GM Faces Backlash Over Plan to Demolish Detroit’s RenCen Without $250M Subsidy

Critics accuse GM and partner Dan Gilbert of using Detroit's iconic skyscraper as leverage for taxpayer-funded renovations.

General Motors has proposed a $1.6 billion renovation of Detroit's Renaissance Center but demands $250 million in taxpayer subsidies to move forward.
The plan includes demolishing two of the five towers in the RenCen complex, with critics questioning why the space couldn't be repurposed for housing or other uses.
GM's move to Dan Gilbert's new Hudson's building, which also received taxpayer incentives, has fueled accusations of a 'shell game' benefiting Gilbert's downtown properties.
GM has pledged to donate any returns from the renovation to Detroit education nonprofits, though skeptics argue the project offers little immediate benefit to the public.
The RenCen, Detroit's tallest skyscraper, has become a flashpoint in debates over corporate subsidies, with opponents labeling GM's demolition threat as 'extortion.'