Grand River Growth Plan -All Gibbs for City Jan 2 2026 - Flipbook - Page 70
Employment
New office development is largely fueled by growth in office-intensive sectors like finance, professional
services, and information technology. As companies increase their workforce or expand operations, they
require more space. Demand also rises when businesses seek modern layouts, advanced technology, or a
superior location to enhance their competitive edge.
Beyond workforce expansion, broader economic factors—such as low interest rates, favorable financing,
and strong market confidence—can spark additional office construction. Ultimately, the synergy
between robust economic conditions, job growth and desirable building attributes propels new office
development and leasing demand.
Figure 8: Grand River Avenue looking northwest towards Middlebelt Road. Right: The Farmington Hills Fire Station # 3 and Jon
Grant Community Center.
According to the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, Michigan’s job growth has stalled at 4.5 million
positions since April 2024, ranking the state as the 10th-worst in employment gains. Although jobs rose
by 4% in 2021 and 2022 and by 2% in 2023, this slowdown signals stagnation. Oakland County’s
commercial growth is faring better, which is not a surprise given its highly educated workforce and
sought after communities.
The University of Michigan’s Research in Quantitative Economics predicts that the number of jobs in
Oakland County will grow by 1% annually, adding approximately 8,000 jobs this year and in 2026.
There are no published projections regarding the number of jobs to be added in Farmington Hills.
However, it stands to reason that given the similar demographics of Oakland County and Farmington
Hills, the job growth in the area will be on par with Oakland County.
Farmington Hills had a 2024 commercial base of 46,000 workers. When one considers other factors
such as the high education and income levels, the prime location of Farmington, the amenities and the
area freeways and access to the entire Metro Detroit area including Ann Arbor, Farmington Hills may be
able to exceed the job growth rate of Oakland County. However, Grand River’s central regional location
is offset by the confusing road alignments of Freedom Road – M-5, and the Avenue’s diagonal
orientation.
Grand River Corridor Office Market Analysis
Gibbs Planning Group
July 2, 2025
6.
