It's official: Morouns sell Detroit train station to Ford

[Faygo Kid]

Source: Detroit Free Press

Detroit's long-vacant Michigan Central Station, a towering ruin that came to symbolize the city's dramatic fall, has been sold to Ford Motor Co.

The automaker is expected to renovate the train depot and make it the hub of a campus for advanced automotive technology in the Corktown neighborhood.

Matthew Moroun, whose family enterprise has owned the empty station since 1995, announced the sale Monday morning. He stood in front of the once-elegant structure, now surrounded by razor wire and a chain-link fence.

The Ford sale also included a nearby former Detroit schools book depository that the family owns. Moroun declined to disclose the total sale price.

"The deal is complete," Moroun said. "The future of the depot is assured. The next steward of the building is the right one for its future. The depot will become a shiny symbol of Detroit's progress and its success."

Read more: https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/ford/2018/06/11/moroun-detroit-train-station-ford/689841002/

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This is one of the greatest historic preservation victories of the past 50 years - anywhere. But as a born and bred Detroiter, I couldn't be happier.

[tazkcmo]

1. Moroun

So glad this a person's name and not an adjective! Good news, thanks.

[brooklynite]

2. Like Cincinnati, the station wasn't particularly well-located relative to Downtown

[lagomorph777]

3. That sounds like a pretty good plan.

All the best to Detroit.

[blue-wave]

4. Hooray For Detroit!!

I have visited the city many times and found the despair heartbreaking. I'm so glad to start hearing come back stories. Many people don't realize that Detroit has the most art deco designed buildings of any American city. The architecture is stunning.

Also fell in love with this song, written by Berry Gordy and Willie Hutch, originally sung by Sammy Davis, Jr.

I like this version of the song and the video, including the hint of art deco lettering in the opening.

Sung by a Brazilian singer! Gotta love it! What a wonderful world.

[YOHABLO]

5. St Louis turned their old train station into a mall and hotel. Quite fabulous.

[radical noodle]

18. Been there. It was very nice

Indianapolis did the same with their old union station, but I don't know if it's remained successful. Turning these glorious old buildings into something useful again can be a fantastic win.

Here's one in the middle of nowhere Indiana that has turned into something special. (and no, trump didn't do it)

http://www.worldpropertyjournal.com/real-estate-news/united-states/french-lick-resort-west-baden-springs-tom-saunders-larry-borst-donald-trump-steve-ferguson-pete-dye-legends-championship-legends-tour-cook-medical-9292.php

[AwakeAtLast]

22. It helps that it's Larry Bird's homwtown

That's like Mecca in a basketball state such as Indiana.

[bucolic_frolic]

6. Real old time civic minded Republicans and Corporate citizen

Hats off to them! We tear down a lot in Philadelphia, or redevelop and keep the facade. This sounds like a great project!

[greymattermom]

7. Cincinnati museum center is great

Fun for all ages.

[workinclasszero]

8. That's great Detroit! Hope they can renovate like KC's Union Station

[IrishEyes]

9. That is beautiful!

I love beautiful old train stations.

[workinclasszero]

16. Me too

They are so huge and spacious. The architecture is awesome.

[Sophia4]

15. Beautiful!

[workinclasszero]

17. Yes

Real marble and granite in these beautiful old buildings.

I don’t think they make them like this anymore.

[IrishEyes]

10. For a moment, I thought you misspelled morons.

I was afraid it was going to to be bad news since there are a lot of real morons in the news lately. I'm glad it is good news and that my mother didn't marry a man named moroun.

[ThoughtCriminal]

12. That's not how you misspell "Morons"

The correct misspelling is "Morans"

[Greybnk48]

11. VERY good news for Detroit! n/t

[demmiblue]

13. K&R!

[JNelson6563]

14. Good news for Dertoit ALWAYS makes me happy!

this is awesome!

[muntrv]

19. Awesome! Next step is to do something about the old Packard Plant.

[FakeNoose]

20. Wow, it's a beautiful building

I'm so glad they could save it and re-purpose it for the next generation.

Most of those old train stations have gigantic ceilings because they were built before air-conditioning. In the hot days of summer the old buildings still remain cool because the heat has a lot of room to rise. Of course heating them in the winter is a different story.

[Owl]

21. Excellent!