In November 2025, Ford Motor Company opened its first new World Headquarters in 70 years. The move doubled the capacity of Ford’s previous home at the Glass House and makes it easier for thousands of employees to collaborate after being separated by miles.
Now, Ford is building on that momentum.
The company is continuing to transform the Henry Ford II World Center campus by fully renovating Ford’s former Product Development Center (PDC). The facility will become part of our new World Headquarters complex and be renamed World Headquarters South.
Construction begins in May and is scheduled for completion in 2029.
“At Ford, we have always understood that to build a future, you have to renew the places where you work, design, and build,” said Executive Chair Bill Ford during the grand opening of the Ford World Headquarters. “It’s a rhythm that runs throughout our history. This is in our DNA.”
“It’s a rhythm that runs throughout our history. This is in our DNA.”Executive Chair Bill Ford
In my 30-year commercial real estate career, I’ve seen my fair share of renovations, new construction, and demolition projects, but nothing quite so impactful as the global effort Ford Motor Company is making to transform our workspaces and enable our employees to do their best work.
Over the last decade, Ford has modernized facilities in Australia, China, India, the U.K., Mexico, Brazil, and across the U.S.
By the end of 2027, more than 90% of our global office employees will work in new or renovated spaces, allowing for more collaborative and efficient work.
World Headquarters South
When complete, the 3.3-million-square-foot World Headquarters complex will accommodate approximately 10,000 to 11,000 employees in total.
Approximately 16,000 employees will be within a 15-minute walk of one another, providing easier collaboration across the campus.
The renovation will refresh the façade and increase natural light by adding windows and skylights while removing interior walls and drop ceilings. New amenities — including cafés, markets, wellness rooms, reflection rooms, and mothers’ rooms — will mirror the modern look and feel of our World Headquarters.
Beyond providing modernized workspace for 5,000 employees, the former PDC design studios will become a double-height, flexible workspace for labs, vehicle testing, and prototype work.
The building will also feature a dedicated wing for meetings with vendors and visitors outside of secure Ford workspaces.
By physically connecting the two buildings, these specialty spaces will support design, engineering, and corporate teams across the entire complex.
The facility will also include a 30,000-square-foot fitness center for our employees, with state-of-the-art cardio and strength-training equipment, a fitness studio, and locker rooms with showers.
Employees will be able to easily walk to this new amenity from nearby buildings or parking structures within Ford’s refreshed walkable campus.
“As we deliver the Ford+ plan, our teams must collaborate more closely than ever,” said Jim Farley, Ford president and CEO. “This includes connecting the Ford Racing teams who innovate on the track with their colleagues across the business, and help bring those advances to our customers' vehicles. And to power the best team in the industry, we're providing modern, tech-forward workplaces, plus world-class amenities.”
Ford Racing and Campus Integration
World Headquarters South will also become the new home of Ford Racing. As Ford invests in the knowledge transfer between its racing business and product development, the racing team will move from their previous location outside the main Ford campus to better collaborate with the business.
“To power the best team in the industry, we're providing modern, tech-forward workplaces, plus world-class amenities.”Jim Farley, Ford president and CEO
Lessons learned in the world’s most extreme races translate directly into the technology and experiences we design and engineer across our vehicle lineup.
This multiyear, phased construction plan works in tandem with the construction at the main World Headquarters building, which will be complete by the end of 2027.
Campus Infrastructure and Identity
Construction begins this summer on a new 3,100-space parking deck to support the broader campus, featuring EV charging stations and ADA parking, located just east of World Headquarters.
In May, several road names within the Henry Ford II World Center will change to reflect Ford’s iconic products:
- Raptor Way: The ring road around the north end of campus (formerly Carroll Shelby Way West).
- Mustang Alley: Village Road between Oakwood Boulevard and Rotunda Drive.
- Bronco Bend: South Pond Road.
- Navigator Avenue: Carroll Shelby Way East.
- South Military Street and Dearborn Inn Drive will remain unchanged.
Additionally, the Experimental Vehicles Building across Oakwood Boulevard will undergo a renovation to enhance interior workspaces, adding more windows and an updated façade to align with the new campus aesthetic.
History of the PDC
The PDC was originally built in 1953 as the center of our Research and Engineering campus, featuring design studios, review courtyards, a design rotunda, engineering workspace, and more.
This is where iconic vehicles like the Mach 1 and Ford GT Mustang, and Ford Ranger were designed and unveiled to the world. Even the Ford Tractor was once designed here!
President Dwight D. Eisenhower dedicated the center in 1953 via an unprecedented closed-circuit television appearance — the first time a U.S. president appeared on television for a private business gathering. In his remarks, Eisenhower urged Ford to think about its "next 50 years."
Over the decades, the building was expanded and became a maze that no longer suited modern product development.
This next chapter gives the building new life, bringing teams together to shape the future of mobility.
Jim Dobleske is CEO and Chair of Ford Land
