AUGUST 31 • 2023 | 17
OUR COMMUNITY
community members to solve
the world’s most pressing
issues surrounding mobility,”
said Sean White, Michigan
Central’s director of strategy.
Josh Sirefman is the CEO.
Open since 2022, the Book
Depository is host to more
than 40 companies and 150 members
“creating and scaling new technologies
and solutions,” White said. Among the
tenants is a satellite office of Electeon,
headquartered in Tel Aviv. “Electeon is a
leading Israeli company working on tech-
nology for wireless-charging solutions
in electric vehicles,” he said. When the
Michigan Central Station’s $740-million
renovation is completed, anticipated for
summer 2024, the first level will offer
retail stores, restaurants, coffee shops
and a Michigan Central Station history
lounge. Upstairs will be office space for
Ford employees and other tenants.
A JEWISH HUB IN THE CITY
Prior to a lunch break in Capitol Park, the
bus stopped on Griswold Street to give
riders a look at the newly renovated Isaac
Agree Downtown Synagogue (IADS).
An immediately noticeable change is the
street-level windows. Roberts, an IADS
member, is co-chair of the building’s ren-
ovation committee in addition to being
on the capital campaign committee.
“The renovation of the Downtown
Synagogue is an extension of the projects
Civic pursues in our business,” he said.
“We’re thrilled to get to do a project like
this as volunteers for the Jewish commu-
nity.” The public grand opening of IADS
took place on Aug. 27 (See last week’s cover
story).
BEDROCK IN ACTION
Before the bus returned to Southfield,
Andrew Leber, vice president of
hospitality for Bedrock,
addressed the group inside
the dazzling Book Tower
skyscraper. Located at 1265
Washington Blvd., the Book
Tower once was a prime
focus of “ruin porn” photog-
raphy. After viewing it with
the others, Nachman said
his impression is that “the building is in
as good a shape now as it was when it
was new.”
Acquired by Bedrock in 2015, the
revitalization of the 486,760-square-
foot Book Tower (opened in 1926) is
considered “one of the most significant
historic rehabilitation projects ever
undertaken in Detroit,” Leber said. The
award-winning New York-based archi-
tecture firm ODA leads the continuing
historic renovation and interior design
of Book Tower. Morris Adjmi Architects
designed the custom furniture for the
ROOST apartment residential units at
Book Tower, where the studios, and
one- and two-bedrooms units already
are being leased.
ROOST Detroit at Book Tower,
Leber explained, is one component of
the overall Book Tower development,
featuring an additional 229 residen-
tial units (managed separately from
ROOST), 52,000 square feet of retail and
office space, two restaurants designed by
Philadelphia-based Stokes Architecture,
a hotel lobby bar and lounge, a bread
and pastry bakery, and a rooftop event
space with sweeping views of the city.
To get everything accomplished, Leber
said Bedrock injected nearly $40 mil-
lion dollars into the building’s historical
renovation. “Our company brought in a
couple of firms to restore the building’s
original rotunda,” he said, directing eyes
to an intricate, stained-glass design on
the ceiling.
Several on the tour shared later how
uplifting they found the day. They
learned how every new or announced
project is contributing to changing the
trajectory of Detroit, a grand old city
that many always felt was worth saving.
“I enjoyed presenting information
to these older adults, excited about the
future,” Roberts said.
That seemed only natural for partic-
ipants like Sharon Alterman. “We have
our heart in the city, where most of us
grew up,” she said. “We wanted to see
all the amazing things happening in
Downtown Detroit.”
“We had so many great folks who pre-
sented,” Roberts added. “I was grateful
to these very busy people for making the
time to do that. I thank them for being
right on time to step on the bus to speak
to the tour participants.”
“The passion and dedication of these
young developers is so gratifying,”
Alterman said. It gives you a warm,
fuzzy feeling.”
catered kosher lunch for $5, with a high-
er cost charged for occasional field trips,
such as the bus trip to Detroit on July 17.
Among the memorable programs
was Owen Alterman’s “Insider’s view of
Israel” in May. He works as a senior dip-
lomat correspondent at a television sta-
tion in Israel. Some attending Alterman’s
lecture remembered his late parents,
Susan and attorney Irwin Alterman, who
were active in the local Jewish commu-
nity.
In June, Coffee House took a look
at “75 years of Israeli Music and What
it Reveals About the Soul of Music,”
Ashkenazi said, as part of the syna-
gogue’s various “Israel at 75” commem-
orations.
Howard Lupovitch, history professor
and director of the WSU Cohn-Haddow
Center for Judaic Studies in Detroit,
lectured in December on “What is the
Sustainability of Conservative Judaism?”
In addition to Joy and her series
co-sponsor husband, Allan Nachman,
the Coffee House host committee cur-
rently includes Sharon Alterman, David
Broner, Gayle and Richard J. Burstein,
Lynda Giles, Barbra Giles, Wendy
Handler, Betsy Kellman, Susan Kozik
Klein, Barbara Kratchman, Sharon
Lipton, and Dottie and Don Wagner.
Sean White
Andrew
Leber