Posted: July 8, 2009 at 11:22 pm | Tags: Business, Detroit, Election, History, mcs, Michigan Central Station, Nature, security, train, updates, Volunteer, work
The following is being re-posted with permission of John Mohyi, the chap heading up the efforts at Michigan Central Station. I’m glad to report that great progress is being made, ideas are coming into the fold, and more people are getting involved.
Since our strategic grassroots restoration effort to save the Michigan Central Station (MCS) began on June 30th 2009 volunteers have eliminated nearly three dumpsters worth of debris, planted over 1,000 flowers, and inspired a sense of hope in the heart of Detroit.
I have been working closely with the station owners, students, residents, businesses, elected officials, organizations, and volunteers to secure the future of the station. Many individuals have come out of the woodwork and needless to say we could never have made it this far without them.
To me the Michigan Central Station is a symbol for the city of Detroit. At one point it was known for its greatness and then slowly it slipped away into the decrepit state that exists today. It seems as if the more debris we remove from the building, the more corrupt and incompetent politicians we remove from office in the city of Detroit. After we remove the debris is when the real work begins.
After this Friday, July 10th, the MCS project will move into its next phase. In addition to various skilled volunteers, Home Depot corporate has expressed interest in sponsoring our efforts by providing equipment and professional volunteers to help us achieve our objectives. Assuming everything goes according to plan it will not be very long until the station comes to life. For this part of the volunteer effort we will need volunteers who are 18 and older with a decent background in construction.
Once the building is safe and secure, we will need skilled artists to help with the aesthetics of the building. I envision the second main room with the metal roof as a giant mural. As you can imagine this will be an enormous project and the College of Creative Studies (CCS) will likely play a key role.
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Posted: July 4, 2009 at 5:54 pm | Tags: Amtrak, Business, Corktown, Danger, Deroit International Bridge Company, Detroit, Economics, facebook, Historical, internet, Job, Matty Moroun, Michigan Central Station, Police, Politics, security, Summer in the City, train, Volunteer, work
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To all that are finding this page through a link, there is an update on what’s happened with more information and insight here. So once you’re done, check it out.
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There’s something brewing over at the Michigan Central Station train depot in southwest Detroit. The depot sits as a gateway in between Corktown and Mexicantown. While Mexicantown is picking up somewhat, Corktown is still experiencing the economic hit of the Tiger Stadium loss when the team moved to Comerica Park in 2000. The station is one of the first things you notice when you cross the Ambassador Bridge from Canada into the United States, and there’s no question that while it’s an architectural masterpiece, it remains a tremendous eye sore and a black mark for the city.
On April 7th, the City of Detroit decided it was time for the building to come down, and entirely too many people disagree with that decision. So with the help of Wayne State student John Mohyi, state Senator Cameron Brown, Dan Stamper and the Detroit International Bridge Company (who owns not just the Ambassador bridge but the Train Station as well), an effort was put underway to try and find a use for this iconic relic of Detroit’s past.
Numerous times since Amtrak moved out in the late 1980s, there have been proposed solutions for what to do with the building.
- Before the Casinos opened in Detroit (Greektown, the MGM Grand, and Motor City Casino), MCS was a possible location for a casino / hotel.
- There were talks of it being an IT hub for the massive cables that connect the internet between Windsor, Ontario and Detroit.
- The Kwame Kilpatrick Administration pitched the idea of using it as a police headquarters or FBI regional hub for the area.
All of these project ideas and more have fallen through, and the depot sits idle, with the exception of the urban exploration and the occasional movie shoot (such as the first Transformers film) or photo op. The razor wire around the front perimeter does little to deter visitors, and the cement rises up ever so as if to dare people to try and jump over it. This all despite the fact that the back of the building is completely and entirely wide open.
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