Ford Motor Co. announced it will move its world headquarters to a new 2.1 million-square-foot facility on the historic site of its 1953 Product Development Center in Dearborn, Michigan. 

The announcement was made Monday to employees and the media. 

The new 2.1 million-square-foot building, to be named the Henry Ford II World Center, "will become our new world headquarters and a global symbol of where we are headed as a company," the company said. The site will include studios, garages, fabrication shops and conference rooms, while incorporating energy-efficient electric and water service technologies. 

It will be more than twice the size of the current headquarters building, known as Glass House, which has been in use for about 70 years. 

"The future of our industry demands a different kind of space—one that is more connected, more flexible, and built for the speed of a technology- and software-driven company," the company said. 

The new facility will place corporate leaders, design teams and engineering within a space designed to encourage collaboration. The facility includes a 160,000-square-foot dining hall and 12 acres of added greenspace. Upon completion, about 14,000 employees will be within a 15-minute walk of the new headquarters. 

"It's a tremendous move and it tells me that Ford understands the culture change needed, not just about the technology, but it's about the culture and the way that we do business that has to change along with it," said Jan Griffiths, president and founder of Gravitas Detroit.

Construction has already started, and the majority of the work will be completed this year, the company said, with construction on the final section to be finished in 2027. 

The new world headquarters will open in November 2025. A grand opening celebration will include a dedication ceremony and tours. 

Glass House to be demolished

Ford's current world headquarters, its 950,000-square-foot Glass House, was completed in 1956 and features 12 floors. It's home to roughly 2,000 employees.

After workers move out of the Glass House, it will be decommissioned and demolished over the next 18 months, with the site to be repurposed. "We are working with the City of Dearborn on a plan for how the site can best serve our employees and neighbors, and we will have more to share about those plans later," the company said.