DETROIT (WWJ) - Renovations and excavations continue at the historic train station in Detroit — as Ford Motor Co. gets ready to move in.
Mary Culler, Development Director for Ford’s Corktown redevelopment project, said they're making progress; telling reporters what crews did and did not uncover in the bowels of the long-vacant structure.
"We removed 650,000 gallons of water from the basement...and no Jimmy Hoffa," Culler said. "But we did find, interestingly enough, we found a lot of whiskey bottles buried in the walls of the station."
WWJ Auto Beat Reporter Jeff Gilbert says many of those bottles, believe it or not, were full. The bottles will be on display along with other artifacts at a visitor's center being set up in the area.
Culler said, overall, the renovation project is on schedule.
A big development announced Wednesday: The heat is finally on in the building, after around three decades without it. Along with that, Culler said all of the numerous holes in the roof have been covered, which makes things a lot more comfortable for construction workers on site.
As work continues, Culler invited business leaders in the city for the Detroit Policy Conference to collaborate with Ford on redevelopment of the station, and the Corktown neighborhood around it.
About half of those working in and around the station will be Ford employees, Culler explained, and there's room for many more.
"This won't just be for mobility companies. We want real disrupters, innovative restaurateurs and more," she said. "Michigan Central is the perfect platform and place where you can come and see the further, and together Ford and Detroit can continue to move the world."
Unveiling initial plans for the project in 2018, Ford Chairman Bill Ford said they're planning a facility focused on the next phases in the auto industry, where the automaker will develop new technology, including for self-driving cars. In addition to all that, he said, the company's plan is for the building to become a "spectacular gathering spot" for people in Metro Detroit, and a symbol that "Detroit is open for business for good."
The 500,000-square-foot, 18-story train station closed in 1988.
The company expects the remodel to be finished in 2022.