Savoyard Centre

Savoyard Centre

Company type	Office building
Industry	Commercial real estate
Founded	1900
Headquarters	Detroit, Michigan , United States
Products	Office space
Owner	Bedrock Real Estate Services (Dan Gilbert)

Savoyard Centre (constructed in 1900), also referred to as the State Savings Bank, is an office structure located at 151 West Fort Street in Downtown Detroit, Michigan. Recognized as a Michigan State Historic Site in 1981 and entered into the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, the location was originally the site of Fort Lernoult until British forces withdrew in 1796 following the Treaty of Paris.

History

Established in 1883, State Savings Bank purchased the Fort and Shelby property in 1898, becoming Detroit's largest financial institution at that time. They engaged architect Stanford White to create a Neo-Classical design for the bank, which includes white marble façades and a recessed portico supported by two Ionic columns of significant weight. Positioned above the main entrance is a cartouche displaying the Michigan Coat of Arms, flanked by allegorical figures representing Industry and Commerce.

Following a merger with People's Savings Bank in 1907 to form People's State Bank, the need for additional space arose. In 1914, architects Donaldson and Meier doubled the building’s footprint by extending it toward Congress Street, carefully replicating the initial architectural style. The primary banking hall on two levels features arched colonnades separated by Ionic pilasters and a coffered plaster ceiling, with more elaborate detailing in the original section. After expansion, a mural by American painter Thomas Wilmer Dewing, symbolizing Detroit through allegories of Commerce and Agriculture, was installed above the Congress Street entrance.

In 1927, after merging into Peoples Wayne County Bank, the institution failed during the Great Depression. The building was then occupied by Edsel Ford's Manufacturer's National Bank. During the 1960s, a pedestrian bridge was constructed to connect this building with adjacent Manufacturer's Bank facilities. The structure functioned as a bank until the 1980s before transitioning into an office supply showroom.

A demolition proposal emerged in August 2013 aiming to replace the building with surface parking. However, Bedrock Real Estate Services, owned by entrepreneur Dan Gilbert, acquired the property in December 2014, incorporating it into their portfolio of 65 Detroit assets. While no official redevelopment plans have been announced, speculation includes establishing an automobile museum.

The building’s name originates from nearby Savoyard Creek, named by early settlers from Savoy. This creek once ran from Lafayette Park to the Detroit River but was transformed into an open sewer before being enclosed within Detroit’s sewer system by 1836. Additionally, the Julian Scott Department Store was formerly located at 151 West Fort Street in downtown Detroit.