Downtown Detroit

Downtown Detroit
—  Neighborhood of Detroit  —
Jefferson Avenue in front of the Renaissance Center
Location of Downtown Detroit within the city of Detroit
Location of Downtown Detroit in the state of Michigan
Coordinates: 42°20′02″N 83°02′52″W
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Wayne
City	Detroit
Area
• Total	1.4 sq mi (3.6 km2)
Population (2010)
• Total	5,287
• Density	3,671.5/sq mi (1,417.6/km2)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code(s)	48201, 48226
Area code(s)	313

Downtown Detroit is the central business district and a residential area of Detroit, Michigan, United States. Downtown is bordered by the Lodge Freeway to the west, the Fisher Freeway to the north, Interstate 375 (The Chrysler Spur) to the east, and the Detroit River to the south.

Downtown contains much historic architecture and most of the prominent skyscrapers in Detroit, including the Renaissance Center, the Penobscot Building, One Detroit Center, and the Guardian Building. Historic churches, theatres, and commercial buildings anchor the various downtown districts. Downtown has a number of parks including those linked by a promenade along the Detroit International Riverfront.

Overview

The Renaissance Center along the International Riverfront

In recent years the downtown area has seen tremendous growth and development. Since 2000 a number of major construction projects have been completed including the new Compuware Headquarters at Campus Martius Park and two new stadiums: Comerica Park and Ford Field. General Motors moved their headquarters into the Renaissance Center, and the Detroit Lions have relocated from Pontiac, Michigan to downtown Detroit. High-profile events like the 2005 MLB All-Star Game, Super Bowl XL, and the 2006 World Series have taken place in downtown, generating income for local businesses and spurring more growth. As a result, new residents are moving into Detroit in the assortment of new lofts that are opening. An example of these trends is the Westin Book-Cadillac Hotel. In 2006, the Cleveland-based Ferchill Group began the $180 million redevelopment of the long vacant Book Cadlliac Hotel at the corner of Washington Blvd. and Michigan Avenue. The project, which has been hailed by historic preservationists houses a 455 room Westin Hotel, 67 high-end condominiums, and two to three restaurants, and some miscellaneous retail serving hotel and conference center guests. DTE headquarters features an urban oasis of parks, walkways, and a reflecting pool. In 2007, downtown Detroit was named among the best big city neighborhoods in which to retire by CNN Money Magazine editors. Downtown contains popular destinations including the MGM Grand Detroit and the Greektown Casino Hotel.

According to a collaborative report released by the Brookings Institution, Social Compact and the University of Michigan on October 26, 2006, downtown Detroit is home to 6,500 residents, and hosts 80,500 downtown workers, which makes up 21% of Detroit city's total employment. Downtown offers a number of residential high rises, including Riverfront Towers.

The Renaissance Center contains the Detroit Marriott hotel, General Motors headquarters, as well as many shops and restaurants. Compuware has its headquarters in the Compuware World Headquarters building by Campus Martius Park in Downtown Detroit. Compuware moved its headquarters and 4,000 employees to Downtown Detroit in 2003. DTE Energy has its headquarters in the DTE Energy Headquarters. Little Caesars and Olympia Entertainment have their headquarters in the Fox Theatre. Ernst & Young has offices in One Kennedy Square on Campus Martius Park. Pricewaterhouse Coopers has offices in a building across from Ford Field. In 2011, Quicken Loans moved its headquarters and 4,000 employees to downtown. Comerica Bank and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan are also major employers downtown.

