David Broderick Tower

Majestically, the David Broderick Tower rises before us, a proud sentinel of Detroit’s skyline. The David Broderick Tower first graced Detroit in 1928. It began as the Eaton Tower, a testament to the vision of architect Louis Kamper. Originally commissioned by Theodore Eaton, Jr., a prominent chemical and dye dealer, the tower was designed to house a mix of retail shops, offices, and artist studios. Imagine a bustling hub of activity, with shopkeepers arranging their wares on the lower floors, businessmen hurrying to their offices in the mid-section, and artists finding inspiration in their top-floor studios. The David Broderick Tower is no ordinary skyscraper. Its 34 stories and two basement levels, clad in limestone and adorned with neo-classical, Chicago school, and Beaux-Arts details, speak to the opulence of the Roaring Twenties. In 1944, the tower was purchased by David Broderick, a Detroit insurance broker, who promptly gave the building its current name. Broderick even established an exclusive club on the 33rd floor, the Sky Top Club, to entertain his associates and important guests. The David Broderick Tower has weathered many storms, both literal and figurative. It witnessed Detroit’s decline in the mid-20th century and stood tall through the city’s resurgence. A striking mural of humpback whales, painted by Wyland in 1997, graced its rear facade, a beacon of hope amidst urban decay. Though temporarily obscured by a billboard, the mural was revealed again after a storm in 2010. The David Broderick Tower remained largely vacant for a period, listed even among the world’s tallest abandoned structures in 2009. Yet its story didn’t end there. A $53 million renovation in 2012 breathed new life into the tower, transforming it into luxurious apartments. Today, the David Broderick Tower stands as a symbol of Detroit’s resilience, a testament to its rich past and its vibrant future.