Standing here at 500 Woodward Avenue one cannot help but notice the Ally Detroit Center. It rises a proud 619 feet into the sky. The Ally Detroit Center is the tallest office building in Michigan. It is also the second tallest building overall in the state. Only the central hotel tower of the Renaissance Center is taller.
Did you know that the Penobscot Building has more floors? Ally Detroit Center’s floors are taller. This makes Ally Detroit Center’s roof sit higher. The roof sits about 60 feet higher than the Penobscot Building.
The Ally Detroit Center has a floor area of 1674708 square feet. The Ally Detroit Center we see today was completed in 1993. The construction lasted from 1991 to 1993. John Burgee and Philip Johnson designed it. They were influential in postmodern architecture.
The Ally Detroit Center boasts a postmodern architectural style. Look at the Flemish-inspired neo-gothic spires at the top. They blend well with the city’s historic skyline. The building is mainly constructed of granite.
People sometimes call it a twin gothic structure. This is because of its pairs of spires. They are oriented North-South and East-West. You can see this on a plaque along the Windsor waterfront park. Ally Detroit Center won an Award of Excellence for its design in 1996. Replicas of Ally Detroit Center are popular souvenir items. They sit alongside those of other Detroit skyscrapers.
Originally, there were plans for a twin tower called Two Detroit Center. It would have been directly to the east. These plans were put on hold indefinitely. The Two Detroit Center parking garage was constructed on that site in 2002.
The Ally Detroit Center has been known by other names. From 1993 to 2015 it was called One Detroit Center. It was also known as Comerica Tower. Comerica Bank used the building as its headquarters. They moved to Dallas Texas in 2007.
In 2015, Dan Gilbert’s Bedrock Real Estate Services purchased the building. Ally Financial Services then moved its employees into the building. They consolidated employees from the suburbs and the Renaissance Center. Ally occupied 20 floors. That’s about 321000 square feet. The tower was then renamed Ally Detroit Center.
Inside the Ally Detroit Center there are many prominent Detroit law firms. Dickinson Wright law firm has its headquarters here. In 2015, Townhouse a full-service restaurant opened on the first floor. Also, a Plum Market grocery store opened on the first floor in 2019.
So, as you stand before this impressive structure remember its history. Remember its architectural significance. The Ally Detroit Center is more than just a building. It’s a landmark that reflects Detroit’s past and present.