Dime Building
Encyclopedia
The Dime Building is a skyscraper class-A office building located in downtown Detroit, Michigan
. It is adjacent to the Penobscot Building
in the heart of the Detroit Financial District
. The building stands 23 stories tall, with eight elevators, and was constructed between 1910 and 1912. It is used as an office building with retail
space on the street level. The tower was designed in the Neo-Classical style by Daniel Burnham
. The steel-framed structure is faced with white glazed brick and terra cotta trim. The most distinctive feature is the central light court which begins on the third floor and creates a U-shaped floor plan on the upper office floors. The main banking hall occupied the space below the light court and featured a large skylight.
In a subsequent renovation, the lower two floors were refaced with gray granite and a pediment above the central entrance and cornice were removed. For several years through 1983, the building housed the headquarters of Bank of the Commonwealth
until the bank merged with Comerica
. In 2002, a $40-million renovation was completed. When completed in 1912, the tower was named the Dime Savings Bank Building for its primary tenant. It was later renamed the Commonwealth Building, briefly known as Griswold Place and became the Dime Building in 2002.
On June 21, 2011, Quicken Loans
founder Dan Gilbert announced he reached an agreement to purchase the building.
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. It is adjacent to the Penobscot Building
Penobscot Building
The Greater Penobscot Building, commonly known as the Penobscot Building, is a skyscraper and class-A office building in downtown Detroit, Michigan. Rising 566 feet , the 47-story Penobscot was the tallest building in Michigan from its completion in 1928 until the construction of the Renaissance...
in the heart of the Detroit Financial District
Detroit Financial District
The Detroit Financial District is a historic district in downtown Detroit, Michigan. The district was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on December 14, 2009, and was announced as the featured listing in the National Park Service's weekly list of December 24, 2009.It includes...
. The building stands 23 stories tall, with eight elevators, and was constructed between 1910 and 1912. It is used as an office building with retail
Retail
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
space on the street level. The tower was designed in the Neo-Classical style by Daniel Burnham
Daniel Burnham
Daniel Hudson Burnham, FAIA was an American architect and urban planner. He was the Director of Works for the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. He took a leading role in the creation of master plans for the development of a number of cities, including Chicago and downtown Washington DC...
. The steel-framed structure is faced with white glazed brick and terra cotta trim. The most distinctive feature is the central light court which begins on the third floor and creates a U-shaped floor plan on the upper office floors. The main banking hall occupied the space below the light court and featured a large skylight.
In a subsequent renovation, the lower two floors were refaced with gray granite and a pediment above the central entrance and cornice were removed. For several years through 1983, the building housed the headquarters of Bank of the Commonwealth
Comerica
Comerica Incorporated is a financial services company headquartered in Dallas, Texas, USA. It has retail banking operations in Arizona, California, Florida, Michigan and Texas; and select business operations in several other U.S...
until the bank merged with Comerica
Comerica
Comerica Incorporated is a financial services company headquartered in Dallas, Texas, USA. It has retail banking operations in Arizona, California, Florida, Michigan and Texas; and select business operations in several other U.S...
. In 2002, a $40-million renovation was completed. When completed in 1912, the tower was named the Dime Savings Bank Building for its primary tenant. It was later renamed the Commonwealth Building, briefly known as Griswold Place and became the Dime Building in 2002.
On June 21, 2011, Quicken Loans
Quicken Loans
Quicken Loans Inc., headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, is the largest online mortgage lender and the 5th largest retail mortgage lender overall in the USA. The company consists of the QuickenLoans.com online lending site, the Rock Financial brand in southeast Michigan, One Reverse Mortgage, based...
founder Dan Gilbert announced he reached an agreement to purchase the building.