The automaker is now the largest tenant in Fairlane Mall.
Ford Motor Company is now the largest tenant in a Metro Detroit mall, after turning a long-closed Lord & Taylor store into offices for 1,800 engineering and purchasing employees.
They recently moved into Fairlane Mall, located close to the Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker's world headquarters.
Ford's campus is undergoing a $1.2 billion transformation, and one early move allowing that to happen was the relocation of offices to the mall.
"As we began the 10-year process of constructing new technology labs and offices, we needed an innovative solution to situate larger teams close to our operations," says Dave Dubensky, chairman and CEO of Ford Land, the company's real estate arm, in a news release.
"The proximity and design of Fairlane Mall, along with its on-site amenities, support our transformation in offering multiple conveniences for our employees. It is a win-win for us and the community."Lord & Taylor closed at Fairlane in 2006, leaving the mall with three anchor stores. The 1.5-million square foot mall adapted to changing market conditions, adding restaurant space and a movie theater, even as the retail climate within malls continues to change.
Yet, the anchor store remained vacant - until Ford needed a lot of nearby space.
The move by Ford into the mall was one of Metro Detroit largest office deals in 2016, signaling a new era of flexibility in mall space as owners see creative solutions to using space originally built for retailers.
Ford's new Town Center Office is designed to promote more team collaboration and to keep employees physically energized, mentally stimulated, engaged and refreshed, according to a news release. Lounge space and cafes encourage movement, offering flexibility in terms of where employees choose to work each day.
Walk-up stations for working are included in the new footprint. Employees can access a treadmill desk and walk at a 2 mph pace while returning email, taking a call or working on other tasks.
Fairlane mall was built in 1976 by the Taubman Company, which also developed Twelve Oaks in Novi, Briarwood Mall in Ann Arbor and Lakeside in Sterling Heights during that era. It has about 160 stores.
Starwood Capital Group acquired Fairlane in 2014 for $102.2 million. Starwood, which owns malls in 16 states and operates them through its realty group, found the Fairlane sales per foot were around $335 - and they grew it to $400 by 2016.