Aerotropolis Article

There are many indications that Michigan’s economy is strong, but one of the clearest indicators is the historically low industrial vacancy rate in Detroit and throughout southeast Michigan. In the first quarter of 2018, the average industrial vacancy rate for the Detroit market reached an all-time low of 1.95%. This represents a huge turnaround from

Van Buren Township is booming in terms of economic development. And that comes as no surprise to Susan Ireland, Executive Director of the Downtown Development Authority for Van Buren Township.  “We have taken a very strategic approach to development in our community,” explains Ireland. “And now we find ourselves in a position to capitalize on

Most people are familiar with advanced driver assistance systems, or ADAS, which is a catchall of sorts for much of the self-driving technology being tested and deployed on the roads across the globe. ADAS features include everything from front/rear cameras and sensors to adaptive cruise control and lane departure warnings, and many come standard on

Many metro Detroiters view the airport as a way to get from one place to another, but it is also a major economic development influence in our community. There are two airports in the Detroit Aerotropolis Region: Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Romulus and Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti. Both airports are operated by the Wayne

Businesses want to locate where there is access to a large pool of qualified workers. Meanwhile, most workers prefer to live within a reasonable commute from their jobs. As we consider economic development opportunities in our region, we are presented with a classic chicken and egg situation. Do workers relocate to where the jobs are

The city of Romulus made headlines when Amazon announced its intention to invest $140 million to build a fulfillment center in the city. The robotics site is one of three Amazon fulfillment centers to be located in Michigan. The new facility broke ground in July 2017 and is expected to open in the fall of

If you follow auto industry news, there is one topic that seems to be top-of-mind for automakers, suppliers and industry experts these days. The NAFTA negotiations have dominated headlines recently, as U.S. negotiators take a hard line position compared to previous discussions. There is concern that negotiations could break down entirely, ultimately ending a free