GM will maintain its headquarters at the Renaissance Center commercial offices in Downtown Detroit, Michigan for the foreseeable, according to GM CEO Mary Barra.
In a recent interview with Associated Press, Barra indicated that GM had little interest in relocating its headquarters, despite the recent change to a “hybrid” remote / office work structure for GM employees in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our headquarters will always be in Detroit, in the RenCen,” Barra told AP. “Right now the plan is for it to be at the Renaissance Center. That’s our home.”
Barra also indicated that she could not predict possible changes that may occur over the course of the next five, 10, or 15 years.
At present, GM employees take up just one and a half of the seven buildings at the Renaissance Center. A good portion of GM employees are located at the GM technical center in Warren, a location that was under consideration for relocating GM’s headquarters following the automaker’s bankruptcy in 2009.
Additionally, GM employees are currently operating under a new hybrid work structure following the COVID-19 pandemic. The hybrid structure allows employees to work from home part of the time. The new structure may or may not be permanent, according to Barra. The GM CEO also indicated that there are benefits to working in an office environment, and that GM would need to ensure that it maintains its essential company culture going forward. For now, certain worker teams are still required to occasionally meet in person.
Looking ahead, Barra indicated that GM is considering riverfront development opportunities within Detroit. At present, the city is expanding a trail that runs from the south side of Downtown Detroit to a bridge connecting to Belle Isle.
GM purchased the Renaissance Center complex in 1996, relocating its world headquarters from what is now known as the historic Cadillac Place state office in the New Center district. The center was completed in 1977, with towers 500 – 600 built in 1981. GM completed renovations to the complex in 2004.
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Comments
I have visited this building in October of 1991 before GM bought it. It had a GM showroom on the first floor. I also visited the rotating restaurant on the top floor.
Wow.
May as well stay, that building in downtown Detroit is probably worthless.
For now!
Remember the GM Building in Manhattan?
Big high rise corporate towers are now things of the past. Leased mid rise corporate headquarters are now the in vogue thing. Caterpillar in Dallas. Boeing in DC.
Maybe GM should offshore the ren cen jobs just like they are doing with so much production. After all it is a savings. Move to China Mary Barra.
At the very least the ren cen should be sold and people moved to the unoccupied office space in GMs remaining assembly plants.
Maybe then GM stock can finally rise about the IPO price.
“Our headquarters will always be in Detroit, in the RenCen,” Barra told AP. “Right now the plan is for it to be at the Renaissance Center. That’s our home. “
Barra also indicated that she could not predict possible changes that may occur over the course of the next five, 10, or 15 years.“
In other words, that’s a definite maybe. Corporate double speak at its finest.
Funny story. Back in 1989 when Cadillac was introducing the all new ’89 Deville and Fleetwood (FWD) models, they had a program for dealer sales employees called a drive-away. It was to show off the all new cars. I was lucky enough to be picked as one of only two from our dealership. They flew us to Detroit and it was such fun. Great food, drinks, a tour of the plant and then a drive away in the new cars which we then drove back to the dealership to be sold. From the plant to the hotel, we got an escort from the Michigan State Police and it was filmed along the way.
Of that great time, the one thing that I recall more than anything was Dave (other sales person) and I going to the top floor of the Renaissance to the rotating bar/restaurant. We had a few hours to burn till the black tie dinner, so drinks started to flow and let’s just say that Dave didn’t do well. After a few “rounds” of drinks and the bar, he barely made it back to the hotel room where he passed out for the rest of the night.
The good old days.
Dan B.
Great story. Ren Center exit – transition is not a matter of if, but when. Look for a slow ease out within the next 5 years. GM executive lair will be in a small mid rise building in a high end white suburb on the far outskirts of the Motor City.
Long live the fond memories of Detroit when in 1960 you had 39 active auto making plants within the Detroit city limits and a bazillion tool and die shops, stamping job shops and auto parts makers churning out products. You could go to the employment office of any of these, get a job app, sit down at a school desk, complete it, and start that afternoon or the next day. I did this at Ford and GM.
The Golden days when America was America and .5 cents bought you a giant Hershey bar.
We wore steel toed leather work boots, long sleeve cotton work shirts, not hard toed sneakers and t shirts. Drove vehicles with the same nameplate as the place we worked. Watched the hot steel and hot slag pours from the blast and open hearth furnaces of McLouth Steel’s Trenton works, and Ford’s Rouge works.
Before the days of offshoring and vast ocean transit ships and container boxes.
Why are there 48,000+ vacant single family residences within the Detroit city limits. Food for thought.
God please help our country.
David A: You paint a very vivid picture. If I close my eyes, I can almost smell the smells and hear the workers. I too often wish for day of yore. However, I’m kind of glad about technology that is for the good of us all. I’m not about all the high tech stuff flooding our cars, but the modernization of the cars themselves, the cleaner way of production and the safer way of things today. What you say kind of made me think of when I say (or I hear others say) “they sure don’t make them like they used to” referring to vehicles. The reality is thank goodness they don’t! Thank goodness they are much better today with better safety, economy and reliability.
But what I feel you said above and what I feel personally is that we simply miss the old days when life seemed more simple.
The company has needed new leadership for a very long time. “America” still sells. Look at Top Gun Maverick. People care. Invest in the country and market the crap out of it.
The continuing spit shined W211 platform that underpins the Chrysler Money printers is proof of concept. V8 burnout = Good has saved that entire company from failure and brought “American” vehicles back into the fold of communist driver and Distorted Reports.
Wokeness will destroy what is left of our culture and the American way of life. What a long way we have fallen from USA1.
I miss Bob Seger signing “Like a Rock” on those Chevy Trucks commercials.