The new Little Caesars’ headquarters building in Detroit will cost an estimated $150 million; The Detroit-based pizza chain announced Wednesday afternoon. With Mike Ilitch watching the ceremony from an air-conditioned Dodge Caravan across the street, city officials held a ceremonial groundbreaking to mark the beginning of construction on the building. Southfield-based Redico LLC began construction in 2006 with a completion date in 2018. The building, expected to be 100 percent privately financed, has plans to house up to 700 employees of the pizza chain.

Southfield-based Redico LLC began construction in 2006. It would be the first new corporate headquarters building in the central business district since One Kennedy Square. Brinker-Christman, a Detroit-based joint venture between Detroit-based Brinker Group LLC and Lansing-based Christman Co., is the construction manager on the project, and the project design was by Detroit-based architecture firm SmithGroupJJR.

Project Updates

During Wednesday’s event, Christopher Ilitch, President, and CEO of Ilitch Holdings Inc., said that nearly 60 percent, or $315 million, of the project costs for the overall $1.3 billion “District Detroit” project were completed by Detroit-based businesses. More than 90 percent, or more than $500 million, have been awarded to other Michigan companies. This expansion to Little Caesars’ world headquarters campus will be The District Detroit’s most prominent new construction to date in the Columbia Street neighborhood, which is also home to the Fox Theatre.

Financials

The District Detroit, to date, has awarded more than $315 million in contracts to Detroit businesses and more than $500 million in contracts to Michigan businesses. The district will ultimately account for a total economic impact of more than $2 billion and create more than 12,500 construction and construction-related jobs in addition to 1,100 permanent jobs. Founded 57 years ago by the Ilitch family, Little Caesars, the largest carryout-only pizza chain globally, moved to the Fox Office Center in 1989. The company has a presence in all-50 states and 20 international markets and recently opened franchises in Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, and Panama.

“It’s great to see Detroit-based companies taking the lead on this major project, which will result in employment opportunities for hundreds of our residents,” says Mayor of Detroit, Mike Duggan.