Michigan Central Station

I hope to get an answer myself. I heard that the project for MCS was killed off. Hopefuly it's not true or if it is something more effective in terms of 100% restoration is in full works

What is the status of the restoration goign on with MCS? I was told that either the Detroit Police Dept or the Michigan State Police was supposed to have it resotred and it would be their headquarters but the project was killed. Is this true? If so then is there another project in the works that's more effective at 100% full restoration of this pice of history?

I only hope this and BCT wil lbe restored soon before it's too late. Atleast tours are bign held in BCT and moneys is slowly commign in plus there are active historic groups dedicated to save the place plsu awarness is there. Unfortionatly I don't think MCS has that support.

Well they have a ton of work to do when I saw it this summer it look like a bomb went off in it.

John

Detroit's mayor announced a few months ago that this would be the new headquarters for the Detroit Police Dept. Unfortunately this was before he had the o.k. from the Detroit City Council. I don't think the latter has voted on this yet although I haven't been paying as much attention to this as I should. Frankly I don't see this happening--the city has no money and a restoration of this station is going to take an absolute mountain of money. It is an absolute mess (I'm being kind) and getting worse as time ticks on.

Gee i wonder how much its going to cost to replace all the windows in that place. Its such a shame to see a building like that just rot away and deteriorate. I wonder who is at fault here.

You can blame the gangs and those hoodlums. (the ones on the street liek the Bloods, Crypts, Latin Kings,etc) and then the ones in city Hall who let their history go to waste alogn with their city while they maanged to take care of themselves and seeign roses depsite the fact that Detriot looked like something out of the Kurt Russell Movie Escape From NY. If Kurt Russel were to revive the character Snake Pliskin to film another Escape Movie Detriot would be it.

NYC can pick themselves out of the slump Dinkins and his cronies did and atleast th City of Los Angeles is trying along with Atlanta and St Louis but for some reason Detriot with the exception of DTW International and The Ambassadoor Bridge they just don't want to do it. Even comming through DTW's Main terminal the place is a total dump. Hell JFK's 50's/60s era terminals weren't that bad pryor to the PANY/NJ facelift of the place.

Add Detroit's bus terminal to the list of what you don't want to show a visitor.

Kinlock, My father and his brother went through that Terminal to pick up and old firend of theirs and they told me the palce was a combonation of a structure transpalnted fro mthe movie Escape from NY. They actually thought that there was no worse place then the Port Authority Bus Terminal in NYC during the Dinkins era...Boy were they shocked. They really felt bad for the Greyhound and city bus workers that had to put up with that crap going on there. I was suprised that the National Guard with M-16s and M-4s didn't surround the place.

Add the Milwaukee Amtrak Station a place that you don't want to show visitors dumpy. Also the MC Central Terminal is in Sad Shape I've seen it.

John

NJTRailfan wrote:You can blame the gangs and those hoodlums. (the ones on the street liek the Bloods, Crypts, Latin Kings,etc) and then the ones in city Hall who let their history go to waste alogn with their city while they maanged to take care of themselves and seeign roses depsite the fact that Detriot looked like something out of the Kurt Russell Movie Escape From NY. If Kurt Russel were to revive the character Snake Pliskin to film another Escape Movie Detriot would be it.

Boy you could say that again My Dad won't even stay in Down Town on Business.

John

It looked like a Bomb went off in it when I saw it.

John

Amtrakfan, I'll bet your dad was shocked about DTW when he steppd off the plane. Even that Main terminal is a horrible throw back to the 60s. I felt sorry for the passengers who slept there for days after Northwest and the airlines in and out were shutdown due to the blizzard. With an airline having a hub there it's no wonder why they are called Northworst.

Does anyone have pictures of the Milwaukee Station? I've never seen it beofre. I hope you have then/now pics. If so can soemone please post them.

It can't be no where near as bad as MCS. Atleast with Buffaloo thigns aren't that bad and some restoration/construction has taken plact with BCT and there is a restoartio ngroup incharge that has fixed the clocks alogn with a few of the lower floors and the main waiting room/concourse areas. MCS isn't anywhere near that.

Hopefully what took place with King St Station in Seattle will take palce for BCT and MCS along with Milwaukee

Let's try to stay on topic? The subject at hand is Detroit's Michigan Central Station.

-otto-

The plan fell through, not surprisingly, because of the poor material condition of the building and the fact that the neighbourhood is so unsafe, even the police didn't like going there! That, and the fact that the city of Detroit doesn't have the money to do the job.

It's a pity because it was a really attractive building in its day. I was last there in 1978 by which time it was already an almost abandoned hulk, though a majestic one. It would be nice if a group came forward to renovate the building but that looks like a pipe dream. A group in has been very active in the restoration efforts at Buffalo Central Terminal so perhaps there is something to be learned. Time will tell.

cheers,
Ori
va3ori - va3xw

You know what, this is weird, I'm actually on vacation in Detroit right now until the 27th & I wanted to check out that station to take pics, but when I went last Saturday night, I hardly got a view because the Detroit Police were there, along with the media, I'll see if I can try again next week, I hope they didn't mess with it a lot, but maybe it will stand & I could take some pics before I leave.