Ford's Restoration of Michigan Central Station Transforms It into a Modern Technology Campus

DETROIT — Ford’s latest project out of the Motor City is the restoration and reopening of an abandoned train station, long a symbol of Detroit’s downfall, now transformed into the automaker’s new technology campus.

The $950 million project encompasses the 18-story former train station called Michigan Central Station — once the state’s marquee transit building — an adjacent 270,000-square-foot building, and other supporting facilities.

The 30-acre “Michigan Central” campus and station were initially announced in 2018 and slated to open by 2022. However, the coronavirus pandemic and the extensive work needed to renovate the station delayed its reopening. Ford is celebrating the restoration of the century-old train station on Thursday.

Following the event Thursday, the ground floor of the train station building will be open to the public through June 16, before the first commercial occupants begin moving in this fall.

The new campus comes at a precarious time for Ford investors as the company continues to restructure its business. It also comes as many companies attempt to downsize office space and fill their current buildings with employees who grew accustomed to working from home during the pandemic.

An Investment in the Future

Ford Chair Bill Ford Jr. emphasized that the investment in the historic train station is crucial for the automaker's future, particularly in aspects of talent acquisition and retention.

“We’re in a war for talent, our industry and our company,” Ford, who spearheaded the project, told CNBC. “And you need to give talent two things: really interesting problems to solve and a great place to work. With Michigan Central, we checked both those boxes.”

Bill Ford decided to purchase the dilapidated building after years of trips to Silicon Valley for his Fontinalis venture capital firm and during his tenure as a member of the eBay board of directors. He has long been outspoken about the need for the traditional automotive industry to compete with newer tech companies in both product and talent acquisition.

Attracting top talent to Detroit remains challenging, according to Ford, but he believes the appeal of Michigan Central will be a significant asset.

The Renovation and Its Impact

The Michigan Central campus, located southwest of Detroit’s main business district in a trendy neighborhood known as Corktown, spans 1.2 million square feet of commercial space, including retail, restaurants, and hospitality. It was awarded $300 million in state, local, and historic rehabilitation tax incentives.

Ford officials went to great lengths to restore the station to its original glory after decades of vandalism and decay. The project involved 3D-scanning the rooms, matching materials, and referencing historical photos to recreate parts of the building. This meticulous restoration effort is evident, especially on the first floor of the train station, where a grand room features massive windows, an arcade, and a large concourse full of marble and terrazzo flooring, Mankato stone, and other unique materials.

Architects and designers opted to leave some graffiti on walls to represent the station’s dormant years after closing in 1988. As one measure of Ford’s determination, officials traced the facility’s original limestone to a quarry in Indiana only to find out it had since closed. Michigan Central worked with the owners to reopen the quarry.

“It has been painstakingly and lovingly restored to, wherever possible, to its original condition,” said Josh Sirefman, Michigan Central CEO, during a tour of the project. “Before we start activating it with lots of things, it’s probably in its most pristine condition.”

Tenants and Future Plans

Amid national commercial real estate challenges, about two-thirds of the tower has scheduled tenants or planned use cases, officials said. That includes an unnamed restaurant and hotel, pending rezoning approval. The adjacent building, known as the Detroit Public Schools Book Depository, already houses more than 600 employees from nearly 100 startup companies.

“It really is the beginning of the ecosystem that I want to create,” Bill Ford said. “There’s going to be a lot of experimentation taking place down there.”

Ford plans to house at least 2,500 employees in the building, primarily members of the company’s electric vehicle and connected services teams. Roughly 1,000 of those employees are expected to move into the station’s tower by the end of this year, Ford said. Other building occupants could include local universities, other businesses, and a restaurant. Google, a founding partner of the project, runs its “Code Next” program, which teaches students how to code, from the Book Depository building.

Ford expects future employees to be able to collaborate with other occupants of the station’s tower as well as the startups occupying the Book Depository building.

A Legacy Project

Resurrecting the train station and surrounding campus is the latest project Bill Ford, a great-grandson of company founder Henry Ford, has undertaken in the Motor City. He was instrumental in moving the Ford family-owned Detroit Lions from suburban Pontiac to a new stadium, Ford Field, in downtown Detroit in 2002. He also helped bring the Super Bowl to the city in 2006 and redeveloped the company’s River Rouge Assembly plant into a “green” production facility, which is now a tourist destination for the production of the Ford F-150 full-size pickup.

Ford described Michigan Central as a continuation of such projects and called it a “legacy project” for himself as well as for those who have been able to work on it.

“I’m very proud of both of those [prior projects], but I think this is going to kind of put an exclamation point on it because this will be a wonderful place to work but it will also be a wonderful place for the public to come,” Ford said.

The Michigan Central project stands as a testament to Ford's commitment to the city of Detroit and his vision for the future of the company, blending historical preservation with cutting-edge innovation.

Restoring the Station’s Original Glory

Ford officials went to extraordinary lengths to restore the station to its original glory after decades of vandalism and decay. The project involved 3D-scanning the rooms, matching materials, and referencing historical photos to recreate parts of the building. This meticulous restoration effort is particularly evident on the first floor of the train station, where a grand room features massive windows, an arcade, and a large concourse full of marble and terrazzo flooring, Mankato stone, and other unique materials.

Architects and designers opted to leave some graffiti on walls to represent the station’s dormant years after closing in 1988. As one measure of Ford’s determination, officials traced the facility’s original limestone to a quarry in Indiana only to find out it had since closed. Michigan Central worked with the owners to reopen the quarry.

“It has been painstakingly and lovingly restored to, wherever possible, to its original condition,” said Josh Sirefman, Michigan Central CEO, during a tour of the project. “Before we start activating it with lots of things, it’s probably in its most pristine condition.”

Michigan Central Campus: A Hub for Innovation

The Michigan Central campus is designed to be more than just a workplace; it aims to be a hub for innovation and collaboration. Ford plans to house at least 2,500 employees in the building, primarily members of the company’s electric vehicle and connected services teams. Roughly 1,000 of those employees are expected to move into the station’s tower by the end of this year, Ford said. Other building occupants could include local universities, other businesses, and a restaurant. Google, a founding partner of the project, runs its “Code Next” program, which teaches students how to code, from the Book Depository building.

Ford expects future employees to be able to collaborate with other occupants of the station’s tower as well as the startups occupying the Book Depository building. The project’s emphasis on collaboration and innovation reflects Ford’s broader strategy to position itself at the forefront of the rapidly evolving automotive and technology sectors.

Conclusion

The restoration of Michigan Central Station and the creation of the new technology campus is a significant milestone for Ford and the city of Detroit. It symbolizes the city’s resilience and transformation while positioning Ford as a leader in innovation and technology. The project not only preserves a piece of Detroit’s history but also provides a dynamic environment for future advancements in the automotive industry.