Sherminator98 Posted September 15 Share Posted September 15 https://www.fromtheroad.ford.com/us/en/articles/2025/new-ford-world-headquarters Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted September 15 Share Posted September 15 I forgot about this project. I also didn't realize they'd tear down the glass house altogether. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ANTAUS Posted September 15 Share Posted September 15 I used Google Maps to look at the property, and it looks cute. 4 stories normal suburban office building...personally I would have created some tall tower and make a statement....looks like they went with a campus look instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzymoomoo Posted September 15 Share Posted September 15 3 minutes ago, ANTAUS said: I used Google Maps to look at the property, and it looks cute. 4 stories normal suburban office building...personally I would have created some tall tower and make a statement....looks like they went with a campus look instead. Desperate to impress wall street 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackinaw Posted September 15 Share Posted September 15 Growing up on Dearborn back in the 50's, it's going to be hard to imagine Michigan Ave with no Glass House. I was in there in the late 50's for a Leonardo DaVinci exhibit, and in the 70's when I was an engineering gopher. Great views of Dearborn and Detroit from the upper floors. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dequindre Posted September 15 Share Posted September 15 9 hours ago, rmc523 said: I forgot about this project. I also didn't realize they'd tear down the glass house altogether. The Glass House should be deemed a national landmark. It looks rather mundane by modern standards, but it was a building that was very ahead of its time and has played a huge role in American history. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twintornados Posted September 16 Share Posted September 16 The new campus looks very much like an evolution of the Glass House....I like it, but I am also a little nostalgic about the current world HQ.....time marches on, but it is gonna be remembered fondly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motorpsychology Posted September 16 Share Posted September 16 (edited) 13 hours ago, Dequindre said: The Glass House should be deemed a national landmark. It looks rather mundane by modern standards, but it was a building that was very ahead of its time and has played a huge role in American history. I was surprised to learn that it was that old; very ahead of its time. It has a similar look as the 3M HQ in Maplewood MN which was built in 1962. edit: Maybe Ford should move it to Greenfield Village instead? 😁 Edited September 16 by Motorpsychology 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzymoomoo Posted September 16 Share Posted September 16 https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/ford/2025/09/16/ford-new-headquarters-glass-house/86167361007/ long but interesting read analyzing the move. Allegedly The Glass House is decaying from the inside out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted September 16 Share Posted September 16 I'd have liked to read it but it's unfortunately behind a paywall. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackinaw Posted September 16 Share Posted September 16 I don't read the Free Press, but an article in the Detroit News about the Glass House said that Bill Ford was in a room once when part of the ceiling came down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbone Posted September 16 Share Posted September 16 This is where all the money derived from decontenting is going🤣 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzymoomoo Posted September 16 Share Posted September 16 6 hours ago, rmc523 said: I'd have liked to read it but it's unfortunately behind a paywall. Of course it is. It wasn’t when I read it 😒 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe771476 Posted September 16 Share Posted September 16 On 9/15/2025 at 8:52 AM, Sherminator98 said: https://www.fromtheroad.ford.com/us/en/articles/2025/new-ford-world-headquarters Yeah I just read this yesterday. Was this necessary? Is it necessary to destroy a landmark? Nowhere do I see the cost! Where did they get the money? With EV sales not that great; recalls breaking the bank; and the UAW planning to ask for the return of pension plans for ALL workers and also everlasting medical care, I think it was a bad decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherminator98 Posted September 16 Author Share Posted September 16 3 minutes ago, Joe771476 said: Yeah I just read this yesterday. Was this necessary? Is it necessary to destroy a landmark? Nowhere do I see the cost! Where did they get the money? With EV sales not that great; recalls breaking the bank; and the UAW planning to ask for the return of pension plans for ALL workers and also everlasting medical care, I think it was a bad decision. Yes it is-I work in building that is roughly as old as I am that is maintained by the government and was built by the lowest bidder. I've only been back in the office a full week since the Spring, and the building had to be shut down a couple of times because of mold and HVAC issues that never get taken care of. Its a bad work environment and people are getting sick from it. If your going to force people to work onsite, they better have decent/good working areas or they are going to leave or find a job that allows them to