A rebranded Development at Cadillac Square will bring 1.5 million square feet of mixed-use space downtown, including the façade of the Albert Kahn-designed National Theatre building. If this plan sounds familiar, it is.

Over the past few years, many people have asked about the plans for the Monroe Blocks, which Bedrock broke ground on in late 2018. Bedrock has since activated the site for community events, but the construction process never took off. 

Bedrock announced plans (and one rendering) today for development of the blocks along Monroe and Randolph Streets, next to Campus Martius and Cadillac Square. It involves using the façade of the National Theatre for a new entertainment venue, plus 230,000 square feet of space for residential (250-280 units), 400,000 square feet of office space, 90,000 square feet for a market hall, grocery, restaurants, and retail; and 1,500-1,800 new parking spaces. Bedrock is planning to put affordable housing in the development.

“The Development at Cadillac Square leverages the potential of a central, yet underutilized footprint to further ignite downtown’s offerings,” said Kofi Bonner, chief executive officer at Bedrock. “By enhancing overall access, options and connectivity, we will continue to position Detroit as an energetic city which ultimately benefits the broader community and creates a vibrant core for today and well into the future.”

The plan will be built in phases, starting with the National Theatre and market hall in September 2024. Subsequent phases are slated to begin in October 2026 and January 2028. According to a press release, Bedrock wants to do this in phases to "ensure that plans are tailored to suit market demand."

Bedrock is already working on one of the largest development projects in the city, the Hudson's site, just a few blocks down, which is expected to be completed in 2024. The Monroe Blocks project was announced at a time when Bedrock had many substantial projects in the works, including an addition to One Campus Martius, the Book Tower restoration, and the Hudson's site. These were all combined to nab transformational brownfield tax credits, which this site falls under.

The site has been used in recent years for the Monroe Street Midway, which will continue in the spring.