U-M Center for Innovation has long-awaited groundbreaking in Detroit

[Airforceguy]

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer joined megadeveloper Stephen Ross and other civic and business leaders for a ceremonial groundbreaking Thursday for a long-awaited academic research center in downtown Detroit known as the University of Michigan Center for Innovation.

The $250 million U-M academic building, expected to take about 2½ years to construct, will be where students can work on university graduate degrees in areas such as robotics, computer engineering, entrepreneurship and sustainability. It also will house job training and certificate programs for the metro Detroit workforce and local nonuniversity students.

University officials, including U-M President Santa Ono, said they anticipate the center becoming a catalyst for job creation, innovation and economic development in Detroit and across the state. “Today will be a day that will have a great legacy for this great state and this great city,” Ono said during the late afternoon event, held inside a large event tent.


The 200,000-square-foot center, or UMCI, is being built on land behind the Fox Theatre on what is now surface parking lots. The Ilitch organization previously owned the land and donated it for the project. Ross, a Detroit native who started New York-based development firm The Related Cos., has been pushing to build the UMCI for about five years. He is donating $100 million for the UMCI; an additional $100 million is coming from the state and U-M is fundraising for $50 million more. Originally known as the "Detroit Center for Innovation," the project was initially proposed for the site of the scrubbed Wayne County Jail project off Gratiot at the entrance to downtown.

It was first announced in 2019 as a joint development involving Ross' The Related Cos. and Dan Gilbert's Bedrock real estate firm. But the Gilbert-Ross collaboration dissolved for unspecified reasons in 2021. And the new UMCI location — and new Ilitch organization partnership — was announced in December 2021.

Several speakers at Thursday's groundbreaking remarked on the length of time it took to get the project underway.

https://www.freep.com/story/news/loc...t/71907672007/

[Danny]

When I see a fence surrounding that area and construction crews are ready to dig deep in the dirt, I believe it.

[K-slice]

When I see a fence surrounding that area and construction crews are ready to dig deep in the dirt, I believe it.

The fact that Ilitch is not involved in any way gives this one a chance. All they did was donate the land and that's a done deal, U of M has a good track record of completing the projects they announce.

[Gistok]

The fact that Ilitch is not involved in any way gives this one a chance. All they did was donate the land and that's a done deal, U of M has a good track record of completing the projects they announce.

Makes one wonder just how generous their donation was, when you factor in the $9.6 million they received for a small nearby 1.2 acres parcel....

"Olympia Development owned the land where the UMCI is being built and donated it for the project. U-M recently agreed to pay Olympia $9.6 million for a nearby 1.2-acre parcel where a UMCI parking structure will go."

[MrMichigan]

The fact that Ilitch is not involved in any way gives this one a chance. All they did was donate the land and that's a done deal, U of M has a good track record of completing the projects they announce.

Speaking of which, when is UofM going to develop their field across from the Wayne State Business School?

[gratiotfaced]

When I see a fence surrounding that area and construction crews are ready to dig deep in the dirt, I believe it.

There are crews and equipment on site today, starting the actual construction. UM says the project will take 2.5-3 years to complete, so they can't really delay with that kind of timeline.

[canuck]

I’m really looking forward to seeing this project completed. I hope they don’t skimp on materials and that it looks exactly like the evocation. I also like that it’s downtown and will
add to the pizzazz in Detroit’s business district.

[401don]

Makes one wonder just how generous their donation was, when you factor in the $9.6 million they received for a small nearby 1.2 acres parcel....

"Olympia Development owned the land where the UMCI is being built and donated it for the project. U-M recently agreed to pay Olympia $9.6 million for a nearby 1.2-acre parcel where a UMCI parking structure will go."

I'm sure they put a Trump level value on it to get the maximum tax write-off for the donation.

[K-slice]

Speaking of which, when is UofM going to develop their field across from the Wayne State Business School?

I wasn't aware that U of M owned that field. LandGrid shows 4 owners for those parcels, none outwardly appear to be the University.

[royce]

I'm glad to see things progressing, but that's the ugliest building for education that I have ever seen.

[401don]

I'm glad to see things progressing, but that's the ugliest building for education that I have ever seen.

I'm surprised we haven't seen an updated rendering. That's the original from 4-5 yrs. ago and these things rarely stay the same.

[stinkytofu]

Anybody driven by recently? Have they actually begun?

[K-slice]

Drive by every day, the parking lot is ripped up and the light poles taken down, no major work as of yet.

[stinkytofu]

Drive by every day, the parking lot is ripped up and the light poles taken down, no major work as of yet.

Great. Thanks.

[mikeg19]

Drive by every day, the parking lot is ripped up and the light poles taken down, no major work as of yet.

And yet, 90% farther along than most of the District Detroit development announced 10 years ago......

[stinkytofu]

And yet, 90% farther along than most of the District Detroit development announced 10 years ago......

The fact they tore up the parking lot - and Ilitch can't make more money on it - gives me a little optimism this actually likely will happen.

[restoretheroar]

The fact they tore up the parking lot - and Ilitch can't make more money on it - gives me a little optimism this actually likely will happen.

It will happen because the first part that they are building is a parking garage [[shocking I know) the school is what will be in doubt but the Ilitches will get a brand new parking garage out of the deal

[stinkytofu]

It will happen because the first part that they are building is a parking garage [[shocking I know) the school is what will be in doubt but the Ilitches will get a brand new parking garage out of the deal

Oh god lol

[ShadowSoarer]

Update as of 2/3:

[gratiotfaced]

They need to pick up the pace if they're going to meet their 2.5 year timeline.

[mikeg19]

It will happen because the first part that they are building is a parking garage [[shocking I know) the school is what will be in doubt but the Ilitches will get a brand new parking garage out of the deal

Well if that's the case I bet it's up and open by Tigers Opening Day

[K-slice]

It will happen because the first part that they are building is a parking garage [[shocking I know) the school is what will be in doubt but the Ilitches will get a brand new parking garage out of the deal

The Ilitches just donated the land, they have nothing to do with the development. Their part to play in this is [[thankfully) finished. Looked over there today and the site was active.

[Gistok]

So the Loyal Order of Moose lodge is going to be saved and used as part of the UofM Center. It will be interesting what they do with it. There are virtually no known images of the inside of the building, but the previous owner's son posted a pic this week on Facebook that I captured.

It seems that the 2nd and 3rd floors of the Moose lodge has a theatre on the 2nd floor, and the mezzanine to the theatre on the 3rd floor. Here is an image of that interior [the building does have a relatively new roof]. It looks as though at some time in the past the 2nd floor had some other uses beside a theatre. But the 3rd floor mezzanine looks down onto whatever they did with the 2nd floor.

[401don]

So the Loyal Order of Moose lodge is going to be saved and used as part of the UofM Center. It will be interesting what they do with it.

You would think if anyone could repurpose it a university could. I dunno - lecture theater?