YPSILANTI TOWNSHIP, MI - A former GM factory floor is the site of President Donald Trump's first visit to Michigan since being inaugurated as the 45

th

president of the United States.

Trump is scheduled to meet with automotive and business leaders at 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 15, at the Willow Run site in Ypsilanti Township, according to the White House. His last visit was in Grand Rapids in December as part of his victory tour.

President Donald Trump speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)

Willow Run is is the future home of an autonomous and connected vehicle testing facility being created by the American Center for Mobility.

While the property's first purpose was a sort of country retreat created by Henry Ford for inner-city youth, it later housed production facilities for Ford Motor Co. and was later owned and operated by General Motors.

Here's what to know about Willow Run and the American Center for Mobility ahead of Trump's visit:

The history of Willow Run

The Willow Run site closed in December 2010, after decades of manufacturing modes of transportation like B-24 bomber planes during World War II and GM vehicle parts.

Its parking lots and building remained empty for several years following GM leaving the site.

September 2013: Connected vehicle research center slated for former Willow Run plant

Walbridge Development LLC says it will buy most the Willow Run property to create a connected vehicle research center. Demolition begins a month after the purchase is announced, but the property remains devoid of development for several years.

January 2016: Planned connected vehicle facility at Willow Run years in the making

Gov. Rick Snyder announces the state of Michigan is planning to purchase and redevelop the former General Motors Willow Run Powertrain plant into a testing site for autonomous vehicles during his state of the state address.

What the American Center for Mobility is:

The American Center for Mobility (ACM) is a joint initiative of the State of Michigan, including the Michigan Department of Transportation, the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor SPARK and the Michigan Economic Development Corp.

It is led by CEO John Maddox, the former assistant director of the University of Michigan Mobility Transformation Center, which operates U-M's connected vehicle research facility called MCity. He was selected in March 2016.

July 2016: State approves $17M loan for autonomous vehicle site at Willow Run

The Michigan Strategic Fund approves a $17 million loan for the planned connected and autonomous vehicle site at the former Willow Run site, for design and construction of research facilities at the American Center for Mobility.

September 2016: MDOT proposes $10 million U.S. 12 project to improve safety near Ypsilanti

ACM officials talk with township residents at a community meeting hosted by the Michigan Department of Transportation, to discuss possible changes to neighboring U.S. 12 and Wiard Road. Those changes could include turning the one-way boulevards of Wiard Road and U.S. 12 from Ecorse Road to Wiard into two-way roads.

There is a request by ACM to use the deserted traffic lanes as a practice route for automated vehicles, to create a 2.5-mile loop and use existing structures to go under or over the proposed U.S. 12. CEO John Maddox called it "an incredible amount of infrastructure" during the meeting.

November 7, 2016: Property purchased for automated, connected vehicle site at Willow Run

ACM officially purchases property for its autonomous and connected vehicle testing facility. The 311 acres were previously owned by Revitalizing Auto Communities Environmental Response (RACER) Trust.

It was purchased for $1.2 million by Willow Run Arsenal of Democracy Landholdings Limited Partnership, which will lease the property to the American Center for Mobility.

November 10, 2016: Autonomous vehicle bills cruise to Gov. Rick Snyder's desk

Gov. Rick Snyder signed bills into law that, among other things, allows automated vehicle to operate on Michigan streets and highways and broaden what's allowed on roads within mobility research centers like ACM.

November 18, 2016: Township expects jobs, tax boost in Willow Run autonomous car center

Township officials discuss the economic boost they expect in relation to ACM's takeover of the Willow Run site, including an addition of 1,400 jobs and up to $500,000 in new revenue on an annual basis.

November 21, 2016: Old bomber factory celebrated as new test site for automated vehicles

Gov. Rick Snyder, along with state and local officials, visits Willow Run for a ground-breaking ceremony and talks the importance of autonomous vehicles for Michigan's future.

"We will be safer on the roads," Snyder said. "We will be using our infrastructure in smarter, better ways than ever before."

November 22, 2016: State OKs automated vehicle test site near Ann Arbor as Renaissance Zone

A new testing facility for automated and connected vehicles in Ypsilanti Township has been designated a Renaissance Zone by the Michigan Strategic Fund, with an estimated $1.85 million in property taxes abated on an annual basis.

The Renaissance Zone designation is for a 15-year time span, with property taxes partially offset by a Payment in Lieu of Taxes agreement between Ypsilanti Township, Willow Run Arsenal of Democracy Landholdings Limited Partnership and The American Center for Mobility.

January 5, 2017: AT&T partnering with automated vehicle testing facility in Ypsilanti Township

ACM announces AT&T as its exclusive cellular network provider through 2020, a partnership announced Wednesday night, Jan. 4, at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

AT&T's work will include enhancing network security, connecting features for vehicle communication and connecting self-driving technologies like automatic braking, lane keep assist and automatic windshield wipers to the network.

January 20, 2017: Michigan connected vehicle test site named national proving ground

ACM's future testing facility is named one of 10 national proving grounds by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

What's next for Willow Run and ACM: WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff, a New York-based engineering services company, was awarded a design contract to develop a concept for ACM's testing facility and the technology intended for the site, according to Maddox.

A construction schedule is being finalized with a goal of having the testing facility open December 1, 2017. Some work has already begun on renovating buildings on the site to be reused as maintenance facilities or route features.

ACM recently submitted preliminary site plans for Phase 1 of the testing facility to the Ypsilanti Township's Planning Commission.



"We think that we've got a great team that no one else can even come close to matching at this point," Maddox said.