BEST OVERALL PROJECT

Michigan Central Station - Local 2 Michigan
Signatory Contractors: Leidal & Hart Mason Contractors, Inc.
Michielutti Brothers, Inc.
Empire Tile & Marble Company
Wolverine Stone Company
PULLMAN SST, Inc.
RAM Construction Services
Grunwell-Cashero Company
Jablonski Building Conservation, Inc.
Graciano Corporation

Originally designed by the same visionaries behind New York’s Grand Central Station, Michigan Central Station opened its doors in 1913. It became a symbol of Detroit’s prosperity, accommodating over 4,000 passengers daily by the 1940s. After decades of serving as a transportation hub, the station fell into disuse, with its last train departing in 1988.

The transformation required extraordinary masonry work that restored more than 8 acres of brick, stone, and terra cotta. This included the meticulous restoration of the grand hall façade and its towering limestone columns, with nine original capitals and five carefully replicated ones, each one hand-carved over 400 hours by a master stone carver.
 
One of the most breathtaking features of this project is the restoration of the three Guastavino-tiled vaulted ceilings in the former waiting room. These awe-inspiring ceilings, rising 65 feet above the floor, were painstakingly restored using over 22,000 square feet of clay tiles and more than eight miles of grout. Eighteen stories of terracotta detailing were restored, including Juliet balconies and over 1,300 linear feet of cornice work marked by double corbels. Every detail of the plasterwork was recreated, including over 3,000 cast plaster pieces, some of which were replicated using 3D printing technology. 

The original terrazzo flooring in the concourse was too damaged to save, and the new flooring includes an in-floor radiant heating system. Throughout the building, from the ticket lobby to the elevator lobbies, the materials used – from Mankato stone to marble – blend modern restoration techniques with historic authenticity.
The master craftsmanship of over 200 members of BAC Local 2 Michigan restored Michigan Central Station to its rightful grandeur, ensuring that this landmark will continue to serve as a beacon of Detroit’s past, present, and future.