Bye Bye Michigan Central Depot!!

[Bearinabox]

Can someone please tell me why this guy hasnt been in court over this building thus far?

Matty bought off the Kilpatrick clan a long time ago. Nothing was ever going to happen as long as there was a Kilpatrick in the mayor's office.

Why didnt/dont the city council take him to court? ??????

Maybe Matty bought them off too. Or maybe it just never occurred to them. Barbara-Rose Collins isn't exactly the brightest bulb in the drawer.

Demo'ing this building would be doing this bum a huge favor. And you guys are probably correct, he will never pay for it.

I completely agree. It's not hard to see why the city is broke if this is how we spend our money.

[Bcscott]

I don't understand the big rush? It's been vacant for two decades and now all of a sudden there's a clammoring for stimulus money to raze it. Just seems like the money could be better used. During Autorama weekend I took My friend and his wife from Virgina and one of his customers from Conneticuit to see the MCS. They were absolutely awestruck and bewildered that such a building could be left to rot.

[Rocko]

Check out this link... the photos might blow your mind:

http://onlyndetroit.com/html/decay/o...-all_abord.htm

[Todd_Scott]

Basically, he said... Anyone else have anything to offer? I'm intrigued by the Mayor's mention that his ultimate preference would be to see the building fixed up.

The Mayor also said that when City Council spoke of demo'ing the building some time ago, it seemed to spark more discussion about renovation -- a positive outcome. And he did bump into and briefly spoke with CenTra [[MCS owner) representatives during the Final Four. He didn't disclose anything else about that chance meeting.

[leland_palmer]

Dan Stamper on Frank Beckman

http://wjr.com/Article.asp?id=1263740&spid=6552

[dtowncitylover]

Jezzus people....The depot closed several years ago because it was NOT VIABLE as a train depot then. What makes some of you think it would work as a train depot now?

It's not that it wasn't viable, but service by then was only to Chicago, and not to New York, Cleveland, Toronto, AND Chicago like in the 1950s. Demand didn't meet all the space that MCS had. Also, by 1988 there was no streetcar link. I think that it can be viable again as a train depot for a high speed rail link between us and Chicago, for a streetcar link between downtown and the station, and a hub for commuter rail. It can work as a train depot because it is a train depot and that's all it was built for.

There needs to be a better train station than there is now, though.

[wolverine]

I don't understand the big rush? It's been vacant for two decades and now all of a sudden there's a clammoring for stimulus money to raze it. Just seems like the money could be better used. During Autorama weekend I took My friend and his wife from Virgina and one of his customers from Conneticuit to see the MCS. They were absolutely awestruck and bewildered that such a building could be left to rot.

It does need work now. I've noticed in the past two years decay has accelerated. It's a solid structure, but the cladding and ornamentation [[which make it valuable architecturally) will only remain attached so much longer.

Interesting point about your out of state friends. You aren't alone. And I hear few responses from people saying "Tear it down." Demolition is the answer when you completely give up and want it gone. But there's no reason to demolish it because it's not actually hurting anyone. I don't believe it's solely responsible for most of Detroit's negative criticisms, although it is subject of many documentaries on Detroit because it's so intriguing...that's a good thing. People from all over the world travel to see MCS. It gets more visitors per year than Moroun could ever imagine. If you calculate a very conservative number of daily visits the station receives over an entire year, and then multiply that number by at least $5, you would be able to purchase enough plexiglas to cover every window on the North building elevation...and that's just unauthorized entry. Imagine if it legally became open to the public if parts were stabilized. I really think the demand is there for it to become an attraction and eventually generate enough money to make repairs and clean the place up.

[Bcscott]

It must be getting too many visitors. My Virginia buddy was really eager to see the MCS so after I set up my car and he set up his bike at the show we went to check it out. There was a cop driving around the park so we went around back and down some sketchy access path off the street with a homeless guy camped out watching us. As we passed him I saw another cop car a little further off the trail watching us too. I've never seen the cops hanging out in front and back of the MCS. Later that evening his customer wanted to take us out to dinner so we all went to Slows. Seeing that place at night really creeped them all out, yet they still wanted to see it up close so we went back again and just stared at the facade.

