For those of you unfamiliar with this building, it is one of the most beautiful buildings I’ve had the pleasure to photograph, and coming from Europe I sure know what I’m talking about! The MCS was built around the same era the NY and Chicago train stations were built, but unfortunately it didn’t have the same fate as those important two. The bad management of the City Council and Government of the city of Detroit, the many crashes of the automotive industry throughout the years along with the poor mentality and complete lack of care by many of the citizens of Detroit have left this and many other buildings in complete ruins and abandonment. This is the pathetic reality of Detroit Motor City, once one of the biggest and most modern cities in the US now reduced to a very small, unproductive and decadent abandoned city.
Looking at Detroit today is like looking at any city in a poor third world country. Entering Detroit gives you the impression you are not in the United States of America. It seems like another country, which for me after coming from Atlanta was kind of scary I have to admit.
Prosperity in Detroit is a word that has been forgotten completely or so it seems. People has abandoned and keeps abandoning the city that is falling apart from every corner. Crime is skyrocketing and jobs are as scarce as common sense by the part of the entities that govern the city. This once a beautiful modern city is falling down rapidly and dramatically. To top it all up the City Council just announced their decision of using money from the stimulus funds to demolish the Michigan Train Station. The mayor wants an “emergency demolition” of one of the greatest buildings in the United States of America, that should be preserved, restored and it trains made functional again just like any other modern city in Europe and the US. The reason for demolishing this beautiful historical piece you would think is a very strong reason, right? well no, the reason for demolishing this landmark, is plain and simple because is ugly and of course because after using money from the stimulus funds to tear it down they will demand the owner of the building to pay the city back. I’m not a lawyer but I’m sure this is not quite legal.
Why not restoring it? why not make it functional and bring more permanent jobs and revenue to the city that so much is craving for it? do they really think that generating temporary employment to destroy the building is better than permanent employment?? are these people on the Detroit government for real??… The demolition of this landmark is the beginning of the end for the city of Detroit and nor the government nor the people living in Detroit have realized this yet.
After 20+ years of complete abandonment and vandalism the building still stands proud of the golden era of Detroit. This was once the portal for millions of passengers that entered the once prosper and modern city of Detroit. Can you imagine entering the city through this gorgeous building?! it should have being fabulous! talk about prosperity and opulence! The attention to detail in the construction of this building is so exquisite that even is admired by architects worldwide and still today shows its splendor in full despite the state of ruin of the building.
I went to take pictures of the MCS this past Sunday 19th of April, just a few days after the sad decision was made to demolish the building. I guess the angels were sad that even the sky turned gray and the day was cold, yet I was able to take great pictures of the front of the building. We couldn’t make it inside but I would have loved walking inside this building. The historic value of this building is amazing, the construction was incredible and it would be a really good thing if the city of Detroit would not only make it a landmark but make it functional again. In an era were is so important to make a city as green as possible and having such an incredible infrastructure there ready to be restored to its splendor activating one of the most important train stations would make Detroit not only the green city but a prosper one as well atracting the business and revenue that is so much needed. Honestly, it is a crime not to save this building.
We need a miracle in Detroit to make this city a prosper one again, and I mean a true miracle. From been one of the most important cities in the US is now the last one, where no one wants to live and where even large corporations don’t want to invest. We need a clean, honest group of people to manage this city the right way, but most importantly we have to get rid of the cancer that is currently making all the bad decisions that have turned this city into the shameful city that is today.
Let’s keep the Michigan Train Station. Don’t destroy our heritage.
The incredible attention to detail of this building is amazing! look at those florets, those columns! is like entering a Roman or Greek temple! why do they want to destroy it?!….
