"Our commitment to Detroit is increasing": U-M constructs new downtown Detroit center

To deepen connections between Ann Arbor and Detroit, the University of Michigan (U-M) is constructing the University of Michigan Center for Innovation (UMCI) in downtown Detroit. 

The completed building will occupy about 200,000 square feet and six stories at the intersection of Grand River Avenue and West Columbia Street in downtown Detroit. It will offer a variety of programming for students and families, workforce development, and more. The project broke ground in December 2023, and is slated to open its doors to the public in spring of 2027. There are plans for an entrepreneurial and small business incubator space at the center, as well as a residential building scheduled for construction at a later date. 

UMCI Director Scott Shireman describes the project as "a building within a building." He says the center’s top floors will be treated like a traditional academic building for U-M students and faculty, "designed to bring top students from around the world to the heart of Detroit." Shireman explains that the top floor will be designated as "marquee event space" reserved for meetings of U-M’s Board of Regents, as well as possibly being open for community members to reserve. 
Doug CoombeUMCI Director Scott Shireman at The University of Michigan Detroit Center.
According to U-M’s website, the first two floors of the center will "house public programs, a cafe and shared office space," as well as an academic clinic and U-M admissions office. While programming at the center is to be determined, Shireman explains that he and the rest of the UMCI team are working closely with Detroit residents to bring needed services to the city.

"The first two floors are intended to be community-focused and inclusive. We want residents of Detroit to feel welcome and come into the building," Shireman says.

U-M has always had a presence in Detroit, with the city being the university’s birthplace before moving to Ann Arbor. Shireman sees the UMCI as an opportunity for U-M to increase its physical presence in the city.
courtesy UMCIA rendering of the future University of Michigan Center for Innovation.
"UMCI is meant to show the scale of our commitment to Detroit is increasing," Shireman says. "By building a permanent presence, we want to show that this is not something we want to walk away from."

As programming is decided upon, Shireman wants to focus on community building efforts as well as education. U-M's Saturdays in the D initiative currently offers Detroit-based programming for K-12 students, as well as professional development for adults. But Shireman hopes UMCI will both bring more talent to Detroit and provide a place to connect for current residents.

"Detroit has a lot of talented people, but not a lot of programming to bring that talent together," Shireman says. "The intention with UMCI is to catalyze economic development and create opportunity in Detroit."
courtesy UMCIA rendering of the future University of Michigan Center for Innovation.
The UMCI is the first of three buildings planned to increase U-M’s presence in the city.

"We want to be a university for Michigan, not just of Michigan," Shireman says. "Access is such a big part of our mission, and this is an opportunity to do more of that." 

Shireman says Detroit residents have been "very welcoming" of the project, with only one request: that U-M’s presence in Detroit continues indefinitely. Shireman says that shouldn't be a problem, as U-M has no intention of ever leaving Detroit. He hopes programming and other opportunities offered at UMCI can lead to not just academic growth, but economic growth, including job opportunities and workforce development programs. He feels that the university’s presence in Detroit will be beneficial to the state of Michigan as a whole.
Doug CoombeUMCI Director Scott Shireman at The University of Michigan Detroit Center.
"A strong state is an asset to a university, and the University of Michigan can’t be on an island without the state around it," Shireman says. "We want to help the economy diversify and grow. We need to raise all boats."

To learn more about UMCI and its future plans for the city of Detroit, visit the center's website. 

"It’s exciting to be part of the story of the upswing of Detroit," Shireman says. "There is all of this exciting stuff going on, and we are humbled to be a part of it."

Rylee Barnsdale is a Michigan native and longtime Washtenaw County resident. She wants to use her journalistic experience from her time at Eastern Michigan University writing for the Eastern Echo to tell the stories of Washtenaw County residents that need to be heard.

All photos by Doug Coombe.