Photo by flickr user bigoteetoe

Though we generally only cover the historic places and happenings of Ohio, we sometimes have news from elsewhere that’s simply too important not to share with you. Today that news is coming from the motor city. One of Detroit’s most beautiful and simultaneously most neglected buildings, the Michigan Central Station is slated to get a face lift.

My Fox Detroit is reporting that the buildings owner, Manuel “Matty” Moroun is making plans to at least partially renovate the building. The project calls for replacing the station’s roof and windows to help prevent further deterioration of the structure. They are stopping short of a complete renovation due to the astronomical cost involved.

The station was built in 1913 by the architecture firm Reed & Stem who also constructed New York’s Grand Central Station. The station had a long and grand history but saw a slow and painful death as commuter rail traffic  declined in favor of the automobile. Michigan Central Station saw its last train in 1988 and has been slowly deteriorating due to lack of maintenance, the elements, and of course vandals since then.

While it may be short of the great come back and revitalization we would love to see, it’s certainly a step in the right direction for a city that demolishes its historic gems in favor of over-grown plots and unused parking lots.

See It For Yourself:

Sources:
MyFoxDetroit.com– “Facelift Planned for Detroit’s Michigan Central Depot”
Buildings Of Detroit- “Michigan Central Station”
Wikipedia- “Michigan Central Station” & “Reed & Stem”