DETROIT | Hudson's Detroit | 685 FT & 240 FT | 49 & 14 FLOORS

[pianowizard]

I took these photos yesterday (May 24) between 5:33 PM and 6:01 PM. Doesn't look like there has been much "construction".

[The North One]

The construction can be seen in the videos, they've drilled more tower caissons and cut the foundation for more.

• Video Link

[subterranean]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned this, but Dan Gilbert suffered a stroke a few days ago. I think it hit him pretty hard by the sounds of it.

"We’re literally 72 hours from him having a stroke," Emerson told the audience at the Grand Hotel. "He is awake, he is responsive. I saw him with my own eyes on Monday around noon. I talked with him. He knew I was there. He knew what I was talking about. I think this soon after that, he’s doing as well as he can be doing."

https://www.freep.com/story/money/2019/05/29/bill-emerson-dan-gilbert-stroke-health/1274461001/

And for anyone wondering how this might impact the work on the ground, Vice Chairman Emerson said

"He’s a firm believer in talent and he has built an incredible team," Emerson said. "If there’s anybody out there that’s concerned that business isn’t going to happen as usual, they should stop being concerned about that. We have years of work to do," he continued. "Dan has created a culture. ... We know what the mission is, we know what to do, we’re executing on that mission. You know, he’s taking a break. He’s taking a hiatus. And when he comes back things are going to be as good or better than they were when he left."

Another article from Gallagher:

https://www.freep.com/story/money/busine...-dan-gilbert-stroke-hospital/1258339001/

[animatedmartian]

Skyscraper construction hits pieces of Hudson's foundation



As they so often do, the past and the future are colliding.

Workers building what should end up as the state's tallest skyscraper are drilling into the foundation of what sat before on the site: the J.L. Hudson's department store downtown, more than two decades after it was imploded and more than a century after it opened.

The foundation pieces are breaking drill bit teeth, delaying work a little, but not enough to cause concern.

...

Of the 105 required for the nine-story portion of the development, 74 are completed, Guziewicz said. Those holes, roughly 5 to 7 feet in diameter, are expected to be completed by the end of August, when work on the roughly 50 to 60 tower caissons begins. Some of those caissons will be 8 feet in diameter.

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-estate/skyscraper-construction-hits-pieces-hudsons-foundation

It seems like once foundation for the whole site is complete, above grade construction will start on the 9-story "Block" portion with the tower following after. Expected start date is early next spring.

No word on any height or design change yet.

[The ATX]

I love this building. I wish construction would speed up though.

[seabee1526]

Originally Posted by The ATX

I love this building. I wish construction would speed up though.

Me too, I stopped watching the videos of them drilling foundation. Sounds like months before they are finished with that, then winter will arrive.

[seabee1526]

"From Monday, July 15, 2019 to Saturday, July 27, 2019, Gratiot will be closed from Woodward to Library street. Some of the Quicken Loans folks that park underneath One Campus Martius will have their parking temporarily relocated to nearby structures due to the closure.

I can only speculate as to why the road will be closed. I don't think it will be for the One Campus Martius building, as they seem to be needing less space now that the majority of the addition is done.

My speculation is that it has to do with the Hudson's site. Fingers crossed, I'm hoping it for crane(s) to be erected on Gratiot to serve the site. Although that is really close to One Campus Martius, a major crane for the Hudson's site would more than likely be much taller than One Campus Martius."

https://www.detroityes.com/mb/showthread...roit-to-be-built-on-Hudson-s-site/page42

DetroitYes forum

[rivernorthlurker]

Originally Posted by seabee1526

"From Monday, July 15, 2019 to Saturday, July 27, 2019, Gratiot will be closed from Woodward to Library street. Some of the Quicken Loans folks that park underneath One Campus Martius will have their parking temporarily relocated to nearby structures due to the closure.

I can only speculate as to why the road will be closed. I don't think it will be for the One Campus Martius building, as they seem to be needing less space now that the majority of the addition is done.

My speculation is that it has to do with the Hudson's site. Fingers crossed, I'm hoping it for crane(s) to be erected on Gratiot to serve the site. Although that is really close to One Campus Martius, a major crane for the Hudson's site would more than likely be much taller than One Campus Martius."

https://www.detroityes.com/mb/showthread...roit-to-be-built-on-Hudson-s-site/page42

DetroitYes forum

I noticed from the latest cam on YouTube that they started hauling away some of the long steel caissons on Friday. Also was the first day in a while that the driller was inactive (parked at the bottom of vid). Though they brought in some shorter bits or something as well.

