Detroit Free Press Building

The Detroit Free Press Building, now known as The Press/321, is a fourteen-story office building clad in Indiana limestone occupying half a city block in Downtown Detroit. The building, designed by Albert Kahn, served as a newspaper headquarters with offices and printing plant consolidated into one building. Upper floors were leased to office tenants. The building vacated before 2000 and stood empty for nearly two decades.

Starting in late 2016, KDG served as historic consultant and architect of record for core and shell restoration and alterations. The scope included replacement of all building systems, reconfiguration of the elevators and restoration of the facades. The historic building lobby and its notable barrel-vaulted plaster ceiling was restored as well as historic corridors on each floor.

From 2018 until completion, KDG worked as Architect of Record with the interior designers at Bedrock Architecture for the build-out of the residential apartments and amenities, located on the fourth through fourteenth floors. Work included a rooftop pool on the 7th floor and an automated parking garage in the basement and sub-basement, both requiring coordination with significant structural retrofitting. The transformation of the building’s severely dilapidated interiors into a prime residential address is one of Detroit’s most substantial transformations.