Opened all the way back in 1917, the Kresge Building—one of downtown's historic shopping hubs—has been under renovation since last fall. Now we know why. Bedrock recently announced that Gas Station TV would be moving its Birmingham headquarters to three floors of the Kresge, which would be getting a "hip and modern makeover." As for the exterior, workers have completely removed the weird-looking facade covering the lower two floors. Kraemer Design Group, the project's architect, says to expect a restoration of Kresge's original storefront design, as seen in the archival photo above.
Expect plenty of windows when the project finishes up in June. Assuming that GSTV isn't opening an office on the first floor, Kresge is still a potential location for Detroit's rumored Restoration Hardware outlet.
CORRECTION: We originally wrote that the Kresge opened in 1891, since that's the year given by the Bedrock fact sheet. The Kresge actually opened on October 1, 1917. It was designed by Smith, Hinchman & Grylls (now SmithGroup), the firm behind landmarks like the Guardian and Penobscot buildings.
· Dan Gilbert Pockets Kresge Building On Merchant's Row [Curbed]
· Press Release [Bedrock]
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