DETROIT — Google is joining Ford Motor Co.’s effort to transform the landmark Michigan Central Station into a hub of technology and innovation.
The news site mlive.com reports Google will be a “founding member” of the Michigan Central Innovation District, a 30-acre campus being developed by Ford at the long-neglected station.
“This is not going to be a Ford campus. This is going to be a campus where entrepreneurs, big and small, would come here and help develop the future,” Ford executive chair Bill Ford said at a Friday event announcing Google’s involvement.
Ford announced in 2018 that it was buying the station, opened in 1913 but vacant since 1988, as a new technology campus [see “New life for Detroit’s Michigan Central Station,” Trains News Wire, June 11, 2018]. It has spent $740 million so far on restoring the building, expected to house 5,000 workers, only half of them from Ford. The state of Michigan is contributing $126 million in investments and resources, including area infrastructure.
Google plans to provide cloud-based services for the campus, and offer digital training for local students and job seekers.
I guess with the increased feasibility of work from home they realized they don’t need as much floor space.
Hope Amtrak/VIA are still going to have a space in the lobby.
Amtrak/VIA never had any designated space in the station with this project, only Ford’s vague comments of being supportive of future passenger trains.
With CP-KCS teasing (yo gain support for the merger) allowing service Chicago to Toronto, this would be the route – as it was decades ago with New York Central trains partnering with Canadian Pacific.
Is FoMoCo going to do anything about the West Vernor underpass? It’s the Gate of Hell Itself. Years ago I lived in the Hubbard Farms district of SW Detroit and had to drive through it. That I know of the Vernor underpass is just as gross to this day.
The Detroit Free Press (freep.com) and the Detroit News (detroitnews.com) have run articles today. The powers – that – be call this a “public – private partnership”, a euphemism for corporate welfare.
A majority of the Vernor underpass was demolished last fall– all the structure that supported the 11 passenger tracks is gone. Remaining is the structure that held up the express track and 7 freight tracks (only 2 of which are still there).