The process of transforming the Renaissance Center into the global headquarters of the General Motors Corp. is approaching completion.

Turner Construction, its subcontractors and the building trades are in the final phase of more than $500 million in construction activity at the Ren Cen. The focus of most of the current activity at the complex is the construction of a new entry plaza along Jefferson Avenue, which is putting about 100 men and women in the building trades to work.

Since General Motors purchased the Ren Cen in 1996 and renovations began in 1998, thousands of Hardhats have come and gone on the project, redeveloping much of the center’s 5.5 million square-feet of space. The Ren Cen, originally constructed in 1977, is dominated by the 73-story Westin Hotel, which is surrounded by four 39-story office towers.

“The building trades workers have been great out here,” said Turner Project Executive Ron Dawson, who is overseeing the job along with Project Manager Charlie Hornacek. “They’ve done quality work over the years.”

The work by Turner gutting and renovating the interior of the Ren Cen is complete, although there are some other miscellaneous ongoing projects by other contractors. The trades have performed a massive amount of renovations inside, including the installation of a new glass-enclosed winter garden facing the Detroit River and re-working the ground floor to make the former circular maze of walkways less confusing and more pedestrian-friendly.

Symbolically, the front plaza is one of the most important parts of the renovation process – Detroiters have complained for years that the Ren Cen was built like a fortress, with heating and cooling works constructed inside tall concrete berms at the front of the complex along Jefferson Avenue. The berms are long gone, the mechanical systems have been moved elsewhere, and the front of the Ren Cen will be much more inviting to the public.

Dawson said work should be complete on the entry plaza by the end of the year.

LONG-GONE ARE THE ugly concrete berms in front of the General Motors Renaissance Center along Jefferson Avenue. A new glass-enclosed entry plaza and People Mover station are being constructed by the building trades in the final phase of the Renaissance Center renovation