DETROIT – A historic Downtown Detroit building that was vacant for over a decade is near the end of its $300 million renovation.
On Monday, Bedrock released photos and a virtual tour of the nearly-restored historic Book Tower. The Detroit company announced that pre-leasing for apartments at Book Tower will be available in April 2023. The Book Tower was built in 1926.
According to Bedrock, the restoration transformed 38 floors and 500,000 square feet of space into 229 residential units, 117 ROOST Apartment Hotel accommodations, and a little over 50,000 square feet of retail and office space. Out of the 229 residential units, there will be studio, one and two-bedroom options available. Some of the amenities included are an indoor/outdoor lounge called The Terrace Club, a marble arched atrium and lobby called The Rotunda, a 3,000 square-foot study space, a 24/7 fitness center and a 300-space attached and covered parking garage.
A portion of the 229 units will also be reserved for affordable housing, according to Bedrock.
A bar in The Rotunda will offer coffee and tea in the morning, and handcrafted cocktails at night. There will also be a French restaurant on the main level of the Book Tower and a Japanese restaurant and sake pub.
On top of the Book Tower, an 8,000-square-foot rooftop bar will also be established.
Along with the new spaces, Bedrock and its partners did a lot to restore the unique character the Book Tower has to offer Detroit.
Below are some of the ways Bedrock restored the historic building:
- Recreated and hand-painted more than 7,000 square feet of ornate ceiling tiles to match the original designs and color of the structure.
- Reinstalled 50,000 square feet of marble.
- Replaced all 2,483 windows with modern, historically accurate versions to increase energy efficiency.
- Restored 29 caryatids on the exterior of the building.
- Adapted the former office spaces into 46 unique floor plans for apartments and hotel rooms.
- Refitted the rooftop event space with a 2,200-square-foot skylight.
- Repaired the building’s original travertine floors.
- Revealed the classic limestone façade for the first time in years.
“Eight years ago, I said that Book Tower would be the most game-changing and exciting redevelopment project in Detroit,” said Dan Gilbert, founder and chairman of Rocket Companies. “Today, we are thrilled as we prepare to re-open one of the most iconic and interesting buildings in the entire city. Detroiters have always recognized the importance and historic significance of Book Tower, and we are ready to honor that sentiment as we put into service and deliver the meticulously restored property back to the community.”
Check out the virtual tour of the Book Tower below:
Previous coverage: Detroit’s iconic Book Tower set to reopen in late 2022 with apartment hotel concept