A Towering
Courtesy of the Burton Historical Collection, Detroit Public Library
At one time, the J.L. Hudson Department Store was the largest in the United States. Construction began in 1891 and would undergo 12 expansions, ultimately reaching a height of 25 stories and covering an entire city block.
Courtesy of the Burton Historical Collection, Detroit Public Library
The massive flagship store anchored the bustling Lower Woodward corridor and was a destination location for both domestic and international shopping enthusiasts. Despite its impressive history and outsized presence in Detroit, the J.L. Hudson Department Store closed its doors in 1983 and was eventually demolished in 1998. In 2017, Bedrock broke ground and has ensured that the history of the site is echoed in the new Hudson’s Detroit.
Today, those echoes are being brought to life through Bedrock’s Reflection Series, a collection of personal stories from Detroiters whose lives were impacted by the original Hudson’s. These intimate video portraits capture cherished memories—holiday traditions, family outings, first jobs and unforgettable moments woven into the fabric of the building itself. Together, they reveal just how profoundly Hudson’s influenced the city’s identity and the people who called it theirs.
Reflections
Twins
For 94-year-old twins Mary and Mildred, Hudson’s shaped what it meant to grow up in Detroit. From Saturday trips downtown with their mother to modeling in their teens and bringing their own children to see the holiday parade, the store was woven into every stage of their lives.
Tim
Detroit Artist Timothy Burke's sculptures remind us that what’s broken can still have meaning, and that every piece of Detroit’s past shapes what’s being built today. Through his art, he’s found a way to hold on to both his family’s story and Detroit’s. Now, as Hudson’s Detroit opens its doors, Tim sees it as a reminder that rebuilding isn’t about replacing what was lost, but honoring what came before and creating space for what’s next.
Aaron
There’s a kind of longing that isn’t born from your own memories, but from the stories you inherit. The details you can picture but never lived. For Aaron Amos, Hudson’s is that feeling, carried through family stories, holiday rituals, little green bags and a downtown always in motion.
Ed and Evyn
Ed Davis is building something lasting for his daughter—and in a lot of ways, he’s the blueprint. For years, he’s been working on Hudson's Detroit, watching each day’s work stack into something bigger. As a native Detroiter, what matters most to him goes beyond the skyline. It’s what his daughter will grow up knowing: her dad helped build something meant to last for generations.