The imposing construction from the front
Picture: dpa
Not only the city, but also Detroit Central Station has been neglected in recent years. Now car manufacturer Ford sets an example – and wants to develop the future of mobility in the halls.
D he heritage-listed train station in Detroit, one of the United States’ most famous industrial ruins, is getting a new lease on life. The car company ford bought the Michigan Central Station, which has been neglected for decades, and wants to make it the centerpiece of an innovation center. There will be worked among other things on self-driving cars and mobility services. A purchase price was not mentioned.
Ford also purchased surrounding land in the Corktown district for the site, with a total workforce of approximately 2,500 employees by 2022 – with space for as many employees of partner companies as start-ups.
The distinctive central station with a once magnificent main hall and an 18-story office building above it was built in 1913. Her story is closely linked to the ups and downs of Detroit as the capital of the American auto industry. In its first decades, it was an important hub, but after the Second World War, fewer and fewer people took the train because the number of car owners grew. The last train left Central Station in 1988.
With the demise of Detroit in the face of fierce competition from Asia and increasing automation, there was no interest in using the large building, and it fell into disrepair. Now, the purchase by Ford is also a symbol of an economic revival in Detroit. The billionaire family Moroun, as the previous owner of the plant, had already begun its first renovation work in the past year.