David Broderick Tower

Last updated

David Broderick Tower
BroderickTower15.jpg
David Broderick Tower
Former namesEaton Tower (1928–1945)
General information
TypeResidential
Location10 Witherell Street
Detroit, Michigan
Coordinates 42°20′9.5″N83°2′59″W / 42.335972°N 83.04972°W / 42.335972; -83.04972
Construction started1926
Completed1928
Renovated2012
Height
Roof369 ft (112 m)
Top floor348 ft (106 m)
Technical details
Floor count34
Design and construction
Architect(s) Louis Kamper
Paul Kamper
Broderick Tower
Part of Grand Circus Park Historic District (ID83000894)
Designated CPFebruary 28, 1983

The Broderick Tower is a residential skyscraper in Downtown Detroit, Michigan. [1] Original construction began in 1926, and was completed in 1928. The Broderick was fully renovated in 2012 by JC Beal Construction Inc., who also served as the developer. The tower was the second tallest building in Michigan when it was originally completed in 1928. It stands 34-stories, with two basement floors. The building is designed with Neo-classical architecture, Chicago school, and Beaux-Arts designs. Limestone is a prominent material in the building's surface. It was designed by architects Louis Kamper and Paul Kamper for Theodore Eaton.

Contents

The tower is located at the Southeast corner of Woodward Avenue and Witherell Street, facing Grand Circus Park, and stands across the street from the David Whitney Building. The Broderick Tower is not a square, or even a parallelogram in shape. [2] [3]

History

Before the decorative cornices were removed, this building was 371'-6" to the top of the parapet wall, and 376'-7" tall to the very tip of the decorative cornice. This tower is topped by a Beaux-Arts/Neoclassical inspired crown.

The tower was originally constructed as the Eaton Tower, named after Theodore Horation Eaton, Jr., an importer and dealer in chemicals and dyes. The building changed ownership and names in 1945, when the tower was purchased by David Broderick, a Detroit insurance broker, which he then renamed after himself. After his purchase of the tower in 1945, David Broderick created the Sky Top Club on the 33rd floor of the tower, which was a private club used for entertaining Mr. Broderick's associates and guests. After David Broderick's death in 1957, the tower changed hands many times between 1963 and 1976, finally ending up in the hands of the Higgins family, which retains a stake in the ownership to this day. [4]

A bar called Tavern on the Park was preceded by a restaurant called The Flaming Embers, which also later closed. Another bar called The Pit Stop opened on the ground floor of the building in 2007 but eventually also closed. Currently the Detroit Sports Bar & Grille [5] occupies the street level floor. [6]

The memorable humpback whale mural on the rear façade of the building was painted by Metro-Detroit native eco-artist, Wyland, and was dedicated on October 13, 1997. A billboard was placed over the mural in July 2006, covering up the Whaling Wall mural. The money generated from a recently added billboard was announced to benefit the restoration of the building, as the billboard is visible from the nearby Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers. [3] In June 2010, the billboard was removed during a storm, once again revealing the mural.

Motown Construction Partners LLC, led by Fred J. Beal, Manager, and President of JC Beal Construction Inc., secured financing for a comprehensive re-development of the Broderick Tower in December 2010. Renovations commenced to create 124 apartments on floors 5-34, three separate restaurant venues floor 1 and the adjacent lower level and mezzanine, and office space on floors 2 through 4. [7] [8]

On November 2, 2012, the Broderick Tower received official certificates of occupancy by the City of Detroit. A call was made to residents by management around 3:30 PM; on that day, at least 5 residents moved in immediately. During that same weekend, at least 50 more residents moved in. As of March 2013, Broderick Tower is 100% leased and occupied.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ally Detroit Center</span> Skyscraper in Detroit

Ally Detroit Center, formerly One Detroit Center, is a skyscraper and class-A office building located in Downtown Detroit, overlooking the Detroit Financial District. Rising 619 feet (189 m), the 43-story tower is the tallest office building in Michigan and the second tallest building overall in the state behind the central hotel tower of the Renaissance Center, located a few blocks away. Although the Penobscot Building has more floors above ground (45), those of Ally Detroit Center are taller, with its roof sitting roughly 60 feet (18 m) taller than that of the Penobscot. It has a floor area of 1,674,708 sq ft (155,585.5 m2).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penobscot Building</span> Skyscraper in Detroit

