Detroit Central Train Station/ Flickr photo.
Last week, a top aide to Matty Moroun, said the company planned to spend $80 million to fix up the Michigan Central Train Station in Corktown that has long-been a symbol of Detroit's decay.
But there are skeptic, John Gallagher and Dan Austin of the Detroit Free Press write.
They write:
Some say $80 million could put a big dent in fixing the exterior, public areas and installing HVAC. But most developers interviewed by the Free Press said it would cost much more to restore the building to its former glory, with some previous estimates in the $300-million range.
The Freep notes that it has been more than 20 years since the trains stopped running and "dreamers and schemers" over the years have suggested converting the daunting structure into everything from a casino to a police headquarters.
Obviously, nothing has ever come of those ideas.
The idea of pouring $80 million into the station popped up last week when Moroun's aide Dan Stamper mentioned it at a city council meeting. Stamper was there to try and convince the council not to sell the land for Michigan-Canada New International Trade Crossing bridge project, and there were some suggestions that he mentioned the train station to try and sway council members.
The trust factor for Moroun is not very high. In fact, if ever there were a poll to measure the public's trust and love for him, it would likely be at Nixonian levels during the Watergate era.
The Freep writes:
Skepticism also arose because Moroun, who has owned the train station since the 1990s, has moved at a snail’s pace to renovate it. He has increased security and replaced a few windows but otherwise has left the station pretty much as he found it.
-- Allan Lengel
