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ORDINANCE NO. 23-11

ORDINANCE NO. 23-11 the district range in height from two (2) to CHAPTER 25 forty seven (47) stories tall; the average ARTICLE II being twelve (12) stories tall. The row of TO ESTABLISH THE HISTORIC four (4) to five (5) story Victorian buildings FINANCIAL DISTRICT AND on the east side of Woodward Avenue is TO DEFINE THE ELEMENTS OF sandwiched between single, taller build- DESIGN FOR THE DISTRICT. ings on each of its two corners. The AN ORDINANCE to amend Chapter 25, prominent skyline-defining buildings on Article II, of the 1984 Detroit City range in height from eigh- Code by adding Section 25-2-182 to teen (18) to forty-seven (47) stories tall; establish the Historic Detroit buildings in the blocks between Shelby Financial District and to define the Street and Washington Boulevard are ten elements of design for the district. (10) or fewer stories, with the exception of IT IS HEREBY ORDAINED BY THE the Detroit Bank and Trust Tower at 211 PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF DETROIT West Fort Street, which is twenty-eight (28) THAT: stories. In general, there is little uniformity Section 1. Chapter 25, Article II, of the of building heights within the district. 1984 Detroit City Code be amended by (2) Proportion of Building’s Front adding Section 25-2-182 to read as follows: Façade. The proportions of individual Sec. 25-2-182. Historic Detroit Financial front façades vary greatly within the dis- District. trict. Buildings over ten (10) stories tall are (A) A historic district to be known as significantly taller than wide, and are usu- the Historic Detroit Financial District is ally located on corners of blocks or occu- established in accordance with the provi- py their entire block. Most other buildings sions of this article. in the district are also taller than wide, (B) This historic district designation is with notable exceptions of several build- certified as being consistent with the ings facing Fort Street, the Detroit Fire Detroit Master Plan. Department Headquarters at 250 East (C) The boundaries of the Historic Larned Avenue, and a few smaller build- Detroit Financial District are as shown on ings on Shelby Street, which are wider the map on file in the office of the City than tall or proportionally neutral. The Clerk, and are as follows: non-contributing building at 501 Beginning at the intersection of the Woodward Avenue and the building at centerline of Woodward Avenue and the 611 Woodward Avenue are significantly centerline of Jefferson Avenue to the cen- wider than tall. Buildings with front-facing terline of Congress Street to the center- light courts, such as the Dime Building at line of Bates Street to the centerline of 719 Griswold Street, appear to have two Cadillac Square to the centerline of tall tower projecting upward from a single, Woodward Avenue to Fort Street to the multi-story base. The façades of the neo- centerline of Griswold Street to the cen- classical style at terline of Lafayette Boulevard to the west- 660 Woodward Avenue follow the irregu- erly line of Lot 17 (extended) of “Re-sub- lar footprint of its site, and because of its division of Lot 14,” Subdivision to the cen- substantial height, provide a backdrop to terline of the alley south of and parallel to the small-scaled buildings adjacent to it Lafayette Boulevard to the centerline of on Woodward Avenue. Skyscraper build- Shelby Street to the centerline of ings of the style have multiple Lafayette Boulevard to the centerline of setbacks in their wall surfaces as the Cass Avenue to the centerline of the alley buildings rise, with faceted and decorative south of and parallel to Lafayette results. The Detroit Free Press Building at Boulevard to the centerline of Washington 321 West Lafayette Boulevard is com- Boulevard to the centerline of Larned posed of a center tower with two lower Street to the centerline of Shelby Street to wings, neutralizing its proportions. Tall the centerline of the alley south of and buildings of the International style tend to parallel to Congress Street to the center- rise as a single slab. Where buildings that line of Griswold Street to a line (extended) are individually taller than wide either 50 feet N of the N line of Jefferson Avenue share a party wall or abut each other, they to a line 108 feet W of the W line of may collectively form a row that is wider Griswold Street to the centerline of than tall, particularly on the east side of Jefferson Avenue to the point of beginning. Woodward Avenue. (D) The defined elements of design, as (3) Proportion of Openings Within the provided for in Section 25-2-2 of this Façades. The buildings within the Historic code, are as follows: Detroit Financial District are each com- (1) Height. The thirty-six buildings in posed of approximately thirty-five percent

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(35%) to sixty percent (60%) openings in the side lot lines. Buildings consistently their front façades. Shapes and sizes of abut each other throughout the district; openings generally depend on the style public rights-of-ways separates stretches and age of the buildings. Entrances are of adjacent buildings when they occupy often centered prominently on the front partial or entire blocks. Where there are façades, with revolving doors set back in parking lots as a result of building demoli- an arched, covered area of portico. Large tion, the original rhythm is broken. openings above the entrance openings, (6) Rhythm of Entrances and/or Porch ground floors, and mezzanine levels in the Projections. Most primary entrances are base of the buildings frequently contain prominently centered on their front subdivided windows rising up through façades, especially