U-M will renovate Rackham building in Detroit

The $40 million project will bring various U-M programs together in one location. The Horace H. Rackham Educational Memorial, located in Detroit's Midtown, will undergo renovations to become the new home to many existing University of Michigan initiatives and programs in the city of Detroit. The $40 million project, approved Dec. 9 by the Board of Regents, is part of the university's long-term commitment to the city to grow the economy and improve the quality of life through teaching and research in collaboration with the community. Plans for the 121,000-square-foot building include renovating approximately 70,000 square feet of space to address major infrastructure updates, and also feature classroom space, multipurpose rooms and maker spaces for nearly 500 students. The building will house the various programs currently in leased space around Detroit: the Detroit Center and an office for undergraduate admissions, and programs within the A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, College of Engineering, LSA and the School for Environment and Sustainability. "This is an important project that will establish a new center of operations for the university's wide-ranging work in partnership with the city and its residents,” said President Mark Schlissel.