Barton Malow’s self-perform capabilities have long been a differentiator on some of our most complex projects. With labor shortages and evolving requirements, adaptability and a deep bench of skilled tradespeople allow us to set the pace and establish a culture of safety and accountability from day one. These capabilities have helped shape some iconic structures, even playing a critical role in transforming Detroit’s skyline.
When we started work on Detroit’s first downtown skyscraper development in decades, we knew Bedrock’s 1.5 million SF Hudson’s Detroit development was anything but a typical project. The two-part development consists of a 12-story Office Building and 680-foot tower, and the scale, complexity, and location all demanded more than a business-as-usual approach.
By taking on critical scopes, including civil, concrete, steel, interiors, and rigging, we had greater control of the schedule, quality, and cost. On Hudson’s Detroit, that control mattered. In a dense urban environment (the site is right on Woodward Avenue, the city’s busiest through route) with evolving design requirements and multiple stakeholders, our self-perform capabilities provided us with the flexibility to adapt quickly and keep the project moving forward.
Since breaking ground in 2017, our teams have been deeply involved in shaping the project. Civil and concrete work laid the foundation, followed by 10,500 tons of structural steel that now stands up to 680 feet above ground level. These scopes set the tone for everything that followed.
Raising the GM Sign
One of the standout examples of how our self-perform team came together was the installation of the 20-by-20-foot General Motors sign. If you’ve seen it, you know it’s not just a sign, but a statement positioned 170 feet above Woodward Avenue. Getting it there was no small feat.
Our self-perform Rigging team began planning months in advance. What began as a swing-stage approach shifted to a two-crane operation with man baskets, overnight work, and detailed and extensive coordination with the city. Every factor—wind speed, traffic closures, lift plans, swing radius—had to be accounted for.
We were allowed access to Woodward Avenue from midnight to 7am to avoid disturbing the QLINE public transit schedule. In that time, the roads were shut down, both cranes were raised, the sign was installed, and the area was finished and cleaned up by 7am. Sounds easy, right?
Because of the self-perform team, we didn’t lose time negotiating with outside contractors when plans changed. We worked together, solved problems in real-time, and completed the installation overnight, trying not to disturb the sleeping residents of downtown Detroit. In the months that followed, we hung three additional signs on the other corners of the building using the same methods and lessons learned from the first install.
Decorative Details
The same intensive planning went into installing the 2,500-pound decorative sculpture and the 20-plus-foot, 700-pound trees inside the Office Building’s fifth-floor atrium, which was already fully enclosed at the time. Since you can’t exactly haul trees or oversized art through the front door and take them up the stairway, the team had to get creative.
The nine Ficus trees were selected from the Florida Everglades, and their roots were pruned, dug out, placed in tubs, and transported to a shade house to acclimate to an indoor environment before making the trek to Michigan. The restored 60-year-old brass-coated steel sculpture consists of two parts: a horizontal cluster measuring more than 17 by 11 feet and a vertical piece about 19 feet tall and 8 feet in diameter.
To get both the trees and the sculpture into the fifth-floor atrium, we removed a portion of the façade on the south side of the building. Each piece was secured and lifted via an on-site mobile crane to the façade opening and set with spider cranes. The trees were then placed in planter boxes and moved around the atrium, among thousands of other plants, to create a park-like setting. The sculpture was hung by a single anchor point and four cables tied back to the building’s steel.
The permanent cables that the sculpture hangs from were delayed from Europe and were not available at the time of installation. We were able to find a domestic solution, sourced what we needed, and kept the schedule intact.
A Unified Effort
None of the efforts from our self-perform team were without challenges. Coordinating deliveries in downtown Detroit, working within tight timeframes, and adapting to changes required creativity and collaboration. With self-perform, we benefited from fewer handoffs, faster decisions, and a team that sees the bigger picture. Ultimately, our volume of self-perform work helped deliver more value for our client.
Looking back, Hudson’s Detroit reinforced why we believe in this approach. When challenges come up, we’re ready to adapt and deliver. And we do it with the same commitment to safety and quality. With the Hudson’s Detroit Office Building now open to the public and the Tower on track for completion in 2027, the project stands as a testament to the power of how our self-perform can work together, streamline productivity, and build trust with our clients and partners.
About the Author: David Gregor is Vice President of Building Trades, providing executive leadership across multiple projects specifically related to Civil, Concrete, Structural Steel, and General Trades. With nearly 20 years of experience, Dave leads a team of 1,500+ craft professionals and drives consistency through safety, quality, and productivity.