Ford Motor Company revealed Tuesday its plans for an inclusive, walkable mobility innovation district in Corktown, Detroit’s oldest neighborhood.
At a community meeting, the automobile manufacturer presented its site plan for Michigan Central, including plans to restore the iconic Michigan Central Station.
The company’s vision for the 30-acre community would be anchored by the station and part of its plan to reshape the future of global mobility. Working with other partners and connecting to the city and regional assets network, the site plan includes a mobility testing platform and new open spaces. It prioritizes the community’s needs – abundant green space, biking trails, cafes, shuttles, scooters, retailers, grocery stores, daycare, housing, and parking, all within a 20-minute walk.
“This project is about preparing Ford for another century of innovation and success,” said Mary Culler, Ford’s Detroit development director and Ford Fund president. “At Michigan Central, we are taking a collaborative approach to innovation, including providing flexible workspaces that attract and engage the best minds to solve complex transportation and related challenges as we shape the future of mobility together.”
In 2018, Bill Ford, executive chairman of the company, announced that the automobile manufacturer planned to restore the historic train station, which had been abandoned since 1988. The train station would be the centerpiece of an innovation hub designed to define how people and goods move around in the future. He said his vision was to create an open platform for innovators, startups, entrepreneurs, and others to develop, test, and launch new mobility solutions on real-world streets, in real-world situations.
The heart of the innovation district will be a revitalized Albert Kahn-designed Book Depository, which will be transformed into a mixed-use maker space, offering flexible workspaces, hands-on labs, and innovation studios.
Four key buildings will make up the development – the Michigan Central Station; the Book Depository; Building West, a new construction west of the station; and The Factory, home to 250 members of Ford’s autonomous vehicle business unit. At the heart of the site is a first-of-its-kind mobility platform on elevated train tracks behind the station.