Hey friends, Jer here.
Today's edition takes to the skies over the Motor City. The University of Michigan Center for Innovation is one of the most important projects reshaping Detroit, and it’s now well into construction just behind the Fox Theatre in District Detroit.
We're sharing a visual construction update, thanks to the excellent photography of Ryan Southen. The photos were taken earlier this week.
The center will be a six‑story, 200,000‑square‑foot building focused on graduate‑level programs and workforce training, with an opening target of 2027.
It's going to be a small urban campus with public‑facing spaces and community programs on the lower floors, and labs and classrooms for advanced technology and research on the upper floors.
Programs will focus on areas like technology, innovation, robotics, and entrepreneurship, but also short‑term skills programs for Detroiters who may not be on a traditional college path.
The price tag for the main complex? About $250 million.
The funding mix matters: $100 million from the State of Michigan, $100 million from U‑M alumnus and real estate developer Stephen Ross, and another $50 million from university fundraising.
That level of public and private investment signals how seriously state leaders and the university are taking Detroit as a long‑term talent and research hub.
Location is also part of the story. The building is going up on former surface parking lots between Grand River, West Columbia, and Elizabeth, knitting what used to be dead space into a denser, more active part of downtown.
Long-time readers and listeners will know that I'm no fan of surface parking lots in spaces that I think should function like a proper city.
Also, I don't know if the Bucharest Grill located right there could believe its luck.
It’s a key piece of the larger District Detroit plan that also includes a future residential tower U‑M plans to lease for students, faculty, and visiting researchers, plus an incubator space in the historic Moose Lodge nearby.
I think it's the kind of hub that Detroit needs to turn the corner from what is often a placemaking success story — to one where people can see themselves put down roots and grow.
Last I checked, it's on track to be completed in the summer of next year (2027).
🏒 Farmington Hills’ own Megan Keller ripped the overtime winner to lift Team USA over Canada 2–1 and bring home Olympic gold in women’s hockey. [Watch the goal at NBC Sports]
Keller, a defender and captain of the Boston Fleet in the new Professional Women’s Hockey League, jumped up on a 3‑on‑3 rush, beat a Canadian defender, and slipped a backhander past the goalie 4:07 into OT.
If her name rings a bell, it should. Keller grew up in Farmington Hills, became an All‑American at Boston College, and has been a core piece of the U.S. national team for years. She already had a gold from 2018 and a silver from 2022; now she’s the one forever tied to the golden goal of 2026.
I know I don't normally cover sports, but I thought the local angle was cool.
🦆 Grosse Ile resident Leo Stevenson just made the island's biggest land conservation deal ever. Stevenson covered the purchase price of 18.8 acres of pristine Detroit River habitat, including centuries-old forests and critical wildlife corridors, now permanently protected. [Detroit Free Press] [Yahoo!]
💾 Oakland University in Rochester is eyeing building a new data center that could reshape its campus, and work could start in 2027. The move would modernize OU's aging IT infrastructure, support AI across academic programs, and free up space in Dodge Hall for science expansion — part of OU's push for R1 research status. [Crain's Detroit Business]
đź“» I'll be a guest on WJR-AM 760 tomorrow morning around 8:45a with my list of things to do around town this weekend. Of course, I'll share more in our Weekender edition of the newsletter.
Three things before you go:
Vote, vote, vote: We're finalists for Hour Detroit's Best of Detroit. We know the ballot is long, but it'd be much appreciated. [Hour Detroit]
Share, share, share: Word of mouth is the best way to push this project forward, so tell a friend!
Support, support, support: I know not everyone can do it, but if you can swing it, consider joining us as a member on Patreon. Local media needs local support to thrive, and thanks to Alex and Paul for your support! [Join us on Patreon]
Until next time, remember that you are somebody — and I'll see you around Detroit.
-Jer
