Back in late 2020, The Blue Oval announced that it would be demolishing the Ford Product Development Center, which was dedicated in 1953 and has been the launching point for every U.S. Ford model since 1955. The idea at that time was to make room for a new and larger research and engineering campus, but now, it seems like those plans have changed. Now, a new Ford World Headquarters will be built at the upgraded and reimagined Dearborn product development campus, officially known as the Henry Ford II World Center.
According to Ford, this new headquarters is designed to bring thousands of engineering, design, and technology team members together in one collaborative space, one that’s also double the size of its current HQ, known as the “glass house.” The site will be capable of hosting up to 4,000 employees in total, and 14,000 workers will be able to live without a 15-minute walk of the new facility, which will feature state of the art workspaces, technology, and tools.
As for the nearly 70-year-old former Ford headquarters, it will be demolished over the course of 18 months, after which it will be repurposed “as an asset to our teams and the community,” according to the automaker, and it will share more details about that process at a later date. The new Ford world headquarters is expected to open this November, though work will continue through 2027 on a final portion of the site.
This rather massive decision comes not too terribly long after Ford’s cross-town rival, General Motors, confirmed in 2024 that it would be leaving its current global headquarters – Renaissance Center. GM just moved into RenCen in 1996, and now, it’s set to make its fourth such move since setting up in Detroit way back in 1911 at the original Woodward Avenue location, this time, shifting its headquarters to Hudson’s Detroit while exploring redevelopment opportunities for RenCen with the development firm Bedrock.
Giving some the chance to score a cool but well-used hot hatch.
Even as other chemistries emerge.
Even though Ford Performance no longer exists.
Yet another nice example of the last-gen T-Bird.
It could get a hybrid powertrain option at that point.
Any offers are currently unavailable on redesigned full-size SUV.
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I hope they used a reliable architect and builder, I would hate to see how they would handle RECALLS!?!
LOL
It has already been built, it's been under construction since the Pandemic.
I had an office at Ford World Headquarters in the late nineties. I will miss seeing the building.
They should save the old Ford Headquarters building and make it the New Lincoln Motor Company Headquarters. They would probably have to remodel the interior of the building.
Heck, the way Lincoln has been run into the ground you probably could run that division out of a storefront.
Where is all the money coming from for a new campus? Five billion blown on EVs, continual roulette with other name plates including small and affordable vehicles (we need a Ford Slate) and never mind the hundreds of dollars spent renovating a train station that has no trains.. And we seem to be in perpetual inflationary period, never mind the scary possibility of a $30 trillion dollar something financial crash that will make my father's Great Depression look like a child's broken piggy bank. Mr. Ford (the "deuce") put a roof over our head and food on the table including a Christmas party of its Detroit-based families every year at the huge arena on Woodward Avenue. I hear nothing but complaints from dealerships. How does this man stay in the saddle?
At least the Glass House will be a temple to the incompetence of Junior and Farley.
I agree, and both Jim and Bill are behind it, no shocker. While GMs HQ move is also reckless spending, it pales in comparison to this absurdity. I'm almost hoping for a Ford bankruptcy at this point. All these stupid decisions just continue daily.
Interesting fact: the glass for the Glass House" was actually manufactured by Ford.
Where is the money coming from and what is the return?
And you got the F1 spend.
It has taken way to long to correct quality problems we had a like issue in the early 90's and my boss held required saturday morning meetings to gage action plants, attendence manditory and vacations canceled until corrected. It worked very quickly.