The Greater Penobscot Building, commonly known as the Penobscot Building, is a class-A office tower in Downtown Detroit, Michigan. Constructed in 1928, the Art Deco building is located in the heart of the Detroit Financial District. The Penobscot is a hub for the city's wireless Internet zone and fiber-optic network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Whitney Building</span> Residential/hotel in Detroit, Michigan

The David Whitney Building is a historic class-A skyscraper located at 1 Park Avenue, on the northern edge of Downtown Detroit, Michigan, within the Grand Circus Park Historic District. The building stands on a wedge-shaped site at the junction of Park Avenue, Woodward Avenue, and Washington Boulevard. Construction on the 19-floor structure began in 1914.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Stott Building</span> Skyscraper in Detroit

The David Stott Building is a 38 story high-rise apartment building with office space on floors 2-6 and retail space on the first floor. The "Stott" was originally built as a class-A office building located at 1150 Griswold Street in Downtown Detroit, Michigan, within the Capitol Park Historic District. It was designed in the Art Deco style by the architectural firm of Donaldson and Meier and completed in 1929. Bedrock Detroit owns and manages the building which began leasing in late 2018 and includes 107 apartment homes and 5 floors of commercial office space.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cadillac Tower</span> Skyscraper in Detroit

The Cadillac Tower is a 40-story, 133.4 m (438 ft) Neo-Gothic skyscraper designed by the architectural firm of Bonnah & Chaffee at 65 Cadillac Square in downtown Detroit, Michigan. The building's materials include terra cotta and brick. It was built in 1927 as Barlum Tower. At the top of the tower is a tall guyed mast for local radio stations WMXD, WLLZ and television station WLPC-CD. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westin Book Cadillac Hotel</span> Skyscraper in Detroit

The Westin Book Cadillac Detroit is a historic skyscraper hotel in downtown Detroit, Michigan, within the Washington Boulevard Historic District. Designed in the Neo-Renaissance style, and opened as the Book-Cadillac Hotel in 1924, the 349 ft (106 m), 31-story, 453-room hotel includes 65 exclusive luxury condominiums and penthouses on the top eight floors. It reopened in October 2008, managed by Westin Hotels, after a $200-million restoration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Book Tower</span> Skyscraper in Detroit, US

The Book Tower is a 145 m (476 ft), 38-story skyscraper located at 1265 Washington Boulevard in Downtown Detroit, Michigan, within the Washington Boulevard Historic District. Construction began on the Italian Renaissance-style building in 1916, as an addition to the original Book Building, and finished a decade later, making it, at the time, the tallest building in Detroit. The building was designed by architect Louis Kamper, an American architect, active in and around Detroit and Wayne County, Michigan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First National Building</span> A skyscraper and class-A office center in downtown Detroit

The First National Building is a skyscraper and class-A office center in Downtown Detroit, Michigan, within the Detroit Financial District. The building is located across the streets from Cadillac Tower and One Detroit Center, and stands next to the Vinton Building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chrysler House</span> Skyscraper in Detroit

Chrysler House is a 23-story, 325-foot (99 m) skyscraper located at 719 Griswold Street in Downtown Detroit, Michigan. The building is adjacent to the Penobscot Building in the heart of the U.S. designated Detroit Financial District. It is used as an office building, with retail space on the street level. It was originally known as the Dime Building but has carried numerous names over the years.

The Penobscot Building Annex is a 23-story, 94.49 m (310.0 ft) office skyscraper located at 144 West Congress Street in Downtown Detroit, Michigan. This portion of the Penobscot Block is now physically connected to the newer Penobscot Building Tower.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Water Board Building (Detroit, Michigan)</span> Office in Detroit, Michigan

The Water Board Building is a high-rise office building located at 735 Randolph Street in downtown Detroit, Michigan. It was constructed in 1928 and stands at 23 stories tall. It was designed by Louis Kamper in the Art Deco architectural style, and its materials include granite, limestone, marble, and terra cotta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Park Centre</span> Building in Detroit

