For nearly seven decades, the iconic “Glass House” on Oakwood in Dearborn served as the nerve center of Ford Motor Company’s global operations. That won’t be the case much longer.
A letter from Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford and CEO Jim Farley emailed Monday informed employees of the automaker’s impending move to the Hub. Built on the site of the automaker’s Product Development Center, the new headquarters will be the anchor of Ford’s Dearborn campus.
The campus, to be named the Henry Ford II World Center, will accommodate up to 4,000 people in what will be a 2.1 million-square-foot, glass-faced, four-story facility. Another 10,000 employees will be within a 15-minute walk, and 9,000 more within a 15-minute drive of the main building.
“This is more than just a new building; it’s a catalyst for innovation and a physical symbol of our Ford+ transformation,” Ford and Farley said in the letter. “To win in this new era, we must work more closely together than ever before. Our new headquarters is designed to make that happen, bringing thousands of our engineering, design, and technology team members together in one collaborative space – twice the size of our current HQ, and built to accommodate double the employees – to innovate and solve problems faster than ever before.”
In a statement, Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud said Ford’s importance to the city “cannot be overstated.”
“More than just the industrial heartbeat of the modern American economy, Ford’s legacy is deeply intertwined with this city’s history,” Hammoud said. “We’ve been proud neighbors with the world headquarters across Michigan Avenue, and we are excited for Ford to contribute to the city’s vitality as the company finds a new home in its expansive new, state-of-the-art research hub just down the road in Dearborn.”
Ford plans to demolish the Glass House, which has served as its headquarters since 1956, over the next 18 months. That demolition is expected to be complete by mid-2028.
Demolition would open some 100 acres for public use such as open space or park space.
“This is part of a larger investment in our people and our facilities across the globe,” Ford and Farley told employees. “We are committed to providing employees with world-class workspaces, modern technology, and the best tools to do their life’s best work—from our global offices to our manufacturing floors. Our dealers around the world are likewise investing in their stores and service centers to elevate the customer experience.”
