Skidmore Studio to Move into New Downtown Detroit Tech Hub
The creative agency Skidmore Studio is moving from Royal Oak to the Madison Theatre Building in downtown Detroit, a structure being rebuilt as a collaborative, entrepreneurial hub for technology and creative companies.
Skidmore is a creative studio focusing on branding and marketing strategies, graphic design, motion graphics, interactive design and online media. Founded in downtown Detroit in 1959, Skidmore built an early reputation for its illustrative work for the Big Three car companies. The studio relocated to Troy and Southfield in the mid-1970s, and to its current location in Royal Oak in 2004.
Skidmore plans to move its 23 employees to a 9,800 square foot space on the fourth floor of the Madison Theatre Building, located at 1555 Broadway, adjacent to the Detroit Opera House and Grand Circus Park, later this fall.
"We decided last year we wanted to be an integral part of the new excitement that is taking place in Downtown Detroit," said Skidmore president and CEO Tim Smith. "We have a reputation as being a creative leader in our industry, and this was a chance to align our actions with our words. With the efforts of the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation and Creative Corridor leadership, this collaboration represents an incredible opportunity for us to play a tangible role in the city's rebirth at a time when our organization is poised for rapid growth."
Dan Gilbert, whose downtown real estate partnership purchased the property earlier this year and is rebuilding it, said Skidmore is exactly the type of company he wants to attract to downtown Detroit and the growing high-tech corridor.
"We are thrilled to add a great creative company like Skidmore Studio to the burgeoning 'Webward' corridor," Gilbert said. "Skidmore's move downtown is just one more piece of evidence that the Detroit 2.0 movement is continuing to gain momentum as brain economy businesses rush to Detroit. These companies and their highly motivated team members are taking their talents to Motown, not only to occupy office space but to help create the kind of world-class high-tech urban core that is the new ambitious vision for our city. Stay tuned because many more are on their way."
Quicken Loans, a subsidiary of Rock Holdings Inc., of which Gilbert is the founder and chairman, moved 1,700 staffers to Detroit last August, and will be moving another 2,000 full-time staff members to downtown by end of year. Quicken Loans is the nation's largest online mortgage lender, and closed a record $29 billion in retail home loan volume across all 50 states in 2010.
Skidmore officials said their effort to build out their space in the Madison Building will preserve its architectural integrity, including the existing terracotta brick tile and steel ceiling beams. The studio also hopes to restore and display an early 1900's Super Cinex movie projector, discovered on the floor during the construction.
The building was originally designed by architect C. Howard Crane and built in 1917 as part of the Madison Theater complex. The building's two street level tenants -- Angelina Italian Bistro and Stub Hub -- will remain open for business while the upper floors are renovated.
More at www.skidmorestudio.com and www.quickenloans.com.
