Vacant Detroit train depot gets Christmas makeover

11/22/2013
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The exterior of the vacant Michigan Central Depot in Detroit.
The exterior of the vacant Michigan Central Depot in Detroit.

DETROIT — The shuttered Michigan Central Depot in Detroit is decked out for Christmas.

The massive former train station for years has been symbol of Detroit blight. The Detroit News reports Friday it’s the second year that the building has received a holiday makeover. Lights illuminate the facade.

Detroit International Bridge Co. President Dan Stamper says the idea came from owner Manuel (Matty) Moroun and his family to spread holiday cheer.

Moroun, who also owns the nearby Ambassador Bridge, began making improvements to the building in 2012. The depot was built in 1913 and fell into disrepair after rail service ended in 1988. It stands mostly hollowed-out just outside of downtown.

Moroun bought the building in 1990s. It was designed by the same architects responsible for New York’s Grand Central Terminal.