DETROIT – The Michigan Central Station, after six years of renovations, will now be open to the public for the first time since 1988.
Local 4′s Karen Drew sat down with Michigan Central chief operating officer Caroline Pluszczynski, who played a major role in the renovation of the building. The goal of this project was to create a space where everyone can work together cohesively.
“If you think about the future of innovation, it’s really about collaboration,” said Pluszynski. “There’s so much we could do if we did stuff together.”
With renovations to the train station beginning in 2018, Pluszynski’s goal was to save and reuse as much of the building as she could. This included using original ceilings, replicas of light fixtures, securing 600 tons of limestone from the original manufacturer used over 100 years ago, and keeping graffiti that has been there since The Station’s closing.
“I think it makes a big difference when you walk through and you can see those decaying moments,” said Pluszynski. “The decay of this building is as important as what it was in the original days.”
The first tenants of the building will be Ford Motor Company, which will use renovated office spaces across three floors of the station later this year. The station will also be an asset to many other companies and startups in Detroit. The building will provide 640,000 square feet of technology and community, and will encourage collaboration between established companies, growing startups universities, students and other stakeholders.
“I hope you start seeing the vibrancy. I hope you start seeing people coming and celebrating for special occasions, as well as then kind of just open to the public,” Pluszynski said.
The station will not only help businesses collaborate with each other, it is also bringing economic developments around the building and throughout the city of Detroit.
“The city put four million dollars into Roosevelt Park, and they redid the whole park because of the investment that was made here,” Pluszynski said.
Pluszynski says there are more economic developments in Detroit that have come to be because of the investment Ford made in The Station, including an abandoned hospital that will now be turned into a soccer stadium.
At the moment, The Station will be used for office spaces for companies and startups, and also a space for the community. The next steps for Michigan Central Station include a possible hotel on the top three floors of the building.
Ford Motor Company and Michigan Central will be hosting the community with Michigan Central OPEN from June 6 - 16. The weeklong event will allow community members to view and enjoy the historic space.
On its opening night, June 6, The Station will be hosting Live from Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central, featuring performances from Detroit’s biggest stars. The concert is sold out, but it can be viewed on any Local 4 platform.
---> More: Headliners for Michigan Central opening concert revealed: See here