YPSILANTI TOWNSHIP, MI - When General Motors announced in 2009 it was shuttering its Willow Run manufacturing plant in Ypsilanti Township, it signaled a changing automobile industry and devastated the local community.

Fast forward almost a decade later, and the site's new use as The American Center for Mobility connected and autonomous vehicle testing track is a symbol of opportunity.

The future was a recurring theme for remarks made by officials who gathered Wednesday, April 4, at the 500-acre test site near Willow Run Airport, between Ann Arbor and Detroit, to celebrate the grand opening of The American Center for Mobility (ACM) and its impact on Michigan's mobility industry.

The facility technically opened in December with one of its sponsors, Visteon Corp., taking to the track for testing in snowy conditions, weather that was replicated Wednesday as snow flurries and high winds whistled outside of the large white tent where the grand opening ceremony took place.

John Maddox, president and CEO of ACM, commented on the changing appearance of the site as phase two construction begins, which will include a headquarters building and additional garages and test track features.

"What has not changed is our mission to be recognized globally as the premier connected and automated mobility center, and that's what we're building here at ACM," Maddox said.

Maddox announced a new partnership with Microsoft, which will serve as the facility's exclusive data and cloud provider as companies take to the track to test new research and development capabilities and look to share that information with employees in other locations.

ACM is a joint initiative with the State of Michigan founded in partnership with the Michigan Department of Transportation, the Michigan Economic Development Corp., University of Michigan, Business Leaders for Michigan and Ann Arbor SPARK.

It was a project first announced by Gov. Rick Snyder in 2009, who said Wednesday it was an exciting moment to stand on Planet M Boulevard before presenting Maddox with a proclamation declaring it Mobility Week in Michigan.

"We should be proud of Michigan. We are the place that put the world on wheels and we've had that leadership for over a century now," Snyder said. "But it's not something you can take for granted."

The mobility industry offers safety, opportunities for those unable to transport themselves and efficient use of infrastructure, Snyder said, that will be important for not only Michigan residents.

"This is a place to be on the forefront of improving our lives, of creating opportunities for the residents of this state but also the entire world," Snyder said. "As we look toward the future, we have an exciting future when you look at this facility. It's not the facility that makes the biggest difference, it's the people working here."

Those statements were echoed by Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, who said the mobility industry will impact not only daily commuters but senior citizens and those who have been unable to drive for years because of disabilities and lack of access.

"It's the solution to so many challenges," Calley said.

While the safety and legitimacy of autonomous vehicles are making national headlines after a fatal crash in Arizona involving a self-driving Uber car, U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell said the recently passed Self-Drive Act stands as commitment by legislators to make sure autonomous vehicles pass strict standards before hitting public roads.

ACM serves as a solution to those concerns with a focus on the organization's three pillars of testing, standards and education.

"I've seen Willow Run at the height of its day," Dingell said. "Then we saw some hard times and what it stood for was what was happening to Michigan, to this state. And now it's the future."

Taking a ride in an autonomous vehicle at The American Center for Mobility Posted by The Ann Arbor News on Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Ypsilanti Township Supervisor Brenda Stumbo said she remembered the day more than 1,300 GM workers found out the Willow Run plant was closing.

"It was the beginning of the economic tsunami that hit our community, our county and our state and we were devastated," Stumbo said. "There was so much emotion, grown men and women were crying because we were losing this historic Willow Run site."

Home to Rosie the Riveter, Willow Run later switched hands when Revitalizing Auto Communities Environmental Response (RACER) Trust sold the property in 2016 to Willow Run Arsenal of Democracy Landholdings Limited Partnership, which leases the property to the American Center for Mobility.

"Out of challenges come new ideas, solutions and new partners and that's exactly what happened," Stumbo said. "Some people thought it was crazy, to be honest, but we didn't. We said, 'Let's take a chance.'"

It was that fighting attitude on behalf of township officials and legislators that made a difference for Willow Run and the community of Ypsilanti Township.

"As we continue to grow as a community and as a county, none of it would have happened if all of us hadn't come together to make it a reality," Stumbo said. "All of us worked together to make this. Don't forget Willow Run, and don't forget our people."