Ground was broken Tuesday on a $28.2 million station to be used for multiple modes of transportation and a crucial link in regional mass transit.
The Intermodal Passenger Rail Station will be built at 20201 W. Michigan Ave., west of the Southfield Freeaway at the entrance of west downtown Dearborn.
Besides being a crucial link for Amtrak service and local bus services, the 16,000-square-foot glass-and-brick, historical-meets-contemporary structure will serve as a station for all types of transportation public and private.
There will be Wi-Fi service for passengers, bicycles racks, and interior design that highlights Dearborn's history and best-known institutions. The exterior will be a mix of contemporary design elements and historic features of landmark train stations. There will be a pedestrian bridge and a clock tower. In addition, it will be built with green features such as a solar collectors on the rooftop, rain gardens and energy efficient heating and cooling.
Construction is expected to be completed in the fall of 2013. About 280 temporary construction jobs will be created and 25 permanent employees, some full-time, some part-time, will be needed to operate the station. Federal Department of Transportation and economic stimulus funds are paying for the project.
Locally, it will be a convenient source of transportation for employees of some of the city's major institution and for visitors to its tourist attractions.
Regionally, it "will serve as a rail gateway to Dearborn and Southeast Michigan," according to an announcement released by the city Tuesday, the day a ceremony celebrating the ground breaking at The Henry Ford.
"The important transportation link will allow thousands of passengers per year to make connections to Amtrak’s Wolverine service that extends from Pontiac to Chicago; as well as to SMART, DDOT, Greyhound and charter buses; corporate and hotel shuttles; taxis and personal vehicles.
The station is positioned to support the eventual operation of the Detroit to Chicago High Speed Rail Corridor, which already has seen progress in western Michigan.
"It will also serve the proposed Ann Arbor to Detroit commuter rail line. Eventually, the commuter rail line will allow easy bus connection to the Detroit Metropolitan Airport. The station’s proximity to the Rouge River Gateway Trail on the north side of Michigan Avenue in Dearborn should prove popular to pedestrians and bicyclists and provide easy access to the campuses of the University of Michigan-Dearborn and Henry Ford Community College," the statement went on to say.
It's a massive overhaul and ambitious project for a site previously used to only to store vehicles.
Source: City of Dearborn Department of Public Information
Writer: Kim North Shine
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