They're demolishing Michigan Central Depot- DAMMIT

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RooRocz

This space for rent.
http://www.detnews.com/article/2009...demolish+Michigan+Central+Depot++charge+owner

Detroit -- City Council today passed a resolution calling for the emergency demolition of the Michigan Central Depot and then going after billionaire owner Manny Maroun to recoup the costs.

Mayor Kenneth Cockrel Jr. has already put the demolition in his request for federal economic stimulus funds and vowed to go after the building's owner to be reimbursed

However, council members want to expedite the process.

"We can't wait any longer," said Councilwoman Barbara-Rose Collins, who sponsored the resolution. "It's been an eyesore for too long."

Cockrel had asked for $3.6 million for the demolition. Collins said that money could be used for the neighborhoods.

Chimed in Council President Monica Conyers: "He has billions."

The City Council passed the resolution by a voice vote, and there was no opposition. Only Councilwoman Brenda Jones, who is hospitalized with a pulmonary embolism, was absent.

The law department will present a report on how the resolution can be enforced when the City Council returns from its spring recess on April 28.

Dan Stamper, a spokesman for Maroun and his companies, did not immediately return a call for comment.

Cockrel's press secretary, Daniel Cherrin, said the mayor is still moving forward with his plan. He is not sure of a timetable to raze the train station, but said any stimulus project must be shovel-ready in 120 days and completed within 18 months.

"This would happen very soon," he said.

The building has been vacant since Jan. 6, 1988, when Amtrak discontinued using it for rail service. It was purchased by Controlled Terminal Inc., owned by Maroun, for back taxes.

At times, Maroun has touted it be used as a casino, a replacement for Cobo Center and at one point former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick said he had selected the fenced-off compound as the city's new criminal justice facility.

David Josar / The Detroit News


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This is not good- almost on the scale of Penn Station.
spaceball.gif
 
I am not familar with the area it is located in , but I am thinking , a building of this size , that has been vacant for over 21 years , railroad related , is not located in an upscale area and is probably due for demolition ! If no one has found a use for it's renovation by now , it is most likely a financial disaster ! Blow her up (down) , and let the vermin scatter .
I suppose one should also give the druggies a 24 hour warning to vacate !
I am sorry , but I do not share your concern .

My thoughts --- ,DLR
 
This is incredible, surely by now city's would have realized the value of their depots. An empty abandoned building can be restored, once it is demolished it can never be rebuilt. Atlanta made the mistake of demolishing their two stations in the 1970's. Today they are trying to bring back commuter rail but suprise suprise, there's no station for the trains. Where once a beutiful station stood there is now a vacant parking lot and a ugly office tower. New York made the same mistake with their Penn Station, the demoliton caused such outrage that it sparked the modern building preservation movement, with a building comparable to Penn Station, Detroit would be foolish to do the same thing, especially in the 20th century, especially when the region is hurting badly from the economy, and money for demolition could be much better spent.
This building is a irreplacable peace of history and a work of art, dont tear it down!
 
As an architect, I hate to see the destruction of our architectural history in this country, but as a rail enthusiast, this is a double whammy. I'm not familiar with the area, but I firmly believe they'll regret this action at some point in the future. Of course, by then it will be too late. The stimulus money that they want to obtain would probably be better utilized by recycling the building into a government function of some kind if they could get control of it.
Mike
 
It is a shame.
However the building is far gone. There also seems to be a good amount of vandalism, generaly meaning most original stuff is gone. This would make a great office building though.
 
deeelare said:
I am not familar with the area it is located in , but I am thinking , a building of this size , that has been vacant for over 21 years , railroad related , is not located in an upscale area and is probably due for demolition ! If no one has found a use for it's renovation by now , it is most likely a financial disaster ! Blow her up (down) , and let the vermin scatter .
I suppose one should also give the druggies a 24 hour warning to vacate !
I am sorry , but I do not share your concern .

My thoughts --- ,DLR
Click to expand...

Certainly it is not located in an upscale area.

Indeed, a quick look at Google earth confirms that the surrounding area is a hellhole. However, renovation projects of this sort are generally just the thing to revitalize an area like this one- it would bring in new jobs, attract upscale residents, etc. etc.
An upscale area generally hasn't always been one- for instance, DC built the new baseball stadium in an area generally considered a hellhole, which quickly became one of the most upscale areas of the city. A Michigan Central Depot renovation would almost certainly do the same thing.

I see nothing to be gained from converting it into yet another empty lot.


However, there is hope- the city intends to blow it up, then charge the owner for the demolition costs, which, as far as I know, is incredibly illegal or at least immoral. I believe the current owner has legal grounds for preventing this atrocity from occurring.
 
