Federal stimulus funds to demolish historic train station?

[thelakelander]

I guess things could be worse than they are locally.  Detroit's leaders are considering using federal stimulus dollars to demolish the long vacant, yet historic Michigan Central Station.

Detroit Council votes to 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

http://apatheticlemming.blogspot.com/2009/03/abandoned-train-station-michigan.html

[thelakelander]

MCS in 1921


MCS today

[fsujax]

Wow. that is crazy. I guess things could be worse here!

[Ocklawaha]

This is a crime against history. What reason would I have to go to Detroit if I couldn't do some rail history touring? NOT GOING TO HAPPEN DETROIT. Wonder if we could do a quickie poll and share this with their mayor?

BTW, another threatened station is Oklahoma City Union Station, while the building is fairly secure, the entire concourse area is to be blown down for a new freeway alignment. This is OKC's most logical station as the state joins California with a "Rail Oklahoma" train plan. They are having themselves a WAR!

Expect to see the same from Buffalo, the grand old NYC station was built into the suburbs and the City never grew enough to bring it within downtown. Today it stands like an empty fortress in the desert of sprawl.

OCKLAWAHA

[Lunican]

This is a huge mistake for Detroit.

[thelakelander]

Buffalo has a beautiful building, but the isolated location kills it.  Nevertheless, a non-profit purchased it in 1997 for a dollar to save it from demolition.  I've heard they have spent the last decade shoring it up to at least have special events in it.

Buffalo Central Station


An event inside of the BCS

[Deuce]

Such a waste to tear that beauty down.

[Ocklawaha]

Oklahoma City Union Station is in danger too. From the back door will be 15 feet of Right-of-Way for a single track, and the rest of the 10 track yard will become I-40. Sadly this station makes more sense then the current Amtrak station near Bricktown, as the state explores Amtrak Oklahoma. All other railroads served Union Station, and the tracks, tunnels and platforms are still in place.

OCKLAWAHA

[stjr]

We already know Detroit had a corrupt mayor.  The managment of the Big 3 have been incompetent for decades and now its finally hitting home.  This just shows that Detroit is one of the most completely mis-managed areas of the country - both in the public and private sectors.  Jax is far from perfect, but we live by the addage that there is always someone else with bigger problems than ours!

The only other city in America that is as mismanged as Detroit, historically, is New Orleans.  And, do you know what Detroit and New Orleans have in common back to their founding?  Both were organized by the French!  Maybe that's Jax's (Fort Caroline) problem too. 

In the 1600's, France began establishing forts at strategic locations in North America, in order to try to keep the British from moving west out of New England and to establish a monopoly on trade. Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac felt that the area that had become known as le detroit, or the straits, was an obvious location for a major post. The river was narrow enough that a cannon could be fired from one side to the other, but substantial enough to provide a defense. The surrounding Great Lakes and waterways meant easy travel from most major points. The court in France agreed, and Cadillac was allowed to establish a settlement at the Detroit River in 1701.

Fort Ponchartrain, the settlement built by Cadillac, was not likely the first settlement in the area, though little is known about any previous inhabitants. Some early explorers reported evidence of Jesuits and coureurs de bois in the area; others reported evidence of Native American settlements. Previous to that, a people known as the Mound Builders lived in the area.

From: http://www.historydetroit.com/part_1.asp

[mtraininjax]

Where was all this sense of pride and wanting to save something when the Beaver Street Switch station was bulldozed to make way for the widened US90/Beaver Street back in the 90s?

Is anyone left in Detroit? Tear it down if no one will use it. Mark my words, the Laura Trio will face the same demise, unless someone comes and rescues them over the next real estate cycle. They have sat empty for too long and will also face the wrecking ball, for a parking lot, if we are not careful. No charitable group has the money to save them either, and the City does not have the money to keep funding John Keene's pet projects at the Pension either.

[stjr]

Where was all this sense of pride and wanting to save something when the Beaver Street Switch station was bulldozed to make way for the widened US90/Beaver Street back in the 90s?

Mtrain, that historic Beaver Street switch station (probably over 100 years old) you refer to disappeared without any notice or fanfare that I know of.  I suspect CSX and FDOT conspired for their mutual convenience to demolish it in the dark of night.  "Here today, gone tomorrow."

Someone (Ock, Lake?) should see if proper demolition permits and approvals were obtained for it.  By the way, I believe the demolition was around 1999 or 2000.

If I recall, the building is featured in Wayne Wood's Architectural Heritage book as well.  Ock or Lake could probably add a bit more.

Below is a great shot of the old railroad yards.  The Jacksonville Farmers Market original buildings are in the bottom foreground and the switch building you refer to is along side the overpass between the tracks.  McCoys Creek is seen clearly to the right.  This is all before I-95 or I-10 so I would date it late 40's to early 50's.




In the picture below, it is more easily seen in the very bottom left corner.  By the way, you can see the Railway Express facilities where JTA's headquarters are now.

[heights unknown]

Imagine demolishing the Prime F. Osborne Convention Center with no good reason...you can see my point. This is crazy and it's a beautiful building.  I am sure they can find some good use for it but I guess stimulus funds or "money in someone's eyes" with no immediate planned use for it over rules that.

Heights Unknown

[heights unknown]

Oklahoma City Union Station is in danger too. From the back door will be 15 feet of Right-of-Way for a single track, and the rest of the 10 track yard will become I-40. Sadly this station makes more sense then the current Amtrak station near Bricktown, as the state explores Amtrak Oklahoma. All other railroads served Union Station, and the tracks, tunnels and platforms are still in place.

OCKLAWAHA

Another lovely, historic building going the way of the bulldozer.

Heights Unknown

[heights unknown]

I guess things could be worse than they are locally.  Detroit's leaders are considering using federal stimulus dollars to demolish the long vacant, yet historic Michigan Central Station.

Detroit Council votes to 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

http://apatheticlemming.blogspot.com/2009/03/abandoned-train-station-michigan.html

The sideview of this building reminds me of 11 East (11E) (old AHL Building).

Heights Unknown

[CS Foltz]

It is a crying shame that a building like that can just be removed without fanfare or thought to a future use. There are any number of possibilities that a building like that could be used for and for some reason the land appears to be more valuable than a building that was designed to last. They do not make them like that anymore since we have gone to a disposable economy!