DETROIT, MICHIGAN | Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012 | 9:21 PM | 38 buildings and counting...

Downtown

The following buildings are located in the one square mile area bounded by I-75, M-10, I-375, and The Detroit River.

GM Renaissance Center

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Conceived by Henry Ford II and financed primarily by the Ford Motor Company, the Renaissance Center became the world’s largest private development with an anticipated 1971 cost of $500 million. In part, civic leaders intended this ambitious urban renewal project to quell the white flight which followed social unrest from the 12th Street riot in [...]

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Dowling Hall (University of Detroit)

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Detroit Fire Department Headquarters

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Ford / UAW Building

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The first building associated with the Civic Center plan features an eagle relief sculpture by Marshall Fredericks.  The building was renovated in 1996.

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Detroit Racquet Club

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Ford Building

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When it was built in 1909, the Ford Building was the tallest skyscraper in Detroit until 1913.  Unlike Burnham’s previous buildings, it was constructed with a steel frame instead of thick masonry.  The exterior was clad in white terra cotta that was crisply detailed to emphasize it’s height.  The column analogy, which was common for [...]

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Joe Louis Sports Arena

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Old Mariner’s Church

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The oldest surviving stone church in Detroit originally stood at the end of Woodward Avenue, but it was moved in 1955 as part of the Civic Center (Hart Plaza) construction.

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