Construction crews began building the structure that will one day be Henry Ford Health’s new hospital in Detroit, Michigan.
The project to reimagine Henry Ford Hospital began in 2024 and will add 1.2 million square feet – including a vastly expanded emergency department – to the campus. After months of foundation work, including the digging and construction of 82 caissons, crews recently began installing steel beams with a 260-foot crane. The first steel column that was lifted was 50 feet tall and weighed 7,000 pounds — about the weight of a hippopotamus.
The steel frame and metal decking phase of construction will last through May 2026. During that time, crews anticipate utilizing a total of 21,752 steel pieces weighing about 10,800 tons. The tallest steel beam will be approximately 60 feet tall.
The $2.2-billion project, known as Destination: Grand, aims to create a high-tech, high-touch hospital facility for the next century. It will feature all private patient rooms with technology upgrades and dedicated spaces for visitors, modernized acute and intensive care units and an inpatient rehabilitation hospital with Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. The facility will be connected to the existing Henry Ford Hospital, which has been in operation from the very same spot in Detroit for 110 years.
Leading the design of the project are HDR, Tsoi Kobus Design and Hamilton Anderson. Constructing the project are Barton Malow, Turner Construction and Dixon Construction Services. Learn more about the project here.
