What does Michigan Central Station signify?

For many years, Michigan Central Railway Station has been idle, towering in the downtown area of Detroit, harshly and persistently reminding people of the city's economic difficulties. This 18 story giant railway station used to be the tallest in the world, but it is now abandoned. The once magnificent hall is covered in graffiti, some buildings are stripped bare, scorched earth is everywhere, and it is in ruins.

Firstly, in 2013, Detroit became the largest city to go bankrupt. After years of declining income, declining population, rising crime rates, a nationwide financial crisis, struggling car manufacturers, and political corruption, the city has come a long way. At this point, the glory of this city no longer exists. In the early to mid-20th century, the arrival of Henry Ford and the birth of the first mobile assembly line made Detroit a manufacturing center and the world capital of automobiles. Now, Michigan Central Station, the nearby old library, and Butler himself are all symbols of hope for Detroit's future and sustained economic recovery. Last year, this renovated warehouse officially opened up, providing accommodation for a group of thriving mobile and energy startups, and founding the International Energy Storage Security Products Company, which produces fire prevention and prevention technologies for lithium-ion batteries. Recently, after six years of renovation and nearly $1 billion investment from Ford Motor Company and its founding family, Michigan Central Station will be reopened to the public as a mixed use building.

Secondly, Cockertown is the oldest community in Detroit, with 30 acres of land, including this old train station, which has been abandoned and stands tall in the city, reminding people of the rise and fall of Detroit. Kevin Johnson, President and CEO of Detroit Economic Growth Corporation, stated that the restructuring of Michigan Central Railroad coincides with a critical moment in Detroit's economic recovery, which has been brewing for over a decade.

Furthermore, creating beauty from withering, the revival of Michigan Central Station is by no means an easy task. The automotive industry is beginning to reshape itself and become Detroit's new and powerful job creators, and economic data fully demonstrates that the road to recovery is still long. The city is increasing employment opportunities, generating income, and increasing population for the first time in decades. According to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of April, Detroit's unemployment rate was 3.8%, slightly lower than the overall unemployment rate of 3.9% in the United States.

In 2018, Ford acquired Michigan Central Station for $90 million, with the vision of restoring the building to its former grand state, equipped with a restaurant and retail on the ground floor, similar to the renovation of Denver Union Station, and setting up offices and hotels on the upper floors. The adjacent buildings and surrounding land will complement the task of creating a high-tech innovation zone centered around Ford. Over the past six years, over 3000 skilled craftsmen have spent a total of 1.7 million hours meticulously renovating this building.

Last year, the nearby book storage building reopened and was renamed the Michigan Central New Laboratory, becoming the technology center for startups and early companies. Nowadays, there are nearly 100 companies operating here, many of which involve energy, transportation, and manufacturing industries. The ongoing projects include developing streets that can charge electric vehicles, robots that can handle last mile delivery, and a drone version of Google Maps.

In summary, with the opening of Michigan Central Station, it is expected that this number will continue to increase. The restoration project of Michigan Central Station has become international headline news. When the long abandoned Detroit school library was restored and designed as a new laboratory at Michigan Central Station, it provided a workspace for startups, with hundreds of people working in the new laboratory that opened last year. This arduous task involved Ford Motor Company purchasing and reopening a quarry in Indiana, which is the source of raw limestone. According to the announcement, Michigan Central Station officially reopened on June 6th, which will be the second act of Ford's $1 billion innovation zone.