Downtown Detroit | |
|---|---|
Central business district andresidential area | |
 Downtown Detroit's skyline, as seen fromWindsor, Ontario, Canada, in September 2025 | |
 Location of Downtown in relation toMidtown | |
| Coordinates:42°20′02″N83°02′52″W / 42.33389°N 83.04778°W /42.33389; -83.04778 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Michigan |
| County | Wayne |
| City | Detroit |
| Area | |
• Total | 1.4 sq mi (3.6 km2) |
| Population | |
• Total | 6,151 |
| • Density | 4,271.5/sq mi (1,649.2/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code(s) | 48201, 48207, 48226, 48243 |
| Area code | 313 |
Downtown Detroit is thecentral business district and aresidential area of the city ofDetroit, Michigan, United States. Locally, "downtown" tends to refer to the 1.4 square mile region bordered byM-10 (Lodge Freeway) to the west,Interstate 75 (I-75, Fisher Freeway) to the north,I-375 (Chrysler Freeway) to the east, and theDetroit River to the south. It may also be used to refer to the Greater Downtown area, a 7.2 square mile[2] region that includes surrounding neighborhoods such asMidtown,Corktown, Rivertown, andWoodbridge.
The city's main thoroughfareM-1 (Woodward Avenue) links Downtown toMidtown,New Center, and theNorth End.
Downtown contains muchhistoric architecture, including prominent skyscrapers, ranging from theRenaissance Center, thePenobscot Building,One Detroit Center, and theGuardian 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 theInternational Riverfront. Its central square isCampus Martius Park.
Following theGreat Fire of 1805, the design for the downtown area was left open to a new vision.Augustus B. Woodward proposed a radial design[3] for the post-fire city, where major streets such asWoodward, Washington, and Madison Avenue would spiral offGrand Circus Park. The downtown streets still loosely follow Woodward's original design. Business in Detroit boomed along with its growing automobile industry, leading to an increase in downtown's population and wealth. Much of the downtown area's architecture was built during this boom, in the late 19th century and early 20th century, and still attracts the attention of architects. Several buildings were built by the famousMinoru Yamasaki (most well known for designing thetwin towers in New York City), including theMcGregor Memorial Conference Center andFederal Reserve Bank of Chicago Detroit Branch Building.
The area whereI-375 is lies on the historic site ofBlack Bottom and Paradise Valley. Black Bottom was one of the city's major African American communities, historically named by French colonial settlers for its rich soil.[4] Paradise Valley was the business and entertainment district of Black Bottom, best known for itsParadise Theatre and Hotel Gotham, where prominent jazz figures such asDuke Ellington,Billie Holiday, andLouis Armstrong performed and stayed. Both neighborhoods were demolished to build I-375, and have since been replaced withLafayette Park.
Downtown was once notorious for its abandonment, vacant buildings, and disinvestment. However, in recent years, the downtown area has seen tremendous growth and redevelopment.
Since 2000 a number of majorconstruction projects have been completed including the newCompuware Headquarters atCampus Martius Park and two new stadiums:Comerica Park andFord Field.General Motors moved their headquarters into theRenaissance Center, and theDetroit Lions have relocated fromPontiac to Downtown Detroit. High-profile events like the 2005MLB All-Star Game,Super Bowl XL, and the2006 and2012 World Series have taken place in downtown, generating income for local businesses and spurring more growth.[5] As a result, new residents are moving into Detroit in the assortment of new lofts that are opening. An example of these trends is theWestin Book-Cadillac Hotel. In 2006, the Cleveland-based Ferchill Group began the $180 million redevelopment of the historic Book Cadlliac Hotel at the corner of Washington Boulevard and Michigan Avenue. The project, which has been hailed by 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 Energy Headquarters features an urban oasis of parks, walkways, and a reflecting pool.[6]
In 2007, Downtown Detroit was named among the best big-city neighborhoods in which to retire byCNN Money Magazine editors.[7] Downtown contains popular destinations, including theInternational Riverfront, theMGM Grand Detroit,Greektown Casino Hotel, and many sites listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.
Downtown Detroit hosts over 92,000 workers which make up about one-fifth of the city's total employment base; in addition, it is home to about 6,200 residents. Downtown offers a number of residential high rises, includingRiverfront Towers,The Albert, andTown Residences.[8][9]
TheRenaissance Center contains the Detroit Marriott hotel,General Motors headquarters, as well as many shops and restaurants.Compuware has its headquarters in theCompuware World Headquarters building by Campus Martius Park in Downtown Detroit.[10] Compuware moved its headquarters and 4,000 employees to Downtown Detroit in 2003.[11]Little Caesars andOlympia Entertainment have their headquarters in theFox Theatre.[12][13]Ernst & Young has offices inOne Kennedy Square onCampus Martius Park.Pricewaterhouse Coopers has offices in a building across fromFord Field. Chrysler maintains executive offices atChrysler House in the city'sFinancial District. In 2011, Quicken Loans moved its headquarters and 4,000 employees to downtown.Comerica Bank andBlue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan are also major employers downtown.
