Grand opening ceremonies for new Detroit high-rises used to happen once or twice a decade.
Lately, the mayor has been cutting a ribbon on a new skyscraper at least once a year — and the count goes up when including grand reopenings for once-vacant but newly restored high-rises.
This uptick in construction of buildings with 15 stories or more underscores downtown Detroit’s resurgence since its 2013-14 bankruptcy and the continued optimism for the city’s future, even as the daytime population of workers in downtown office buildings has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels.
It is also reshaping the city’s appearance.
Mayor Mike Duggan remarked on that point earlier this month during a ribbon-cutting event for a newly built 25-story glass high-rise on the downtown riverfront. The development, known as The Residences at Water Square, is a 496-unit luxury apartment building, located on the former site of Joe Louis Arena.
“For the first time in decades, we are witnessing the redrawing of the skyline in the city of Detroit,” Duggan told the crowd of about 150 packed into the building’s lobby.