Detroit is a place on the move. Largely overlooked by negative media coverage , the reactivation of a great American city's urban core is well underway. As of 2015, there were 136,401 employees and 35,037 people residing in the 7.2 square mile Greater Downtown Detroit area. In addition, 1,400 new multifamily units are expected to come on line in 2016. Campus Martius Park and Eastern Market are as popular as ever and a streetcar project promises to stimulate additional economic opportunity. Ultimately, words can't describe the turnaround underway in the city's core. Here's a photographic look at the Motor City's rebirth.

37. The Washington Boulevard Historic District straddles Washington Boulevard between State and Clifford Streets. Inspired by the City Beautiful movement, the corridor was broadened during the 1920s to resemble European boulevards. In recent years, many of its buildings, such as the Westin Book Cadillac Hotel and the Roxbury Group’s Aloft Hotel at The David Whitney (picture above in far left corner) have been restored to their former grandeur. Redevelopment projects currently underway along the Washington Boulevard corridor include the Griswold and the Book Tower.

38. The Book Tower is a 38-story skyscraper, built between 1916 and 1926, that has been vacant for years. In 2015, the building was acquired by Dan Gilbert’s Bedrock Real Estate for $30 million. Although plans for its reuse have not been announced, exterior restoration is underway.

39. The $22.5 million Rosa Parks Transit Center was completed in July 2009. Incorporating a soaring tensile canopy, the 2.4-acre intermodal center serves as a major transfer point for buses and the Detroit People Mover.

40. The area of downtown known as Greektown was home to Greek immigrants during the early 20th century. Today, it’s a popular dining and entertainment district, anchored by Greektown Casino. Greektown Casino is one of three downtown Detroit casinos Michigan voters gave the go ahead for in 1996. The others are MGM Grand Detroit Casino and MotorCity Casino. Greektown’s Monroe Street is an interesting blend of tactical urbanism, historic preservation and modern urban infill. The casino itself, opened in 2007 utilizing historic buildings originially used for fur processing. This collection of buildings had been converted into a festival marketplace in 1985 by developers Cordish Embry & Associates. In 2009, a 30-story, 400 room modern hotel was added to the complex. Now the stretch between Beaubien and St. Antoine Streets features a block long parklet.

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42. The 14-acre Hart Plaza is named for the late U.S. Senator Philip Hart. It opened in 1975 and is a major waterfront destination for festivals and concerts.

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The Detroit International Riverfront has become a major downtown Detroit tourist attraction and landmark. Through the process of incremental expansion, it will eventually stretch 5.5 miles from the Ambassador Bridge to Belle Isle. The riverfront is home to a cruise ship passenger terminal and dock, a marina, a multitude of parks, restaurants, retail shops, skyscrapers, and the Cobo Convention/Exhibition Center and Joe Louis Arena. The city’s tallest structure, the Renaissance Center, is also situated along the International Riverfront.

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45. Completed in 1977, the Renaissance Center is a complex of seven interconnected skyscrapers along the riverfront and considered “a city within a city”. It is the word headquarters for General Motors and one of the world’s largest office complexes with over 5.5 million square feet. The tallest tower is 73 stories and is the tallest all-hotel structure in the Western Hemisphere. In 2004, General Motors completed a $500 million renovation of the complex.

46. the Detroit People Mover is a 2.9-mile automated people mover system serving downtown Detroit. Along with the Jacksonville Skyway and Miami Metromover, it was built as a part of the Urban Mass Transportation Administration’s (UMTA) Downtown People Mover Program (DPM) during the 1980s. Featuring 13 stations, the elevated transit system forms a loop around downtown Detroit and has a daily ridership of 6,000. Proposals in the past have considered expansion of the elevated system to connect downtown with Midtown and New Center. Ultimately, the M-1 Rail streetcar was selected as the technology of choice to make that connection.

47. Eastern Market is the largest public market district within the United States. Serving Detroit for 125 years, the district covers a six-block area just northeast of the city’s central business district. The district serves as both a piece of the city’s past and a portal into a healthier and sustainable future for its economic resurgence.

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51. Developer Scott Trunbull is in the process of converting the upper floors of this Eastern Market buildng into residential lofts, office and commercial space.

52. The Dequindre Cut is a new shared-use path on the east side of downtown, on former Grand Trunk Western Railroad Right-Of-Way. The first 1.2-mile stretch was funded by $3.4 million in grants and opened to the public in 2005. It connects the riverwalk to Eastern Market. Construction began in September 2013 on a 0.64-mile extension. This extension is part of the Link Detroit project which is funded through various sources including a $10 million TIGER grant.

53. Corktown is located just west of downtown Detroit. From 1912 until 1999, Corktown’s Tiger Stadium was the home of MLB’s Detroit Tigers.

54. When it was completed in December 1913, Michigan Central Station was the tallest rail station in the world. The station was built outside of downtown to help stimulate new development towards Corktown. At its height, it served more than 200 daily trains and 3,000 people worked in its office tower. A significant decrease in passenger rail travel after World War II led to the station permanently closing on January 6, 1988. In 1996, it was acquired by Controlled Terminals Inc., a transportation company owned by Manuel Moroun. Moroun is considering placing a part of its operations in the 18-story building. In December 2015, a $12-million project to replace of of the station’s windows and elevator shaft was completed. Another $100 million could be needed for a total renovation of the historic structure.

Mapping Detroit's Construction Boom

Article and photographs by Ennis Davis, AICP. Contact Ennis at edavis@moderncities.com