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The
University
of
Michigan
broke
ground
on the
$250
million
Center
for
Innovation
in
December
2023. |
| |
UMCI
breaks
ground:
Center
to spur
economic
growth,
educational
enrichment
in
Detroit
By:
Greta
Guest
Source:
Michigan
News
detroit.umich.edu
DETROIT
- The
University
of
Michigan
Center
for
Innovation
in
Detroit
broke
ground
Thursday
with
high-energy
musical
performances
and 13
shovels
held by
leaders
of the
partners
bringing
the
project
to
fruition.
U-M
President
Santa J.
Ono at
the UMCI
groundbreaking.
(Photo
by
Montez
Miller/Tell
Us
Detroit)
“Today’s
groundbreaking
is far
more
than the
promise
of a new
building.
It is a
profound
expression
of our
sustained
and
lasting
commitment
to the
city of
Detroit,
and of
our
faith in
a
shining
future
for the
state of
Michigan,”
said U-M
President
Santa J.
Ono.
“It’s a
proud
moment
for all
of us.”
Music
from the
U-M
Student
Jazz
Trio,
Cass
Tech
Madrigals
and the
U-M
Fanfare
Band
punctuated
the
ceremonial
dirt
lifting
and
upbeat
comments
from
speakers.
Christopher
Ilitch,
left,
and
Stephen
Ross,
chat at
the
groundbreaking
for the
UMCI.
(Photo
by
Montez
Miller/Tell
Us
Detroit)
The
center
will be
funded
by a
$100
million
gift
from
donor
Stephen
M. Ross,
$100
million
from the
state of
Michigan,
a land
donation
of 2.08
acres at
the
intersection
of Grand
River
Avenue
and West
Columbia
Street
from
Olympia
Development
of
Michigan,
and an
additional
$50
million
will be
raised
from
donors.
The
cornerstone
of the
first
building
of the
university
was laid
on Sept.
14,
1817—near
the
corner
of Bates
and
Congress
streets
in
Detroit—not
too far
from
where
the new
UMCI
will be
located.
“Now the
University
of
Michigan
is back
home and
we
couldn’t
be
happier,”
said
Detroit
Mayor
Mike
Duggan,
a U-M
alumnus
who was
credited
with the
tenacity
and
determination
to see
the
project
through
from
idea to
happening.
Duggan
also
shared
the
spotlight
with
Ross, a
major
U-M
donor
and alum
and
chairman
of
Related
Cos.
“The
person
who make
this
happen
was a
son of
Detroit…
and
Stephen
what
you’ve
done,
you’ve
changed
the
history
of this
city.”
Ross,
who is a
Detroit
native,
said the
UMCI
project
was “the
longest
of
anything
in my
career…”
But that
even
through
the
twists
and
turns
since it
was
first
announced
in 2019,
“nobody
really
lost
faith
because
they saw
how
important
this
would
be.”
Sarah
Hubbard,
chair of
the U-M
Board of
Regents,
said the
partnership
will
bring
world-class
research,
education
and
entrepreneurship;
innovation
and
talent-focused
community
development
that
will
propel
job
creation
in the
city,
region
and
statewide,
and
economic
development
in the
city of
Detroit.
Sarah
Hubbard,
chair of
the
Board of
Regents,
talks at
the
groundbreaking
ceremony.
(Photo
by
Montez
Miller/Tell
Us
Detroit)
It will
all be
“anchored
by
masters’
degrees
and
workforce
development
programs
that
will
focus on
technology
and
innovation,”
Hubbard
said.
“All
offered
right
here in
Detroit,
under
the care
of the
University
of
Michigan
leadership
and
built on
the
foundation
of
excellence
that the
Block M
represents.
We are
excited
to watch
this
program
unfold,
and
excited
to be
making
it
happen
in
Detroit.”
Other
speakers
at the
event
included,
Gov.
Gretchen
Whitmer,
Mary
Sheffield,
Detroit
City
Council
president,
Chris
Ilitch,
president
and CEO
of
Ilitch
Holdings,
Laurie
McCauley,
U-M
provost,
Geoff
Chatas,
U-M
chief
financial
officer,
and Lisa
Phillips,
principal,
Cass
Tech
High
School.
“This is
what we
can
accomplish
when we
work
together
and
aspire
to do
tremendous
things
to lift
up the
people
of our
community
to new
heights.
I am
truly
inspired
by this
entire
initiative,”
Ilitch
said.
“Today
marks
the
beginning
of a
transformative
journey
that
will
undoubtedly
shape
the
future
of
education,
innovation,
and
collaboration,”
said
Phillips.
“Together,
we are
embarking
on a
journey
that
will
empower
our
students
with
unparalleled
opportunities
to
engage
in
hands-on
learning
experiences,
connect
with
industry
leaders,
and
explore
the
boundless
possibilities
that
arise at
the
intersection
of
education
and
innovation.”
Lisa
Phillips,
principal
of Cass
Tech
High
School.
(Photo
by
Montez
Miller/Tell
Us
Detroit)
And
Sheffield
voiced
her
belief
that the
UMCI
would
help
secure
the
community
for
decades
to come.
“UMCI
will
serve as
a vessel
that
will
help us
with the
critical
issue in
our city
which is
retaining
our
talented,
young
Detroiters.”
A group
of
valedictorians
from
Cass
Tech
were
honored
guests
at the
event.
Laurie
K.
McCauley,
provost
and
executive
vice
president
for
academic
affairs,
invited
all of
them to
apply to
U-M. She
noted
that
elementary
school
students
who may
see the
UMCI
could be
inspired
to apply
to
obtain
their
own U-M
advanced
degrees.
“That is
the
vision
we are
here to
manifest:
a hub of
innovation
for
generations
to
come,”
McCauley
said.
The UMCI
will
feature
an array
of
inaugural
degrees,
as well
as
non-credit
workforce
development
for
in-demand
areas
like
programming,
entrepreneurship,
and data
science.
And of
course,
a robust
spectrum
of
community
engagement
that
builds
on the
hundreds
of U-M
projects
underway
in
Detroit.
The UMCI
will be
built on
2 acres
of this
parking
lot, a
donation
of land
from
Olympia
Development.
The
center,
along
with the
P-20
Partnership
at the
School
at
Marygrove,
the $40
million
Rackham
building
renovation,
the U-M
Detroit
Center,
which
opened
in 2005
in
Midtown,
and
hundreds
of other
projects
U-M
works on
with
community
partners
around
the
city,
are
examples
of how
the
university
has
stepped
up its
community
engagement
in the
city in
recent
years.
UMCI
will
benefit
from
being
near the
proposed
$1.5
billion,10-building
mixed-use
development
that
Related
Companies
and
Olympia
Development
have
joined
forces
to
develop
in The
District
Detroit
near the
Fox
Theatre
and
professional
sports
stadiums.
“When
complete,
it will
be a
world-class
research,
education
and
entrepreneurship
center,
one that
educates
and
retains
world-class
talent,
one that
drives
innovation
and
economic
growth
and job
creation,
and one
that
empowers
the next
generation
of
Detroiters
to dream
bigger
dreams …
and
transform
their
dreams
into
realities,”
Ono
said.
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