VAN BUREN TWP. – Here comes the neighborhood.

Visteon Corp., one of the world’s largest automotive suppliers, has taken an unusual approach to the construction of its new world headquarters.

They’re not erecting a traditional, imposing high-rise glass tower favored by many corporations. Instead, Visteon, general contractor Walbridge-Aldinger and the building trades are in the process of erecting a new campus of low-rise buildings on a sprawling 265-acre site in Van Buren Township. They’re building an office village – Visteon Village – where about 4,000 employees will go to work every day.

“We’re building mostly offices, conference rooms, a few labs, but no residential,” said Walbridge-Aldinger Project Engineer Jerry Hubbard, who is working with the Walbridge Project Executive Bill Grubnau and Project Director Bill Lorelli. “It’s pretty conventional construction, and it will be a nice place to work when we’re finished.”

Located east of I-275 and south of Ecorse Rd., Visteon Village is being built atop an old gravel quarry, and will consolidate employees who are currently located 15 in facilities in Southeast Michigan. The buildings will stand next to a 37-acre lake.

“We will gain by having essential customer and business activities co-located, and we are able to do it at less cost than we are spending on those activities today,” said Mike Johnston, Visteon President and Chief Operating Officer. Visteon said its new digs, which are scheduled for occupation at the end of this year, will provide “employees, supplier partners and visitors… an energized atmosphere designed to encourage creativity, collaboration and innovation.”

The headquarters complex will include about 870,000 square-feet of buildings – none of them higher than five stories – with a town center at the heart of the complex. There are nine buildings, all of them named with letters. The buildings’ exteriors will be a mix of stone, brick and glass. The buildings will feature pitched roofs, dormers, chimneys and terraces. Space will be dedicated to customer meetings and events, with additional facilities for training, an employee cafeteria and product displays.

Office buildings and laboratories will be located on either side of “Main Street” where employees can gather for work and recreation. The lobby entrances to each of the buildings face Main Street, which will include trees, sidewalks, benches and outdoor meeting places for employees. Each Visteon customer will have a confidential area within the campus dedicated to developing systems and technologies.

“We were excited by the challenge of creating a village that combined the community feel of a Michigan small town along with facilitating the workflow and processes of a global organization,” said David King, chairman, SmithGroup, architect/engineer for Visteon Village.

Visteon said its new employees, supplier partners and visitors “will experience an energized atmosphere designed to encourage creativity, collaboration and innovation.”

There are about 570 building trades workers on the project, a number which should remain steady over the next few months. Visteon employees are expected to be moving into their new digs at the end of this year.

DOWN ON 'MAIN STREET' at Visteon Village, Bill Ritchie and Chris Doty of Sheet Metal Workers Local 80 and Crown Core install galvanized flashing around a door opening.

VISTEON VILLAGE is being constructed by the building trades and Walbridge-Aldinger in Van Buren Township atop an old gravel quarry and next to a 37-acre lake.