The relocation and consolidation of hundreds of employees from seven departments of Wayne County, Mich., into the historic Guardian Building in downtown Detroit is a refreshing tale of smart government planning and clever financial management that will benefit taxpayers in the economically distressed region for years to come.
The Guardian Building was designed by Wirt C. Rowland, of Smith Hinchman and Grylls (now SmithGroup) and completed in 1929 as the Union Guardian Building. It combined Native American, Aztec, and Arts & Crafts influences in an inspiring display of Art Deco enthusiasm, with polychromed terra cotta on its exterior, travertine marble from Italy and Numidian marble from Africa on the walls and floors, Monel metal in the ornamental screen in the lobby, custom tiles by Mary Chase Stratton’s Pewabic Pottery, and sculpted architectural reliefs by Corrado Parducci—no wonder people called it “The Cathedral of Finance.” It has been designated a National Historic Landmark.
For two decades, the county had been paying $5.2 million a year in rent for space at 600 Randolph in Detroit—more than $100 million total. Seven years ago, as the lease was running out, the county purchased the Guardian Building (along with another building and a parking structure) for $14 million and bonded another $13.5 million for tenant improvements.
By 2008, with construction costs at favorable levels, the county bonded for another $30 million to change the project scope and accelerate the capital improvement schedule. The Building Team brought the project in at $33,261,000 in construction costs, $11,535,000 (25.7%) below budget.
The HVAC system was upgraded, improving indoor air quality and energy efficiency, and a distributed direct digital controls system was installed, along with video conferencing technology, flat screen monitors for public presentations, electronic faxing to reduce the use of paper, and Voice Over IP, which eliminated 3,500 land lines and will save $500,000 in phone costs.
Instead of shelling out $5.2 million a year at 600 Randolph, plus $1 million at another building, the annual operating costs for the county’s space in the Guardian Building is only $1.9 million. With payment of the debt service, taxpayers will come out $2 million ahead every year—and the county owns a historic building with an estimated current value of $60-100 million. BD+C
PROJECT SUMMARY
Building Team
Owner: Department of Economic Development, Wayne County, Mich.
Submitting firm: SmithGroup (architect, AOR, SE/MEP engineer)
Property manager: Sterling Group
Construction administrator: Hines
General contractor: Sachse Construction/Tooles Contracting Group JV
General Information
Area: 495,600 rentable sf
Construction Cost: $33,261,000
Construction time: September 2008 to December 2009
Delivery method: PM/GC
Related Stories
Architects | Feb 28, 2022
JLL continues expansion in Southwest with acquisition of San Diego’s Gilliland Construction Management
JLL announced that it has completed the acquisition of Gilliland Construction Management, a leader in project and construction management services for life sciences, lab, retail, hospitality, industrial, multifamily, and office properties.
Codes and Standards | Feb 24, 2022
Most owners adapting digital workflows on projects
Owners are more deeply engaged with digital workflows than other project team members, according to a new report released by Trimble and Dodge Data & Analytics.
Multifamily Housing | Feb 24, 2022
First new, mixed-use high-rise in Detroit’s central business district in nearly 30 years opens
City Club Apartments completed two multifamily projects in 2021 in downtown Detroit including the first new, mixed-use high-rise in Detroit’s central business district in nearly 30 years.
| Feb 24, 2022
Signs of ‘Antiwork’ appear in the architecture industry
Reddit's r/Antiwork forum highlights the mounting pressures everyday workers face in a purely capitalistic society. AEC industry professionals are not immune to these pressures.
Office Buildings | Feb 23, 2022
The Beam on Farmer, Arizona’s first mass timber, multi-story office building tops out
The Beam on Farmer, Arizona’s first mass timber, multi-story office building, topped out on Feb. 10, 2022.
Codes and Standards | Feb 21, 2022
More bad news on sea level rise for U.S. coastal areas
A new government report predicts sea levels in the U.S. of 10 to 12 inches higher by 2050, with some major cities on the East and Gulf coasts experiencing damaging floods even on sunny days.
Wood | Feb 18, 2022
$2 million mass timber design competition: Building to Net-Zero Carbon (entries due March 30!)
To promote construction of tall mass timber buildings in the U.S., the Softwood Lumber Board (SLB) and USDA Forest Service (USDA) have joined forces on a competition to showcase mass timber’s application, commercial viability, and role as a natural climate solution.
University Buildings | Feb 18, 2022
On-campus performing arts centers and museums can be talent magnets for universities
Cultural facilities are changing the way prospective students and parents view higher education campuses.
University Buildings | Feb 17, 2022
A vacated school in St. Louis is turned into a center where suppliers exchange ideas
In 1871, The Carondelet School, designed by Frederick William Raeder, opened to educate more than 400 children of laborers and manufacturers in St. Louis. The building is getting a second lease on life, as it has undergone a $2 million renovation by goBRANDgo!, a marketing firm for the manufacturing and industrial sectors.
Data Centers | Feb 15, 2022
Data center boom: How two AEC firms plan to meet unprecedented demand for data center facilities
Ramboll's Jim Fox and EYP Mission Critical Facilities' Rick Einhorn discuss the recent joining of their companies at a time of unprecedented data center demand. BD+C's John Caulfield leads the discussion with Fox, Ramboll's Managing Director for the Americas, and Einhorn, EYP Mission Critical Facilities' Managing Director.
