Women in Construction at Hudson’s Detroit: Building the Future Together

Photographed from left to right: Senior Project Controls Manager Jennifer DeMars, Senior Project Engineer Malory Benedetti, Senior Project Engineer Suzanne Forbes, Project Engineer Allison Avery, Office Administrator Cheryl Robinson, Project Engineer Sage Villeneuve, Senior Cost Analyst Anissa Mulvihill, Project Manager Paige Miller, Project Engineer Angela Ghannam, Project Engineer Danielle Seewald, Senior Project Coordinator Judy Hildre-Pugh

Published in celebration of Women in Construction Week 2026 at Barton Malow, this story highlights the Women of Hudson's Detroit who are helping to shape one of the city's most transformative projects.

On a site layered with history and expectation, the Hudson's Detroit project is reshaping the city's skyline-and its future. Rising from the footprint of the former J.L. Hudson's flagship store, the mixed-use development represents Detroit's past, present, and momentum forward. Behind that transformation is a deeply collaborative team from Barton Malow, including a group of women whose roles span engineering, project management, and project controls and, in many ways, exemplify a parallel intersection of what the future of the construction industry can look like, built on the foundation of its history.

Together, these women are helping deliver more than 1.5 million SF of office, retail, hospitality, residential, and event space in the heart of downtown. But their impact goes beyond what's visible from the street. It lives in the everyday decisions, relationships, and problem-solving that keep a landmark project moving.

Many Career Paths, One Team

There's no single way into construction-and the Women of Hudson's reflect that. Some came to the industry through design, others through accounting, athletics, or even a high school co-op assignment. What unites them is curiosity, adaptability, and a desire to see their work take shape in the real world.

Across roles, the message is consistent: you don't need to arrive with every answer. You need to be willing to learn, collaborate, and grow.

The Work Behind the Detroit Landmark

At Hudson's, success depends on thousands of behind-the-scenes tasks that rarely get attention but make everything else possible.

On the financial side, teams like Jennifer's and Anissa's ensure the project stays aligned and moving-submitting owner billings, paying subcontractors, and delivering accurate reporting that supports realtime decision-making. Hudson's also served as one of Barton Malow's first implementations of Textura, allowing the team to refine processes on one of the company's most complex projects before rolling the system out more broadly.

For Project Engineer Allison Avery and Project Manager Paige Miller, the pace and coordination of work on the project exemplify what makes Hudson's unique: every phase requires trust across disciplines and a shared commitment to getting it right.

Built for Impact in Detroit

Ask the Women of Hudson's about impact, and the answer is always bigger than the building.

For some, that impact is deeply personal. Judy remembers visiting the original Hudson's store with her mother and grandmother, memories that make contributing to this project especially meaningful. Having witnessed Detroit's challenges firsthand, she sees the new Hudson's as a symbol of resilience and renewal: a bridge between the city's past and its future, and a place where new memories will be made for generations to come.

For Senior Project Engineer Suzanne Forbes, being part of an iconic project that honors Detroit's past while investing in its future is both humbling and energizing. For Paige, the building symbolizes the city's resilience and comeback after decades of hard work.

This is what construction looks like at its best: not just structures, but spaces that support communities, economies, and everyday life.

Skills For Success in Construction

Across the team, there's a shared belief that success in construction isn't about perfection or knowing everything on day one.

You don't need to be the most knowledgeable-you need to be open to listening and learning.

You don't need to be experienced-you need to be willing to learn.

You don't need to be perfect-you need to be flexible, collaborative, and persistent.

Empathy, communication, and the ability to "read the room" come up just as often as technical skills. So does perseverance-showing up, asking questions, and supporting one another when challenges arise.

Explore Construction Careers at Barton Malow

An Invitation to Build What's Next

The Women of Hudson's didn't all start in the same place, but they've found a shared purpose in building something meaningful. Their stories reflect what's possible in construction careers that value growth, teamwork, and impact.

If you're curious about a career where your work is visible, your skills are transferable, and what you build matters, this is where it starts.