Throughout the late 2010s a large amount of business and investment continued to enter the city and transform it. As of 2019, businesses such asShinola,Google,Moosejaw, andNike occupy the once-vacant street fronts. Investments such as new bike lanes, theLittle Caesars Arena andQLine have been successful in attracting newcomers to the city. Downtown's transformation in recent years has also perpetuated the discussion ofgentrification within the city. The downtown area is notably wealthier than other parts of the city, and has attracted a new demographic of white, middle-class tourists and residents, physically and culturally displacing the black residents of the inner city. The ever-increasing lack of affordable housing and venues for locals have further contributed to this displacement.[14] It is an ongoing debate whether or not this redevelopment is good for the downtown area and Detroit as a whole.
In 2021, the 2-acreHudson's site 680-foot tower, and the 232-foot tall, block-long building called "the block", with the two sections being separated by an activated alley, were under construction by Dan Gilbert's real estate firm, Bedrock Detroit, that will include 150 apartments, a 200-plus-room hotel, office, retail and event space.[15][16] Further ongoing new construction underway were The Exchange, a 16-story residential tower, and the 20-story Huntington Bank headquarters tower.[17][18] In late 2021, Stephen Ross and Christopher Ilitch announced plans for the new home of the University of Michigan's Detroit Center for Innovation (DCI), a $250 million, 4-acre, three building graduate school campus in the downtown District Detroit area.[19]
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| Name | Image | Location | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bricktown Historic District |  | Separates theRenaissance Center fromGreektown. | Bricktown separates the Renaissance Center from Greektown.[20] 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 theWayne County Building, was the place whereMae West was once a defendant on a charge ofpublic 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″N83°2′46″W / 42.33500°N 83.04611°W /42.33500; -83.04611 (Broadway Avenue Historic District) | 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 — theCary Building,Harmonie Centre, and theMerchants Building — are individually listed on the NRHP. |
| Campus Martius Park |  | 42°19′53″N83°2′48″W / 42.33139°N 83.04667°W /42.33139; -83.04667Woodward Ave. | Campus Martius is a historic district and central gathering place which contains parks, Woodward Fountain, theMichigan Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, and a large traffic circle surrounded by commercial and residential high-rises including1001 Woodward Avenue. Since the traffic circle's 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″N83°2′58″W / 42.33278°N 83.04944°W /42.33278; -83.04944 (Capitol Park Historic District) | 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 theFarwell Building, theGriswold Building, theDavid Stott Building, and theIndustrial-Stevens Apartments. | |
| Detroit Financial District |  | Bounded by Woodward and Jefferson and Lafayette and Washington Boulevard 42°19′46.36″N83°2′50.43″W / 42.3295444°N 83.0473417°W /42.3295444; -83.0473417 (Detroit Financial District) | This is the historic financial district of Detroit which dates to the 1850s and contains prominent skyscrapers. Ornate skyscrapers in Detroit (including theGuardian Building, thePenobscot Building, andOne 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″N83°3′2″W / 42.33611°N 83.05056°W /42.33611; -83.05056 (Grand Circus Park Historic District) | Grand Circus Park Historic District contains the 5-acre (2.0 ha) Grand Circus Park, bisected byWoodward Avenue. Notable buildings encircling the park include theDavid Broderick Tower andDavid Whitney Building on the south, theKales Building,Comerica Park, theFox Theatre, and theDetroit Opera House may be accessed from Grand Circus Park.St. John's Episcopal Church and theCentral United Methodist Church are among the manychurches and cathedrals on Woodward Ave. |
| Greektown Historic District | .jpg) | Monroe Ave., between Brush and St. Antoine Sts. 42°20′6″N83°2′32″W / 42.33500°N 83.04222°W /42.33500; -83.04222 (Greektown Historic District) | Greektown is a primarily commercial district that extends two city blocks. It includesSt. 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. |
| East Jefferson Avenue |  | East Jefferson Avenue runs eastward from Woodward Avenue along theInternational Riverfront which contains theRenaissance Center, a cruise ship terminal and dock, residential high rises, and a prominade of parks and marinas extending toBelle Isle. TheUniversity of Detroit Mercy College of Law is across from theRenaissance Center alongJefferson Avenue. TheDetroit People Mover stops at theRenaissance Center along West Jefferson Ave. | |
| West Jefferson Avenue |  | West Jefferson Avenue runs westward from Woodward Avenue and beneathTCF Center, before passingJoe Louis Arena, theRiverfront Condominiums and other sites along theDetroit International Riverfront extending to theAmbassador Bridge. | |
