Downtown Detroit Highlights Renaissance Center/GM World HQ Greektown Harmonie Park/Paradise Valley Ford Field/Comerica Park Detroit Opera House Fox Theater/Fillmore Theater Westin Book Cadillac Campus Martius/Cadi Guardian Building 10 Spirit of Detroit 11 Hart Plaza 12 12 Riverfront/Milliken State Park 10 Renaissance Center/GM World Headquarters Originally built in 1977 for $350 million by Henry Ford II and some rich friends, the 11 building, designed by John Portman, was intended to spur a renaissance for the city of NO RIDING ON WEST SIDE Detroit, hence its name. The fortress-like design OF REN CEN @ MARRIOTT of the building (remember the heating/cooling berms?) made it difficult to enter and exit and navigating the public levels is still quite difficult. General Motors bought the building in 1996 theater making it almost a city unto itself. The and the Ferry’s Beet #2 is still very popular. for $73 million and poured $500 million Renaissance Center is so densely populated it Harmonie Park & Paradise Valley into renovations to make the building has its own zip code (48243). A center in the German settlement, Harmonie more navigable and to enhance access for Greektown Park was named after the Harmonie Club where pedestrians on both Jefferson Ave and the river Originally settled by the Germans in the 1830s, performances were held. In 2010 the park was side of the building. Greektown became the center of Detroit’s renovated and the name was changed to pay The central tower of the Renaissance Center nightlife as the Greek residents moved further homage to the African-American neighborhood houses a hotel, currently a Marriott, which out of downtown and the businesses remained. of the same name that had been bulldozed to when built was the tallest hotel in the world at The group of buildings housing the Greektown make way for I-375. The club is now home to 73 stories. It is now the tallest hotel in North Casino was originally built in the 1850s as Michigan Arts League and goes by the name America and the tallest building in Michigan. Schmidt & Sons Furrier and trappers would Virgil Carr Center for the Performing Arts. The top floor is home to the Coach Insignia bring their beaver pelts to the back door, hence The Carr Center offers music and story telling restaurant. the name of the mall it was built into in the programs in the park. There are over 7000 people working in the 1980s, Trapper’s Alley. The Hemeter Building built in 1911 at the corner complex, with the largest tenants being The building housing Fishbones restaurant was of Randolph and Grand River was once a cigar General Motors and Blue Cross Blue Shield of the Ferry Seed Company, the first company to rolling factory. Before Detroit was known for Michigan. It contains over 70 shops, restaurants make seeds available in small retail packaging. building cars, cigars were a major export. The and services including a 4 screen movie Ferry’s seeds became known around the world building now contains loft apartments, a further, great t-shirt and accessories store and a bar. Harmonie felt that one had to really shock people with color in order new buildings have been erected on the other; the new Park recording studio sits above its live webcast radio to get them to notice a building. Color is exploited inside city motto rings the picture. station and bar. Both locations often host the best in and out using a custom orange colored exterior brick Hart Plaza Detroit musicians. now known as “Guardian brick”, locally-made Pewabic Named for Senator Philip Hart who died during its Stadiums tiles over the exterior doorways, Rookwood tiles in the construction, Hart Plaza is a 14 acre plaza that can hold Comerica Park is the home of the Tiger's baseball lobby ceiling and African Numidian marble on the stairs to 40,000 people. The plaza opened in 1975 and annually franchise and was completed in 2000 to the tune of $300 the banking lobby. The metal used on the grating to the hosts many cultural events including the Hoedown, million. Make sure you take a photo at the 15' tiger at the banking lobby and the elevators was a new type of metal Jazzfest, R&B Ribfest, African World Festival, Arab front of the stadium. The park hosted the MLB All Star called “Monel”. It is a nickel-based alloy and a precursor and Chaldean Festival and the internationally known game in 2005 and the World Series in 2006. to stainless steel. Electronic Music Festival. (Did you know Electronic Music Ford Field brought football back to the city of Detroit in The upper banking lobby was an expansive rather empty was created right here in Detroit?) 