Renaissance Center station is a Detroit People Mover station in downtown Detroit, Michigan. It is located on Jefferson Avenue at Beaubien Boulevard, attached to the Renaissance Center complex. The station's lobby is located inside the Renaissance Center, on its second floor, with a street-level entrance connected by an elevator; a skybridge connects the lobby to the station structure.
The station serves the Renaissance Center, which provides access to the Detroit Riverwalk, and is connected by skybridge to the Millender Center, which also has its own People Mover station.[1] In 2014, this stop was the second most heavily trafficked (behind only Greektown) with 487,758 riders.[2]
History
The original Renaissance Center station opened with the system on July 31, 1987, and was built into a large concrete berm separating the Center from downtown Detroit. The station and berms were demolished in September 2002, after which the current station was completed, opening on November 22, 2004.[3][4][5]
The People Mover shut down temporarily on March 30, 2020, due to decreased ridership amid the COVID-19 pandemic.[6] Following the system's May 2022 restart, the station reopened on September 14, 2022.[7]
Public art
Both the original and rebuilt stations opened with tile mosaics created by George Woodman. The original station's work, Dreamers and Voyagers Come to Detroit, consisted of hundreds of multicolored hexagonal tiles, designed by Woodman to connect in infinite combinations.[8] It was destroyed in 2002 with the station's demolition, and Woodman was commissioned to design a replacement work, Path Games, for the new station.[5] Path Games emulates its predecessor, with 2,625 square tiles of similar design.[9]
The station's lobby also features Siberian Ram, a bronze sculpture by Marshall Fredericks, a Michigan sculptor best known for creating The Spirit of Detroit. Siberian Ram is displayed against a backdrop of green Pewabic Pottery tiles, similar to those used at Cadillac Center station, flanked on either side by Path Games.[10]
References
- ^ Station Guide. Detroit People Mover. April 25, 2024.
- ^ Lawrence, Eric D (June 24, 2015). "People Mover's Grand Circus Station back in service". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
- ^ "New entry plaza will be the end of Renaissance Center renovation". Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council. April 2, 2004. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
- ^ O'Leary, Chris (July 14, 2009). "Detroit's People Mover: seizing the opportunity to correct a mistake". On Transport. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
- ^ a b Bullock, Lorinda (November 17, 2004). "Renaissance Indeed: Tile Art Reborn". Detroit Free Press. pp. 3B – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Rahal, Sarah (May 19, 2022). "Detroit People Mover resumes service with free rides for 90 days". The Detroit News. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
- ^ "Sept. 14 Special Notice - Partial Loop Service 7A-5P". Detroit People Mover. September 14, 2022.
- ^ Conn, Pamela; Marx, Sue (1988). "Art in the Stations: Detroit People Mover" (Video) – via YouTube.
- ^ Walt, Irene (2004). Art in the Stations: The Detroit People Mover. Art in the Stations Committee. ISBN 0-9745392-0-1.
- ^ Walt, Irene (2004). Art in the Stations: The Detroit People Mover. Art in the Stations Committee. ISBN 0-9745392-0-1.
External links
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