Grand Park Centre, also known as the Michigan Mutual Building, is a high-rise office building in downtown Detroit, Michigan, located at 28 West Adams Avenue, at the corner of Adams Avenue West and Woodward Avenue, standing across from Grand Circus Park in the Foxtown neighbourhood. Nearby buildings and attractions are Grand Circus Park, Comerica Park, Ford Field, the Dime Building, and Campus Martius Park. The building is a part of the Michigan Mutual Liability Company Complex, with the Michigan Mutual Liability Annex. The building is located in the Foxtown neighborhood of Detroit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louis Kamper</span> American architect

Louis Kamper was an American architect, active in and around Detroit and Wayne County, Michigan, in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vinton Building</span> United States historic place

The Vinton Building is a residential high-rise located at 600 Woodward Avenue in Downtown Detroit, Michigan. It stands next to the First National Building, across Woodward Avenue from Chase Tower and the Guardian Building, and across Congress Street from One Detroit Center. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1982 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Architecture of metropolitan Detroit</span> Architecture style of Metropolitan Detroit, Michigan, USA

The architecture of metropolitan Detroit continues to attract the attention of architects and preservationists alike. With one of the world's recognizable skylines, Detroit's waterfront panorama shows a variety of architectural styles. The post-modern neogothic spires of One Detroit Center refer to designs of the city's historic Art Deco skyscrapers. Together with the Renaissance Center, they form the city's distinctive skyline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Industrial Building (Detroit)</span> High-rise building in downtown Detroit, Michigan

The Industrial Building is a high-rise building located at 1410 Washington Boulevard in downtown Detroit, Michigan, within the Washington Boulevard Historic District. It occupies the northeast corner on Grand River Avenue and Washington Boulevard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eddystone Building</span> United States historic place

The Eddystone Building is a former hotel located in Midtown Detroit, Michigan, at 100-118 Sproat Street. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Detroit Cornice and Slate Company Building</span> United States historic place

The Detroit Cornice and Slate Company Building is a Beaux-Arts style industrial office building located at 733 St. Antoine Street in Downtown Detroit, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Riverfront Towers</span> Skyscraper in Detroit

Riverfront Towers is an apartment and condominium complex of three high rise residential skyscrapers along the International Riverfront in Downtown Detroit, Michigan, United States. Each Riverfront Tower creates an ascending tier of three towers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Way Community Services Building</span> Commercial offices in Detroit, Michigan

The United Way Community Services Building is a high-rise office building completed in 1895 at 1212 Griswold Street, at the northeast corner of State Street, in the Capitol Park Historic District of downtown Detroit, Michigan. The 48.77 m (160.0 ft) 12-story building was designed by architects Spier & Rohns and was the tallest in the state when built. The lower two floors are faced with a brown rusticated stone with the main entry centered on the south façade and framed by four square pilasters of gray granite. Floors three through five are smooth stone and floors six through twelve are tan brick. The structure originally had an elaborate cornice surrounding the twelfth floor which was removed in the 1950s. The light court which extended from the fifth to twelfth floor above the entry was filled in 1988 and faced with glass and a gabled glass roof to provide additional office space.

References

  1. ↑ "Years of effort lands $50M for redevelopment of Broderick Tower". Model D. January 11, 2011.
  2. ↑ Meyer, Katherine Mattingly and Martin C.P. McElroy with Introduction by W. Hawkins Ferry, Hon A.I.A. (1980). Detroit Architecture A.I.A. Guide Revised Edition . Wayne State University Press. ISBN   0-8143-1651-4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. 1 2 Sharoff, Robert (2005). American City: Detroit Architecture. Wayne State University Press. ISBN   0-8143-3270-6.
  4. ↑ Hill, Eric J.; John Gallagher (2002). AIA Detroit: The American Institute of Architects Guide to Detroit Architecture . Wayne State University Press. ISBN   0-8143-3120-3.
  5. ↑ "Restaurant | The Detroit Sports Bar & Grille". DetroitSportBarGrill. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  6. ↑ "Model D - New bar, Pit Stop, occupies ground floor of Broderick Tower". Archived from the original on October 27, 2007. Retrieved November 5, 2007.
  7. ↑ Bill Shea (December 21, 2010). "Detroit's Broderick Tower to get $50 million redevelopment". Crain's Detroit Business. Retrieved December 22, 2010.
  8. ↑ http://www.brodericktower.com, Page 6; "Floorplans"
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.