Awesome thread. Thanks for the updates Gary. Makes me want to buy a Ford.
The Continuing Saga of the Michigan Central Station
The owners of Detroit brewpub Traffic Jam & Snug are angling to open a new restaurant in the shadow of Michigan Central Station — and it’s inside a really old barn. Scott Lowell and Carolyn Howard are hoping to reassemble a 130-year-old West Michigan barn on a property at the corner of 14th and Dalzelle streets in Corktown and put a restaurant and events space inside it, the Detroit Free Press reports.
Lowell and Howard apparently hatched the pastoral project back in 2014 when they acquired the 1.5-acre property on the east side of the vacant train station for a mere $250,000. Today, thanks to the recent acquisition of the station by Ford Motor Company for a new Detroit campus that land is probably worth a whole lot more.
Details of the barn restaurant and events space tentatively dubbed Kith and Kin Kelly are still getting worked out, but the pair estimate that the reassembling and renovation will cost around $3 million. The pair also have some city hurdles to jump including getting a portion of the property rezoned for a restaurant business. Questions have also been raised about the barn’s juxtaposition against the architecture of Michigan Central Station.
Source: AP • Detroit Free Press & Eater Detroit Magazine • August 3, 2018
Gary: Rail-fan
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The Continuing Saga of the Michigan Central Station
Update: September 18, 2018
To learn more: Click here. / Source: Detroit Free Press, Sept. 18, 2018
Gary: Rail-fan
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“A Leap of Faith” Bill Ford Says, September 19, 2018
As Ford Motor Company hashes out its plans to transform Michigan Central Station – an historic, long-disused train station in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood – into the central hub of its new Detroit campus, the automaker admits that purchasing the asset wasn’t without risk.
“We’re in a war for talent,” Executive Chairman Bill Ford said at the Crain Communications Detroit Homecoming event last Wednesday, explaining why the automaker ponied up the cash for such an expensive property. The automaker has to compete with firms in prime locations around the country for the best, most qualified young talent. Having such an iconic piece of property serving as a workspace is seen as an important asset that could do the trick.
“It is a little bit of a leap of faith to look at it now and then say in four years this is going to be amazing, but actually, it is going to be amazing,” he said. “We should reinvent mobility here. Not in Silicon Valley.”
Click here: To learn more
Source ‘Ford Authority Magazine’ Sept. 19, 2018
Gary: Rail-fanning from the Motor City
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Isn't ford looking for 350 Million in local, county, and state aid for this also?
Likely. But they hit us up for stadiums as well. This beats a lot of other things we could or have helped pay for, and Ford's is a pretty good company when it comes to community. It will do the area a world of good imo.
It needs more than just "a remodel". Everything from traffic patterns to emergencies likely needs to be rethought as the area had changed a lot since it was built.
What does this have to do with the O Gauge Forum ? We're talking about a real estate developmet only preipherally related to railroads. It's all about the Michigan Central Railroad Office Building that was built above the station and has nothing to do with the station itself, except for railroad officials working close to where they could get on a train.
mlaughlinnyc posted:What does this have to do with the O Gauge Forum ? We're talking about a real estate developmet only preipherally related to railroads. It's all about the Michigan Central Railroad Office Building that was built above the station and has nothing to do with the station itself, except for railroad officials working close to where they could get on a train.
That is why this topic is in the "Real Trains" section, where we talk about things like.... real trains, things relates to real trains (stations, old buildings, etc..)
I hope the voters of the area look very closely at helping Ford in this project. The company has, from what I have read, about $ 15 BILLION in the bank.........
This is an amazing story. I was in Grand Central Station for the first time in years this summer and thought about how close that station came to being demolished. Preserving, rather than paving over, history can be inspirational. Well, at least the good parts of history. I really hope this helps in some small way the long-suffering city of Detroit as well.
I, for one, am thrilled that Ford is investing in the future of the 'Motor City.' They could have easily moved to NYC, or other regions. This is home for Ford. This building represents all the things that have gone wrong in the region over the last 7 decades. Traveling in the region via transit is nearly extinct. I rarely allow my imagination to explore what the future of Detroit might include, but somehow this project gives me great hope.
