GM Opens Wintergarden at the Renaissance Center for a Sneak Preview

Detroit – General Motors Corp. employees and tenants of the Renaissance Center got a sneak preview today of the newly completed Wintergarden, Detroit’s newest waterfront attraction, nine days before it debuts to the public as the stage for the Detroit 300 Gala.

GM President and CEO Rick Wagoner welcomed the employees and tenants to the Wintergarden and thanked them for maintaining “business as usual” during construction. “Your patience and cooperation are appreciated. Our project team has made great strides in transforming our world headquarters into a terrific landmark.” Wagoner said Detroit 300 will celebrate the culmination of the city’s tricentennial at the Wintergarden on Dec. 15, thus “adding a new page to Detroit’s history.” Wagoner is co-chairman of Detroit 300 and GM is the primary sponsor of the Detroit 300 Gala.

Under construction for more than two years, the Wintergarden is the most dramatic change to the Renaissance Center since it was opened in 1977. It features a five-story atrium with views of the Detroit River and Windsor, Ontario. Ten 40-foot palm trees line the 13,700 square-foot main floor, which will serve as a gathering place for employees, hotel guests and a venue for GM-sponsored events.

Merchandising plans and retail leasing for the Wintergarden are being developed by the Taubman Co. Matt Cullen, general manager for GM’s Enterprise Activities Group, said those plans are progressing. “The Wintergarden offers 50,000 square feet for restaurants and retail services on two levels, and we expect to open the first full-service restaurant by mid-2002.” GM expects the entire retail space to be fully leased by the end of 2003.

The Wintergarden promises to be a destination location for Detroit, providing shopping, dining and direct access to the waterfront from the central business district. “The Wintergarden will be a source of pride and inspiration for employees and for Detroit. It will be a gathering place where people can come to refresh themselves, to dine, to shop and to enjoy an unparalleled view of the waterfront,” Cullen said.

The Wintergarden is part of GM’s $500 million renovation of the Renaissance Center. Considered the world’s largest redevelopment project in terms of square feet, construction is scheduled to continue through 2003 in the 5.5 million square-foot complex.

General Motors , the world’s largest vehicle manufacturer, designs, builds and markets cars and trucks worldwide. In 2000, GM earned $5 billion on sales of $183.3 billion, excluding special items. It employs about 363,000 people globally. More information on General Motors can be found at www.gm.com.

WINTERGARDEN FACTS
Construction:	Turner Bailey Brinker, Detroit Began March 1999

Design:	Skidmore, Ownings & Merrill, LLP, Chicago

Development, Management & Office Leasing:	Hines, Detroit

Retail leasing:	Taubman Centers, Inc., Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

Height:	103 feet at its highest point

Glass Roof:	1,400 panes of green tinted glass, each pane is 5 ft x 5 ft

Construction Stats:	380 tons of steel
	150 tons of glass
	2.9 miles of structure strengthening cables

Interior décor:	Includes 13,700 square-feet of terrazzo flooring and ten 40-foot palm trees

Retail space:	50,000 square-feet for restaurants and retail/services

Escalators:	Six escalators will transport visitors to three levels of restaurants, shops, offices and the Detroit Marriott Hotel lobby.

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