MICHIGAN CENTRAL STATION

Built in 1914, it is one of the city's great symbols. Imposing in both size and style, until recently it reflected Detroit's lost splendor. Its Beaux-Arts style was designed by Warren & Wetmore and Reed & Stern, who also designed New York's Central Station. However, this superb station suffered a sad fate, largely due to its location. The architects of the project wanted it off-center, in order to develop the Corktown neighborhood. But the Great Depression of 1929, and later the elimination of the city's streetcars, which allowed residents to travel to the station, precipitated its closure. At the end of the Second World War, its owners tried to sell it, but found no buyers. In 1970, the Amtrak rail company decided to resume operating the station, but only for a short time. In 1988, the last train left the Michigan Central Station platforms, leaving the station abandoned, although it was acquired by the Moroun family in the 1990s. Only a small amount of work has been carried out, including the installation of new windows on the building, pending a full-scale renovation. In 2009, the town council even passed a resolution calling for its demolition. Purchased in 2018 by Ford Motor Company, the building underwent a complete restoration faithful to the period, and was inaugurated with great fanfare when it reopened in June 2024 with a most memorable outdoor concert.