They have started coming in waves now - and by that I mean the people who work for companies expanding or moving their operations to downtown Detroit. General Motors is consolidating approximately 5,000 employees or contractors in its Renaissance Center headquarters. The Mayor just welcomed the first set of 1,700 Quicken Loans employees who have started moving into the Compuware Building at Campus Martius. And there is another story in this newsletter about two IT firms expanding here.

Those are waves in motion right now, and they are not about to stop. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has announced it will consolidate its operations in southeast Michigan and move 3,000 employees into the Renaissance Center.

We have helped all these companies earn incentives that are appropriate to the substantial commitments they have made to Detroit and southeast Michigan. The combined payroll of just the Quicken and BCBSM employees new to downtown is likely to top $280 million per year. BCBSM and its landlord, General Motors expect to spend $38 million renovating space for the move. Quicken is spending about $10 million preparing its offices in the Compuware Building.

All these companies have solid business reasons to make their moves. They will be consolidating operations, creating more modern workspaces or benefiting from the synergies of concentrating IT talent from several companies in one neighborhood. They also recognize the growing vitality of downtown entertainment, culture and recreation.

To help BCBSM employees get back and forth between the Ren Cen and their existing headquarters building, the People Mover is providing them a one-year free pass and a half-price pass for the next year.  I hope they will also use the People Mover to explore the great destinations downtown.

Many of us have worked very hard to rejuvenate downtown as an attractive, vibrant place to work, play and live. These companies recognize what a great place downtown has become and are going to make it even better with the energy and economic activity they are bringing with them.