Let There Be Light! Detroit's Book Tower Lights Up For The First Time
By Christy Strawser
DETROIT (CBS Detroit) When outsiders come to town to flesh out storylines about Detroit's rebirth, they look for concrete signs of resurgence to infuse with deep meaning.
Some wax on about new grocery stores, fresh businesses in Midtown, the new sports arena, housing and retail in the Detroit District under construction by the Ilitches. They may point to HopCat or Sister Pie, post pictures of the renovation of the old Ransom Gillis mansion, or new windows in the decrepit Michigan Central Station.
Others would say it's this: The Book Tower lit up for the first time in its history. It happened last night.
It's so literal a sign of bright hope that it's basically a cliche, one that New York writers will undoubtedly highlight the next time they discover the city.
The ornate, copper-roofed building that had been abandoned is now part of Dan Gilbert's massive real estate holdings. His company, Bedrock, promoted the newly lit facade on Facebook.
"Noticed and posted a quick pic earlier this evening. So exciting...3 years ago I moved downtown and told people we will know Detroit has turned around when the Book Tower is renovated and lit up, and there is a new sky scraper in the skyline...part way there," wrote Donavan Darius on the company's page.
The 38-story Book Tower on Washington is part of a reported $30 million Gilbert acquisition announced in August when he purchased an entire city block. Bedrock officials have said "a game-changing, mixed-use development" of housing, retail and office is planned, per the Detroit News.
The area is anchored by the Westin Book Cadillac.
"Designed by renowned 20th-century architect Louis Kamper and dating to the 1920s, the Italian Renaissance-style Book Tower includes Corinthian columns, carved figures as well as other intricate touches," the News added.
The building was named for the Book brothers, J. Burgess, Frank and Herbert. "It's also part of the Washington Boulevard Historic District, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982," according to the News.
