Ford refurbishes old train station, a former eyesore that had become a symbol of Detroit’s decline

印刷用画面を開く

Posted

Category: (Self-Study) Business

Switch to Watch View >

Storyline

Hide Storyline

The once-blighted, monolithic Michigan Central train station was for decades a symbol of Detroit’s decline. It now has new life following a massive six-year, multimillion-dollar renovation to create a hub for mobility projects in the rebirth of the Motor City.

The windowless, hulking, scavenger-ravaged structure that ominously shadowed the city’s Corktown neighborhood now is home to Ford Motor Company and the centerpiece of a sprawling 30-acre (12-hectare) mobility innovation district.

The building’s first tenant, Google’s Code Next Detroit computer science education program, was expected to move in by late June. Grand opening ceremonies included an outdoor concert on June 6, with tours for the public that started on June 7.

“It really represented kind of the best physical symbol of that decay,” Ford CEO Jim Farley said. “And here we are in a completely beautiful, breathtaking facility like Detroit was in the ‘20s. But here we are almost 100 years later.”

The restoration effort is part of the automaker’s more than $900 million project to create a place where new transportation and mobility ideas are nurtured and developed.

The train station’s history reflects the city’s fortunes during its heyday as the world’s car capital and later misfortunes as thousands of auto workers and other residents fled Detroit for life in the suburbs.

The depot opened in late 1913. But as traveling by train gave way to commuter air travel and as more Americans chose to use the nation’s interstates, the numbers of people coming through Michigan Central steadily dropped. The last train pulled out in 1988 and for years after the building fell into disrepair, neglect, and abandonment. It became a destination for the curious and urban adventurers. Other buildings in Detroit suffered the same or a similar fate, but due to Michigan Central’s size, it became a symbol of the city’s decline.

Redevelopment by its former owner never materialized. Then, in 2018, Ford announced it was buying the 18-story building and adjacent structures as part of its plans for a more than 1 million-square-foot campus focusing on autonomous vehicles.

This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Script

Hide Script

[The exterior front of the newly refurbished Michigan Central Station]

[Exterior front of Michigan Central Station when it was in disrepair]

[Exterior of the station, as seen from a newly created pedestrian walkway a block away]

Jim Farley (interview): “It was perhaps the most visible symbol of decay in the city. And now that the city of Detroit is finally growing after decades, I think it was an appropriate and iconic American landmark to completely redo and bring it back to its former glory.”

[The station’s newly refurbished great hal]l

[The great hall in disrepair]

Jim Farley (interview): “It really represented kind of the best physical symbol of that decay. And here we are in a completely beautiful, breathtaking facility like Detroit was in the ‘20s. But here we are almost 100 years later.”

[A chandelier hangs in the great hall]

[A room that features a historic clock on the wall]

[A remodeled hallway that features an original staircase]

Jim Farley (interview): “Today, it’s going to represent a site of innovation. We’re going to have many non-Ford, multi-use users here. It really represents a vibrant, multi-use space. It also is a part of a vibrant community called Corktown — the original community here in the city of Detroit.”

[The renovated back room of the MCS]

[The station’s back room as seen on the day Ford announced it would be renovating the building]

[The redone back room]

[The back room in disrepair]

Jim Farley (interview): “And, as employees, we’re so proud that Ford stuck its neck out to do this project. We didn’t have to do it. No other company stood up.”

[The refurbishment, including a ticket window, staircase, glass ceiling, a room to be used to hold events and a bank of elevators]

[A room as seen on the day Ford announced it would renovate the station]

[The great hallway]

Jim Farley (interview): “It brings back our ancestors. All the travel and the trips and the emotions in the life of a train station, designed by the same person who designed Grand Central Station. People’s lives played out in this place. And that’s what it brings up: Just our small time here and our relatives, all the family journeys. These are all American stories of people coming from the South and all over the country. Wars. This place has a story. It’s an American story.”

[The front exterior of Michigan Central Station]

This script was provided by The Associated Press.

The related lesson for this video will be published next Wednesday.