reporter | Li Yimeng
editor |
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Ford Motor recently used a series of renderings to show the outside world what the restored Michigan Central Station will look like once the project is completed.
The project is known as "an inclusive, vibrant and walkable transportation innovation zone in Corktown" and stems from Ford's investment in the Michigan Central Warehouse, which is undergoing renovation after the company's purchase in 2018.
The project is described as "an all-encompassing and vibrant innovative pedestrian zone in Corktown". In 2018, Ford invested in Michigan Central Depot. After the acquisition, the automaker is beginning to renovate and rebuild it.
covers an area of 30 acres (121,000 square meters), including the 106-year-old Michigan Central Station, a library designed by Albert Kahn, and it is located on the west side of the station The new building of Ford and the location of Ford’s new local functional department-The Factory.
In May 2018, Ford Motor Company moved 220 employees to Cork Town, mainly from the company's self-driving car and electric vehicle teams.
Today, they work in this building at 1907 Michigan Avenue. This building with a total area of 4180 square meters was rebuilt from an old factory, and its original name was "Factory". During this period, the number of employees in Ford's self-driving car business unit has increased to 250.
Ford said that the core of the reconstruction plan is to "use the pedestrian platform created by the elevated rails behind the railway station. The entire area is filled with brand new open spaces, connected to the surrounding buildings, and community residents can walk on it at will." It took more than 18 months to formulate the reconstruction plan of
, including more than 100 hours of discussions with stakeholders in the city and the community.
According to Ford, residents’ feedback prompted them to add “public facilities, green spaces, trails, bicycle paths, public art, and open areas that can be used in all-weather conditions. This ensures that the magnificent scenery of the station will not be obstructed. And residents of southwest Detroit can easily enter the area to enjoy the beautiful scenery, which is an important requirement of the community". Z1z
residents also hope to introduce retail, public spaces, and public convenience facilities such as grocery stores and daycare centers.
Ford's move is seen as part of its "return to Detroit" plan. The veteran auto manufacturing giant, which originated from Detroit, has previously focused more attention on Silicon Valley, where technology research and development capabilities are concentrated, and its decision center has long been located in Dearborn on the Rouge River.
's investment in Michigan's central warehouse area is considered the most impressive step in the aforementioned plan. The Detroit Central Station in the area ended its passenger rail mission in 1988, and the Ford Motor Company took over the station from its owner, the Moroun family.
real estate and construction experts said the reorganization of Michigan Central Station may cost Ford at least $300 million.
Ford executives said that rebuilding the business in Detroit will help the company compete with Silicon Valley for young technical talents to develop advanced technologies such as autonomous driving and artificial intelligence.
"Returning to Detroit is of great significance to us, because my grandfather started from here to pursue his dreams, and we will always treat this as home." Bill Ford, executive chairman of the Ford Motor Company and heir to the Ford family. Ford) said at the time.
In fact, Ford is deeply rooted in Detroit: Henry Ford created the famous Ford Model T at the Piquette Avenue Plant in the east of the city. The company also initiated the construction of the city's landmark building, the Renaissance Center (Renaissance Center), which was later acquired by its rival General Motors and established its headquarters here.
Another reason Bill Ford feels cordial to Cork is that the communityMost of the residents are immigrants from the same part of Ireland as their predecessors. He said that this area can provide Ford employees with a stylish urban working environment, which is completely different from the company's current administrative product development center in Dearborn.
"The reason I love this place is that Cork Town will quickly resonate with newcomers and local heritage." Ford's vice president of self-driving cars and electrification, Sherif Marakby (Sherif Marakby) said. The town is seen as a huge development advantage. It will increase people’s interest in teamwork here from both internal and external aspects. "
Of course, the automaker did not stop the construction of Dearborn. In April 2016, Ford announced a 10-year redevelopment plan for the Dearborn campus and formulated a budget of 1.2 billion US dollars for this. One of the purposes of Ford's move is to expand the workforce. According to the plan, the company will double the number of employees working in Dearborn to 24,000. Ford has also refurbished the Ford Global Headquarters complex, which includes the headquarters of Ford Motor Credit Company.
