Ford Motor Company is officially moving its world headquarters to Oakwood Boulevard in downtown West Dearborn, a shift expected to bring thousands of employees closer to the area’s restaurants, shops, and service businesses.
The new Henry Ford Il World Center, part of the automaker’s upgraded product development campus, will replace the longtime “Glass House” headquarters at Michigan Avenue and the Southfield Freeway. Ford says the headquarters will serve as a collaborative hub for engineering, design, and technology teams-twice the size of the current building and designed to hold up to 4,000 employees.
The ripple effect for downtown businesses could be significant. With 14,000 Ford employees projected to work within a 15-minute walk of the new headquarters, local restaurants, coffee shops, and retailers are preparing for a surge in foot traffic. City leaders and business owners alike see the move as an opportunity to energize West Dearborn’s economy and reinforce the district as a destination beyond office hours.
Construction on most of the campus will wrap up this year, with full completion targeted for 2027. Ford officials say employees are already working inside the new headquarters, and the facility will officially open in November.