on the classically multiple stories. Plate glass storefront and derived buildings, and are commonly display windows on the ground floors of recessed within single or multiple orna- commercial buildings are commonplace. mental openings. Some buildings have Above the ornate bases of Neoclassical colonnades or monumental porticos, with and Art Deco buildings and simpler their entrances set behind. international Victorian buildings are rows of double- style buildings often have entire base sto- hung sash windows that are twice as tall ries recessed behind a colonnade of as wide and are often arranged in pairs or piers. The at 500 triples, sometimes divided vertically by Griswold Street has its main entrance at spandrels. Subdivided glazing is often sit- its northwest corner, and Victorian com- uated within large, ornate arched, square mercial buildings along Woodward tend to or rectangular openings in the attic sto- have entrances to the sides of storefronts. ries. Replacement windows that are fitted Some corner buildings have corner to existing openings are common in the entrances. Most entrances are at grade, district. Some International style buildings with the exceptions of the buildings at 611 with curtain wall construction feature Woodward Avenue and the west elevation undivided faces of fixed pane glass, or of 211 West Fort Street, which each fea- individualized treatments, such as hexag- ture a set of steps that rise with the slope onal shaped window glass in precast con- of their sites, and United States District crete frames of . Count at 231 West Lafayette Boulevard, (4) Rhythm of Solids to Voids in the which sits on a high basement and has Front Façades. Most buildings in the dis- steps leading to its main entrance. trict are of steel-frame construction, which (7) Relationship of Materials. A great creates a structure for which windows are variety of building materials exist through- inserted in a regular arrangement of out the district, with concentrations of fin- columns and rows between the base floor ished, pressed or glazed brick, limestone, and the attic. The regular rhythm of win- Mankato stone, terra cotta, marble; cast dows arranged one over the other in a and porcelain enamel and glass facing grid pattern prevails throughout the dis- primary façades. Base stories are com- trict. The base and attic stories of build- monly faced or partially faced in granite,. ings are varied in architectural treatment, Materials utilized for window surrounds but may feature regular rhythms of and frames are cast concrete, steel, alu- arched, square or rectangular openings minum, bronze and wood. Architectural on first and attic stories. The Detroit Fire embellishments tend to be in cast and Department Headquarters at 250 West carved stone, glazed terra cotta, Pewabic Larned Street features double firehouse tile, and red sandstone. Common brick doors within arcaded openings on its appears on side elevations that were not Washington Boulevard and West Larned intended to be visible. Bronze grills, metal Street Façades. The International style fire escapes, and aluminum and steel building at 611 Woodward Avenue fea- framing elements are also visible. In gen- tures a checkerboard pattern of window eral, the district is rich in its varieties and placement, while the Federal Reserve relationships of materials. Bank Annex at 160 West Fort Street fea- (8) Rel a t i ons hi p of Texture s . The smoot h tures alternating horizontal bands of glass surfaces of glazed or painted brick, glazed and marble panels supported by a stain- terra cotta, polished marble, polished gran- less steel grid above its all-glass tall first ite, and large expanses of glass contrast story. In general, the district displays a with the matte finishes of limestone and variety of regularly arranged fenestration unpainted brick with mortar joints. Where patterns. the basis of buildings are rusticated, they (5) Rhythm of Spacing of Buildings on contrast with the smoother wall surfaces Streets. Rhythm of spacing on streets is above. Repetitive pilasters and ornamental generally determined by setbacks from detail in masonry, terra cotta or metal, pri-

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marily on belt courses and cornices, and Several buildings have rusticated stone the fluting of columns, contribute signifi- bases, and some display colossal porticos. cantly to textural interest. Subdivided win- The shafts contain regular fenestration with dow sashes and treatments also contribute ornamented spandrels, and their attics, to textural interest, as do receding windows including their cornices, are heavily orna- and wall planes, resulting in textural effects mented. Art Deco commercial buildings created by light and shade. Where those are concentrated on Griswold Street, and International style buildings have glass in addition to their embellished entrances, basis, a smooth, transparent textural effect feature setbacks at upper floor levels that results. In general, the district is extremely are embellished, resulting in dramatic sil- rich in textural relationships. houettes that are part of their design. (9) Relationship of Colors. Major mate- These Art Deco buildings also exhibit dec- rials or light colors, such as beige, white, orative tile work, mosaics, and large-scale and cream, dominate the district. The nat- architectural sculpture. International style ural brick colors of red, orange, and buff buildings of the 1950s and early 1960s are are also contrasted with beige or light concentrated on the east side of Wood - gray trim elements and details. Painted ward Avenue through to Griswold Street, brick, where it exists on the east side of and intermingled with classically inspired Woodward Avenue, is in dark red