From decay to dazzling, Ford restores grandeur to Detroit train station that once symbolized decline

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

DETROIT (AP) — The once-blighted monolithic Michigan Central train station — for decades a symbol of Detroit’s decline — has new life following a massive six-year, multimillion-dollar renovation to create a hub for mobility projects in the rebirth of the Motor City.

The hulking, scavenger-ravaged structure that ominously shadowed the city’s Corktown neighborhood is now home to Ford Motor Co. and the centerpiece of a sprawling 30-acre (12-hectare) mobility innovation district.

The building’s first tenant, Google’s Code Next Detroit computer science education program, is expected to move in by late June. Grand opening ceremonies include an outdoor concert on Thursday, with tours for the public starting Friday.

“The train station ... it is perhaps the most powerful story in Michigan of the power of historic renovation,” Detroit Regional Chamber President and Chief Executive Sandy Baruah said. “To turn something that was blight into something that is hugely attractive and is an anchor as opposed to a deficit is huge.”

https://apnews.com/article/michigan-central-train-station-detroit-ford-mobility-49c55d18ee0b377fa54c70f389168639

[OAITW r.2.0]

1. Worth watching the video at the source. Glad to see Ford investing in Detroit.

[sinkingfeeling]

2. Beautiful renovation.

[3Hotdogs]

3. Do any trains go there now?

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

4. No, and there are no specific plans to restart rail service there.

Just coy hints. Well, not at this time. Maybe.

So, no.

I boarded a train there in 1966, along with a few hundred of my fellow draftees, heading for Louisville and basic training. At the time, I didn't really appreciate the architectural grandeur. Perhaps my mind was elsewhere.