---
title: "Ford Is One Step Closer to Buying the Famous Michigan Central Station"
description: "The legendary Detroit building could house Ford's own autonomous and electric vehicle teams."
date: "2018-05-05"
modified: "2018-05-05"
authors:
  - name: "Jerry Perez"
    job_title: "Deputy Editor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/20613/ford-is-one-step-closer-to-buying-the-famous-michigan-central-station"
categories:
  - "Culture"
  - "Ford News"
  - "News"
  - "News by Brand"
tags:
  - "automotive news"
  - "Detroit"
  - "Ford"
  - "Michigan"
  - "News"
  - "real estate"
---

# Ford Is One Step Closer to Buying the Famous Michigan Central Station

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2018/05/gettyimages-453178426.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Rumors that [Ford Motor Company](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/12773/the-ford-fiesta-is-dead-in-america>) might buy and renovate the famous Michigan Central Station have run rampant since early March, and now it seems that the automaker's board of directors might vote on the project as early as next week.

The automaker's upcoming annual shareholder's meeting will take place on May 10, but it's unclear if this project will be brought up then. What *is* certain is that [Edsel B. Ford II](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/19565/ford-dealerships-donations-to-charity-exceeded-100-million-in-2017>), the great-grandson of Henry Ford, has confirmed to [*Crain's*](<https://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20180428/news/659276/ford-begins-forging-a-corktown-campus>), a Detroit-based business publication, that the Blue Oval's board has been "briefed" on the possible acquisition, and that it would be further discussed at the upcoming meeting.

“It doesn’t need a vote, but it requires buy-in,” Ford told *Crain's.*

![message-editor%2F1525485737156-gettyimages-543492532.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/message-editor/1525485737156-gettyimages-543492532.jpg>)
*GETTY*

![message-editor%2F1525485743183-gettyimages-596955474.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/message-editor/1525485743183-gettyimages-596955474.jpg>)
*GETTY*

The massive multi-story building closed down in 1988 and has remained empty since. Over the years, it has become a staple of Detroit's grandiose and tough past, as well as an icon of something called "ruin porn," which appeals to photographers and thrill-seekers looking to explore dilapidated structures around the world. When the story first emerged, *The Drive* caught up with a Detroit native who [grew up across the street from the station](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/19432/what-it-would-mean-for-one-detroit-native-if-ford-bought-the-abandoned-michigan-central-station>) and is very much so pro-Ford takeover.

Ford has expanded its presence in Detroit little by little, especially when it comes to housing its new propulsion systems development teams such as hybrid and fully electric powerplants. The rumors claim that if Ford were to buy the old station, it would feature office space for its [electric and autonomous vehicle teams](<https://www.thedrive.com/tech/19601/ford-has-patented-a-polymer-composite-cylinder-head>), as well as commercial real estate on the bottom floors.

## Author
Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/drive_jerry/>)