Doner sets up collaborative workspace in Lower Woodward offices

In the last few years, an influx of businesses have made their way back into downtown Detroit. The latest is ad agency Doner, which was founded 80 years ago downtown and has offices in Southfield, London, LA, and Cleveland. The new downtown Detroit outpost—dubbed D-313—hopes to connect with the city’s creative corridor.

The offices are in the recently renovated Kaiser Blair Clothing Building at 1456 Woodward, right across from the Wright-Kay Building. This location brings them close to creative enterprises within in the city and gives them a great location for future endeavors. Right down the block, the Shinola Hotel is taking shape. Around the corner, the Metropolitan Building is transforming into the Element Detroit Hotel. A block away, the Hudson’s site is under construction. Across Woodward, Capitol Park is thriving again.

Courtesy of Doner

Courtesy of Doner

Since moving into the new space, the agency has hosted brands like Coca-Cola, Cox Communications, McDonald’s and the UPS Store. It has plans to work with local institutions like the College for Creative Studies, the UofM Ross School of Business, and MSU MediaLab as a collaborative learning space.

“Traditional offices are designed for tasks, not inspiration, so everything about D-313 is designed with collaboration and innovation in mind,” said Doner Global CCO Eric Weisberg. “From gigabit internet to modular furniture, the space is built to flex and adapt in ways that allow us to optimize creativity. In minutes, it can transform from a living room, to a classroom, to a formal meeting space.”

Crain’s reported last week that the lease was up in 2020 for Doner’s Southfield office, and they could be testing downtown to see if they’d want to move back here permanently. That would bring 450 employees downtown.