This combined with the street closing seems like something may be afoot (hopefully).

Some pics of them hauling away a caisson



And another



But adding some of these

[Fvn]

^^^ those sized casings were probably only needed for the lowrise portion of the project and are now getting hauled off as that part is basically done. They are now working on the caissons for the tower. Wouldnt be surprised if some bigger casing sections start showing up.

[rivernorthlurker]

Now THAT's a big caisson... Welded together today from 2 pieces.

[rivernorthlurker]

Busting out the big guns today!

[pianowizard]

^ Finally, something is (sort of) going vertical! The video is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jm1Y0wMKT10

[deja vu]

Originally Posted by pianowizard

^ Finally, something is (sort of) going vertical! The video is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jm1Y0wMKT10

^ Awesome. I'd call that a milestone for sure!

[animatedmartian]

https://www.freep.com/story/money/busine...ons-detroit-tallest-building/1943037001/

Bedrock has more or less confirmed there will be a height reduction. The issue is being attributed to the rising cost of materials, labor, and other economic factors. Final height won't be exactly determined until a hotel operator is found.

That said, construction is still on-schedule and the caissons are 75% of the way done. The mid-rise portion of the site will still rise above street level by next spring, however, the tower portion won't be open until 2023.

[Steely Dan]

^ not just a height reduction; the article makes it sound like the new tower probably won't even beat the ren cen's 727' height to take the tallest in the city crown.

i mean, it's one thing to go from 912' down to 790' or so, but to go from 912' all the way down to something like 650', that would be disappointing.

booooooooooooo.............




there was also this unfortunate nugget in the article as well;

With the switch of the Hudson's tower to partly hotel, the idea for a public observation deck at the top has been scrapped, Guziewicz said. Building the viewing platform would have required one too many elevator shafts that would have cut down on usable space lower in the tower.

double booooooooooo..............

[animatedmartian]

I thought the observation deck was confirmed scrapped as of the most recent design change. Or at least when the plans were presented to the city, the top floor was listed as a private banquet hall or something like that.

Either way though, it's disappointing but I'm not surprised. This was always a highly ambitious project and I figured the longer the project takes the more likely it would get bogged down by external forces, namely the economy. You don't see too many development projects that last 10 years with the same plans as when they started.

[subterranean]

I guess the phrase “under promise and over deliver” isn’t really in the vocabulary of the Detroit development community, particularly when the largest incentives in the state’s history are on the line.

[The North One]

I'm totally fine with it not being 900ft but the reporter asked weird questions like they were digging for a pre-determined story rather than reporting on actual news.

They would not confirm or deny anything about the size which we already knew was subject to continued change, the main takeway here is that it will depend on the hotel.

[The North One]

Originally Posted by animatedmartian

I thought the observation deck was confirmed scrapped as of the most recent design change. Or at least when the plans were presented to the city, the top floor was listed as a private banquet hall or something like that.

Either way though, it's disappointing but I'm not surprised. This was always a highly ambitious project and I figured the longer the project takes the more likely it would get bogged down by external forces, namely the economy. You don't see too many development projects that last 10 years with the same plans as when they started.

The economy is great and rock ventures family of companies are doing incredibly well, quicken is hiring over a thousand people this year in downtown to accommodate growth. The issue is the f*cking labor shortage especially since they're also handling the jail construction for the land swap deal.

[animatedmartian]

Originally Posted by The North One

The economy is great and rock ventures family of companies are doing incredibly well, quicken is hiring over a thousand people this year in downtown to accommodate growth. The issue is the f*cking labor shortage especially since they're also handling the jail construction for the land swap deal.

That's not a good excuse either way. That means Bedrock overextended themselves and shouldn't have gotten involved with the jail deal in the first place or they didn't plan ahead for the shortage.

Both of which I doubt since Bedrock seems like a competent company, but I do think they should have moved a little faster on the Hudson's site and finalized the project before inflation would necessitate a change. Like I said, when projects like these drag on, there's inevitably going to be some sacrifices made from the original plans because of external forces.