story central tower and the two towers facing Jefferson stay standing.
What Replaces the Towers? A Six-Acre Riverfront Park
This is the part that changes daily life downtown. Where Towers 300 and 400 stand today, the plan opens roughly six acres of riverfront to the public, a park connecting directly into the RiverWalk.
If you have ever walked the RiverWalk past the RenCen, you know the experience: the best trail in America pinches against a concrete wall. The new park unpinches it. Think of what Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park did for the west riverfront, now repeated at the river’s most famous address.
What Happens to the Towers That Stay?
Each surviving tower gets a new job:
- Tower 100 converts to about 400 apartments, including mixed-income and affordable units, which puts residents on the riverfront full time.
- Tower 200 remains office space.
- The central tower keeps its hotel, trimmed from 1,200 rooms to about 850, with the top floors converting to luxury apartments.
The through-line: fewer empty offices, more people who actually live there. GM itself already moved its headquarters up Woodward to Hudson’s Detroit, which is what set this whole conversation in motion.
When Does It Happen, and Who Pays?
Demolition of the podium and Towers 300 and 400 is targeted to begin in summer 2027. The timing is deliberate: Detroit hosts the NCAA Final Four in April 2027, and the Marriott will close temporarily after the games on April 3 and 5 before teardown work starts. Until then, the RenCen keeps its current silhouette.
The public money took a major step in July 2026. The Michigan Legislature expanded the state’s transformational brownfield program, the incentive the project needs for roughly $250 million of its costs, doubling the program’s cap to $3.2 billion. There is no direct check: the project would recover costs through future tax revenue. Meanwhile, Dan Gilbert’s Bedrock has committed $1 billion and GM $250 million, and the Downtown Development Authority has awarded up to $75 million for podium demolition and new public spaces. That award comes with deadlines. Detroit City Council and the Michigan Strategic Fund must approve the brownfield plan by March 31, 2027, or the DDA money is voided. A public community engagement process begins in September 2026. For the full breakdown of the vote, the deadlines, and how the towers come down, see our report on the RenCen demolition clearing its biggest hurdle.
What It Means for Detroit
Honestly, it is a trade: a piece of the skyline for a working riverfront. The RenCen has been Detroit’s postcard since 1977, and losing two towers will sting for anyone who grew up seeing all five from Belle Isle. What the city gets back is the thing the complex never provided, a front door on the river that people can actually use.
Watch this space; we will track the demolition timeline, the park design, and the debates over public money as they unfold. For more milestones this summer, browse our 100 Things To Do in Detroit guide.
Renaissance Center Remake FAQ
Is the Renaissance Center being torn down?
Partially. The $1.6 billion Bedrock and GM plan removes Towers 300 and 400 and the podium, about 1.25 million square feet, while the 73-story central tower and two other towers remain.
What replaces the demolished RenCen towers?
A six-acre public riverfront park connecting to the RiverWalk, opening up river access that the complex’s fortress-style base has blocked since the 1970s.
When does the Renaissance Center demolition start?
Demolition is targeted to begin in summer 2027, after Detroit hosts the NCAA Final Four in April 2027, pending final approvals, according to Bedrock and Crain’s Detroit Business reporting.
Will the RenCen still have a hotel?
Yes. The central tower’s hotel continues at about 850 rooms, down from 1,200, with the top floors converting to luxury apartments.
Who is paying for the Renaissance Center redevelopment?
Bedrock has committed $1 billion and GM $250 million. In July 2026, the Michigan Legislature expanded the state incentive program the project needs, and the Downtown Development Authority has awarded up to $75 million, contingent on final approvals by March 31, 2027.
The Postcard Changes, the River Opens
The new Renaissance Center trades skyline for shoreline: two fewer towers, six more acres of riverfront, and people living where offices sat empty. Detroit’s most famous building is about to become a place you go instead of a thing you look at. How do you feel about the trade? Tell us in the comments, and follow @rawdetroit as the remake unfolds.
Updated July 17, 2026. Plans and funding are still moving through public approvals and can change; details come from the developers’ announced plan and reporting on it.