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Michigan Central Station prepares to reopen after 30 years: What we know

Michigan Central Station prepares to reopen after 30 years: What we know
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Michigan Central Station will open its doors in a few months after standing empty for more than 30 years.

The building announced its reopening this week, with a giant projection of the words “06-06-2024” appearing on its facade on Tuesday evening.

The station's highly anticipated reopening date is June 6, more than 30 years after it closed. The 15-story Corktown building opened in 1913 and was originally built as an office building, but fell into disrepair after it closed in 1988 and became a symbol of Detroit's decline.The station's highly anticipated reopening date is June 6, more than 30 years after it closed. The 15-story Corktown building opened in 1913 and was originally built as an office building, but fell into disrepair after it closed in 1988 and became a symbol of Detroit's decline.

The station’s highly anticipated reopening date is June 6, more than 30 years after it closed. The 15-story Corktown building opened in 1913 and was originally built as an office building, but fell into disrepair after it closed in 1988 and became a symbol of Detroit’s decline.

Built in 1913, Michigan Central Station served trains for nearly 75 years before officially closing in 1988.

The 15-story building became a famous symbol of architectural ruin pornography, symbolizing Detroit’s fall from an industrial giant to a city on the road to bankruptcy.

More: Detroit train station was a place where memories were made

Relapse: Once a crown jewel, now a symbol of ruin

Ownership structures in the past and present:

The Moroun family, which owns the Ambassador Bridge and thousands of properties throughout Detroit, bought Michigan Central out of a tax lien in 1995.

Suggestions for the building’s conversion ranged from a casino to the World Trade Center, but instead the building fell into disrepair and graffiti artists moved in and destroyed the facade with its 1,000 windows.

Chamberlain Glass & Metal of St. Clair will replace more than 1,000 broken windows at the old Michigan Central Station in Detroit.Chamberlain Glass & Metal of St. Clair will replace more than 1,000 broken windows at the old Michigan Central Station in Detroit.

Chamberlain Glass & Metal of St. Clair will replace more than 1,000 broken windows at the old Michigan Central Station in Detroit.

Ford Motor Co. paid $90 million for the building in 2018 and provided $740 million to redevelop the station and surrounding area.

Building renovations

Although most of the building’s specific renovations are kept secret, the station’s doors were opened a few times during the construction process, providing a small glimpse into Ford’s renovation process.

More than 20,000 people were able to admire Ford’s original renderings in the station hall during a sold-out tour in 2018.

The automaker, which received more than $200 million in city tax breaks to complete the project, studied the building’s original structure to preserve as much as possible and ensure a historically accurate renovation.

Original plans for residential units on the upper floors of the station were scrapped in favor of a hotel – but Ford must first rezone the property, which is currently not permitted for the construction of a hotel.

More: Ford hires former factory worker to paint Detroit train station

During a media tour in 2022, the Free Press learned of plans for a ground floor event space and ten floors of office space, as well as plans for the top three floors to house 100 future hotel rooms.

“The really cool thing is that this beautiful place is being completely restored and opened to the public,” board chairman Bill Ford told the Freep in 2018. “There will be restaurants, cafes, bars and shops. … We don’t just want to be this business that comes downtown. We want to be part of the fabric of Corktown.”

A carriage house behind the station will house the station’s iconic stolen clock, which was anonymously returned in 2018. And the tracks have been preserved in case passenger service resumes, a possibility Amtrak considered last November.

Improvements to surrounding properties

In spring 2023, the city completed a $6 million renovation of Roosevelt Park, the 13-acre green space along Michigan Avenue in front of the station. The new design will emphasize pedestrian accessibility, and the streets leading to the station have been permanently closed.

More: Ford receives calls to return stolen property at Detroit train station

In addition to Michigan Central, Ford also purchased three buildings – the Book Depository, the factory and a former brass factory – and built a parking garage, the Bagely Mobility Hub, to create his technology district.

In addition to Michigan Central, Ford completed renovations of the three-story Book Depository building in April 2023 and converted the former 1930s U.S. Post Office and Detroit Public Schools warehouse into Newlab, a modern workspace with a focus on technological innovation.

Michigan Central launches Newlab in the redesigned Book Depository (left) in Detroit on Tuesday, April 24, 2023.Michigan Central launches Newlab in the redesigned Book Depository (left) in Detroit on Tuesday, April 24, 2023.

Michigan Central launches Newlab in the redesigned Book Depository (left) in Detroit on Tuesday, April 24, 2023.

The building’s original first-floor atrium was designed by famed architect Albert Kahn and expanded into a central atrium that now spans all three floors above ground.

Interior shots of the Newlab in the former Book Depository at Michigan Central, which officially opens on Tuesday, April 25. The 25,000-square-foot building includes 185 square feet of exhibit space, a 200-seat event area, and a state-of-the-art robotics and prototyping facility.Interior shots of the Newlab in the former Book Depository at Michigan Central, which officially opens on Tuesday, April 25. The 25,000-square-foot building includes 185 square feet of exhibit space, a 200-seat event area, and a state-of-the-art robotics and prototyping facility.

Interior shots of the Newlab in the former Book Depository at Michigan Central, which officially opens on Tuesday, April 25. The 25,000-square-foot building includes 185 square feet of exhibit space, a 200-seat event area, and a state-of-the-art robotics and prototyping facility.

More: Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan relocate headquarters to Detroit

Built in 1907, the factory at 1907 Michigan Avenue once housed the Chicago Hosiery and Detroit-Alaska Knitting Mills factories. After renovations in 2018, Ford moved more than 200 employees into the building, which is designated for driverless technology initiatives.

An electric van makes demonstration runs and is charged by buried rubber panels like this one as it drives up and down 14th Street in Detroit outside the Newlab at the Michigan Central Building on Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023. A press conference was held at the building with members of the Michigan Department of Transportation, Michigan Central Building, Electreon and the Michigan Office of Future Mobility and Electrification to announce and talk about this stretch of road, which is the first road with inductive charging in the entire country.An electric van makes demonstration runs and is charged by buried rubber panels like this one as it drives up and down 14th Street in Detroit outside the Newlab at the Michigan Central Building on Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023. A press conference was held at the building with members of the Michigan Department of Transportation, Michigan Central Building, Electreon and the Michigan Office of Future Mobility and Electrification to announce and talk about this stretch of road, which is the first road with inductive charging in the entire country.

More: Detroit promotes first public street with wireless charging for electric vehicles in the USA

Ford demolished the former brass factory at 2051 Rosa Parks in 2019 after it was abandoned for environmental reasons. Plans for the vacant land have not yet been announced.

This article originally appeared in the Detroit Free Press: Michigan Central Station train depot Prepares to reopening: What we know

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