work remotely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twintornados Posted September 17 Share Posted September 17 13 hours ago, Joe771476 said: Yeah I just read this yesterday. Was this necessary? Is it necessary to destroy a landmark? Nowhere do I see the cost! Where did they get the money? With EV sales not that great; recalls breaking the bank; and the UAW planning to ask for the return of pension plans for ALL workers and also everlasting medical care, I think it was a bad decision. If by necessary, you mean does it move Ford forward? I think it was a smart move and "The Glass House" is just that....a mid-50's structure that is past it's prime and the only reason you refer to it as a "landmark" is due to the blue oval being attached to the top of it....it's an out of date building with no real style...was it nice at one time? Yes.... Could it be rehab'ed and reused? Sure.... but I am guessing with the limitations that were inherent with the design, it just became an obsolete office structure and Ford is demo'ing it instead of letting it become another abandoned eyesore that a future generation will have to deal with...my guess is, there is a lot of asbestos abatement that will need to be done....demolish it and move the property forward. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biker16 Posted September 17 Share Posted September 17 21 hours ago, fuzzymoomoo said: https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/ford/2025/09/16/ford-new-headquarters-glass-house/86167361007/ long but interesting read analyzing the move. Allegedly The Glass House is decaying from the inside out. I am noticing that Ford has a pattern of neglecting their assets, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flying68 Posted September 17 Share Posted September 17 Mid century office buildings are renowned for their build quality. If anyone has ever worked in an office building or commercial structure built in that time frame knows that most of the time it is far cheaper to demo the whole thing and build a complete new building that meets the current needs and is flexible to meet future needs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blazerdude20 Posted September 17 Share Posted September 17 15 hours ago, Sherminator98 said: Yes it is-I work in building that is roughly as old as I am that is maintained by the government and was built by the lowest bidder. I've only been back in the office a full week since the Spring, and the building had to be shut down a couple of times because of mold and HVAC issues that never get taken care of. Its a bad work environment and people are getting sick from it. If your going to force people to work onsite, they better have decent/good working areas or they are going to leave or find a job that allows them to work remotely. Typically commercial buildings main MEP systems (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing) are only good for 40 years on the high end. Replacing those systems in an active building, plus replacing failing exterior roof and cladding, meeting modern seismic standards, etc. is incredibly expensive. In many cases its actually cheaper to raze the old building and build new. Especially when you factor in 10-15 year maintenance costs. - Years of construction project management for projects up to $500M in value. The old/current Ford HQ is WELL beyond its useful lifespan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackinaw Posted September 17 Share Posted September 17 4 hours ago, twintornados said: If by necessary, you mean does it move Ford forward? I think it was a smart move and "The Glass House" is just that....a mid-50's structure that is past it's prime and the only reason you refer to it as a "landmark" is due to the blue oval being attached to the top of it....it's an out of date building with no real style...was it nice at one time? Yes.... Could it be rehab'ed and reused? Sure.... but I am guessing with the limitations that were inherent with the design, it just became an obsolete office structure and Ford is demo'ing it instead of letting it become another abandoned eyesore that a future generation will have to deal with...my guess is, there is a lot of asbestos abatement that will need to be done....demolish it and move the property forward. Sadly, you’re right. The Glass House is a huge building and it’s hard to imagine finding tenants to fill the place. And the last thing Dearborn needs is a dead, standing hulk of a building right at the corner of Michigan and Southfield. I’ll shed a tear when they tear it down, but I’d rather see a park there than a decaying building with smashed out, broken windows. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe771476 Posted September 21 Share Posted September 21 Engineers, plumbers, electrical workers etc. went into a building in my town to renovate it for a new owner. Completion time was supposed to be about a year or so. Well greed turned into 3 years. They supposedly found a bunch of problems. It was one "uh-oh" after the other. Then the town leaders gave the new owner a four year tax abatement because their opening date kept getting pushed back. So my taxes keep going up even after a new grocery store and a 1000 unit condo went in. And they gave a multi-year tax abatement to the millionaire condo developer too! How about a tax abatement for TAXPAYERS!!!!! They should all be on an episode of American Greed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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