DETROIT - What was once a prominent symbol of Detroit’s urban decay is now a worldwide model and stunning visual example in achievement. Once one of the grandest depots in the entire world, the previously abandoned Michigan Central Station has been painstakingly restored to its 1913 glory. We are getting our first look inside this majestic building ahead of the first public tours being offered beginning this weekend.
Public interest to see inside Michigan Central has been so immense, the website crashed as people tried to register for the free grand opening concert on June 6 and building tours. Let’s first rewind back to 2018 . That was the last time MLive and other journalists saw what three decades of decay, neglect and vandalism had done inside the vacant structure.
That’s when Ford purchased the property and announced it would bring new life into the iconic building. The work would be lengthy and arduous. Six years and 3,100 skilled-trade workers dedicating more than 1.
7 million combined hours later, the Station looks as close to what it looked like when it first opened 111 years ago. “This is probably the most challenging and rewarding project I’ve ever worked on and I would say that’s also true for a lot of the construction and trades people who worked on the project,” said Melissa Dittmer, Head of Place (Planning, design, construction and development of places and spaces) at Michigan Central. “We had a lot of people retire after working on this project .