If the building really does get restored (by any means necessary) has the potential to re-invigorate the region in a major way.
The Michigan Central Station. The continuing sage, with a sidebar story. Gordie Howe International Bridge will open to traffic in late 2024
A rendering of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, a cable-stayed design with the longest main span in North America, at 853 meters (about 933 yards), and with towers rivaling the height of the Renaissance Center in Detroit. It was revealed in July 2018.
(Photo: Bridging North America, Bridging North America)
After years of guesses and ballpark estimates, we finally have firm schedule and cost estimates for the planned Gordie Howe International Bridge. After years of guesses and ballpark estimates, we finally have firm schedule and cost estimates for the planned Gordie Howe International Bridge.As announced Friday morning in Windsor, the bridge will cost $5.7 billion (Canadian), or about $4.4 billion in current U.S. dollars. Of that total, about two-thirds will pay to build the bridge, the inspection plazas in Windsor and Detroit, and the interchange with I-75 in southwest Detroit.
The other third of the total cost will pay for operating and maintaining the bridge for decades to come.The official construction schedule now predicts the bridge will open to traffic in late 2024 after a roughly six-year construction period.
Source: Detroit Free Press, Sept. 28, 2018
Background information.
The Moroun family's sold the The Michigan Central Station to the Ford Motor Company for 90 million dollars. It has been said they needed these funds to block the Gordie Howe Bridge. The Moroun family’s also owns the Ambassador Bridge, witch connects Detroit, Michigan, USA to Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
The Family’s called: Manuel Moroun, Detroit International Bridge Company. Ambassador Bridge. This company has been to several courts trying to block the Gordie Howe Bridge over the past several years.
August 10. 2018 Wayne County Circuit Court Chief Judge Robert Colombo Jr. advanced the effort to build the Gordie Howe International Bridge this past week when he dismissed attempts by the Moroun family's Detroit International Bridge Company to block seizure of Moroun-owned land in Detroit's Delray district.
Railroad Freight Train Traffic
The Michigan Central Railway Tunnel is a railroad tunnel under the Detroit River connecting Detroit, Michigan, in the United States with Windsor, Ontario, in Canada. The US entrance is south of Porter and Vermont streets near Rosa Parks Boulevard. The Railway Tunnel opened July 26, 1910 and it owned by: Canadian Pacific Railway.
Gary: Rail-fanning from the Motor City
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It's overdue that they didn't just fold to them again.
The Ambassador would be laying in the water before their enterprise would have built new IMO. They had decades of time to do it themselves. IMO, I.e. they wanted the rights, but didn't want to reinvest in keeping it that way. Just like the plans of the past for the Middle Central building, they dragged thier feet for over the top deals till things got dropped.... and were somewhat neglectful to use and maintain the facilities and community to their potential. Fords's track record is a little better to say the least.
There will be a lot of ways across till the old bridge does finally retire. There is still the daytime automobile tunnel too.
Keeping pilings out of the water has got to be saving tons of money; the current of the Detroit River is no joke. The first international crossing, 1800s Michigan Central RR from Grosse Isle to Stoney Island to Canada got washed out from ice flow the first winter it saw. It would have awesome to see that type of aquatic infrastructure work being done here again.
Michigan is a cool place for bridges. The most bascules, lots of lifts and swings, the Golden Gate's increadibly long twin structure
the Mackinaw Bridge,
The Ambassador of course, now Gordie's, and countless smaller ones really. A pretty diverse collection.
The MC rail tunnel was first, before the car tunnel, and also used 3rd rail electric steeple cabs to shuttle the loads between Detroit and Ontario. Coal burning in the tunnel would have been a "little smokey" 
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A special light show for the North American Auto Show at Michigan Central Depot
Detroit, Michigan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0oYO30Ir_E
The Michigan Central Depot has a light show for the Auto Show in Detroit.
Gary: Rail-fanning from Detroit, my home town.
That was quite the magic show!
Oooh! Aaah!..... Do-it-again! Do-it-again! 
Like CUT another great Central edifice hosting a fantastic modern light show.
CUT? .... Discontinue? .....CUTransit? ...Edit?
...Or a statement that it's "Photoshopped"?
CUT = Cleveland Union Terminal.
