Updated your LinkedIn profile and check your notifications – the social media site devoted to career-minded professionals is now ready for business in Detroit.
The 75,000 square-foot office in the Albert Kahn-designed Sanders and Grinnell buildings at 1523 Woodward represents an expansion within the market for LinkedIn, which began its operations out of Detroit’s WeWork space in 2017 with 15 team members.
“We made a conscious decision to invest in Detroit because we believe we can have a meaningful impact on the local economy and put our money to work in a community that is rebuilding,” Mike Gamson, LinkedIn SVP, Global Solutions, said in a statement. “This is an important step to help level the playing field and further democratize access to jobs.”
LinkedIn is the latest in a slew of tech-minded companies that have chosen to either move or expand their operations to Detroit, including Waymo, WeWork, Google, Snap, Twitter, Microsoft, Amazon, Grand Circus, Uber, Pinterest, Quicken Loans, StockX and others.
LinkedIn’s move downtown is another example demonstrating that Detroit’s tech scene is rapidly growing, bringing with it established companies and startups alike, which in turn is attracting exceptional talent to the Motor City, Dan Gilbert, Bedrock founder and chairman, said in a statement.
“LinkedIn knows as much as anyone about the importance of tying threads, so it only makes sense that they chose Detroit’s urban core for their next major regional office,” Gilbert said in a statement.
Momentum on Woodward
Recently, Waymo announced Detroit would be its first factory 100 percent dedicated to the mass production of autonomous cars just minutes from downtown.
In addition, earlier this week, global wealth management firm UBS opened a new office just blocks away from LinkedIn at 1201/1217 Woodward, and earlier this month Bedrock purchased the Fowler Building at 1225 Woodward, which will soon be renovated and home to destination retail.
Global retailer H&M announced earlier this year that they will open their first Detroit location this fall, by opening a large, 25,000-square-feet store with stylish apparel for the whole family located along the Woodward shopping district on the same block as LinkedIn’s new office.
Directly across the street is the world’s first Shinola Hotel, opened in January of this year, as well as the $1B Hudson’s Site development currently under construction.
The building was designed by celebrated Detroit architect Albert Kahn. Detroiters still refer to this location as “the Sanders Building” and “the Grinnell Building” because the original tenants of what used to be two addresses were home to the two iconic Detroit brands. Sanders, which still wholesales its popular hot fudge products and ice cream today, once operated a candy and soda fountain shop on the retail level while the Grinnell Bros. Music House once operated the world’s largest piano distributor.
