Downtown demolition to clear path for 20-story Chemical Bank HQ

The Michigan Mutual Liberty Annex building at 25 W. Elizabeth Street won’t be around much longer. Built in 1951, the vacant 10-story structure will soon bite the dust for Chemical Bank’s new 20-story headquarters, designed by Detroit-based architecture firm Neumann/Smith.

Although an exact date for the old building’s demise has not been set, construction on the new tower will start within the next 90 days, Tom Wennerberg, the bank’s chief marketing officer, told the Free Press. The Historic District Commission signed-off on the demolition plans in December, Crain’s reported at the time.

The new, $104 million high-rise is expected to take roughly two years to construct and will eventually house ground floor retail, approximately 300 parking spaces, and more than 500 employees. The project will also replace a surface parking lot along Woodward Avenue.

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