People Who Live In Glass Train Stations Shouldn't Throw Stones

Oh my goodness. Nothing is as simple as it seems when dealing with the Bridge Company. There always seems to be some facts not disclosed by their opponents that could change things dramatically.

I am sure that you have read all of the nasty stories directed to the Company because of the Michigan Central Depot. The Mayor of Detroit and the Council want it torn down because it is an eyesore and want the Bridge Company, the owner of it, to pay for the demolition.

Has the world gone mad----upside-down and topsy-turvy?

Apparently, in Detroit, they are prepared to demolish a heritage building but leave up thousands of abandoned homes. Contrast that with Windsor. Here in Windsor, our Mayor and Council will not allow the Bridge Company to demolish their abandoned homes but require them to keep them standing to the distress of the neighbours but in the name of heritage.

Oh my, if the Detroit News story is correct, it may well be that the Bridge Company has a claim against Detroit for not ensuring that the City's properties were properly maintained so that vandals could not enter the Depot site and damage it. How many millions would that be?

Moreover, the City may also not be able to demolish the building according to the News story.

Of course, this is nothing more than a tempest in a teapot designed to demonize the Bridge Co. as they are successfully moving forward on their Enhancement Project. But you knew that anyway, dear reader.

• Depot fight isn't what it seems
  
  Charlie LeDuff
  
  A little-known, 25-page deed showing the city of Detroit holds title to much of the unsecured land surrounding the Michigan Central Depot that plunderers and vandals have used to break into the landmark.
  
  The chase
  
  The city is locked in a feud with the owners of the crumbling, half-million-square-foot leviathan that has become a symbol of the city's decay.
  
  The City Council last week voted to raze the 96-year-old building and force billionaire Manuel "Matty" Moroun to pay the $3.6 million cost. A public hearing Tuesday could clear the way for demolition within 30 days.
  
  Property records unearthed by The News show that, perhaps, things may not be what they seem in Detroit.
  
  Why it matters
  
  According to the deed, the city is responsible for the upkeep of a Vernor Highway underpass adjacent to the depot and loading docks -- an open area by which vandals, graffiti artists and treasure hunters access the depot.
  
  Consolidated Rail Corp. sold the land to the city for $1 in 1989. The deed lasts another 126 years and does not appear to permit demolition.
  
  "The city should take care of its property," said Dan Stamper, a Moroun spokesman. "They own the back door into our property which has allowed people to destroy a city jewel that we have been trying to save. People who live in glass train stations shouldn't throw stones."
  
  A city spokesman said Wednesday that the city owns just three parcels in the vicinity, but none are adjacent to the depot, and they will be sold to the Mercury Bar as soon as today. City Council President Monica Conyers said, "I agree the city needs to keep up its portion of the depot and to demolish it if that's the case."