OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. — Michigan Central Station is set to open on Thursday. The iconic symbol of Detroit's decay is finally reborn.
It took six years and thousands of workers to restore the massive building after it sat vacant since 1988.
"I got to go through the building and see, actually, a lot of water on the ground; we had to avoid puddles," Zeeland Architectural Components Project Manager Ed Tolsma told FOX 17.
The Ottawa County millwork company does everything from commercial to residential and restoration. A few years ago, the company was called up to handle one of its most significant projects.
"It's hard to put into words, but it's very satisfying to be a part of such a big transition," Tolsma said.
Tolsma still has some of the plans used to craft the breathtaking woodwork inside Michigan Central Station.
"The most beautiful thing about wood is that every piece was alive. You know, at one stage, every piece is different," he explained.
Ford Automotive brought Tolsma and his team of around 20 people in 2019 to help breathe life into this historic building.
"Initially, we were asked to restore some very large windows, the windows that actually faced the Main Street coming up," Tolsma said.
Their experience led them to a second project: the clock, one of the building's main focal points.
"So the clock is actually surrounded by a mahogany frame. Basically, it's a large frame, six foot by eight foot. It has some of the carvings and architectural elements from Andre," Tolsma said.
Andre is a contract worker on Tolsma's team who learned the craft in Romania.
"He worked for Ceausecua in Romania. He carved in his castles, and he learned his trade," Tolsma added. "His talent is something that's just immeasurable."
Tolsma, Andre and more than 3,100 workers spent a combined 1.7 million hours restoring this building.
"The whole facility actually was covered in graffiti, and they decided to embrace it. ... There will be a corridor where you'll see graffiti that they actually restored and maintained," Tolsma said.
Ford is getting ready to set the station as a major tech hub.
"Whether you knock it down or make it great, making it great is better than knocking it down," Tolsma said.
Before this project, Zeeland Architectural Components' work included Norte Dame's Golden Dome, Little Caesars Arena, and the Book Tower in Detroit.
SEE MORE: See inside Michigan Central Station after a massive 6-year restoration project
Follow FOX 17: Facebook - X (formerly Twitter) - Instagram - YouTube
