What will RenCen be used for once GM moves headquarters to Hudson's site?

RenCen's future up in the air after GM announces HQ relocation

General Motors' announcement about relocating its global headquarters to the new Hudson's tower has raised numerous questions regarding the fate of the Renaissance Center.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - General Motors' plan to move its global headquarters to the new Hudson's skyscraper has left many asking — what will happen to the Renaissance Center?

While the seven-building RenCen will continue to be owned by GM, plans for what it could be used for are still being discussed by officials of the automaker, Bedrock, the City of Detroit and Wayne County.

"I think there’s lots of possibilities. We’re going to look for corporate users across Michigan and across the country," Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said about the building's fate.

On Monday, GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra and Bedrock Chairman Dan Gilbert announced the headquarters' 2025 relocation to the new Hudson's Detroit tower, where the historic J.L. Hudson's department store site used to stand tall.

Hudson's Detroit, owned by Bedrock, is still under construction but is expected to be completed later this year.

"We will partner with Bedrock, and the city of Detroit, and Wayne County to plot a new path forward for our current home, the General Motors Renaissance Center, over the course of the next year or so," Barra said on Monday. "We'll explore new ideas for the complex, including the possibilities for commercial, or residential or mixed-use."

"The governor is passing a plan for incentives for (research and development) companies to come to Michigan. Could the Renaissance Center be an R&D incubator center?" Duggan said. "And there’s huge demand for housing downtown, on the water – could you convert some of this to housing?"

The mayor said he believes the great advantage is that they have time to develop a plan, and the public's voices will also be heard.

"It’s going to be a year-long conversation," Duggan said. "Yesterday, the conversation started."

President of Farbman Group, Andy Gutman, weighed in on the RenCen's future.

"As you start to look at live, work, play, lifestyles – the Renaissance center could be one of those places where your office is in the building, your apartment is in the building, you do your shopping somewhere in the building," Gutman said.

Farbman Group is one of the leaders in the full-service commercial real estate industry.

"When you hear about a company moving from something like the renaissance center, that’s big news," Gutman said. GM's move into Hudson's Detroit is "an exciting rebirth for the city in so many ways."