GM is Leaving The Renaissance Center; What Should Take Their Place?

It was announced in mid-April that General Motors would be leaving the towering Renaissance Center (RenCen) in downtown Detroit for a newer, smaller facility in 2025, and honestly, it's kind of sad.

The iconic skyscraper has been the metaphorical and literal peak for General Motors for quite some time, and they even invested millions of dollars into the building in 2015 for renovations. So what's next for the skyline-defining building now that GM is moving out?

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General Motors bought the Renaissance Center in 1996, and used it as its main office and headquarters. Before that, it was heavily invested in by the Ford Motor Company, and was actually the idea of Henry Ford II, following the Detroit riots of 1967, to spark a revival in the city.

Completed in 1977, General Motors has owned, and used the building as their headquarters for more than half of its existence. But in 2025, that will all come to an end.

GM announced they would be moving to a new facility, under construction now, by Dan GIlbert called "Hudson's Detroit."

But with General Motors moving out of the RenCen, it means plenty of space is opening up for a new "Title Sponsor" for the building, which has long had the blue and white "GM" sign at the top of the tower.

When GM leaves, someone else will have to carry the torch for downtown Detroit, and ideally we'd want it to be something uniquely Michigan, even if it isn't a business. Just something that specifically represents Michigan.

So who should take GM's place atop the RenCen? Well.... we've got some ideas.