Almost half of the Renaissance Center in Detroit could be demolished

Can you imagine what would have happened if Detroit didn't have its famous skyline? Anyone who remembers Detroit before the Renaissance Center was built will remember it, but since then it's almost unimaginable. It would be like Chicago without the Willis Tower, New York without the Empire State Building, or Los Angeles without that one building the aliens destroy in Independence Day.

The sad thing is that Detroit could soon be undergoing a MAJOR change that directly affects the Renaissance Center and could result in up to half of the iconic group of buildings being demolished.

Earlier this year, it was announced that GM would be moving out of its iconic skyscraper in Detroit and into a brand new facility across town. A large portion of the Renaissance Center would then be completely empty. And while there are companies interested in occupying PART of the skyscraper's space, filling the satellite towers appears to be more difficult than originally thought.

GM Authority said some informants spoke to the Detroit Free Press about GM's withdrawal from the downtown building and said it was possible that at least TWO of the complex's seven towers could collapse, but there could be more.

The anonymous informant reportedly spoke about the possible negative reactions related to the demolition of the buildings.

“People say, 'They're going to change the entire skyline of Detroit.' So should we leave a monument empty just to preserve the skyline?”

Assuming this anonymous source is credible (and it sounds like it is), they have a good point. Why let a towering building stand just because it would change the look of the city? Detroit already has a major problem with vacant, burned-out buildings. The last thing this city wants is for its literal pinnacle to be dark.

Why might part of the Renaissance Center be demolished?

Detroit's iconic skyscraper complex was built in the 1970s and completed in 1977. For a time, it was a testament to incredible advances in technology and structure. But things change quickly these days, and what was once chic and beautiful is now complex and difficult to maintain.

The building's exterior is mostly glass, making it extremely energy inefficient for someone wanting to move in and create new offices or apartments. The interior also appears to be a maze of corridors, which would make navigating them and retrofitting different floors very expensive and complex.

But perhaps the most important factor in all of this is the value of the property. Instead of a few aging, hard-to-renovate buildings, real estate magnates could build more efficient and modern buildings that could be used more universally – either for businesses or to convert them into much-needed housing in Detroit's suburbs.

Of course, no decisions have been made yet, but there seems to be at least SOME consideration of making room for something new next to the Renaissance Center. When GM CEO Mary Barra was asked about the possibility of demolition in May, she did not “deny” that demolition was being considered.