[vintagesoul]

I adore the MCS, and will be sad to see it go -- but I propose a reasonable solution that may help the residents in Corktown, look good for the city, and allow the preservationists some degree of consolation. Preserve the front facade wall, remove the windows and doors, and expand Roosevelt Park onto the land where the concourse & mezzanine once stood. This radical solution would give Roosevelt Park a similar appearance as the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, where towering baroque columns and a huge atrium dominate a pleasant public space with trees & gardens. Our MCS facade would not be nearly the size of San Francisco's jewel, but it would give the area a much better appearance and actually be an asset to the community. This is the key here -- would we rather have a gravel lot where an architectural gem once stood, or a sculpture, a monument of what once stood, and a beautiful public park where residents & visitors can relax and enjoy the green space and views of the city & bridge. A true asset for the Corktown neighborhood, and Detroit.

This.

I think the land that the MCS sits on is invaluable - it's pretty much a potential focal point for "new" corktown. Essentially the corktown we know and love is expanding. Which is fantastic! Slow's is pretty much the end of that expansion, as well as the recently closed Mercury Coffee Bar. I think that expansion could literally continue, both from the corktown side and the Mexicantown side and meet up somewhere by the tunnels, theoretically of course. But this would be completely dependent on what happens there.

I think, and stop me if I sound crazy here, that the DPS warehouse needs to go if the MCS needs to go. In fact, I don't think they even need to ask anyone's permission to tear that down? Why don't they just go ahead and do that now...it would be nothing but an improvement.

There's so much potential for that area it's sickening. Wouldn't it be great to drive through there 20 years from now and talk about how crappy it used to be?

[Khartoum]

Each time I've went there, I've seen people continually stopping and taking pictures/gawking at the front gates. You don't realize how many people do it until you are there for a couple hours.

As for tearing down the Roosevelt Warehouse [[the book building next door), the city only has so much money for demolition each year; they're just seeing right now as an opportunity to tear down MCS because of Obama's handouts...sorry, stimulus. Where spending $10 million on tearing down one building is the best option for creating jobs and actually 'stimulating' the area.

[vintagesoul]

Khartoum, I agree there are TONS of people taking pics of that place...checking it out on a regular basis...etc. I see it too. It is an attraction there's no doubt about it. But it has the potential for so much more.

I realize there is only so much money for demo, but sometimes the city focuses so much energy on things that are not relevant - if the MCS has stood this long, then what is one more year? In the time between now and when any legal battles would be completed to force its demolition at the cost of MM, we could tear down a dozen other structures that are just in bad shape.

It gets repeated a lot here because it's true: the hundreds/thousands of condemned abandoned structures are the biggest contributor to the blight of our entire city.

I mean, let's go after MM to get the money up front, and while we're doing that take the stimulus money and put it into the neighborhoods. Then take down the MCS and put the icing on the cake - make that land into something great like the park idea mentioned earlier.

Let's start to close the gaps between the historical neighborhoods! They are part of the restoration of the city. They are alive and will only contribute good things as they continue to grow, so let's get some of the barricades out of the way - i.e., the Roosevelt Warehouse and the MCS. But it also supports the growth when structures within these neighborhoods are removed.

[jackie5275]

Thanks for posting this link. Fascinating photos. I imagine there was probably some difficulty when taking the 2008 to match up with the 1973 ones. This is the link I'm speaking about.
http://onlyndetroit.com/html/decay/o...-all_abord.htm

[jackie5275]

I have mixed emotions & many thoughts on demolition. I see it on a nearly daily basis as my work commute is Mich Ave.
I remember when in closed for good, my dad was reminiscing about how he had shipped out to the Marines from there in the early 1950s.
I remember taking my 5 y/o son there last summer to look at where part of the Transformers movie was filmed. We saw several others around there taking photos that day. I remember reading about an article last year that included an interview with someone from the Transformers production crew. This person talked about how it was perfect for filming apocolyptic scenes. I remember they said "You couldn't build a movie set to match this" for that kind of filming.
I read someone post their opinion on a freep.com message board that was something to the effect that Council wants to have it torn down because it represents "white history" of Detroit & that Council only wants to preserve the "black history" of Detroit. Considering the current Council, I think there is some validity to that opinion.
Other folks have also stated this is being done for political posturing by Council members. I think there's validity to that as well.
Some posters have cited the Book Cadillac & Fort Shelby as buildings that stood vacant awhile that were successfully rehabbed. True, I don't think they were as in bad of shape as the train station is now.
Part of me says demolition because it's too much of a mess to rehab, & I predict some urban explorer will get seriously hurt in there if left as is.
Part of me says keep it up for filmmaking purposes, but then again who benefits? I think Moroun.
Part of me says keep it up & use stimulus money in the neighborhoods where I think it would be more beneficially spent.
Part of me says what happened to the DPD HQ plan or the regional justice center plan?
All in all, I think this is grandstanding by the Council. Stamper is just trying to sound concerned to the media. Moroun is hiding behind the Nat'l Registery designation to avoid demolition. Nothing is going to happen.

