The founder of the Detroit-based engineering firm LGC Global has gifted Wayne State University's College of Engineering $1 million for an endowment to provide full tuition scholarships to Detroit Public Schools Community District students.

Avinash Rachmale announced the gift, along with plans to build a $3 million to $4 million engineering lab in Highland Park on land he owns, during a private dinner party at his Bloomfield Hills home Tuesday night attended by more than 50 Wayne State and LGC employees, including university president M. Roy Wilson.

"I've been in the city for the last more than 30 years," said Rachmale, a Wayne State alum. "Whatever I have, whatever I have achieved ... it becomes our responsibility, my responsibility, to give back something to the community."

It's expected to generate five tuition-only scholarships per year. One was already awarded to a student at Western International High School in southwest Detroit, Tatiana Alvarez, who will be heading to WSU on the scholarship to the College of Engineering through the Rachmale Continuing Scholars Program.

The precise location for the engineering lab is not known, but an entity tied to Rachmale, Sky Group Grand LLC, owns Highland Park property on Midland Street between Woodrow Wilson Street and Hamilton Avenue, according to Wayne County land records.

The 5,500-square-foot lab building is expected to be completed in the next year or so, said Farshad Fotouhi, dean of the College of Engineering.

He said the engineering school and DPSCD will work together to identify the students awarded the scholarships.

"Philanthropy is a big part of the success Wayne State has had over the past several years," Wilson said during the event.

"They have been very generous supporters," he said of the Rachmales.

Last month, Detroit-based The Platform LLC purchased the building that Rachmale's company owned at Woodward Avenue and Grand Boulevard for an undisclosed price. The company will remain in the building as part of the sale-leaseback deal.