Original cost of the Ren Cen? Present day value?...

[DetroitPlanner]

Hey found my old Ren Cen shopping map from when they opened. I was just a young planner then but I knew I loved development. Here are the stores by level, Starting in tower 100 and working around. Lets take a walk, shall we?

L2
McDonald's
Gantos
Winkleman's
Ms Sibley, Sibley
The Next Door Shop
FAO Schwartz
Jean House
Wachler Jewers
The Man Shop
Olga's
Renaisnce Theatres
Mexican Restraurant (Wow what an original name!)
Hill & Hill
Clancy's
NBD
A whole bunch of nothing between 200 and 300 This at one time became known as the World of Ford.
The Magic Pan
Casual Corner
Whalings
The Limited
Stone Flower
Ramayan Arts
Little King and Queen
Now we reach 400, between 400 and 100 were:
Leonard of London (Ontario!?)
CNB
Sign of the Mermaid
Gallery Renaissance
Courages
Mark Cross
Cartier
Halson
Ungaro
Charles Jourdan
Hattie
The Bevy
Custom Shop
Godiva
Lavilin
Manufacturers Bank.

Now down the escalator or the tiny circular stairwells to L! (remember those?)
Starting again in 100
The Quiet Place
Manfucaturer's Bank (2nd location)
World Camera
Cravings
American Office Supply
Turkes
White's Records
Waldenbooks
Instant Photos/Mementos/Planterra
Cookie Machine
Calumet Tabacco
Waldenbooks
Hoffritz
NRC
Clear Reflections
Fourth Dimension
Bon Ton Shoppe
Charming Ideas/Everyones Nuts/Computer Photo
Money Museum
NBD
American Express
Findahl Galleries
Italian Grinder
Mole Hole
Bunch of nothing between 200 and 300 again! I can recall at one time Crowley thought of putting a store here on both levels, but it never came to be.
First Federal
Thomas Cook
GNC
Hoi King Lau
Nemo's Saloon
Dionysos
Koney Island Inn
Tiffany's (the bakery sorry ladies not pale blue boxes!)
Mikado
Vel's
Phillipine Imports
DOC
Manfreds
Big Boys
Ice Cream Parlor
Chinese Antiques
Grove
Opera
Hotel Lobby.

Promenade (now known as GM World)
A bunch of Bars, Detroit Bank and Trust, Shaperos Drug Store, and Lawrence Mayer.

Statsu, note the ren cen constructoin began long before Mayor Young was in power. It was an offshoot of New Detroit and Detroit Renaissance.

Lets not forget the GM spent a fortune on fixing many of the RenCen's sins by opening it up to Jefferson and the River. GM also built the part of the riverwalk in front of their building. One of the more impressive fixes was done inside the building. With the introduction of the Atrium, the Glass Walkway, and moving the Hotel lobby off the first floor they did a lot to open the place up with light, improve how to move from tower to tower, and keep the hotel folks from getting lost in the carverns! Though I still have a hard time getting to the 'new lobby' from the building itself. Its a lot more functional, open, and inviting than it ever was before GM.