Highlands Detroit To Close May 2027 as RenCen Demolition Nears

Highlands Detroit will shut its doors in May 2027. The restaurant occupies floors 71 and 72 of the Renaissance Center, where two towers face demolition as part of a $1.6 billion makeover project.

Chef Shawn McClain said this timeline allows the restaurant to remain open through two big events happening downtown. The NCAA men's basketball Final Four arrives in early April 2027. The Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear happens in late May.

"We've had an amazing run. Where things are at now, there will be an interruption, but in the meantime we're still open despite the building's quiet demeanor," McClain said, according to Crain's Detroit. "Business is thriving on the 71st floor."

The James Beard award-winning chef launched the restaurant in November 2019. Sales have plummeted 30% each year since the pandemic ended. Staff now numbers 70-75 workers, down from roughly 95 before the pandemic.

Towers 300 and 400 will come down under the makeover plan first announced in November 2024. GM relocated to Hudson's Detroit in the center of downtown. Bedrock wants construction rolling after the Final Four wraps up.

Other restaurants at the complex are leaving too. Joe Muer Seafood closes in June 2027, while Andiamo Detroit Riverfront shuts down in November before relocating to the new JW Marriott Water Square hotel.

"This is the right next chapter for this landmark, and we're excited to see what this site becomes," McClain said, per The Detroit News. "But right now, we're focused on making these final 16 months the best Highlands has ever been."

GM has told all tenants that the complex is being emptied, except for the Marriott hotel. Many companies, such as Dykema Gossett law firm and Invest Detroit, have already packed up and left. Panera Bread and Burger King locations closed last fall.

McClain said he intends to return once wrecking crews finish and construction wraps. The space has held restaurants since 1977, when The Summit opened with its spinning dining room. Coach Insignia was there from 2004 to 2017.