Tag Archives: restoration

Jun23

saving Michigan Central.

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opening of Michigan Central Train Station, 1913, Detroit, Michgan, USA

one of the great historic icons in Detroit

the last train came through in 1988

it became a victim of neglect. abuse, theft, time, and the elements

the locale for a number of end of world/armageddon films

the city couldn’t afford to demolish it

bill ford (grandson of henry) bought it in 2018

these 2 pics, above and below

show how it looked on the last day we could go in

before it was shut down and renovation plans began

 he had plans to

make it ford world headquarters

create a newlab technology hub

support the surrounding neighborhood

develop a 30 acre campus

restore the parks around it

after 6 long and incredibly challenging years

at last restored and ready

he returned this landmark

to it’s original luster

the city could not have a greater gift.

“how soon country people forget. when they fall in love with a city it is forever, and it is like forever. as thought there never was a time when we didn’t love it. the minute they arrive at the train station or get off the ferry and glimpse the wide streets and the wasteful lamps lighting them, they know they are born for it. there, in a city, they are not so much new as themselves; their stronger, riskier selves.”

-toni morrison

May3

the soul of the building.

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built by albert kahn and george mason in 1904, one of my favorite places to visit is this lovely glass structure, filled with botanical wonders. during world war II, the anna scripps whitcomb conservatory was responsible for saving endangered cypripedium (greek ‘the shoe of Venus”) orchids, housing them during the bombing of london.

the conservatory has recently been undergoing renovations for last 5 months, and is slated to reopen later in may on it’s 120th birthday. the conservatory/aquarium site had been an old baseball field and remains the oldest conservatory in the united states.

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*The Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory is a greenhouse and a botanical garden located on Belle Isle, a 982-acre island park located on the Detroit River within Detroit, Michigan. While located near the Canada–United States border, the island is entirely within the U.S. (wiki)

 

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“an old building is like a show. you smell the soul of the building. and the building tells you how to redo it.”

-sir cameron mackintosh

 

 

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photo credit: belle isle photography, mark gade

Jun17

day in the d.

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fun day with colleagues in detroit

starting on the detroit river

visiting the only mailboat in the world with its own zip code

still waiting for someone to claim this bag

then off to the detroit river fire boat

and one of the oldest fire stations in the city

sculpture in riverside park

featuring steel from the old joe louis arena

made my detroit’s nordin brothers

and on to detroit’s central station

brought back to life

and lovingly restored

by ford motor company

soon to be their new world headquarters

so many people in the city, working hard

keeping it running and building it back

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“i think detroit is where muscle meets brains.”

-*dan gilbert

 

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*Dan Gilbert is an American billionaire, Detroit businessman, and philanthropist. He is the co-founder and majority owner of Rocket Mortgage, founder of Rock Ventures, and owner of the National Basketball Association’s Cleveland Cavaliers. Dan Gilbert cofounded what would become Quicken Loans, the largest mortgage lender in the U.S., in 1985 at 22 years old. He and his companies have invested $5.6 billion to purchase and rehab a swath of buildings in downtown Detroit, with a plan to create 24,000 jobs.

Jun29

begin again.

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*life finds a way 

 

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“no matter how hard the past is, you can always begin again.”

-buddha

 

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  * the above photo was taken while exploring what was once the traverse city state hospital (1885-1989), and more recently has been restored and given new life as the traverse city village commons. most buildings are now teeming with life and commerce, while other buildings still await their second chance, ghost stories and all.

 

Jun17

knowledge is power.

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a great day spent in detroit

exploring the main library

built by andrew carnegie

in the last year of the civil war

to bring knowledge to the people

1 of 21 remaining in detroit

not forgetting the children

where stories were told in front of the fire

and careful attention

was paid to every detail

a beautiful oasis created and restored

beating in the heart of the city.

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“a city isn’t so unlike a person.

they both have the marks to show

they have many stories to tell.

they see many faces.

they tear things down and make new again.”

― rasmenia massoud