Ford is moving forward when it comes to construction at the Michigan Central Train Depot in Corktown.
“To bring it back has really been phenomenal for me,” said construction manager Rich Bardelli.
His family is from Corktown, so this project has been a labor of love.
“Making things safe, getting the building stable, starting to shed water away from the building,” he says.
That’s all part of ‘phase one’ to restore the 105-year-old building. ‘Phase two’ begins sometime next year, which will put in place mechanical and electrical systems.
‘Phase three’ is all about the actual restoration.
The toughest part is drying out all the water absorbed over the years, which could take up to 12 months.
“A lot of darker areas on the concrete and those aren’t dirt, that’s water infiltration, and that water infiltration is what is bad for the building,” says Bardelli.
Crews are working to make the building functional and bring back its beauty.
Bardelli said, “It’s a grand building, we will want to put it back to that state.”
Ford expects the construction work to take four years, which means the end goal is 2022.
