Michigan Central Station Timeline
1912 – Construction begins on Michigan Central Station, designed by Warren & Wetmore, architects of NYC’s Grand Central Terminal
1913 – MCS opens in December, a year early, due to a fire at Michigan Central’s old depot
1920s – Henry Ford begins buying land around the station, but Great Depression squelches plans
1940s – At its peak, MCS serves more than 4,000 travelers a day and houses 3,000 office workers
1956 – Passenger traffic begins its steady decline, leading to service cuts; a $5-million sale of station falls through
1975 - MCS added to National Register of Historic Places; waiting room is formally reopened
1988 - Jan 5th at 11:30 AM, 74 years after the first train steamed in, Train No. 353 to Chicago becomes last train out of MCS
1995 – Matty Moroun-owned Controlled Terminals Inc. acquires MCS, unveiling restoration plan which never happens
2009 - City Council votes to demolish MCS, but an election, budget constraints, and a lawsuit arguing for its historic merit, prevail
2015 - In a compromise with the city of Detroit, the Moroun family commits to replacing windows at MCS
2018 – Ford announces plans for reconstruction of the MCS as new hub for mobility capital of the world.
2022 – Ford plans to open doors to the newly renovated MCS
Contact Us
If you have any questions about Ford’s Michigan Central Station and Corktown campus transformation project, you can email us at corktown@ford.com or leave a message at +1-313-845-3673 (313-845-FORD). Responses will be provided within two business days.
If you’re interested in leasing space within Ford’s Corktown campus, please contact Derric Scott, Senior Manager – Sales, Leasing and Development at dscot182@ford.com or 313-322-6862.