A New Transit Hub for Detroit

January 09, 2026
Virtual
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Noon-1 p.m. CST
A 3-d map of the relationship between the former Michigan Central station building and the new site for the "multi-model hub."

Speakers: Beth Kmetz-Armitage and Sam Krassenstein

For over three decades, Detroit’s famed Michigan Central Station stood derelict and abandoned after 75 years of passenger service.

But trains could return to the vicinity of the old station soon.

The Ford Motor Company purchased, renovated, and gave new life to Michigan Central Station, which opened in 2024 as a mixed-use building, part of the new Michigan Central Innovation District — which has partnered with the City of Detroit and the Michigan Department of Transportation to develop a new multimodal transportation facility within the 30-acre campus.

HSRA Executive Director Rick Harnish joins Beth Kmetz-Armitage and Sam Krassenstein, two leaders in the project, for a conversation about the proposed station, the potential for expanded Amtrak service in the region, and what this development means for the future of Detroit.

Beth Kmetz-Armitage is the director of commercial development at Michigan Central.

Sam Krassentein serves as both the chief of infrastructure and the Department of Public Works deputy director for the City of Detroit.

It’s a Beautiful Country

Let’s see it. Let’s clean it. Let’s build it. Let’s make high speed rail a reality.

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