Districts

Name	Image	Location	Summary
Bricktown Historic District		Separates the Renaissance Center from Greektown.	Bricktown separates the Renaissance Center from Greektown. Bricktown is home to St. Peter and Paul's Catholic Church, the oldest standing church in Detroit, and the Italian Renaissance style Wayne County Building (which was saved from demolition in the early 1980s). The Wayne County Courthouse, once located in the Wayne County Building, was the place where Mae West was once a defendant on a charge of public indecency. Bricktown is notable for its live music venues. Jacoby's German Biergarten (1904), the city's oldest surviving pub, provides a small performance space for up & coming acts. St. Andrew's Hall is a venue for nationally touring acts, as is the Shelter in the basement of St. Andrew's.
Broadway Avenue Historic District		Broadway between Gratiot and Grand River Boulevard 42°20′6″N 83°2′46″W	The Broadway Avenue Historic District is located along a single block of Broadway Avenue, and contains eleven commercial buildings built between 1896 and 1926. The area was developed in the late 1800s as a commercial area catering to the women's trade, and included businesses such as hairdressers, florists, corset makers, and fashionable clothiers. Three buildings in the district — the Cary Building, Harmonie Centre, and the Merchants Building — are individually listed on the NHRP.
Campus Martius Park		42°19′53″N 83°2′48″W Woodward Ave.	Campus Martius is a historic district and central gathering place which contains parks, Woodward Fountain, the Michigan Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, and a large traffic circle surrounded by commercial and residential high-rises including 1001 Woodward Avenue. Since the traffic circles restoration and expansion, it has emerged as a central gathering spot downtown with a mainstage.
Capitol Park Historic District		Roughly bounded by Grand River Ave., Woodward Ave., Michigan Ave., and Washington Boulevard 42°19′58″N 83°2′58″W	Capitol Park itself is a triangular plot of land (now a public park) bounded by Shelby Street, Griswold Street, and State Street. A courthouse was built in Capitol Park in 1823-28; when Michigan became a state in 1837, the building served as the state capitol. The Historic District includes the park and seventeen surrounding buildings for a block in each direction, including the Farwell Building, the Griswold Building, the David Stott Building, and the Industrial-Stevens Apartments.
Detroit Financial District		Bounded by Woodward and Jefferson and Lafayette and Washington Boulevard 42°19′46.36″N 83°2′50.43″W	This is the historic financial district of Detroit which dates to the 1850s and contains prominent skyscrapers. Ornate skyscrapers in Detroit (including the Guardian Building, the Penobscot Building, and One Woodward Avenue), reflecting two waves of large-scale redevelopment: the first in 1900–1930 and the second in the 1950s and early 1960s.
Grand Circus Park Historic District		Roughly bounded by Clifford, John R. and Adams Sts.; also 25 W. Elizabeth 42°20′10″N 83°3′2″W	Grand Circus Park Historic District contains the 5-acre (2.0 ha) Grand Circus Park, bisected by Woodward Avenue. Notable buildings encircling the park include the David Broderick Tower and David Whitney Building on the south, the Kales Building, and the First Methodist Church on the north. Comerica Park and the Detroit Opera House on the East. 25 W. Elizabeth was a boundary increase added in 2000.
Greektown Historic District		Monroe Ave., between Brush and St. Antoine Sts. 42°20′6″N 83°2′32″W	Greektown is a primarily commercial district that extends two city blocks. It includes St. Mary Roman Catholic Church, Second Baptist Church, separately listed on the Register, Greektown Casino Hotel, and the Athenium Suite Hotel. The district contains numerous restaurants and Greek-themed shops.
West Jefferson Avenue			West Jefferson Avenue runs parallel to downtown along the International Riverfront which contains the Renaissance Center, Cobo Center, a cruise ship terminal and dock, residential high rises, and a prominade of parks and marinas extending to Belle Isle. The towering Riverfront Condominiums are among the high-rise residential areas along the riverfront. The University of Detroit Mercy College of Law is across from the Renaissance Center along Jefferson Avenue. The People Mover serves the Renaissance Center and the Cobo Center along the riverfront.
Lower Woodward Avenue Historic District		1202–1449 and 1400–1456 Woodward Ave. 42°20′3″N 83°2′56″W	The Lower Woodward Avenue Historic District contains thirty-four commercial buildings built at the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth, many by noted architects. It contains the downtown's historic street-side shopping district.
Monroe Avenue Commercial Buildings		16-118 Monroe Ave. 42°19′58″N 83°2′45″W	The National Theatre (1911) at 118 Monroe Ave., the oldest surviving theatre in Detroit, is a part of the city's original theatre district from the late 1800s. Albert Kahn designed the theatre.
Park Avenue Historic District		Park Ave., between W. Adams Ave. and W. Fisher Freeway 42°20′12″N 83°3′49″W	In the 1920s, Detroit's prestigious Grand Circus Park was crowded with buildings and development began to spill north from Grand Circus Park up Park Avenue. In 1923, the Park Avenue Association was formed. They planned the street to concentrate high-grade commercial and office space at the south end, and prestigious residential development at the north end, much like New York City's Fifth Avenue. The district includes the Women's City Club, the Royal Palms Hotel, and the Kales Building.
Randolph Street Commercial Buildings Historic District		1208–1244 Randolph St. 42°20′4″N 83°2′42″W	Buildings along this section of Randolph Street have been used for retail since the area was first built up in the 1840s; the building at 1244 Randolph was built during the period of original construction. As the city grew, larger commercial buildings were required and the other structures on Randolph were constructed.
Washington Boulevard Historic District		Washington Boulevard, between State and Clifford Sts. 42°19′59″N 83°3′4″W	This district includes the Book-Cadillac Hotel, the Book Tower, the Industrial-Stevens Apartments, and Washington Square (Trolley Plaza) among other architecturally significant buildings. The Detroit Statler Hotel was located on the boulevard until it was demolished in 2005. The street was broadened and ornamented in the early part of the twentieth century to resemble New York's Fifth Avenue and European boulevards.

