Long ago, Corktown was one neighborhood, the oldest in the city. Then a new freeway plowed right through it, splitting it in two, and its separated halves went their different ways.

On the south side, which stayed anchored to the area’s commercial avenue, residents worked hard to preserve dense streets of Victorian homes, even as urban blight and urban renewal ate away at the neighborhood’s edges.

But its unmoored other half withered away. Over time, North Corktown was plagued by crime and blight, deserted by most of its residents, left to revert back to nature.

Now, both halves are on the verge of a transformation. Last July, Ford Motor Co. bought the long-abandoned Michigan Central Station, for years an iconic reminder of the city’s decline. The automaker promised to restore the building to magnificence and bring thousands of new jobs and new people to the area.

The bars and restaurants are thrilled at the prospect of more customers. Land speculators are ecstatic that their dormant bets are about to become jackpots. But many residents have concerns. Will rents and property taxes skyrocket, forcing people out? Will newcomers outnumber familiar faces? Will the grassy fields be filled with expensive lofts and condos? For those who've made either part of Corktown their home, for better or worse, life’s about to be very different.

Ford’s arrival promises change in Corktown Long ago, Corktown was split in two by a freeway. Now that Ford is moving in, both halves are about to see big changes. Ryan Garza and Brian Kaufman, Detroit Free Press

On a mission

Years ago, Howard King got into some trouble in North Corktown. Some people still won’t let him forget about it. And ever since, he’s been on a mission to help his neighborhood and redeem his name.

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No man's land

Metalworker Kristyn Koth chose the emptiness of North Corktown to create something unique. Ford’s arrival promises to make her neighborhood a lot more crowded.

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Out of house and home

The homeless people in the neighborhood might not have houses, but Corktown has long been their home. Father Tom Lumpkin, the priest who watches over them, wonders whether they can stay here much longer.

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Alone in a crowd

An ailing shut-in opened her door to people in need. She found several takers in her North Corktown neighborhood. Now Janice Shapiro has become a prisoner in her own home.

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The breakfast club

The elderly couple moved to this quiet part of Corktown to retire in peace. Suddenly, Joyce Nielsen and Pete Johnson find themselves at the epicenter of the city’s latest hot spot, and fear for the fate of the poor living among them.

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All in the family

When he was growing up here, Corktown was full of families raising their kids. Ray Moncivais hopes it can be like that again.

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Tomorrow never knows

Nobody else wanted the empty plots of land around him in North Corktown, so Greg Willerer planted an urban farm. But with Ford coming to the neighborhood, those fields are going to be worth a fortune. Is there room here for a farm after Ford’s arrival transforms the area?