Rescuing Historic Buildings Is Cooler Than Building New: COTD

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Our inboxes are inundated with spam every day. The bulk of it is nonsense that isn’t even tangentially related to transportation. Some of the press releases we run into are about how some company somewhere is building a new state-of-the-art facility. Here’s a better idea: Just restore a historic building!

Ford spent $950 million turning an abandoned and dilapidated Michigan Central Station into a building that will host about 2,500 employees. Sure, Ford could have built new, but bringing Michigan Central back from the brink is smart. Not only does it give Ford that necessary office space, but shows that Detroit still has strength. Detroit is taking pieces of history and is renewing them for a brighter future. How cool is that?

It’s not just Ford, either. U-Haul finds abandoned historic buildings in major cities and restores them. Sure, those buildings become storage and rental facilities, but they’re made useful again. The topshot is what U-Haul did to the National Biscuit Company building in Detroit. U-Haul also saved a Detroit K-Mart!

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I’m with Anxious John here, this was awesome:

I don’t care what Ford spent to renovate the train station. I am always a supporter of spending money to renovate cultural and historical landmark architectural things such as this.

I feel you, too, Pupmeow:

100%. I’m as jaded and cynical as the next corporate drone, but as a lover of Detroit (and architecture and history) I’m thrilled that Ford put in the effort to revive this building.

Speaking of structures, as David wrote today, gas stations practically bait drivers with pricing tricks. Sid Bridge sees another problem, one that’ll leave you a bit sloshed:

This doesn’t bother me nearly as much as my grocery store trying to give me “fuel points” instead of just, you know, cheaper groceries. Like I’m gonna time my beer run for when my tank is empty. The last thing I need for for my level of alcoholism to be tied to my gas mileage.

Finally, we stop at John Gustin’s report on camping with a Ford Maverick. John, I need to get a look at that camper. I love the way it looks! Also, Spikedlemon is right, don’t be afraid to tow with something small!

I think I’ve towed as large a trailer in a VW Golf. Admittedly, I could really feel the weight, but it towed along happily enough.

I still struggle to understand the tow-culture needing it to be an SUV or Pickup, I recall the other half’s Yaris even having a tow rating when it first came out, similar with early model Smarts. Now? Nothing short of a “truck” seems allowed. (Obligatory note that this rant has nothing to do with EU tongue weights vs US)

Of course, it’s a good idea to stay reasonable. It’s one thing to tow a U-Haul trailer with your Chevy Spark, but don’t try hitching up to the latest from Elkhart, Indiana! Have a great evening, everyone.

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26 thoughts on “Rescuing Historic Buildings Is Cooler Than Building New: COTD

  1. I regret that I was never able to stomp around the structure with cameras while it was derelict, but I am glad that FoMoCo dedicated themselves to its restoration. Detroit is home to a significant collection of historic architecture, with many of said examples being on the National Registry of Historic Places.

    It’s very nice to see the apathy and lack of desire to do anything about the decay has been fading and finally turning around.

    I remember hearing that a stolen clock face was voluntarily returned to this project shortly after the project’s announcement.

  2. The issue with the Michigan Station was it was purchased by the late Matty Maroun and his bridge company and sat on it for years letting it deteriorate. They get around local oversite by getting areas such as this designated as federal rail transportation areas. They tried the same thing downriver from Detroit at the old McLouth Steel Mill, rather then let the area be cleaned up and open up the river front. I’m sure some local and state government officials got some kickback from him.

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