Demographics

As of the 2010 Census, there were 5,287 people in the district. The population density was 3,671.5 people per square mile (1,417.6/km²). There were 4,572 housing units. The racial makeup of the district was 63.6% Black, 28.2% White, 4.0% Asian, 0.5% Native American, 0.6% other races, 3.0% two or more races, and 3.3% Hispanic.

Government and infrastructure

The city of Detroit offices are located in the Coleman Young Municipal Building. The Guardian Building serves as headquarters for Wayne County. Detroit Fire Department has its headquarters in Downtown Detroit. The Detroit Police Department has its headquarters in Downtown Detroit. The Central District patrol division of the police department serves Downtown Detroit.

Transportation

Further information: Transportation in metropolitan Detroit

Detroit People Mover

The Detroit Greyhound Lines station is directly west of Downtown along the John C. Lodge Freeway. The Detroit Department of Transportation system provides mass-transit by bus. The Detroit People Mover, a 2.9-mile (4.7 km) automated people mover system, operates on a single-track, one-way loop through the downtown area.

Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation has its headquarters in the Buhl Building in Downtown Detroit.

Education

Skillman Branch (formerly the Downtown Branch) of the Detroit Public Library

Colleges and universities

The University of Detroit Mercy School of Law is located downtown across from the Renaissance Center. Wayne County Community College District (WCCCD) has its headquarters in Downtown Detroit. The Downtown Campus of the district is located adjacent to Downtown Detroit and adjacent to the WCCCD headquarters. Wayne State University is located in Midtown Detroit.

Primary and secondary schools

The area is zoned to Detroit Public Schools.

Some residents are zoned to Burton K-8 for elementary school, while others are zoned to Chrysler Elementary School. Some residents are zoned to Burton K-8 for middle school, while others are zoned to Duffield Middle School. All residents are zoned to Martin Luther King High School.

Prior to its closure, Murray-Wright High School served Downtown Detroit. At one point in the 2000s a portion of Downtown was served by Dewey PK-8 for elementary school, while a portion was served by Chrysler Elementary. At one point in the 2000s a portion of Downtown was served by Dewey PK-8 for middle school, while another section was served by Miller 6-9 for middle school.

Public libraries

The Detroit Public Library operates the Rose and Robert Skillman Branch Library downtown at 121 Gratiot with the library headquarters located in Midtown. The downtown branch first opened January 4, 1932. Skillman received its current name after the Skillman Foundation donated to the library system.

Diplomatic missions

Two consulates are located in the Renaissance Center; the Consulate-General of Japan is located on the 16th Floor of the 400 Tower, and the Consulate-General of Canada in Detroit is located in Suite 1100 of the 600 Tower. The Consulate of Italy in Detroit is located in Suite 1840 in the Buhl Building. The Consulate of Mexico in Detroit is located in Suite 830 in the Penobscot Building.

External links

• Downtown Detroit Partnership