Let's take a closer look at the Michigan Central Depot • Light Show...........
Gary: Rail-fanning from Detroit • My Hometown
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That was a fantastic light show.
Amtrak may be going to Toronto, Canada via Michigan Depot 🇨🇦
Midwesterners may have a one-seat ride to Canada if Amtrak gets federal funding to add passenger service between Detroit and Toronto — a move that could take cars and buses off the roads and strengthen ties between the industrial Midwest and our neighbor to the north.
Amtrak floated its proposal to extend its 304-mile Wolverine Line into Ontario last Thursday during the Michigan Rail Conference at Michigan State University. The new line would give Michigan business leaders, commuters, and tourists another option to get to Toronto beyond driving four hours on Canadian highways.
“For many of our regional routes, our primary competition is the automobile,” Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari told Streetsblog. “As anyone who has driven between here in Chicago and Toronto over the years including me knows, there has to be a better way than slogging across I-94 (and I-69) and then the 401 (or 402).”
The initiative, which does not yet have a price tag, would consist of the construction of a new facility to process passports at the Michigan-Canadian border and track upgrades on the Canadian side. Once the train crossed the border, it would run as a Via Rail Canada corridor line to Toronto, according to the plan.
Source Google News, AP & Streetsblog USA: https://usa.streetsblog.org/20...-detroit-to-toronto/
They are studying all the options at this time. The way we have to go now is to drive to Windsor, Ontario and catch the Canadian "VIA Rail Train" to Toronto.
Gary
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Let’s Go Rail-fanning • Michigan Central Station
In this video from my YouTube Channel we will be visiting the Michigan Central Station also known as Michigan Central Depot.
Gary 🚂
If I owned Ford stock, I would question this project. For that kind of money, F could build a brand new tech building plug and play for the digital world and maybe completely upgrade a car plant for the same amount of money.
And does it not get cold in the winter. That building will cost a lot to heat. A really good idea with a POTUS named Joe? And would tallent even think of going up there?
The tallent F needs can be found in places like the central I35 Corridor in TX. A rocket man is building a car plant there.
Thank u, Gary!
Peter
Good stuff Gary, nice to see the progress!
Gary, what is the origin of the Michigan Central logo your using with the maple leaf? I believe the maple leaf was used by Grand Trunk and Canadian National.
MCRR had an operating agreement with the Canadian Southern RR and ran from Detroit through Windsor and on to Buffalo, NY. They also used the phrase "the Niagara Falls route". That might explain the Canadian influence in that logo
Steve
@MichRR714 posted:Gary, what is the origin of the Michigan Central logo your using with the maple leaf? I believe the maple leaf was used by Grand Trunk and Canadian National.
This logo, is a modern logo for the Michigan Central RR. I was told by a fellow YouTuber this shirt maybe available at Durand Station or other online stores.
Hope this helps. Gary
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Dominic,
As to why an automaker would invest in renovating the station I share your basic concern, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic is illustrating how much can get done remotely -- without large office buildings and dedicated real estate, particularly of the old and run-down variety.
With all due respect though, you're speaking from experience that is apparently filled with many impressions, all assembled remotely, but few hard local facts. You're implying that:
1.) Ford currently has no talent.
2.) The Detroit area has no talent and is incapable of attracting or cultivating any.
3.) Ford is renovating MC station purely to attract talent.
3.) Ford would be better off moving to central Texas to find its talent.
4.) Because a wild-eyed rocket man, who is also "car manufacturer", found good talent there.
If you're considering visiting Detroit in the near future send me an e-mail (see my profile). I'd be happy to take you on a tour highlighting our capabilities -- so that you can see for yourself the hard facts on all of the above.
By the way, I love central Texas. Three of my all-time favorite small towns are New Braunfels, Seguin and Buda, each with a slightly different take on railroad history; and because of San Antonio and Austin, the entire area is definitely filled with good technical talent.
Now, can we get back to trains please?
Mike
P.S. Thanks Gary for the update!
Gary, I don't believe the herald your using is accurate for reference to Michigan Central Depot or the New York Central.
I believe it to be the logo for this private 7 1/2" gauge railroad.
Progress on the Michigan Central Station continues. Ford is looking to add a hotel to the top floors of the station.
