You've no doubt seen this building beyond the centerfield fence at Comerica Park when watching the Tigers on TV. If not, maybe you recall the building that used to have the Whaling Wall mural on it, which a few years ago was controversially covered to create advertising space.That building was (and still is) the Broderick Tower, empty since the 1980s and a not-so-proud member of the World's Tallest Abandoned Structures Club. If redevelopment plans stay on course, it will lose that distincition sometime this year. From what I hear, developers are shooting for a 2010 opening.
If Detroit does make the rebound that many are hoping for, my guess is that the Broderick Tower will be one of the premium places to live downtown. It's located at Woodward in Grand Circus Park, which puts it smack in the center of all of the good happening in Detroit. You got to check out the website to see the penthouse views. Awesome.
Plans for the renovation include commercial/retail space on the Floors 1-4, apartments on Floors 5-24, and skytop penthouses on Floors 25-34. Currently, the building's only occupant is the Sports Town Grill, and even that is only open when the Tigers are at home or during any other event that brings big crowds to the Grand Circus Park area. By the way, the Sports Town is worth a look the next time you head to a Tiger game. It's not crowded because few people even realize it's there, and it's got pretty cheap beer and ballpark type food.