2002 incorporating the historic Hudson’s warehouse into space. To minimize sound transmission the ceiling is It was near the west end of Hart Plaza that Antoine de la its domed architecture. Ford Field was the site of Super comprised of a layer of plaster followed by a layer of Mothe Cadillac landed with his 75 canoes to establish Fort Bowl XL in 2006. horsehair and then a layer of canvas. The designs on the Ponchartrain du Detroit in 1701. Ponchartrain was the Theaters ceiling are painted on the canvas. On the back wall is a French Minister of Marine and Detroit means “the strait” Detroit holds the title as the second largest theater mural of Michigan displaying the various industries of and refers to the body of water connecting Lake Erie to district in the US with over 13,000 theater seats in just a 2 the time as well as our transition from an agricultural Lake Saint Clair. block radius. Many of Detroit’s theaters started as movie economy to an industrial one. There are many pieces of art on Hart Plaza. The circular palaces built in the 1920s including the Fox Theater, the The building is now owned by Wayne County and houses Transcending by David Barr and Sergio De Giusti was Opera House and the Fillmore Theater. Live stage theaters the County Executive and upper management. Smith, commissioned through a competition of 120 entries in include Music Hall, the Gem and Century Theaters Hinchman & Grylls, the oldest architecture firm in the 2003 by the Michigan Labor History Society. The Horace and Orchestra Hall. Each theater has its own beautiful US, still has their office there, as they have since it was E. Dodge and Son Memorial Fountain and Pylon were character so try to catch a show to see the interior. built. Bank of America shares the banking lobby with Pure both created by Isamu Noguchi in the 1970s. Gateway to Campus Martius Detroit, the first shop dedicated to showing Detroits Freedom located nearest the shoreline is the most recent Means “Field of Mars” in Latin. Mars was the Roman God pride, and the Rowland Café, a coffee shop named for the addition in 2001. It represents Detroit’s important role in of War so Campus Martius was originally the gathering architect, a convenience store and a reprographic facility. the Underground Railroad and was sculpted by Ed Dwight. place for military training in Roma and here in Detroit. Spirit of Detroit Across Jefferson stands a white marble-clad building Our troops actually left from our Campus Martius to fight Now an icon for the city of, the 26 ft. tall bronze sculpture called One Woodward Avenue. It was designed by Minuro in the Civil War. created by Metro Detroiter Marshall Fredericks was Yamasaki in the early 1960s. After starting his career here Point of Origin of the City. In 1806, after the 300 or so installed in 1958. At the time of its creation it was the in Detroit at Smith, Hinchman & Grylls, Yamasaki went on wooden structures in town burned in the great fire of largest sculpture since the Renaissance period. It is to design the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. 1805, Augustus Woodward was sent from Washington referred to as the “Spirit of Detroit” because of the Detroit Riverfront/Milliken State Park DC to be the Chief Justice of the area. Woodward had biblical passage behind the statue. As in many cities, Detroit’s waterway has been used to become familiar with the city planning efforts of L’Enfant Also behind the statue are the seals of the county and transport raw materials and goods to and from Michigan in DC and created a similar street plan for Detroit. The the city. The county seal shows General “Mad” Anthony cities. Its beauty not considered until recently once origin of the spoke and wheel plan is here in Campus Wayne shaking hands with a Native American after the our industries moved to other countries. The Detroit Martius and marked by a glass circle in the ground Northwest Indian War (in which the Americans took Riverfront Conservancy now manages much of the land between the restaurant and the Woodward Fountain. It is control of the Northwest Territory). Wayne County is along Detroit’s shoreline and is transforming it into a safe here that Eight Mile Rd is eight miles from. named after the General although he actually never set and vibrant recreational area. Detroit’s Riverwalk will Originally called Central Market in the 1840s, Cadillac foot in the area and sent Colonel Hamtramck in his place. eventually span from the Ambassador Bridge to the Belle Square was the main farmers market for the area. Due Wayne County originally included land as far as what is Isle Bridge at. It provides miles of entertainment including to the difficulties in bringing livestock into an ever more now Chicago and parts of Ohio. exercise programming for all ages. crowded downtown, the market was moved east to what The seal of the City of Detroit was designed after the great The State of Michigan runs its only urban park along is now known as Eastern Market in 1891. fire of 1805 during which the 300 or so wooden structures Detroit’s riverfront. Milliken State Park encompasses 31 Guardian Building making up Fort Ponchartrain du Detroit all burned to the acres and includes a safe harbor marina, picnic areas What was originally known as the Union Trust Building ground. After the fire, Father Gabrielle Richard stated, and a new lowland area with native plant life that would and a “Cathedral to Finance” was designed by Wirt “Speramus meliora; resurget cineribus” which means “We have existed along the shore before Detroit was settled. Rowland of Smith, Hinchman & Grylls architecture firm hope for better things; it will arise from the ashes” and Soon an indoor adventure and discovery center with rock- and completed in 1929, just before the crash of the stock this became our city motto. The seal depicts two women climbing wall with zip lines, an interpretive forest, archery market. Detroit was bustling in the 1920s and Rowland comforting one another as the fire burns on one side and range and classroom space.