(CBS DETROIT) — The buzz is building for the grand reopening of Michigan Central Station on Thursday. While tickets for the open houses and opening night concert are sold out, there are still ways to join in the excitement.
“Live from Detroit: The Michigan Central Concert” features Diana Ross, Big Sean, Jack White and many more. The concert will be streamed live and viewing parties will take place throughout Detroit, including Campus Martius Park, the Corner Ballpark and several local companies.
“I don’t have to work that day. So maybe I’ll just come hang out in the neighborhood, just be part of the energy,” said Glenn Anderson, a sous chef at Grandma Bob’s Pizza near Michigan Central.
He said they are preparing for the thousands of new employees who will work in the area once the building opens.
“We’ve been pretty busy already, and I think we’re just going to keep getting busier and busier.”
He and others in Corktown have watched the building’s transformation for years.
“I started here five years ago and the place was completely deserted. The park and roads were different here. It makes the neighborhood seem completely new,” Anderson said.
“It’s a beautiful thing. It’s a beautiful thing,” said Steven Collins, who said his father worked at Michigan Central Station in the 1960s.
“When it got messed up, it was very sad.”
Collins said he is happy to see it restored to the majesty and grandeur he remembered as a child.
Tickets for the first open houses are sold out. But after June 16, Michigan Central will open the main floor to the public on Fridays and Saturdays. There are plans to expand the “open house experience” in the fall.
