The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Detroit Branch Building is a bank building located at 160 West Fort Street in
downtown Detroit
Downtown Detroit is the central business district and a residential area of the city of Detroit, Michigan, United States. Locally, downtown tends to refer to the 1.4 square mile region bordered by M-10 (Lodge Freeway) to the west, Interstate 75 ( ...
,
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
. It was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 2008.
History
In 1913 the United States Congress created the
Federal Reserve System
The Federal Reserve System (often shortened to the Federal Reserve, or simply the Fed) is the central banking system of the United States of America. It was created on December 23, 1913, with the enactment of the Federal Reserve Act, after a ...
, which established twelve regional Federal Reserve Banks, including the
Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago
The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago (informally the Chicago Fed) is one of twelve regional Reserve Banks that, along with the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, make up the United States' central bank.
The Chicago Reserve Bank serves the Sevent ...
. Detroit was included in the Chicago region. Regional banks had the authority to create branch offices, and in 1917 the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago authorized the establishment of a
Detroit Branch. In March 1918, the Detroit Branch opened, operating out of three local institutions. However, Detroit operations soon outgrew this operation, and in 1921 a site was chosen for a new building.
This site was within the
Detroit Financial District
The Detroit Financial District is a United States historic district in downtown Detroit, Michigan. The district was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on December 14, 2009, and was announced as the featured listing in the ...
, at a location that had once been part of
Fort Shelby. After the fort was demolished, the land associated with it was divided into lots.
Hiram Walker purchased several lots and constructed a house there. After Walker's death, the University Club purchased the house, and in 1916 the property was purchased by
James Couzens. Couzens sold the land this building is located on to the Federal Reserve in 1921. In 1926, Congress authorized the construction of this building. The Federal Reserve hired the Chicago firm of Graham, Anderson, Probst & White to design it, and construction began in 1927.
The building officially opened in December 1927. However, by the early 1940s, the branch office had outgrown the building's capacity. In 1945, the Federal Reserve purchased lots adjacent to the building, and hired the firm of
Smith, Hinchman & Grylls to design an annex. The firm's head designer,
Minoru Yamasaki
was an American architect, best known for designing the original World Trade Center in New York City and several other large-scale projects. Yamasaki was one of the most prominent architects of the 20th century. He and fellow architect Edward D ...
, planned the building. Construction began in 1949, and by 1951, the eight-story glass-and-marble annex, was opened.
The
Modern
Modern may refer to:
History
* Modern history
** Early Modern period
** Late Modern period
*** 18th century
*** 19th century
*** 20th century
** Contemporary history
* Moderns, a faction of Freemasonry that existed in the 18th century
Phil ...
annex is clearly designed not to mimic the original building, but to make a statement all its own. After completion of the annex, the original building was gutted and renovated, and the entire complex was opened in 1953.
In 2004, the Federal Reserve Bank moved to a new building at 1600 East Warren Avenue, leaving the building on Fort empty. A developer purchased the building with the intention of creating loft space.
However,
Dan Gilbert
Daniel Gilbert (born January 17, 1962) is an American billionaire businessman, investor, and philanthropist. He is the co-founder and majority owner of Rocket Mortgage, founder of Rock Ventures, and owner of the National Basketball Association' ...
purchased the building on January 30, 2012.
In February 2014, the
Detroit Media Partnership
Detroit Media Partnership, L.P. manages the business operations - including production, advertising and circulation - for the two leading Detroit newspapers: ''The Detroit News'' and ''Detroit Free Press''. Detroit Media Partnership also handles ...
, parent of the ''
Detroit Free Press
The ''Detroit Free Press'' is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, US. The Sunday edition is titled the ''Sunday Free Press''. It is sometimes referred to as the Freep (reflected in the paper's web address, www.freep.com). It primari ...
'' and ''
The Detroit News
''The Detroit News'' is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival ''Detroit Free Press'' building. ''The News'' absorbed the '' Detroit Tribune'' on Februa ...
'', announced all three organizations would occupy six floors in both the old and new sections of the building. The partnership expected to place signs on the exterior similar to those on the former headquarters.
The move took place October 24–27, 2014.
Description
The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Detroit Branch Building consists of a 1927 three-and-one-half-story marble-faced
Classical Revival
Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy and France. It became one of the most prominent architectural styles in the Western world. The prevailing style ...
bank building and a 1951 eight-story
International Style Annex. The Annex is set back 30 feet from the front of the original building, and a small raised plaza is sited in front of the Annex and beside the original building. The floor levels of the two buildings are aligned, and the original building was gutted with the Annex was constructed, providing a seamless transition between the structures. The fourth floor of the original building was demolished to provide space for a penthouse projecting from the Annex, and a terrace for outdoor seating.
The original 1927 building measures 75 feet by 130 feet, and has a black marble base approximately four feet high, with the upper section sheathed in white marble. A heavy stringcourse above the second-story windows separates the lower floors from the third (attic) story. The first-floor windows are multi-paned six-over-six windows with a cast-iron spandrel between each pair. The second and third floors originally had one-over-one double-hung windows, but these have been replaced with a single pane. The original main entrance of the building was eliminated in the 1951 renovation.
The 1951 Annex measures 115 feet by 100 feet. The curtain walls are constructed from a grid of stainless steel from which 1-1/2" marble slabs are suspended. The ground floor is divided into seven bays by marble piers. The curtain walls on the upper floors extend three feet beyond the recessed ground floor piers. The white marble used in this structure was carefully chosen to match the color of the original building, and the glass was tinted green to reduce glare.
References
{{National Register of Historic Places in Michigan
Detroit Branch Building, Chicago
Downtown Detroit
Bank buildings in Michigan
Office buildings in Detroit
Bank buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Michigan
Government buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Michigan
Historic district contributing properties in Michigan
National Register of Historic Places in Detroit
Rock Ventures
Government buildings completed in 1927
1927 establishments in Michigan
Neoclassical architecture in Michigan
Government buildings completed in 1951
1951 establishments in Michigan
Minoru Yamasaki buildings
International style architecture in Michigan
Modernist architecture in Michigan