The six yearlong restoration of Michigan Central Station by Ford Motor Company was put on display for EL CENTRAL and other media on May 14th. On the two hour long walk-through, guided by the restoration specialists, it was incredible to see that this building, constructed in 1913, looked like new. For the first time in 40 years the station is waterproof from top to bottom. The Indiana limestone, with a touch of iron, glows slightly golden. The floors sparkle, the glass gleams, and the ceilings are perfect. The media that toured the Station could not find a flaw in the cavernous “waiting room” and other public spaces. Furniture was nowhere to be seen, since in its new life, the Station will fill a different roll in serving the public. The upper floors will house some of Ford’s best minds working on solutions that may lead to a cleaner and brighter future. The former “public” spaces will no longer be places where travelers await trains or family, they will now be the destination in and of themselves. There is no question that this masterpiece of artful and loving restoration will once again become one of the crown jewels in Detroit’s architectural legacy.
The rooms are currently without furnishings, none, save a clock and a few chairs behind the windows of the ticket booth. The waiting room’s massive benches are gone, the clock above the ticket sales booths is restored. The ornamental stonework has been renewed to absolute perfection, the arched decorative ceilings are massive and without flaws, the paneling in a former “women’s” waiting room is dark wood which lends a softer touch than the stone and brick in other rooms. At the time of its debut, this station was unique among train stations across the world. Detroit’s auto industry was already massive by 1913 and just one year after its completion Henry Ford doubled the wage of his auto workers to $5.00 per day. A wage that made owning an auto possible for Ford’s own workers and other Americans. Detroit was putting the nation on wheels and this massive train station had a new competitor, the automobile. The building was never fully occupied. While the rest of America rode trains, Detroit was building cars, and as roads to accommodate those cars were constructed the railroads had new competition for intercity travel.
The irony of the restoration of this station comes down to William “Bill” Ford, Executive Chair of Ford Motor Company. For decades, his company challenged public transportation in an effort to push the freedom and freewheeling lifestyle of the personal automobile. Now, the heir and descendant of Henry Ford has spent a billion + dollars to put the station back on the map as an iconic structure filled with dreamers, engineers, scientists, business leaders, artists from all walks of industry and society. The nearby “Book Depository”, formerly a Detroit School district warehouse, and before that a U. S. Postal Service sorting facility, is already bustling with hundreds of workers and multiple start-up tech companies using the facilities.
On June 6th Michigan Central will fulfill its new destiny kicking off with a concert for the public followed by public tours of the exquisitely restored iconic building. Tickets are needed for this event and intense demand for the event recently caused the website to crash.
While virtually the entirety of the first floor of the Station is perfectly restored, one room, perhaps the “aorta” of the heart of the Station remains unfinished. It is the “Jetway’ of 1913, featuring the sloping floors that led to the gates and the tracks that carried millions of passengers each year to their destinations. This is where the goodbyes were said by travelers, where memories were etched with emotion and smiles were forged, a gateway to travel by rail, the “mobility” of its time. The new purpose of this room will be to lead the public to an “outdoor” greenspace adjacent to the Station.
Michigan Central has once again taken its place as a jewel in Detroit’s Crown waiting for visitors to fill and appreciate its lofty halls again.
Diana Ross, Jack White, Big Sean and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Lead All-Star Lineup to Celebrate the Historic Reopening of Michigan Central Station
Executive-produced by Eminem and Paul Rosenberg,
the evening will feature the full range of Detroit’s iconic soundtrack with special performances by Common, Illa J, Kierra Sheard, Melissa Etheridge, Theo Parrish, Slum Village, the Clark Sisters, Sky Jetta, Jelly Roll, Fantasia and surprise special guests
Diana Ross, Jack White, Big Sean and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Lead All-Star Lineup to Celebrate the Historic Reopening of Michigan Central Station
Executive-produced by Eminem and Paul Rosenberg, the evening will feature the full range of Detroit’s iconic soundtrack with special performances by Common, Illa J, Kierra Sheard, Melissa Etheridge, Theo Parrish, Slum Village, the Clark Sisters, Sky Jetta, Jelly Roll, Fantasia and surprise special guests.
The pulse of Detroit beats stronger than ever as Michigan Central today unveils an electrifying lineup of Detroit icons, performers and presenters for “Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central,” an outdoor spectacular on Thursday, June 6 in-person and streaming live on Peacock. A moment more than 35 years in the making, stars will take to the stage to celebrate the highly anticipated reopening of Michigan Central Station following a six-year restoration by Ford Motor Company.
The sold-out, ticketed event will stream live exclusively on Peacock on June 6 at 8:30 p.m. ET. Additionally, NBC will air a one-hour primetime special on June 9 starting at 7 p.m. ET/PT. The concert will exclusively air locally on June 6 with pre-show coverage beginning at 8 p.m. ET followed by live post-show coverage at 10 p.m. ET on Local 4, and stream on Local 4+ and ClickOnDetroit.com.
The specials on Peacock and NBC – where audiences can tune into this one-of-a-kind experience with some of the world’s biggest artists – will be executive-produced by the Emmy® Award-winning Jesse Collins Entertainment with Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay as executive producers, and produced by Emmy Award-winning production companies Diversified Production Services and Killian + Company.
“We wanted to celebrate the reopening of Michigan Central Station in style and make it a night to remember for Detroiters and people watching around the world,” said Bill Ford, executive chair of Ford. “I am honored and grateful that so many of Detroit’s musical legends, sports heroes, artists and innovators are joining us to celebrate the city we all love and the bright future we are creating together.”
“Detroit is known around the world for its musical talent, and having so many legendary artists kick off the celebration for the reopening of the iconic Michigan Central Station shows how meaningful this moment is for our city,” said Mayor Mike Duggan. “This historic landmark symbolizes Detroit’s resilience, innovation, and now, its bright future. This is about more than preserving a piece of our past. It also is about paving the way for a new era of growth and opportunity for all Detroiters.”
The special concert is executive produced by Detroit music icon Eminem and his longtime manager, Paul Rosenberg.
The sold-out, ticketed 90-minute outdoor concert will bring to life the spirit and soul of Detroit through an incredible lineup of musical performances, short films, appearances by local leaders, and creators telling stories of innovation and culture from around the city and the region. The star-studded program features iconic musicians and cultural legends, including Michigan natives Diana Ross, Big Sean, Illa J, Jack White, Kierra Sheard, Theo Parrish, Slum Village, the Clark Sisters, Sky Jetta and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. They will be joined by presenters including Detroit Lions legend Barry Sanders and stars Jared Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown. These Detroit entertainment stars will be joined by other performers, including Common, Fantasia, Melissa Etheridge and Jelly Roll, along with presenters Mike Epps and Sophia Bush.
Streaming live exclusively on Peacock and followed by a primetime NBC special produced by Jesse Collins Entertainment, the sold-out concert to celebrate the reopening of Detroit’s Michigan Central Station will be the greatest assemblage of all-star musical talent in Detroit since the legendary Motown Showcases.
After the 11-day reopening celebration wraps up on June 16, Michigan Central will begin a phased reactivation of The Station over the next several months and years as restaurant, retail, and other commercial and community-focused partners take up residency. The first floor will be open to visitors for self-guided tours from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays from June 21 to Aug. 31. Expanded hours will be announced for fall, when the first phase of commercial activations opens to the public.
