However, it's going to take some creativity, likely partnerships and deep pockets, he added. It'll involve a rethinking of what the RenCen is and can be, whether that includes housing, a different approach to retail or something else.

"The biggest problem is it's a skyscraper that was completed in 1977," Resnick said. "Everyone would agree it would probably cost less to tear down the Renaissance Center and build something new. No one wants to do that."

That makes Bedrock and Dan Gilbert strong partners in the project, he added: "If (Gilbert's) vision can still be held as a touchpoint, he understands the value the Renaissance Center as an icon and an anchor to additional development."

GM is the latest example of a corporation making moves concerning its headquarters after the COVID-19 pandemic has revolutionized workspaces. Most GM employees are expected to be in the office Tuesdays through Thursdays, and it has moved a number of teams from the RenCen to its Warren Technical Center in recent years.

Crosstown rival Stellantis NV also has discussed selling its Auburn Hills headquarters in a leaseback agreement where it would remain in the Pentastar-topped tower and technical center off Interstate 75 as a tenant.

Troy's staffing company Kelly Services Inc., Chicago's Motorola Solutions Inc. and Cleveland's Sherwin-Williams Co. all have said they're selling off their headquarters and instead leasing space. It provides them a source of liquidity with employees working remotely or partially so.

Additionally, Silicon Valley companies like electric maker Tesla Inc. and software company Oracle Corp. have moved their headquarters to Austin, Texas, for flexibility and to save on costs.

"It isn't isolated in terms of moving headquarters, but they've gone out of state, Oracle, Tesla, among others," said Daniel Ives, analyst at investment firm Wedbush Securities Inc. GM's decision to stay in Detroit "is a big vote of confidence for Detroit."

It also underscores the "modernized GM," he added, that's willing to make big changes in order to be flexible amid a costly, bumpy and historic transformation toward zero-emission vehicles, including electric ones, and other new technologies.

Additionally, remaining in an urban core could be helpful in attracting software and tech talent that increasingly are drivers of value in the auto industry. That was part of reasoning behind Ford Motor Co.'s acquisition of Michigan Central Station for an electric and autonomous vehicle campus in Corktown.

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