DETROIT (WXYZ) — The office building portion of Hudson's Detroit is ready for occupancy, offering a preview of the 12-story building that will eventually house General Motors and more companies.
See inside the building in the video below
The 600,000-square-foot space, which includes 400,000 square feet of office space, stands where the iconic J.L. Hudson Department Store once dominated Detroit's skyline.
General Motors has committed to four floors of the building for its new headquarters, joining other major tenants including ROCK, the Gilbert Family Foundation, Ven Johnson Law Firm and Accenture in the substantially leased space.
The property is officially open and will have a public grand unveiling on Nov. 6 along Nick Gilbert Way.
Watch below: Inside the event space called "The Department at Hudson's"
"General Motors has taken four floors of the building, Rock and the Gilbert Family Foundation also taking a number of floors, Ven Johnson law firm and Accenture have all publicly announced their commitment to the building," said Jonathan Mueller, senior vice president of development for Bedrock.
The building features amenities designed for modern workers, including a pickleball court and sports simulators capable of hosting nine or 10 different sports.
"I'll just say we're substantially leased at this point," Mueller said.
Nearly 30 years have passed since the original J.L. Hudson Department Store was demolished in a dramatic implosion that sent dust billowing through Detroit's streets. The new development pays homage to the former building, which was once the world's tallest department store.
"There's the memories of when the building was imploded, the dust billowing through the streets of Detroit," said Jamie Witherspoon, senior vice president for architecture and design for Bedrock.
Watch below: From the WXYZ archive: Hudson's Building demolition in 1998
Witherspoon emphasized that creating an iconic replacement required focusing on experience rather than just height or complexity.
"It needed to be iconic. When you think about what makes it an iconic building, in some cases it's heights, in some cases, it's complexity. For us, it was experience. It was important that the experience of Hudson's celebrated that legacy," Witherspoon said.
The office space features large open areas with minimal columns, tall windows and abundant natural light flowing through an atrium that extends to the sky above.
"Lots of natural light, so obviously the atrium to the sky above, the floors, the office floors. We have these large open space, there's not a lot of columns, big tall windows. Wonderful space to work in. Whether outside or inside window, you're gonna know what the weather is outside," Mueller said.
Construction is officially complete for this portion of Hudson's Detroit, with a grand opening planned for 2026. Some businesses have already opened including Alo on the first floor. The Department at Hudson's Floor, an event venue, has already hosted several events.
While companies like GM haven't announced official move-in dates, Mueller believes the true test of the building's success will come once it's fully operational.
"I think the real proof of concept will be a year from now or a year and a half from now. All the office workers, events going on, people staying in the hotel, that will be the true mark if we see a lot more bodies on the street," Mueller said.
The larger Hudson's Detroit tower is still a couple of years away from opening, but the office building component represents a significant milestone in the redevelopment of one of Detroit's most historically significant sites.
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