John Gallagher

Detroit Free Press

Little Caesars' new downtown headquarters will feature a unique façade made up of glass sections shaped like pizza slices to honor its signature product.

Executives for the pizza maker, who announced plans for the nine-story headquarters building near the Fox Theatre in late 2014, on Tuesday released new details and updated renderings of the project. Groundbreaking is expected to take place this summer with an opening date in 2018.

The exterior of the building will feature multiple 14-foot tall pizza-slice shapes of glass. Little Caesars said the distinct shape of glass, in combination with the height of each formed-glass unit, will make the building façade the first of its kind in the world.

Steve Marquardt, vice president of Olympia Development of Michigan, developer for this Little Caesars Global Resource Center as well as the overall District Detroit centered on the new arena, said Olympia has scheduled a contractors outreach session on June 28 to attract locally owned firms that wish to participate in the project.

"We're committed to real jobs, great jobs, for Detroit-based businesses and Detroiters," he said.

Olympia Development of Michigan, the development arm of the Ilitch family's network of companies, has selected Detroit-based Brinker-Christman as construction manager. Detroit-based SmithGroupJJR is the architect of record. "Together, they will bring to life a Michigan Made, Detroit Built headquarters that perfectly reflects the company’s innovative spirit and complements the iconic architecture found up and down Woodward Avenue," the company said in a news release.

About 700 Little Caesars staffers will work in the new building. The final cost has not yet been estimated but Marquardt said it will be entirely financed privately by Little Caesars with no tax incentives.

“We’re thrilled to reach the next step in the development of a building that will be an integral part of The District Detroit and the city’s revitalization,” said David Scrivano, president and CEO of Little Caesars. “As we continue our explosive global expansion, we’re proud to build an exceptional workplace right in the heart of the city that helped make Little Caesars one of the world’s largest pizza chains.”

The architecture of the building evolved over the past year or so to include the new glass façade and other elements to achieve a more modern look. "We wanted this to be our future, the Fox to be our past, and I think it's the perfect intersection of the past and the future. I love the design," Scrivano said.

First announced in late 2014, the planned new headquarters building will be built immediately to the south of the Fox Theatre along Columbia, which will remain open with retail along both sides. Currently the Ilitch family houses its headquarters for its far-flung pizza, sports, and entertainment enterprises in the Fox itself. Announcing the new building then, executives said the office facilities in the Fox Theatre building were badly overcrowded.

The new building, measuring 234,000 square foot, will ease that crowding. The building also represents a portion of the $1.2-billion Ilitch-directed district taking shape with the new Little Caesars Arena under construction as the centerpiece. The arena, future home of the Ilitch-owned Detroit Red Wings, is schedule to open in the fall of 2017 in time for the Red Wings' home opener.

► Timelapse video:The rise of the new Detroit Red Wings arena

The latest renderings of the headquarters released Tuesday show how the building’s design allows in more natural light as well as allowing great views of the city from within. The design also allows for more collaboration spaces for staffers. Research and development space will triple the company's current facilities in the Fox Theatre and include a state-of-the-art test kitchen.

"The Little Caesars Global Resource Center is an important anchor for The District Detroit and will appeal to national and local retailers who want proximity to a global brand with Detroit roots," Marquardt said. “The selection of a Detroit-based construction manager, as well as a Detroit-based architect, further demonstrates our commitment to a Michigan Made, Detroit Built development and reflects the opportunities we continue to create for local and regional contractors and companies.”

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Contact John Gallagher: 313-222-5173 or gallagher@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @jgallagherfreep.