and buildings on West Fort Street. They feature cream. Granite bases, where they exist, transparent first stories of glass that are are black, red or gray. Window surrounds visible to the interior, and are set in back of and sashes are shades of green, black, piers supporting the upper stories. cream or white. Window and curtain wall Flagpole basis, lighting, and street names glass is either colorless or tinted in integrated with the larger buildings are shades of light green, black or gray. treated decoratively. In general, the archi- Stainless steel and aluminum are silver in tectural detail on buildings in the district is tone; grills and grates are green or black. very rich. The Guardian Building at 501 Griswold (11) Relationship of Roof Shapes. All Street is a historic landmark featuring of the buildings have flat roofs that cannot orange brick and colored tile Light poles be seen from the ground. Utility penthous- tend to be deep green, black or gray. Fire es and/or equipment enclosures are escapes, where they exist, are generally sometimes visible above the roofline, and painted black. The original colors of any are sometimes ornamentally treated. building;, as determined by professional (12) Walls of Continuity. Walls of conti- analysis, are always acceptable for that nuity within the district are primarily creat- building and may provide guidance for ed by the adjacent buildings with uniform similar buildings. elements, such as setbacks, materials, (10) Relationship of Architectural and styles. Except where broken by Details. The styles of the buildings compro- vacant lots, the district has a very high mising the Historic Detroit Financial District degree of continuity. Secondary wall of range from Victorian commercial to continuity are created by evenly spaced International style; their architectural ele- lighting fixtures, sidewalks and rows of ments and details relate to their styles. trees along the sidewalks. Entrance bays, architraves, base stories, (13) Relationship of Significant Land - window frames, spandrels and cornices or scape Features and Surface Treatments. attics are areas of the façades where archi- Throughout the district, sidewalks are con- tectural detail is concentrated. The small crete and roadbeds are asphalt, with the scale Victorian commercial buildings, con- primary exception of brick-paved areas centrated on the east side of Woodward, around Campus Martius at the northeast have modified storefronts on their first corner of the district. Street furniture is floors and have lost their cornices and win- abundant throughout the district; planter dow hoods, greatly simplifying their original boxes for trees are positioned along the appearance. Approximately half of the public sidewalk on the west side of Wood - buildings in the district are derived from ward Avenue and the north side of West classical styles, with an abundance of N Fort Street, and in-ground trees line the eoclassical style buildings, a style well suit- east side of Griswold Street within stylized ed to judicial and financial institutions. metal grates reflecting the geometric Those classically inspired buildings are designs of the Guardian Building at 500 articulated as a base (bottom), shaft (mid- Griswold Street. Wall-mounted lighting fix- section) and attic (top). The base, often tures are often integrated with the designs multi-storied, is heavily ornamented of the buildings and are situated at the tops around the main entrance with columns, of first story pilasters to illuminate the arches, and architectural sculpture. pedestrian way. Also sometimes integrated

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with the taller buildings is lighting at the Building, with 607 West Shelby Street; upper extremities that identify the buildings and 201 West Fort Street with 211 West from afar, such as the flashing red globe of Fort Street. Wheelchair ramps provide the at 645 Griswold access to an entrance on the Larned Street, the reproduction street lighting along Street elevation of the Detroit Fire Woodward Avenue consists of a tall steel Department Headquarters at 250 West ornamental, fluted pole carrying a double Larned Street and to an entrance on the pendent and lanterns. On Griswold Street, Lafayette Boulevard elevation of the the lighting consists of old metal fluted poles Federal Courthouse at 231 West with more recent lanterns. Old ornamental Lafayette Boulevard. poles exist along Washington Boulevard (15) Scale of Façades and Façade south of Avenue; the modern steel Elements. The façades range from small pole mounted variety is seen elsewhere. in scale to monumental. Small-and-medi- Some buildings have modern spotlights um scaled buildings that contribute to the attached to light posts directed at their continuous streetscapes contrast with the façade. Slender black, metal kiosks with large scale of skyscrapers that define directional information and a map are Detroit’s skyline. Elements and details are strategically placed at some prominent cor- often monumental, such as porticos, ners. Surface parking lots are few and pro- colonnades, architectural sculpture, and vide intrusions to the otherwise dense con- large openings, and are meant to provide centration of buildings where they exist. a grand presence when seen from upfront Concrete columns supporting the Detroit and afar. People Mover are situated in the public (16) Directional Expression of Front rights-of-way on West Larned Street as well Elevation. The directional expression of as Cass Avenue. A bronze sculpture is posi- individual front façades varies throughout tioned at the plaza in front of 1 Wood ward the district, but generally, the expression Avenue; another is positioned at the of buildings on Woodward Avenue tends extreme