In recent years, investments made by the “Big Three” — Wayne State University, the University of Detroit Mercy, and the College for Creative Studies — are a reminder that a confident market is an attractive market.
Contributing to a new age in higher learning, more businesses are seeking access to skilled talent, financial aid and scholarships are on the rise, and philanthropy has never been stronger, especially among baby boomers reaching their golden years.
With the Big Three institutions leading the way, two decades ago the University of Michigan and Michigan State University dipped their toes into the water; each occupies space on opposite sides of Woodward Avenue, south of Mack Avenue.
In 2008, what was then known as the Center for Creative Studies established the A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education in General Motors’ famed Argonaut Building in New Center.
A pause brought on by the Great Recession, the city’s bankruptcy, and COVID-19 was lifted in 2023 when MSU acquired a majority stake in the Fisher Building in New Center while further solidifying its longstanding partnership with Henry Ford Health.
The two organizations are currently building a $335-million Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences Research Center just west of the Detroit Pistons practice facility. It will be home to joint programs spanning cancer, neuroscience, cardiometabolic diseases, immunology, and precision health.
The 335,000-square-foot facility, including the new Nick Gilbert Neurofibromatosis Research Institute, is scheduled to open in 2027.
Farther south, the University of Michigan Center for Innovation in Detroit is under construction at Grand River Avenue, a few blocks west of the Fox Theatre. The $250-million research, education, and entrepreneurship project will open in spring 2027.
Moving to the east side of the central business district, in December, Bedrock, Dan Gilbert’s real estate company, announced plans to develop a 14-acre district along Gratiot Avenue on the site of the former Wayne County Criminal Justice Center complex. The new campus will focus on fostering innovation in life sciences, technology, and entrepreneurship.
In partnership with BAMF Health, Michigan Innovation Headquarters, Ferris State University, and Wayne State University via its TechTown Detroit entrepreneurship hub, among others, the project seeks to become a premier hub for advancing precision technology, personalized medicine, and biotech.
The new campus will open in phases in 2027, offering comprehensive education and talent development opportunities.
Other higher education providers have added or expanded their presence in the city, including Central Michigan University, Davenport University, Grand Valley State University, Lawrence Technological University, Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design, and Wayne County Community College.
Adding to investor confidence, U-D Mercy was recently named a Research University by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the American Council on Education.
Meanwhile, in April, Wayne State was gifted $50 million for the College of Engineering by James and Patricia Anderson. It comes on the heels of $40 million donated by Mike and Marian Ilitch to establish the Mike Ilitch School of Business, which opened in 2018 just north of Little Caesars Arena.
Kofi Bonner, CEO of Bedrock, sums up the growth in skilled training best.
“It allows businesses to have better access to top educational institutions and a diverse talent pool,” he says, “while fostering cross-industry collaboration in close proximity to major markets.”
R.J. King
rjking@dbusiness.com
