The Michigan Central Station, though the Urbanophile guy calls it the Depot, for 20 years has been a question mark. What to do with it? Tear it down, moth ball it, redevelop it? And then where does the money come from? The Urbanophile, and maybe more like him, suggests turning it into an attraction, like the ruins in Europe. Make it safe, make a path, and have a few tours. People are doing it anyway, just illegally. So, why not? Start thinking Detroit, otherwise we might be here for another 20 years asking the same thing about the same building.
Excerpt from the Urbanophile blog:
I realize full well this is the type of suggestion that, when it
comes from an outsider, infuriates locals. But hear me out.
Detroit has a vast supply of decayed and vacant buildings, many of
them architectural treasures. Even if MCD is somehow restored, it will
be one of only a handful saved, while so many others will languish for
some time. Many, like the Lafayette Building, may become so damaged
that they have to be torn down.
What if instead of spending a huge amount of money to try to save one
building, the city found a little bit of money to do basic maintenance
to preserve the structural integrity of many buildings – and create a
safe path through parts of them that tourists could walk through similar
to how ancient ruins are displayed in Europe. Heck, don't even clean
the buildings up. That saves money and makes them even more impressive
to visitors. This could preserve more structures for the long haul, and
create a tourist attraction. The structures can always been renovated
later when demand warrants.
Read the entire post here.
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