Metro Detroiters getting ready for reopening of Michigan Central Station

(CBS DETROIT) — The buzz is building for the grand reopening of Michigan Central Station on Thursday. While tickets to the open houses and opening night concert are sold out, there are still ways to get in on the excitement. 

“Live from Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central” will feature Diana Ross, Big Sean, Jack White, and many more. The concert will be live-streamed, and watch parties will take place throughout Detroit, including Campus Martius Park, the Corner Ballpark, and several local businesses.

“I don’t have to work that day. So I might just come hang out in the neighborhood, just be a part of the energy,” said Glenn Anderson, a sous chef at Grandma Bob’s Pizza located near Michigan Central.

He said they are preparing for the thousands of new employees that will be working in the area once the building opens. 

“We’ve already been pretty busy, and I think we’re just going to continue to get busier and busier.”

He and others in Corktown have spent years watching the building transformation.

“I started here five years ago, and the place was completely abandoned. The park and the roadways were different around here. The neighborhood just seems completely brand new because of it,” said Anderson.

“It’s a beautiful thing. It’s a beautiful thing,” said Steven Collins, who said his father worked at Michigan Central Station in the 60s.

 “When it fell into disarray, it was very sad.”

 Collins said he’s happy to see it restored to the majesty and grandeur he remembered as a kid.

Tickets to the initial open houses have sold out. But after June 16, Michigan Central will open its ground floor to the public on Fridays and Saturdays. Plans are to expand the “open house experience” in the fall.