First proposed by Mayor Coleman Young as the Jefferson-Randolph Project in 1978, the Center was renamed for Robert L. Millender, an activist and lawyer, shortly after his death in November of that year.

[5] The complex was built rapidly using prefabricated components, an innovative technique pioneered by Forest City Dillon, allowing the addition of a new floor every two days.

[6] Ron Ratner, the company's executive vice president, claimed that it would be the tallest pre-cast concrete structure in the United States upon completion.

[7] During construction, artifacts over a century old, left by a previous owner, Jean Baptiste Ballenger, were discovered on the Millender Center grounds.

[12] Facing foreclosure, Forest City began leasing the Millender Center's hotel, parking garage, and retail space to General Motors in 1998.

[20][21] The seven-story atrium features a portrait of the Center's namesake, Robert L. Millender Sr., painted by distinguished Detroit artist Carl Owens, on its first floor.