Two weeks ago, Bedrock and GM announced plans for the future of the Ren Cen, which included the demolition of two of the towers and seeking public funding for the plan. Reactions came in quickly from around the region. Here are a few of the news stories that came after the announcement.

The new proposal of the RenCen.Bedrock, Gensler

No public funding? No RenCen

GM confirmed a very unpopular plan with the Detroit Free Press: if they can't get public funding, they may have to demolish the five towers it owns. The $1.6 billion development would need $250 million in public funding. Some urbanists call the threat of demolition "extortion." If they can't get what they need from the state, they'd likely look for other funding options; Mayor Mike Duggan has shown support for the current plan. 

But GM will donate profits with a redevelopment

With the proposed redevelopment of the RenCen, GM announced last week that they'll donate any profits from the redevelopment to education non-profits in the city. GM has been speaking with lawmakers in Lansing about the project, and they have a lot of questions (is GM really committed to the state?) and possible suggestions. The $250 million will not be easy to come by, and some lawmakers want funding to go to other important projects around the state.  Crain's Detroit Business, Detroit News (paywalled)

Does downtown need that much new housing?

600 apartments are included in the development plan. Detroit doesn't have a large downtown population (comparatively), so do we even need that much new housing? It depends on who you ask. Could this be the case of "if you build it, they will come?" The DDP says there's still demand for more housing units, and adding more amenities would bring more people in. But others wonder if it's too much, as the vacancy rate for residential has increased in the last few years. Axios Detroit

Not helpful now, but maybe it shouldn't have been built in the first place

Back when the RenCen was being built in the 1970s, mall developer A. Alfred Taubman told Henry Ford II not to build it; it would never work. But here we are. The fortress-like development was meant to revitalize downtown; instead, it did the opposite. People who worked or visited the RenCen stayed there and often didn't go to other spots downtown. John Gallagher breaks down why it was built in the Detroit Free Press.