In December 1913, less than a year after Grand Central Terminal opened in Manhattan, Detroit debuted its own transportation hub: Michigan Central Station, a neoclassical marvel that welcomed 4,000 daily train passengers at its peak. Both shared Beaux Arts bones and architects, the firms of Warren & Wetmore and Reed & Stem, but they would not share the same journey. Time was unkind to Michigan Central, which closed in 1988 and fell into disrepair. “It became a symbol of the rise and fall of Detroit,” notes Bill Ford Jr., who set about restoring the white elephant after Ford Motor Company bought it in 2018. “Now it shows Detroit’s resilience.” With the help of more than 3,000 artisans, the edifice has been returned to its former glory, reborn as the centerpiece to a tech and cultural hub. In the Grand Hall, miles of new grout secure 29,000 Guastavino ceiling tiles, while in the south concourse a glass roof now protects original brickwork (miraculously intact despite flooding). All throughout Michigan Central Station, stonework has been refreshed or replaced, lighting faithfully reproduced, and period details revived thanks to some 1.7 million hours of work. “They poured their memories and love for Detroit into this project,” Ford notes of the team, adding that the blockbuster project will “shape the future of the Motor City.” michigancentral.com
