Decaying Central Depot to get spruce-up
Tom Greenwood / The Detroit News

After decades of looking like a bombed-out relic, the iconic Michigan Central Train Depot is set to receive a mini face-lift.

Manuel "Matty" Moroun, owner of the depot and the Ambassador Bridge, will replace the roof and the windows on the once elegant 19-story building that has overlooked Michigan Avenue since 1913.

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"We're applying with the city to replace the roof and the windows," said Dan Stamper, bridge company president.

"We're doing it because it would be much easier to help a developer to come up with a package to use the depot if some improvements were made … so that's what we're doing."

Stamper said it was too early to come up with an estimate for the repairs, but acknowledged it would be expensive.

"We have our engineers working on an estimate," he said.

Mayor Dave Bing's office confirmed the city has had preliminary talks with the bridge company about repairs to the depot.

"But that's about the extent of it so far," said Bing spokesman Dan Lijana.

"Obviously seeing improvements to the central depot to make it look more aesthetically pleasing is something we would certainly support. But they haven't pulled any permits as of yet. We await their next move."

Created by the same architects who designed Grand Central Station in New York City, the building at one time was the largest train station in the world and known for its rich d

detroitwrecker;11707 said:
This is a really sick situation. This building is SO far gone and beat up it's crazy. Goggle it sometime and you will see. When you see the pictures add 150% worse than it looks and there you go! I walked thru it a few years ago and it was hard to say where you are safe to walk. There is neighborhoods very close by and everyone knows how kids are! Scary stuff! Not to mention. Anyone whom enters Detroit coming from out of state via I-75 See's that as the very first large building. What a embarrassment.

This sick situation is getting even more crazy, with the tree huggers at it again trying to save this old POS. From what I hear, it is so far gone and an embarrassment to the entry of Detroit. How long do you think it will take until they can start to knock it down? If at all?

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March 5, 2010
Seeking a Future for a Symbol of a Grander Past
By SUSAN SAULNY
DETROIT

detroitwrecker;11964 said:
The Madison Lennox was our job (Adamo) the day we started a guy jumped in front of the operators tracks! check it out on youtube. We went back there around 20 at night and started getting it down. Next morning the tree huggers got a order to stop. They came out and looked and said "well forget it now" In the end it was Oliver a.k.a "Blood" who put it on the ground "daddy!" He can't run an excavator worth a f#$% but there is NO ONE like him on a crane. One of a kind!

What a cool story, Mike. I love hearing about how you beat the tree huggers. That guy was nuts for jumping in front of the operators tracks!! What did he think he was going to prove?

Nice trick going back at night to mess up the building so bad, the tree huggers gave up on it and let you knock it down without a fight. Pretty neat trick. That was one of Ilitch's buildings too, wasn't it?

Oliver sounds awesome--I bet "Blood" really knows how to put the building on the ground.

Who was running the track hoes? Were you on one of them?

What other kinds of encounters have you had with the tree huggers, Mike? Love to hear those stories, man.

And does anyone remember the Madison-Lenox, another POS. Who got to knock that one down?

I heard the tree huggers tried to stop that one too, but the mayor stepped in and got it done early one Sunday morning when nobody was paying attention. LOL.

So it sounds like the building is pretty structurally intact, but it's all that plaster and junk that's falling apart. Sounds like it would be a nightmare to try to fix all the plaster and intricate details, and a huge liability because it's falling apart. Who would want to pay for it anyhow. I agree with Turbo and Mike, best just to get rid of the firetrap. How soon do you think it would take to get it on the ground? I hope one of you guys (or both of you) can get the job to take it down.

Sounds like the City of Detroit is never going to be able to get rid of that POS building. Maybe they should just try to make it into something nice, since they seem to be stuck with it. Is it really that far gone that it cannot be saved for some useful purpose? Might as well---it's better than having it sit around derelict.

What is the status of this. Has it gone out to bid yet? Anyone heard anything about when the demo is going to start. It says if it's stimulus money, the demo has to start within 120 days (of the beginning of April). Coming down to the wire.

Anyone know what's happening with this big project?

Good luck, Mike. I hope you get a chance to beat it down with a big hoe and some other heavy equipment. I know how you feel about improving the city of Detroit, and this would sure be a step in the right direction.

It's a little scary to see that its the same architect who did Grand Central Terminal. That was a big deal in NY for the hysterical preservationists, and I could see them causing trouble in Detroit.

Maybe they should turn it into condos with gelato shops and other high priced stores on the ground floor.