Ford MoCo Buys Derelict Michigan Central Station in Detroit

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stricklybojack

stricklybojack

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I spotted this building while crossing The Ambassador Bridge from Windsor back in 2000. I thought at the time that the building probably wouldn’t make it and here, almost 20 years later, someone is doing something about it. To loose it would be like loosing Penn Station in New York. A loss that disturbs some people to this day. They just don’t make buildings like this anymore and once they’re gone they’re gone forever.
 
My aunt & cousin from Maine visited us & by train--Aunty M even had a suitcase on wheels...

So, there was a train station like this here in Detroit, maybe even this very one we'd picked 'em up at...

And while "The Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'Em Like That Anymore)", by Greg Kihn and Tom Petty & Stevie Nicks' "Stop Dragging My Heart Around" played on the way home, I can't think of this tune being the perfect thing to hear in my head--:

--as I stared up at the arches, that this place seems to have the same of--and we dropped off those two, here, though the departing wasn't quite as memorable, though maybe that's where "I chose to forget"...

-- Dave

 
Wow this is awesome!

SUCH a beautiful building! Sad that it's been vacant/abandoned the last 30 years. Very happy to hear Ford is planning to repair/rebuild/develop it and some of the surrounding buildings into housing & retail space.

Just posted Monday, the thief that had stolen the clock face from the station, returned it and thanked Ford for "believing in Detroit"!

www.freep.com

Thief returns train station clock, thanks Ford for believing in Detroit

Thief leaves precise instructions about pickup, careful transportation of the stolen clock, urging Ford to take the timepiece home where it belongs.
www.freep.com

 
A bit of it's history;

Top floor or two were never finished, never occupied. I think it was meant to be another Detroit "new center" like area, (also called mid town) where the Fisher building and former GM buildings are. Yes, Detroit sort of had two down town's, but one is uptown.
As the locale surrounding it became more industrial, office use became more unnecessary there.
A Detroit American Lebanese business magnate and shipping expediter "Maddy Maroon" was the previous owner. He put the new windows in. Before, with no windows, it looked like a bombed out WW2 building in Berlin.
He also owns/owned the Ambassador bridge. He is in his 90's now. I doubt the children want it. The city wanted to force him to do something more with it, or raize it.
Down town is being renewed with money and efforts from Dan Gilbert of Quicken loans, Ford, The Little Caeser's Ilich family, Fiat/Chrysler, Compuware, etc. Next are the now brown and green fields which were old neighborhoods. Brush park is already underway, and a few mansions have been saved.
You can hire a pedal mobile which seats 4 to 5 abreast downtown, or ride the Q line to New Center. New venues include Shake Shack, Hard Rock cafe', and several other clubs, lounge/restaurants and small theatres. MGM Grand hotel/casino/ Greek town hotel and casino, as well as the brand new Little Caesers arena for the Red Wings. The Pistons are also moving there, and Joe Lewis arena will be raized for something new.
Between down town and the old train station is the Motor City casino/hotel, once a Wonder Bread bakery plant.
Well heeled young professional are moving into lofts, condo's, and new rentals.
Whole Foods opened a new store two years ago in New Center.
Not many visit Detroit for fun, at least not yet, other than the Henry Ford museum, and Greenfield Village.
Those have all of the history of the industrial revolution through WW2. There is also a nice historical museum near the Institute of Arts, between Mid town, and the medical center.
Change is possible when attitudes improve.
 
SO nice to see restorations take place.
I was in Detroit for my first time in January to visit friends in Ferndale and to go to the Auto Show.

I was impressed as we drove downtown how much restoration and revitalization is happening in Detroit.

The places I most recall enjoying was the Guardian Building and then seeing the work being done on Belle Island.
Can’t wait to go back to Detroit to do more sightseeing.
 
I have zero respect for the Maroon's, and just to be clear they were forced to put the windows in - they had no intention of doing anything.  Some of the biggest crooks in the region.


 

That aside I'm looking forward to seeing how this developers, though Hollywood has lost one of it's post-apocalyptic venues to shoot movies in.
 
I agree 100% Matt!

In fact, I was going to say that just now as well.
The Detroit/Windsor bridge authority is building a second new Gordy Howell bridge. Marroon is trying to stop it.
A replacement for the Ambassador bridge is still in the planning. Then the old one will have to be dismantled. The Marroon's don't want to be forced to do that either.
About Central Transport; I believe he bought that from the Thomas brothers, who were also Lebanese American. I knew them. One of the sons played in Harvey Fierstein's Torch Song Trilogy.
Anywho, my neighbor worked in the office at Central Transport for a short time about ten years ago. She does not have fond things to say about it.
Maddy Marroon brought in a political candidate, asked the employees to shake hands with him, and vote for him. Now my neighbor thinks that is coertion.
 
Movies?

There haven't been but a couple with a scene filmed here since the state took away the tax credit for studios in 2012. You'd think they'd get a clue from Pittsburgh.
Instead of bring in out of state and out of town money, they taxed every private pension, public also, and hiked vehicle registrations, and out gas tax. I guess they had to after all the jobs left from 2005 through 2008.
Heck, even the Grand Hyatt in Manhattan and his first tower on 5th. ave. and 57th. were done with tax abatements.
 

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