southeast boundary of the district to be horizontal, with the exception of One at Woodward Avenue and Jefferson Ave - Woodward Avenue and the First National nue; another is positioned in the space Bank Building at 660 Woodward Avenue, between 211 and 201 West Fort Street. A which are vertical. On Griswold Street, plaza with raised planting beds exists in where several prominent Art Deco sky- front of the Annex of the Federal Reserve scrapers exist, the overall directional Bank at 160 West Fort Street. The curbed, expression is vertical. However, where landscaped median on Woodward Avenue buildings share party walls or one another, identifies the roadway as Detroit’s major or are separated by narrow alleyways, the thoroughfare. horizontal, or pedestrian, nature of the (14) Relationship of Open Space to streetscapes is emphasized. Structures. In general, the financial dis- (17) Rhythm of Building Setbacks. trict is densely built-up; open space Most buildings occupy their entire building results from interruptions by public streets parcels, resulting in uniformity of building and alleys, and by a few intrusive surface setbacks. On the west side of Woodward parking lots. Awnings and canopies com- Avenue, the building are set back, allow- monly extend into the public rights of way ing for a generous public sidewalk with throughout the district. Signage bearing amenities. The Detroit Fire Department the name of the businesses of the Headquarters at 250 West Larned Street Victorian buildings on the east side of is set back slightly on its two visible eleva- Woodward Avenue is situated in a frieze tion to allow the fire trucks space to exit. above the first story. Elsewhere in the dis- Wherever a newer building is connected trict the historic name of the building is to an older building, particularly on West commonly integrated with its original Fort Street, the newer International style design while the names of current occu- buildings are set back and landscaped pants are displayed on vertically oriented plazas are created. signs hanging at the corners of the build- (18) Relationship of Lot Coverages. ings above the first story. The building at Lot coverage by the buildings in the dis- 611 Woodward Avenue bears its name of trict is generally one hundred percent the roof penthouse screen. Skywalks con- (100%), as the vast majority of buildings nect buildings when their ownership is or occupy their entire lots. In the cases was related, connecting One Woodward where a public outdoor amenity exists, its Avenue with 500 Woodward Avenue, features are integrated with the design of commonly known as the Guardian the building. Building; 151 West Fort Street, commonly (19) Degree of Complexity Within the known as the State Savings Bank Facades. The district contains façades

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with various degrees of complexity, tect-designed commercial buildings in an depending on style. The Victorian com- eight-block, grid-plan section of downtown mercial and Neoclassical buildings are Detroit just north of Hart Plaza and the straightforward in their massing, fenestra- . its historical importance is tion, and architectural detail. The Art Deco emphasized by its number of iconic build- skyscrapers appear more complex in their ings that make up Detroit’s skyline, and its details and ornamentation, but especially smaller buildings that result in a walkable in their massing as the setbacks of the downtown. The Detroit Department of upper stories display different massing Transportation-operated bus system and and heightened detail. Modern buildings the People Mover provide transportation may appear straightforward in their design in and around the district providing ease but are complex in their geometric forms, of access to major sporting events, con- use of materials, and subtle detail. ventions, and restaurants, in addition to (20) Orientation, Vistas, Overviews. the historic buildings that are destination The Historic Detroit Financial District is a in and of themselves. densely built up district of commercial and Section 2. All ordinances or parts of governmental buildings in Detroit’s ordinances, or resolutions, in conflict with Central Business District on lower this ordinance are repealed. Woodward Avenue and west of Section 3. This ordinance is declared Woodward Avenue. Its proximity to necessary for the preservation of the public Detroit’s Civic Center, the Detroit River, peace, health, safety, and welfare of the the Washington Boulevard and Capitol people of the City of Detroit. Park Historic Districts, Cadillac Square, Section 4. If this ordinance is passed and Campus Martius provide dramatic by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of City views and vistas. Detroit’s skyline is com- Council members serving, it shall be posed of the silhouettes of the tallest given immediate effect and shall become buildings in the district, while West effective upon publication in accordance Congress Street provides a cavernous with Section 4-116 of the 1997 Detroit quality to a relatively narrow street. City Charter; otherwise, it shall become (21) Symmetric or Asymmetric Ap - effective in accordance with Section 4- pear ance. While individual buildings dis- 115 of the 1997 Detroit City Charter. play a high degree of symmetry in their (J.C.C. p. ) July 26, 2011 major façades, the district on the whole is Passed: September 20, 2011 diverse in its array of quality building Approved: September 27, 2011 designs. Published: October 31, 2011 (22) General Environmental Charac - Effective: October 31, 2011 ter. The Historic Detroit Financial District JANICE M. WINFREY consists of a dense cluster of major, archi- City Clerk

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