NYT Detroit Journal: Seeking a Future for a Symbol of a Grander Past

[mcsdetroitfriend]

DETROIT — The last train pulled away more than 20 years ago from Michigan Central Station, one of thousands of “see-through” buildings here, empty shells from more auspicious times....

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/06/us/06station.html

This made the front page

[[I found it cool that when I posted this the first time the header image was of the depot! =))

[royce]

It's amazing how time after time, article after article, Matty Moroun's name stays out of print. At least this time they mentioned his company that owns the train station. It would be nice to read a headline in a national newspaper that says, "Billionaire Holds Detroit Hostage With His Train Station." Wow, he must be powerful if he can scare the national media from reporting on what is really going on.

[Ravine]

"...“I don’t want to bulldoze it, then find out later there could have been a viable use for it,� said Charles Pugh..."

Who shot who in the what now?

[Patrick]

The one poltico said that the clock is ticking. But is it?

[RealityCheck]

. . . time after time, article after article, Matty Moroun's name stays out of print.

Ex-Freepster Joel Thurtell also shakes his head in amazed dismay, blogging in the imagined voice of Matty's pet dog:

I’ve got a reporter on the line who obviously doesn’t know beans about recent Detroit history. . . .

The reporter DOESN’T KNOW YOUR NAME! Believe it or not, she thinks the train station is owned by CenTra, Inc. and she’s gonna quote me, not you! You will be INVISIBLE, just the way you like it, and NO MENTION OF THE AMBASSADOR BRIDGE! Ain’t that cool?

[Retroit]

Matty Moroun is not responsible for the near-elimination of passenger rail travel. Matty Moroun is not responsible for building a structure that has no obvious useful function in today's world. Matty Moroun is not responsible for spray-painting graffiti and breaking windows.

If I understand correctly, he acquired this structure as part of a debt payment. In other words, the previous owner owed Moroun money and couldn't pay, so they gave him the MCS instead. It is not as if he sought out to buy this building with the intention of letting it sit vacant.

Put yourself in his place. If you acquired an unusable building in Detroit as a debt payment, would you pour a bunch of money into it just so that it is one of only a few buildings in Detroit that is kept in good condition.

"Well, he's a billionaire." Yes, and do you know how he became a millionaire? It wasn't by refurbishing buildings that have no income-producing functions.

Don't get me wrong, I would love to see this building restored; but for the life of me, I can't think of a useful, profitable function.

[Melocoton]

Matty Moroun is not responsible for building a structure that has no obvious useful function in today's world. Matty Moroun is not responsible for spray-painting graffiti and breaking windows.

First of all, a train station has no use in today's world? Second of all, no homeowner served with a blight ticket, either in Detroit or in another city with better enforcement, can use the excuse you just offered for MM: that "I didn't spraypaint the graffiti or break the windows." You're responsible for maintaining your property in a safe and presentable condition. This is true of well-connected billionaires as much as shopkeepers and homeowners.

If I understand correctly, he acquired this structure as part of a debt payment. In other words, the previous owner owed Moroun money and couldn't pay, so they gave him the MCS instead.

I'll let others more knowledgeable weigh in on the value the train station and its value to Maroun. But I am amazed at the credulity of this post, and other defenses of MM I've read elsewhere--as if Maroun, a extraordinarily smart and well-organized businessman and landower, just blundered into owning the Michigan Central Station. He doesn't own it by accident. He could sell it, as well, if he doesn't want to own it.

And even if you assume from the outset that the MCS is a lost cause, he's totally negligent in maintaining the property. If he can't/won't maintain or seal it, he should be compelled to sell it given all the blight laws I would assume the structure violates day in and day out. But as we know, the law applies a little differently in his case.

[Retroit]

He could sell it, as well, if he doesn't want to own it.

To whom?

I agree that Detroit needs to do a better job of Code Enforcement, but let's remember, he is not the only Detroit property owner that does not maintain his property. Even many occupied structures are not maintained.

As for Maroun preventing vandalism on his property, does anyone really think it can be prevented? People even got across the Berlin Wall.

[McIPor]

Most train stations don't have towers on top of them that contrary to what many believe could make this building very functional and useful. The tower could be offices, hotel, or residential apartments/condo's. The base would make a great public space for events, museum, and exhibition space. Historic tax credits [[40%) would help pay for the renovations which Centra would do if they had a user for the tower.

[mcsdetroitfriend]

Matty Moroun is not responsible for the near-elimination of passenger rail travel. Matty Moroun is not responsible for building a structure that has no obvious useful function in today's world. Matty Moroun is not responsible for spray-painting graffiti and breaking windows.

If I understand correctly, he acquired this structure as part of a debt payment. In other words, the previous owner owed Moroun money and couldn't pay, so they gave him the MCS instead. It is not as if he sought out to buy this building with the intention of letting it sit vacant.

Put yourself in his place. If you acquired an unusable building in Detroit as a debt payment, would you pour a bunch of money into it just so that it is one of only a few buildings in Detroit that is kept in good condition.

"Well, he's a billionaire." Yes, and do you know how he became a millionaire? It wasn't by refurbishing buildings that have no income-producing functions.

Don't get me wrong, I would love to see this building restored; but for the life of me, I can't think of a useful, profitable function.

From reading the archives on the old forum and checking out the Freep archives I unsterstand MCS was obtained through default after default. Maroun picked up it from a security firm, who in turn picked it up by the same method who was hired by an investor hoping to put a mall of sorts into the building, when he stopped paying, the security guards left and took the building for payment.

And it's true I mean I wouldn't waste my money on something I only acquired as a form of payment, especially if the return on my investment isn't clear, I'd only do it if several companies came forward promising to move in.

Until then the MCS property is a triangle game, and Maroun isn't the only one responsible. It has two bad shareholders in this: Canadian Pacific Railway and The City Of Detroit, they both own the most popular access points to the building and do very little to maintain or protect it; lately though CPR has had a cop circling the perimeter constantly which is a nice gesture.

[oldredfordette]

This might be the worst story I've ever read in the New York Times. Terrible horrible reporting.

[mcsdetroitfriend]

This might be the worst story I've ever read in the New York Times. Terrible horrible reporting.

I think it's just a "common interest" piece, though it must've been a slow news day considering it made the front page. It did garner quite a lot of renewed interest from people though, the website and facebook page views have jumped 900%