Ford would demolish this vacant Detroit building

JC Reindl | Detroit Free Press

Show Caption Hide Caption Ford reveals rendering of Detroit train station's future Ford reveals rendering of Detroit train station's future

Ford Motor Co. is looking to construct at least one new building for its future Detroit campus in Corktown and could put penthouse condominiums in a renovated Michigan Central Station.

And Ford's plans for the vacant Detroit Public Schools Book Depository, adjacent to the long-empty train station at 2231 Dalzelle, could include new offices, retail and even housing.

The depository, known as the Roosevelt Warehouse, became infamous a decade ago after a man's body was found upside down and encased in ice in the building's elevator shaft.

Those and other new details of Ford's Detroit plans emerged Thursday during a presentation by the head of the automaker's land development firm.

More: Ford revels in a new 'city of possibility'; residents hopeful, skeptical

More: Photos: See inside Michigan Central Station in Corktown

David Dubensky, chairman and CEO of Ford Land, spoke at a sold-out event in MotorCity Casino for the Southwest Detroit Business Association. He discussed Ford's new campus and its recent purchase of the 18-story train station.

Other new details shared Thursday included:

Ford plans to preserve some of the train tracks behind the station, in case passenger trains come back in vogue.

Structural experts spent six months examining the 1913 train station and found it structurally sound.

Ford has received about two dozen calls from people considering returning lost or stolen objects from the train station.

There is no plan to build any large Ford employees-only fitness center in Corktown. "We want to force them to go out into the community."

New building at old brass factory

Dubensky said that Ford could construct the new building on the site of the old Lincoln Brass Works factory, 2051 Rosa Park Blvd. The sprawling factory complex would be demolished after Ford closes a tentative deal to buy the property.

The brass factory stopped operating in 1990s, and the complex was turned into office space for small businesses and nonprofits, including the Vistas Nuevas Head Start program for youngsters.

However, all tenants evacuated the complex in October 2016 because of the discovery of potentially hazardous fumes still lingering in the air.

Dubensky said they anticipate razing the factory because of those environmental issues.

"The brass factory site is contaminated, it needs a significant amount of remediation to actually get rid of the contaminants," Dubensky said. "The only real way to do that is by taking the building out."

Dubensky said the design of the potential replacement building is still being worked out.

Penthouses possible

Ford also hasn't determined how much housing would go into the train station, along with anticipated offices and retail space.

However, Dubensky told reporters that train station penthouses are a possibility.

"Wouldn't that be cool — a couple penthouse condos or lofts up there," Dubensky asked. "But we don't know exactly where the residential would be."

Ford's entire Corktown campus would encompass 1.2 million square feet, spread across four buildings.

The four buildings are:

Michigan Central Station (600,000 square feet).

The Factory at 1907 Michigan Ave., which houses about 200 advanced car technology workers.

The vacant Detroit Public Schools Book Depository, adjacent to the depot at 2231 Dalzelle, known as the Roosevelt Warehouse.

The former brass factory at 2051 Rosa Parks.

About 2,500 Ford employees, most from the automaker's mobility team, will work in Corktown by 2022. The campus would have space for up to 2,500 more people in the future.

Ford officials did not release details of anticipated development incentives.

The surrounding neighborhood will be kept in consideration as the campus plans unfold, Dubensky said.

"From our perspective, if we're successful here, we're going to create a campus that is a wonderful place to work for our engineers and designers, but it's also a great place for the community to live," he said.

Ford's party at Detroit train station Ford Executive Chairman, Bill Ford Jr., invited the public to hear announcements regarding their purchase of the Michigan Central Depot.

Contact JC Reindl: 313-222-6631 or jcreindl@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @JCReindl.