New windows are gleaming in contrast with the rest of the Michigan Central Station, but this doesn’t mean we are any closer to finding a purpose for this landmark.
Michigan Central Station (MCS) opened in 1913 to act as the primary passenger depot for the intercity after the older station had burned down on December 26, 1913.
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Unfortunately, after 75 years of operation, MCS was closed down in 1988 when the Amtrak service ended. Despite being shut down 27 years ago, the building still acts as a beautiful, though desolate landmark.
MCS has the potential to be restored to its former glory. Over the past five years, MCS has been undergoing some improvements, including the installation of an operational elevator that allows work to be done more efficiently, as the crew no longer has to climb the 18 flights of stairs.
What is probably the most noticeable improvement has been the addition of about 600 windows. Ken Carter, the superintendent of the project for the Moroun family's Detroit International Bridge Co. told the Detroit Free Press that he expects all the windows—nearly 1,100—to be installed by the end of the year.
Although there is an immense amount of work to be done, MCS is finally getting the attention it deserves. Still, it has yet been revealed what this building will be used for. As the restoration can be estimated to start at $100 million, MCS is no small investment. Whatever it will be used for, it would only make sense that its purpose will bring in enough revenue to cover these costs.
The cost of restoration may not be the only thing that keeps the restoration at a slow and steady pace.
Detroit is experiencing its own restoration as a whole. As each neighborhood of Detroit is revitalized, the gaps between each area are also improved seemingly one building at a time. It’s possible that the reason MCS isn’t close enough to the restored and busiest neighborhoods to provoke a speedier contraction.
Another possibility is that as each building is being restored, repurposed, or demolished, it’s impossible to predict what will be most needed from MCS. Office space, apartments, or even a casino are all options that would serve entirely different needs, and by choosing the wrong one, MCS may become as useless as it is today.
Regardless of the pace, progress is being made at MCS. The building in any state is so grand that it demands your attention. As it continues to be restored to the glorious Detroit landmark of its heyday, it stands as a reflection of the restoration of the city in which it resides.
