Detroit’s Michigan Central Station is one of the city’s most famous vacant
buildings. The mammoth 18-story complex stands out in an equally derelict
residential area west of the downtown.
Opened in 1913, the building is made up of two distinct parts – a three-story train
station and an 18-story office tower. The station’s waiting room with its 54 foot
ceiling and chandeliers filling Guastavino arches was the stations most impressive
feature. Modelled after a Roman bath, the waiting room was clean, bright, and
imposing. The concourse was equally impressive with its brick walls and large
copper skylight
The station opened at the peak of rail travel in the United States. More than 200
trains and 4,000 passengers used the station every day. A general decline in rail
travel and the station’s location contributed to its declining use in the 1950s.
To save money, the waiting room was closed in 1967. Amtrak redeveloped the
station and reopened the waiting room in 1975. By the mid-‘80s, less than a dozen
trains used the station on any day. On January 6, 1988, a last Amtrak passenger
train left Michigan Central Station.
In recent years, some work has been done to remove asbestos. A new roof and
windows have been installed.
