Researchers and leaders from both institutions cheered as the final steel beam was lifted into place for the partnership’s 335,000-square-foot medical research facility in Detroit.
After a year of continuous construction, the final steel beam was hoisted into place Monday at the future site of the Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences Research Center on Third Street in Detroit, just across from Henry Ford Health’s headquarters and the Henry Ford Health + Detroit Pistons Performance Center.
Bob Riney, Henry Ford Health president and CEO, and Kevin Guskiewicz, Ph.D.,Michigan State University president, led a small ceremony in front of team members and researchers from both organizations to mark the occasion. Some of those very same team members and researchers recently signed the 21-foot beam, leaving hopeful messages about what could be accomplished within the walls of the completed building.
“This isn’t just a construction milestone; it’s also a moment of deep meaning for the communities we serve,” said Riney. “Together with MSU, we’re building a future in which people live healthier and fuller lives, thanks to breakthroughs, treatments, and even cures that will be discovered in this research center."
From disciplines like cancer to neuroscience, cardiovascular to immunology, to neurofibromatosis through the Nick Gilbert Neurofibromatosis Research Institute, the partnership’s research will be far-reaching and impactful, with the goal of finding cures for diseases that plague so many Michiganders. While Henry Ford + MSU partnership research is already underway, the state-of-the-art research center itself—a cornerstone of the broader Future of Health: Detroit development and beacon of hope for the community—is expected to open in 2027.
“Watching this final beam rise into place is a powerful reminder that our shared vision is no longer an idea, it’s a reality," said Guskiewicz. "This research center will bring together more than 500 team members united by a mission to cure disease, unlock scientific discovery, and advance health equity.”
Some facts about the project thus far:
- Construction crews from Barton Malow have used nearly 3,000 tons of steel, more than 5,200 steel beams and close to 50,000 bolts while building the steel superstructure.
- They’ve also completed 12 miles of duct work and poured 18,000 cubic yards of structural concrete.
- Soon, crews will enclose the building and move to working on the internal structure.
- The seven-story building sits on six acres on Third Street along the Lodge Freeway in Detroit, south of W. Grand Blvd.
- The building is being designed to house more than 80 principal investigator (PI) teams; in total, there will be cutting-edge opportunities for more than 500 team members.
- The research center will also house the Nick Gilbert Neurofibromatosis Research Institute, the first-of-its-kind brick-and-mortar institution devoted to neurofibromatosis research.