I propose an office building! I mean really, the grand hallways and stuff would be perfect for up-scale offices, museums, doctors offices, stores etc.

deeelare,
Judging by the high amount of graffiti inside, I highly doubt its upscale.

Unforatantly, the windows have been busted out, being such custom designs these will be expensive to replace.

Furthermore,
If you really want this building saved, contact the local government, and the National Register for Historic Places. Sometimes they can help you save the building. However if this building poses a safety hazard, you will not have much time. They darn near tore down the York Institute here in Fentress County TN, but a group of dedicated folks saved it. The demolition crews were prctically waiting in line, but now we have cranes and steel bracing keeping the building up, as work continues to restore it. This was proof of just what can be done to save something.
 
ermm and how do they plan to do this? Its a National and State Historic building.

peter
 
Dun dun dun...

Typical city councils. They want revenue, thats all. Casinos are the last thing we need. I suggest you get a petition out, contact the Nat'l Association for Historic Buildings and Landmarks, and get the word out. We did it here for the Bellvue Biltmore Country club, spa, and resort(they got rid of the train station though, it was right in the middle of the course with a small sidewalk like platform and the tracks were covered in grass, so it looked like it was just a golf-card pathway :()
 
RooRocz (& others), may I make a suggestion?

When using a title don't put your opinion the end, such as DAMMIT.
Put in a similar title, if not the same as the article. It also might be better to maybe only copy the one or two first lines of an article.

By the way, in this term does Depot mean a passenger station, or just a depot?

I've seen a picture of the inside (funnily enough from the Detriot News), and I can see why the decision has been made. From that picture, the building looks to be unsafe.

I seem to get the attitude from some threads in this forum, that people want just about everything saved. Although we need (& should) preserve infrastructure of centuries past, it doesn't mean we should be preserving every peace of infrastructure.
 
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It's a passenger station. I use to see my sister off to UNM from there back in the 50's-60's and it was dark and ugly. I also use to know someone who worked in it and he hated it, marble toilet sets in a poorly heated building in winter. Every piece of metal in it is long gone.
 
Ok some info on the station for those who don't know. he proper name of it is the Detroit Grand Central Station. but most refer to it as the Mich Central Depot. It was last used by Amtrak in the 80s (although MSN thinks Amtrak still uses it) It has never been finished an although AMTK did spend some money fixing it up; it was still in bad shape when they used it. And naturally has gotten worse. here are some pics;

http://www.seedetroit.com/pictures/mcsweb/

peter
 
I think this building could easily be converted to a condo building with shopping in the main concourse, the low cieling third floor could be a mechanical room. Here are some pictures,
http://www.forgottendetroit.com/mcs/23.htm
From that picture just look around the site.
@Red Rattler,
The building is not in that bad of condition, vandals have caused the increased amount of fallen plaster. They have pretty much busted it right of the walls.

This building would make a great condo/office/mall.
Please, try to see what I'm saying here. When you look at the graffiti covered walls, try to picture offices, homes, with bedrooms, kitches etc.
Look into the main concourse and picture a mall in there.

Woody
 
Trillions to repair and re-install thousands of windows, plumbing, electrical, wood, plaster, irrepairable water and fire damage...sad to say...but it's a gonner:'( It had it's heyday, but now the passenger RR's are totally gone, and todays economy has gone to bust !

Some things just can't be saved...or they won't be. When city's are closing firehouses, laying off police, do you really think that the economy needs another gambling casino, or a tinderbox firetrap highrise office building, or mall where no one will travel to, to shop ?

The bygone days of the industrial revolution of construction of gargantious historic buildings with a monstrosity of ornate architecture is gone...you just have to know when to let it go.
 
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Well its sad to see any historic structure go, its a lost cause. It looks like its heavily damaged, I can't even think about how many windows need to be repalced. Its sad, but crap happens.

The best thing to do, as I have learned through my effort at preserving pieces of history, is to save what you can, and let the rest go in peace. However one of a kind things are worth fighting for. There is only one SS United States, but there are many Union Stations.
 
Cascade,
I argue the point there. The economy will bounce back, it always does. How can you say that when the Indianapolis/Avon area has grown almost to Danville Indiana in the last 10 years? My point with that is, cities are alway growing and this would be no exception. I feel that if they can just brace the building and hold it together, also keep vandals OUT. This could be restored years from now if the proper proceedures are done.

Woody
 
cascaderailroad said:
The city wants it demolished Right Now...the economy will rebound when, how soon ? Not that quickly...say by 2014...if even then.
Click to expand...

They've been wanting it demolished "Right Now" for quite some time now. I see it as Detroit's version of Auran's "Soon(c)"

peter
 
I don't know squat about whats best for Detroit, but it is a beautiful building in a creepy way. It seems there must be some kind of use for it.
 
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