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Nick Gilbert Way Opens at Hudson’s Detroit, Reviving a Long-Vacant Downtown Block

The new plaza activates Bedrock’s redevelopment through year-round small-business programming with visible tributes to the former J.L. Hudson’s.

Overview

  • A ribbon-cutting Thursday dedicated the public plaza in memory of Nick Gilbert, with Dan Gilbert honoring his son who died in 2023 at age 26 from complications of neurofibromatosis.
  • Programming includes year-round pop-up retail, food and beverage offerings, live entertainment, and a permanent Un Deux Trois coffee and pastry truck operated by Midtown-based Café Sous Terre.
  • A 114-by-85-foot U.S. flag now hangs over Woodward Avenue through the holiday season, joining Hudson’s-themed displays such as a bear statue, letter-writing to Santa, and new window decorations.
  • Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and Mayor-elect Mary Sheffield attended the dedication alongside community vendors and visitors.
  • The plaza is the public face of the Hudson’s Detroit project, which has a newly completed 12-story office building and a planned skyscraper slated to host a hotel and condos in 2027 that is described as the state’s second-tallest.