Corktown

Is the Michigan Central Station an eyesore or an opportunity?

Does the MCS offer opportunity? Or is it just an eyesore? We've been asking that question for years now... but, maybe, just maybe, we'll get an answer soon.Excerpt:Stamper says some people want the depot razed because it's a visual rendering of the decay of Detroit. But in spite of the problems, many Detroiters still find the depot beautiful and inspiring. Hundreds of them protested the council's decision, including Tim McKay."I see this train station every day of my life," McKay says. "I live here, work here. This building represents a bygone era. It also represents a great opportunity."McKay says the residents of Corktown, the neighborhood that houses the building, want to use the station as the backdrop to a city park. He envisions it as a viable green space that could be used by all.And the International Bridge Co. has some ideas in the works as well; Stamper has submitted a proposal to the government to use part of the depot as a facility for Homeland Security."We want to refurbish just the historic part," Stamper says. "The main entry, main lobby of the depot. The tower would come down."Read the entire article here.Another piece on the MCS from NPR here.

Roosevelt Park planting aims to reflect Michigan Central’s stature

LISC accepting nominations for CDC of the year

Up and down times for Tiger Stadium

The Tiger Stadium's stay of execution was lifted Monday according to the Associated Press but Freep writer Bill McGraw wonders if the fight over a stadium that is already 75 percent gone worth the energy, considering abandonment is a problem throughout the city.Excerpt:If we are going to worry about Michigan and Trumbull, why not such endangered corners as Sawyer and Ashton, W. Robinwood and Charleston, and W. Warren and W. Grand Boulevard, where a library sits crumbling and abandoned? One sign fastened last week to the fence that surrounds Tiger Stadium made a similar point. The sign said: “Demolish the DANGEROUS burnt-out homes on MY STREET before an HISTORIC LANDMARK.”Read the entire article here.

Charter Reform Spells Change for Detroit

They say good things take time, and this will. Revising the city's charter could spell great things for Detroit. But what type of change will come of it, and who will make those decisions? Voters, a lot of that is up to you.

New hope for Detroit’s Michigan Central Station?

Will this be the plan to save MCS? Preservationists hope.Excerpt:“With more than 500,000 square feet of space on nearly 14 acres in proximity to critical state, regional and international infrastructure facilities, the Central Depot property has great potential to house a complimentary set of homeland security, intermodal transportation and economic development-related functions,” write the five state senators.  “The property is ideally located in an area of unique intermodal convergence that includes the Ambassador Bridge, the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, connections to three interstate highways, the Detroit-Wayne County Port and several freight lines.” (More pics after the jump.)...The timing of the senators’ plea, though, is interesting. Just last week, the Michigan Messenger reported that the Canadian Pacific Railroad is seeking $400 million to build a new freight rail tunnel under the Detroit River and likely emerging in the middle of Michigan Central’s rail yard. While building the tunnel would not necessarily save the structure, the proposal does seem to buttress the case made by preservationists that the complex still has economic value and is worth rehabilitating.Read the entire article here.

Michigan Central Station gets a little more time

Michigan Central Station gets a little more time as Matty "the Billionaire" Moroun weighs options for developers.Excerpt:The historic Michigan Central Depot and the nearby Roosevelt Warehouse will stand a bit longer after a Detroit City Council committee decided Monday to delay a decision on razing them.The delay came in a hearing before the council's Public Health and Safety Committee after representatives of Manuel (Matty) Moroun, owner of the Detroit Bridge Company, which owns both buildings, said he needed more time to negotiate with potential developers for the depot.Last month, Dan Stamper, Bridge Company president, said the federal government was interested in developing the depot property as a base for its Homeland Security operations in Detroit.Read the entire article here.

Buffalo’s Central Terminal might have some ideas for Michigan Central Station

Buffalo's Central Terminal might provide a few answers as to what to do with Michigan Central Station.Excerpt:If Matty Moroun is serious about preserving the decaying Michigan Central Station, he should direct his attention to Buffalo and the resurgence of its Central Terminal. The private public partnership that helped to rebuild that aging terminal offers one heck of a model, going well beyond Moroun's most recent plan to lease parts of the depot to the federal government.Read the entire article here.

Sports Central: Best Places to Watch the Game, or at Least Look Like You Are

We play to win, and we like to watch our teams win. Sometimes with a beer in hand, sometimes with a martini. Sometimes in formal wear, sometimes in jean shorts. OK, never really in jean shorts. Here's the lowdown on your best bets for catching the game.