Hudson's Site

Filling the block backing up to Library Park, the Hudson Building was designed by architecture firm Smith, Hinchman & Grylls and constructed in 1911 for Hudson’s department store. Towering over the Merchants Row shopping area at a height of 410 feet, the 25-story, Chicago School-style, red-brick structure was the tallest retail location in the world. The business succeeded to a degree that grew legendary over the next seven decades and remained open until 1983. In 1998, the landmark was imploded, leaving a big, empty space in the heart of Detroit. After almost two decades of vacancy, the significant site was purchased in 2016 by Bedrock. Ground was broken the next year, and redevelopment by architecture firms Hamilton Anderson and Shop is in progress.