Doing business near Detroit is critical for many automotive companies. But there is a seldom-acknowledged challenge: Available industrial space is scarce. Market monitor CBRE reported this summer that Detroit industrial vacancy rates have hit an all-time low — below 2 percent.
The Detroit Region Aerotropolis Development Corp. is trying to address the market with 6,000 acres of zoned, development-ready land 30 minutes southwest of Detroit. The site includes Detroit Metropolitan Airport, Willow Run Airport and a major autonomous- and connected-vehicle test site, the American Center for Mobility. In August, Subaru Corp. confirmed it will invest $48.2 million to build a 60,000-square-foot technical center in the development zone. The venture is focusing on attracting other advanced manufacturing and next-generation mobility investments to the location.
— Stephanie Hernandez McGavin