| Lower Woodward Avenue Historic District | .jpg) | 1202–1449 and 1400–1456 Woodward Ave. 42°20′3″N83°2′56″W / 42.33417°N 83.04889°W /42.33417; -83.04889 (Lower Woodward Avenue Historic District) | 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″N83°2′45″W / 42.33278°N 83.04583°W /42.33278; -83.04583 (Monroe Avenue Commercial Buildings) | The National Theatre (1911) at 118 Monroe Ave., the oldest survivingtheatre 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″N83°3′49″W / 42.33667°N 83.06361°W /42.33667; -83.06361 (Park Avenue Historic District) | In the 1920s, Detroit's prestigiousGrand 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'sFifth Avenue. The district includes theWomen's City Club, thePark Avenue House, and theKales Building. |
| Randolph Street Commercial Buildings Historic District |  | 1208–1244 Randolph St. 42°20′4″N83°2′42″W / 42.33444°N 83.04500°W /42.33444; -83.04500 (Randolph Street Commercial Buildings Historic District) | 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″N83°3′4″W / 42.33306°N 83.05111°W /42.33306; -83.05111 (Washington Boulevard Historic District) | This district includes theBook-Cadillac Hotel, theBook Tower, theIndustrial-Stevens Apartments, andWashington Square (Trolley Plaza) among other architecturally significant buildings. TheDetroit 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'sFifth Avenue and European boulevards. |
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 5,990 | — | |
| 2000 | 6,141 | 2.5% | |
| 2010 | 5,287 | −13.9% | |
| 2020 | 6,151 | 16.3% |
As of the2020 Census, there were 6,151 people living in the district. Thepopulation density was 4,271.5 people per square mile (1,649.2/km2). There were 5,323 housing units. The census reported the district residents as 54.2%White, 30.4%Black, 0.4%Native American, 6.4%Asian, 0.09%Pacific Islander, 2.2%other races, and 6.0% two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 6.5% of the total population.
As recently as 2011 the population of full-time residents in Downtown Detroit was relatively low.[21] However, its population grew by an estimated 15 percent between 2012 and 2016 as it experienced a construction boom.[22]
The city of Detroit offices are located in theColeman Young Municipal Building. TheGuardian Building serves as headquarters forWayne County.Detroit Fire Department has its headquarters in Downtown Detroit.[23] TheDetroit Police Department has its headquarters in Downtown Detroit.[24] The Central District patrol division of the police department serves Downtown Detroit.[25]
Federal offices are in thePatrick V. McNamara Federal Building. They include anFBIfield office.[26]
The DetroitGreyhound Lines station is directly west of Downtown along the John C. Lodge Freeway.[27] TheDetroit Department of Transportation system provides mass-transit by bus. The Rosa Parks Transit Center, completed in 2009, serves as the main hub for the bus systems downtown. It is adjacent to two stops on theDetroit People Mover. The People Mover, a 2.94-mile (4.7 km) automated rail rapid transit system, operates on a single-track, one-way loop through the downtown area.Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation has its headquarters in theBuhl Building in Downtown Detroit.[28]
In late July 2014, construction began on theQLine, which opened to the public in 2017. It runs 3.3 miles on Woodward Avenue from Congress Street in Downtown Detroit to Grand Boulevard inNew Center.[29]
Companies with headquarters in Downtown Detroit includeCompuware,[30]Dickinson Wright,[31][32][33]General Motors,[34]Little Caesars,[35]Campbell-Ewald,[36]Miller Canfield,[37] andQuicken Loans.[38]
On October 28, 2014,Fifth Third Bank announced plans to move its Michigan regional headquarters fromSouthfield to downtown Detroit in what was to be named theFifth Third Bank Building at One Woodward. The bank was to occupy about 62,000 sq ft (5,800 m2) of the structure and has also pledged to invest $85 million in the city of Detroit.[39] The office had 150 employees.[40]
PreviouslyComerica Bank had its headquarters in Downtown Detroit.[41] On March 6, 2007, the company announced its decision to relocate its corporate headquarters toDallas.[42] The company executives began moving to Dallas in November 2007.[43] At one timeReal Times Media, the owner of black newspapers in the United States, had its headquarters in theGlobe Tobacco Building,[44] and later theBuhl Building.[45]
TheDetroit Media Partnership, housing bothThe Detroit News and theDetroit Free Press, has its headquarters in Downtown Detroit.[46]
TheMetro Times was previously headquartered in theDetroit Cornice and Slate Company Building in Downtown.[47]
The studio ofWDIV (Detroit'sNBC affiliate) is located in Downtown Detroit; it is the only TV station in the Detroit media market with studios located in the city asWXYZ,WJBK,WWJ,WMYD,WPXD, andWKBD (affiliates ofABC,Fox,CBS,MyNetworkTV,Ion Television andThe CW respectively) have their studios in the nearby city ofSouthfield.
