Located in the heart of Downtown Detroit at 1208 Woodward Avenue, the now historical Hudson’s site was the tallest retail location in the world and the second largest department store in the United States in 1911. The premier retailer drew crowds for decades until its closing in 1983 and demolition in 1998, leaving a vacant spot until 2018 when Dan Gilbert released renderings of a new development for the site.
The Hudson’s site is composed of a 12-story Block Building and 46-floor Tower which includes mixed uses consisting of office space, retail, event spaces, public rooftop amenities, hotel, condominium, and a public plaza. The tower tops off at a significant height making it the second tallest structure in Detroit and the state.
Spalding DeDecker (SD) supported the steel erection on the project for both the Block and Tower buildings. We performed an anchor bolt survey and assisted with setting the base of the columns in their precise design location. SD checked and documented the column plumb condition for the perimeter columns on all 12 stories of the Block Building and the first 12 stories of the Tower. We checked the embed locations and marked the connection points on the outside of the stair and elevator cores for each level, precisely marking the location of all beam connections. We worked with the steel erector to adjust the location of the pour stops and performed pour stop surveys around the perimeter of all floors, helping to assure that no interferences exist between the slab edge and exterior curtain wall and glazing system.
The Tower was constructed using structural steel for the first 12 stories, just like the Block Building. We performed identical services for the Block building for this portion of the Tower, completing anchor bolt, column plumb, pour stop, and connection point surveys. For the section of the Tower above the 12th floor, the building was constructed using concrete columns in place of structural steel. The building was supported and stiffened by a cast in place concrete core the included three chambers for elevators and stairways. The structural steel framing continues on each level inside the concrete core. We marked approximately three-dozen connection points on each floor where the structural steel connects to the inside face of the concrete core. The core was poured one floor at a time using a slipliner system that was jacked vertically to form the next floor after the prior floor had cured. This jump to the next floor typically occurred every five days on a set schedule that was unwavering, requiring all of the connection tabs and structural steel to be installed before the work platform was elevated to the next floor above. We were on the leading edge of the work to mark the connection points as the first step on the critical path.
Our work also included precisely locating the structural steel that framed the large, oval skylight that is the centerpiece of the Block Building. We accurately determined the framing and glazing connection points from the design plans and model to translate this into the field position for this complex shape.
The site is expected to have enormous economic impact on the City of Detroit and surrounding communities. The final development will offer one-of-a-kind location where work, events, dining, entertainment, and housing meet, offering a one stop shop feel the city embraced in the late 1800s.
