"She just turned 80 in July," Bardelli said. Advocates and public officials have reason for concern that the future of automobiles may be a lot like its past with respect to how they’ll shape cities. Formally dedicated on January 4, 1914, the station remained open for business until the cessation of Amtrak service on January 6, 1988. The other major station of Detroit was the Fort Street Union Depot. DETROIT — Detroit’s former main train station, ... opened its first factory in Detroit in late 2019. Thousands of visitors got a peek into the future as well as a tribute to the past through a 3D light show projected on the 18-story building that once served as Detroit’s main train station. "Obviously, there has been a tremendous amount of investment by the city of Detroit, by the community through the Neighborhood Advisory Council and the community benefits agreement that was required by ordinance when Ford announced they were going to develop the train station," he said. "These small moments, it's a way to get interconnected by objects. And Ford is not going at Detroit nor autonomous driving alone. [citation needed] An ambitious project to connect the station to the Cultural Center via a wide boulevard was never realized. "We're so limited in what we can do physically now," he said. But Hackett insists that it is all of one strategic piece. The city's Roosevelt Park serves as a grand entryway to the station. "The plaster guys were plastered. [39][40], In December 2018 Ford began Phase I of the building restoration. Workers are now in the middle of Phase Two of the restoration of the station, the longest and most labor-intensive part of the project. Over the past two years, Ford made forays in ride-hailing and bikesharing services in San Francisco and autonomous vehicle testing in neighborhoods in Miami and Ann Arbor. It is also shown in the 2016 movie "Abattoir" as the exterior for a jail that houses the criminally insane. If there’s a lesson to be learned from the past, it’s about reconciling and finding the thing that makes you unique. The festival runs through Sunday, Jan. 27 and is open from 5:30 to 10 p.m. on Saturday and from 5:30 to 9 p.m. on Sunday. Ford began to see the possibilities in a lucrative urban environment that aligned with the company’s vision to become more than a carmaker. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. But to date, much of its makeover has been in pockets. In 2010, The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded $244 million in grants for high-speed rail upgrades between Chicago and Detroit. "For a lot of reasons, it makes sense for the future of Ford — attracting and keeping talent.". [5][43] Michigan Central was designed at the same time, and is seen as a spiritual twin to Grand Central in New York, as both were meant as flagship stations on Vanderbilt's rail lines, both were designed to have office towers in their original design concepts (though Grand Central's tower was never built), both have the same detailing, and were opened six months apart. Streets are already shared, of course, since they are public property. [28], On March 20, 2018, The Detroit News published an article noting the Ford Motor Company was in talks to buy the structure. Thief returns train station clock, thanks Ford for believing in Detroit, Ford receiving calls to return stolen Detroit train station property, Ford's Detroit train station dream: Hundreds of workers, cars of future, Detroit Public Schools Book Depository next to the train station, Ford's plan to defer government loan payments a 'concerning sign', Ford pumped 227,000 gallons of water out of Detroit train depot, thief who returned the train station's stolen clock to Ford, Ted Ryan, Ford's archivist and heritage brand manager, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Hackett is something of an automotive outsider. Few can forget the story of the thief who returned the train station's stolen clock to Ford with a message of gratitude. The biggest item of note being the main station clock. DETROIT -- With an 18-story light show and booming sound across Roosevelt Park, Ford Motor Co.'s vision for the long-vacant Michigan Central Station comes alive in Detroit’s Corktown. When he first imagined the feel of a restored station, Bill Ford drew inspiration from San Francisco, a source for coveted talent. Dan Stamper, president of Detroit International Bridge, noted that the station should have been used as one of the city's casinos. Immediately outside the shed were seven additional freight tracks. Over the past several years, a narrative of transformation has overtaken the city. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local.