[vintagesoul]

Thanks for posting this link. Fascinating photos. I imagine there was probably some difficulty when taking the 2008 to match up with the 1973 ones. This is the link I'm speaking about.
http://onlyndetroit.com/html/decay/o...-all_abord.htm

My friend said that the person who runs the site and did the shoot is planning on going back to take more photos, and to try and get the angles even closer.

I think it's such a great idea... very sad though to go through them all.

[Rocko]

At the moment, it IS getting too many visitors. The amount of graffiti and damage even visible from the exterior has become exponentially worse over the past year or two....

[LeannaM]

Got the attention of the bloggers:

http://ecoabsence.blogspot.com/2009/...bers-play.html

[PurpleHeart]

Blow it up and send the concrete off to the crusher.

Will make fine crushed concrete driveways for the suburbanites, be sure to ask for more money Mattie on your bridge fares to make up for the cost.

[DTrain]

I haven't heard to many people say it but I saw a reader comment in the Freep mention that MCS was reinforced 10 times the required amount and that the structure is so sound it will be difficult if not extremely expensive to demolish. If nothing else that cost will likely keep it around longer than the politicians and maybe even Maroun.

[Burnsie]

Several people have wondered about the feasibility of demolition with the active rail line going above the station.

The entire superstructure [[concourse, office tower, waiting room) can easily be demolished without affecting the integrity of the freight rooms beneath the active tracks. The active tracks are on the far southern side of the property; demolition of the above-ground building wouldn't damage the structure underneath the active tracks. It obviously would destroy the basement DIRECTLY beneath the building, but not that part that's below the active tracks-- some 75 yards or more away. And as far as the City Council is concerned, the "station" only comprises the above-ground building. I'm sure they wouldn't care if the underground stuff remains.

I'm not saying the building SHOULD be demolished, but simply stating it could be.

[Russix]

Illinois is seeking federal funds to revive US based passenger rail car manufacturing. We're seeking funds to demolish our last vestige of anything significantly transit related. Can we maybe just try copying what the rest of the world is doing for once and see how we like it?

[ktkof09]

My post may not be a very popular one... but TEAR THE TOWER DOWN!!!!!!!! Why? Just look at some of the best train stations in this country. Grand Central Station in NYC, Union Station in Washington D.C. .. which has hundreds of restaurants to eat in, as well as the Boston subway system. I've traveled on all of these .. and NONE of them have some huge tower attached to them.

I mean honestly if they have a two or three story Grand Central Station in Manhattan then what on earth are you going to do with all of those floors in the middle of a half-abandoned neighborhood in Detroit.

You can piss away millions of dollars trying to save this beautiful structure but really, are you preserving it or prolonging it's death? I mean think of the Packard. It's going to die some day. What a slow, long death.

[1KielsonDrive]

I'd say that if there's one and only one huge, abandoned structure to remain in Detroit, it should be the MCS. Why doesn't the city clean it out, enclose it and tout it as tourist destination? The world's largest abandoned ruin! Charge a fee and require a release of liability to get in and explore. I'm not talking putting money into the roof or windows, just make sure the structure itself is sound and clean. It's already a world landmark. I've had family and friends from other countries ask about it.

[wolverine]

This whole "demolish the tower only" strategy may sound like the best possible solution to reducing square footage, but it doesn't sound the least bit practical when it comes to demolition. What would be the point? You still have massive spaces on the lower level to heat and repair......the real sticking points to a renovated MCS. Demolishing the tower isn't going to make rehab any more successful or cheaper to do. You'd be better off spending that portion of the demolition money to mothball it and never use it.

[KOMPOST]

Ahhhh, yet another thread where I am thanking the heavens that the outer fringe of society which posts here has absolutely no say in any issue such as this.

Yeah, thank the "heavens" that only sensible, mainstream, "inner" society has a say. Really seems to be guiding us wisely thus far.
Muzzle to the people!

[Lorax]

I wish him cancer of the a**hole.

Then poor Matted Moron wouldn't be able to speak!