University of Michigan Detroit Center

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University of Michigan Detroit Center
University of Michigan Detroit Center.JPG
MottoConnecting the University and Detroit
Type Public
EstablishedSeptember 21, 2005 (20 years ago)
Location,
MI
,
U.S.
Website detroit.umich.edu

The University of Michigan Detroit Center (UMDC, U-M Detroit Center or Detroit Center) is a community outreach center, meeting/events facility, and academic home base for University of Michigan units, located in Midtown Detroit.

Contents

The facility serves as a home base to more than 50 university staff and faculty members from the campuses of the University of Michigan and University of Michigan–Dearborn.

History

University of Michigan Detroit Center in December 2021 Detroit December 2021 44 (University of Michigan Detroit Center).jpg
University of Michigan Detroit Center in December 2021

To meet the increasing needs of office space and a facility to host meetings and events in the City of Detroit, the University of Michigan opened the U-M Detroit Center on September 21, 2005. As a home base to University of Michigan faculty, staff and students, the 26,122-square-foot (2,426.8 m2) facility occupies the ground floor of Orchestra Place on Woodward Avenue, located next to Detroit Symphony Orchestra. The renovated space was laid out and designed by University of Michigan alumnus Bill Grindatti under the guidance of former Taubman College Dean Douglas Kelbaugh. Taubman graduate Mashawnta Armstrong designed the street banners, while Art & Design students Nolan Loh and Mai Truong created the window signage.

In 2017, the Orchestra Place Building (3663 Woodward), which houses the Detroit Center, was sold to Broder & Sachse. [1] A new lease agreement between Broder & Sachse and the University of Michigan included the Detroit Center moving to the opposite end of the building on the ground floor. [2]

In 2021, it was announced that the Detroit Center would move to the Rackham building in Midtown Detroit following the completion of a $40 million renovation. [3] [4]

University partners

The University of Michigan Detroit Center serves as a home-base to 17 academic units from the University of Michigan and University of Michigan-Dearborn campuses. [5] Academic units located at the Detroit Center are active participants in Detroit-based research projects and/or facilitate events geared towards the Detroit and great Detroit communities.

Community partners

The University of Michigan works with a wide variety of Detroit organizations to carry out its various projects, many of which utilize the services and resources of the Detroit Center. As a result, the Detroit Center helps facilitate a symbiotic relationship between the university and local partners to carry out research and community services. [6]

Programs & Initiatives

The U-M Detroit Center has developed programming initiatives, which take advantage of University and community resources. Ongoing programming initiatives include:

PAST PROGRAM OFFERINGS

COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS

REGIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

Detroit Connector

The Detroit Connector provides transportation between Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Detroit in support of curricular, co-curricular, research, service-learning and community service opportunities. The service is available to U-M faculty, staff and students, as well as the general public. With initial funding from the Provost Office’s Transforming Learning for the Third Century grant, the Detroit Connector began service in September 2013 as a free, pilot shuttle that was co-managed by the U-M Detroit Center and LSA Semester in Detroit program. Following a successful trial period, the Provost Office affirmed its support of the system.

Upon the public announcement of the MDetroit Center Connector in September 2013, this service made local and regional headlines in digital/print and broadcast news. [7] [8] [9] [10]

In December 2013, a University of Michigan student-made video highlighting the MDCC was featured on Deadline Detroit. [11]

In September 2015, the service was rebranded the "Detroit Connector" in an attempt to connect more broadly between the University of Michigan and the City of Detroit. [12]

On October 23, 2017, the University of Michigan's Detroit Connector service announced that it was expanding service to seven days a week, which also included availability to the general public. [13] [14] [15] The service will cost $400,000 and is part of the University commitment to making U-M more accessible for all in the metro Detroit region. [16]

For fiscal year 2017, the Detroit Connector is managed by the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and operated by Michigan flyer.

The Detroit Connector was discontinued in 2020 following the announcement that it would be replaced by a new service called D2A2. The D2A2 bus service is sponsored by the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (AAATA), which is independent of the University. [17]  

References

  1. "Broder & Sachse buys Orchestra Place building in Midtown from DSO". Crain's Detroit Business. June 28, 2017. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  2. "UM Detroit Center, Carr Center on the move from prominent Woodward locations". Crain's Detroit Business. October 24, 2018. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  3. "U-M will renovate Rackham building in Detroit". University of Michigan News. December 9, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  4. Jesse, David. "U-M spending $40M to renovate Detroit building". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  5. "U-M Units at the Detroit Center". U-M Detroit Center.
  6. "Community Partners of the Detroit Center".
  7. "UM launching shuttle service connecting Ann Arbor and Detroit".
  8. "University of Michigan launches pilot shuttle service between Ann Arbor, Detroit".
  9. "University of Michigan to begin free shuttle service from Ann Arbor to Detroit for students and staff". September 18, 2013.
  10. "UM to run free shuttle between Ann Arbor, Detroit". September 17, 2013. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
  11. "Video: UM Students Take a Pure Michigan-Style Tour of Detroit".
  12. "NEW NAME, WALK UP SERVICE AMONGST CHANGES FOR FALL 2015 | MDetroit Connector". ridemdcc.umich.edu. Archived from the original on September 14, 2015.
  13. "University of Michigan bus service to Detroit to open to general public". October 23, 2017.
  14. "University of Michigan's Detroit Connector to offer daily Detroit-to-Ann Arbor bus service".
  15. "UM to offer bus service between campuses".
  16. "UM's Detroit Connector to roll out service to public, increase hours". October 24, 2017.
  17. Philip, Celene (August 19, 2020). "'U' Detroit Connector bus service discontinued as Ann Arbor introduces alternate service". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved May 18, 2022.

42°20′52.2″N83°03′31.1″W / 42.347833°N 83.058639°W / 42.347833; -83.058639