Crain’s is reporting that Ford Motor Company is currently negotiating with the Moroun family to purchase the long-abandoned Michigan Central Station. It’s speculated that a deal could be announced as early as next month.
The Michigan Central Station has an interesting story. Construction began in 1910 to build the station in what is now the Corktown section of Detroit. It was to replace the downtown train depot at Jefferson and Third Avenues. The steel and brick edifice took three years to build and was to be dedicated on January 4th, 1914. A fire at the old depot nine days before the dedication forced the new station into use early.
The last train to leave the station departed on January 5th, 1988. For 74 years the Michigan Central Station served the residents of Michigan and beyond. For a complete history of the remarkable building read Dan Austin’ article published by HistoricDetroit.org. follow this highlighted link to Dan’s fine journalistic effort.
If the deal concludes this will be Ford’s second major investment in Corktown. Read our report on Ford’s move of its autonomous vehicle, electric vehicle business, and strategy teams to the complex known as the Factory.
Kudos to Ford for Preserving a Historic Monument in Downtown Detroit.
Thankfully, despite significant pressure to do so, the building was not demolished. Even though it has sat vacant for 30 years. The Michigan Central Station is one of the beautiful examples of early 20th-century architecture. If Ford is able to negotiate the purchase a valuable part of Detroit’s history will be preserved for future generations to admire.
