AA Spark: American Center for Mobility Kicks off Technology Park at Willow Run
The American Center for Mobility (ACM) today announced site-ready real estate equipped for development at ACM’s Technology Park at Willow Run. Space will provide opportunities for mobility companies to co-locate next to ACM’s already established, world-class Smart City Test Center. In the two years since opening, more than 50 global automotive and mobility companies have come to test and evolve their technologies through various projects at ACM.
The ACM Technology Park is a certified shovel-ready site and part of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s (MEDC) Site Readiness Program. The park is designated as a Renaissance Zone through 2031, providing abatement of about 85 percent of real and personal property taxes. It is also located on a State of Michigan designated Opportunity Zone providing deferral of reinvested capital gains.
Research has been conducted at ACM’s Test Center in conjunction with the U.S. government. Major public and private mobility industry events and demonstrations have been hosted creating exposure between test engineers and technology companies essential to the growth of the mobility industry. The Technology Park will further stimulate these types of industry collaborations, as well as the local economy by increasing regional business attraction.
With 350,000 square-feet of multi-tenant space, the ACM anticipates that 1,200 potential jobs can be created at the historic site, continuing the legacy of innovation at Willow Run.
Potential uses for buildings include:
- Individual/Shared Offices
- Innovation Labs
- Start-up Incubators
- Conferencing & Events
- Education & Workforce Development Labs
As the history of innovation that started with Henry Ford’s WWII Bomber plant continues to evolve at the Willow Run site, Mark Chaput, ACM Interim Chief Executive Officer says, “The American Center for Mobility is proud to continue to build on that legacy of innovation by opening the American Center for Mobility Technology Park, where we can enable a new ecosystem of people and companies to build on their ideas, to be inspired, and to change the world.”
“The Ann Arbor region is a hot bed of mobility innovation, where global leaders like Toyota, Hyundai-Kia and Subaru have located their North American research and development facilities. Emerging companies like Navya, May Mobility, and Refraction AI are creating and testing new mobility technologies here, too,” said Paul Krutko, president and CEO of Ann Arbor SPARK. “We know that mobility companies from around the world are looking at the region as a destination where they can grow and having the option to be located at ACM is certainly a benefit as a proof point that we are committed to providing what these companies need to be successful.”
“Our state has long been known for its innovative ideas and its can-do attitude because Michigan is where big ideas are born,” said Jeff Mason, CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). “No other state in the nation provides the breadth and depth of entrepreneurial support to high-tech and mobility companies like Michigan. We’re proud to continue building on our entrepreneurial spirit and mobility leadership through innovative spaces like ACM’s Technology Park.”
About American Center for Mobility
The American Center for Mobility is a global smart city test center providing a safe platform for the integration of emerging mobility technologies in intentionally challenging environments. ACM is a collaborative effort comprised of government, industry and academic organizations focused on accelerating the mobility industry through advanced and scientific research, testing, standards development and education programs. Located in Southeast Michigan in Ypsilanti Township on over 500-acres at the historic Willow Run site, ACM is building on a legacy of innovation in Washtenaw County’s New Mobility Opportunity Zone. For more information, visit acmwillowrun.org.
