Between 2017 and 2018, the building underwent an extensive renovation that restored much of its interior appearance, including a grand staircase and mezzanine for the first and second floors.

[5] One Griswold Street is a nine-story-tall[note 1] high-rise with a limestone facade that was built in the neoclassical style.

[14] However, on May 13 of that year, the Historic District Commission (HDC) held a hearing which included a proposal by the Church of Scientology to renovate the building.

[14] At the meeting, Gensler, a global architecture firm that works with the Church of Scientology in the United States, made several proposals, including replacing a large sign on the top of the building that read "Raymond James" with one reading "Scientology", installing another "Scientology" sign above the building's street clock, adding a large ornamental cross over the front door, and adding both HVAC equipment and a deck to the building's rooftop.

[9][12] Additionally, Gensler stated that interior renovations would include returning the first and second floors to their original appearance by restoring a grand staircase and a mezzanine that had been removed at some point in the building's history.

[9] On July 17, 2017, the Detroit City Council approved a permit for the Church of Scientology to begin a planned renovation of the building.

[6] While it is uncommon for buildings in the Detroit Financial District to have rooftop signs as the Scientology building does, the organization was successful in getting permission for the sign based in part due to the precedent set by the former tenants Raymond James Financial.

[17] On October 7, 2018, the building was dedicated in a private ceremony led by the Church of Scientology's leader David Miscavige and attended by about 2,000 spectators.