Downtown Detroit has seen a major growth in entertainment[48][49] in the past decade. Campus Martius Park is open year-round, with ice skating in the winter with a huge Christmas tree display, to a large fountain and many concerts in the summer. In December 2012, the largest Buffalo Wild Wings in the country opened in the district, and a newmixed-use development by CEODan Gilbert, businessman, and developer,The Z, due to its Z-like shape, with 1,300 parking spaces, artwork, LED lighting, and 33,000-square-feet of street level retail space. The Z is full of murals and other artwork from 27 international artists, and the floors are color-coded. The Z opened on January 30, 2014. On December 10, 2014, Punch Bowl Social opened a new 24,000-square-foot bi-level eatery and entertainment complex in The Z structure.[50]
Some places for entertainment and attractions within the downtown region includeCampus Martius Park,Philip A. Hart Plaza, Coleman A. Young Community Center,Detroit Riverwalk,Fox Theatre,Ford Field,Little Caesars Arena, andComerica Park.
TheUniversity of Detroit Mercy School of Law is located downtown across from theRenaissance Center.Wayne County Community College District (WCCCD) has its headquarters in Downtown Detroit.[51] The Downtown Campus of the district is located adjacent to Downtown Detroit and adjacent to the WCCCD headquarters.[52]Wayne State University is located inMidtown Detroit. The Corktown Campus, near downtown at 2700 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, houses theUniversity of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry and Dental Clinic. The main campus of theUniversity of Detroit Mercy is located uptown.
The Detroit College of Law was in Downtown Detroit until 1997. It moved toEast Lansing, Michigan in 1997 and is now known as theMichigan State University College of Law.
As of 2016[update] there is a concentration of charter schools and senior high schools in the Downtown Detroit area - there were eleven high schools and 1,894 high school-aged students in the area- relative to other parts of Detroit which had more high school students but fewer schools available. This is because Downtown Detroit is relatively wealthy compared to other parts of Detroit and because ofgentrification.[53]
TheDetroit Public Schools, charter schools, and private schools serve city residents. Downtown residents enrolled in the public school system are zoned forMartin Luther King High School.[54] Some downtown residents are zoned for Burton K-8 for elementary school, while others are zoned to Chrysler Elementary School.[55] Burton K-8 and Bunche K-8 serve portions of Downtown for middle school.[56]
Previously Dewey K-8 served portions of Downtown Detroit for elementary school.[57] Previously Miller Middle School,[58] and Duffield Middle School served portions of Downtown Detroit.[59] PreviouslyMurray-Wright High School served Downtown Detroit for high school.[60]
TheArchdiocese of Detroit lists a number of primary and secondary schools in the city, along with those in the metro area.[61][62] There are 23 Catholic high schools in theArchdiocese of Detroit.[63] Of the three Catholic high schools in the city, two are operated by theSociety of Jesus and the third is co-sponsored by theSisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and theCongregation of St. Basil.[63][64]
TheDetroit Public Library operates the Rose and Robert Skillman Branch Library downtown at 121 Gratiot with the library headquarters located inMidtown. The downtown branch first opened January 4, 1932. Skillman received its current name after the Skillman Foundation donated to the library system.[65]
Three consulates are located in theRenaissance Center; theConsulate-General of Japan, Detroit is located on the 16th Floor of the 400 Tower,[66] theConsulate-General of Canada in Detroit is located in Suite 1100 of the 600 Tower,[67] and theConsulate of Italy in Detroit is located in Suite 950 of the 400 Tower.[68] The Consulate of Italy in Detroit used to be located in Suite 1840 in theBuhl Building until 2021.[69] TheConsulate of Mexico in Detroit is located in Suite 830 in thePenobscot Building.[70]
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| Topics | .jpg) | |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit | ||
| Municipalities over 80,000 | ||
| Municipalities 40,000 to 80,000 | ||
| Cultural enclaves | ||
| Satellite cities | ||
| Counties in MSA | ||
| Counties in CSA | ||
