Transformation of the Ford Center from dilapidated warehouse-style building to upscale office complex was a significant community development feat in Minnesota. It combined two 
federal tax credits–New Markets and Historic–with other financing to reinvigorate the old Ford Motor assembly plant for its next 95 yeas of service.
MMCDC’s attractive $9.5 million loan was part of a larger financing package. The 11-story building design contrasts enlarged black-and-white photos of the Ford factory line with contemporary art, lighting, and decor.
The 270,131-square-foot structure was redeveloped in a neighborhood with a 36.6 percent poverty rate and a 22 percent unemployment rate.
