Photoblogging Lansing Pt. 2: Trains, Trains, Trains.

Following up the last post on Amtrak, here's a bit of photoblogging and wishful thinking on Lansing train depots.

Three train depots of note exist in the Lansing area:

1. Clara's Restaurant, located in the old Lansing Central Station near Michigan and Pennsylvania Avenues.
2. The Grand Trunk Western Depot, on S. Washington.
3. The East Lansing Intermodal Station, on Harrison and Trowbridge.

The Amtrak Blue Water train hurtles by two of these stations, but only one of the three stations is operating: the East Lansing station. Wonderful for MSU, but it makes you weep tears of sorrow from an architectural standpoint.

As you travel through Michigan, several communities have taken the time to restore grand old train stations, bringing historic charm to these cities: Kalamazoo, Holland, Dowagiac, Niles, Bangor -- all of these cities have depots with beautiful facades, restored interiors, and always offer a lively jolt as you hurtle along your journey. For Lansing? We have this:



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The East Lansing station. When Amtrak decided to re-instate the Chicago-Toronto (now Chicago-Port Huron) line, they had already sold the Lansing Grand Trunk station. MSU sold Amtrak an inexpensive storage house, and passenger rail returned to Lansing. Yet it did not have an ounce of the majesty carried by the former Lansing depot down the tracks.

The Grand Trunk Depot is a gorgeous building, but with each passing year it falls further into disrepair. A shame, because it is located in the heart of the redeveloping REO Town neighborhood and just south of the Capitol District.

The station served rail passengers until 1971 when it was sold and converted to a restaurant in 1972. Growing up, I remember the restaurant held little of the charm of the gilded Clara's, and it came as no surprise that as the neighborhood declined, so did patronage: the restaurant was eventually closed some time in the late 90's.

Time has not served the building well. The stone structure remains beautiful as ever: red brick with white accents, and a striking tower and circular room on the north side of the building. But the grounds, woodwork, and windows are a different story.

Although it has ample parking and the neighborhood is turning around, the lot is overgrown with weeds, and several windows have been broken in and subsequently boarded. The painted doorway to "The Station" -- the moniker of the former restaurant -- is visible over the plywood haphazardly sealing the door from entry.

The station was enclosed by a high, chain link fence on the south end of the station, possibly to prevent patrons from wandering onto the tracks and into the line of freight trains. It now appears more like a cage to enclose the station from the world around it, only protecting the broken glass from shattered windows that litter the pavement around the 100-year old structure.

The east end is littered with remnants of the restaurants: tables, booths, chairs, boxes, crates -- all of the unwanted remnants of the station that have remain unmoved.




If restored, the station could add a vibrancy and renewed, historical feel to Downtown Lansing. It's a prime location with ample parking, and close to downtown, the Capitol, Lansing Center, and the Radisson -- but with a cash-strapped Amtrak, City of Lansing, and State Government, such a prospect is high in the clouds.

It would be wonderful if Lansing could one day become a central hub for passenger rail in lower Michigan. The creation of a new route from Grand Rapids-Lansing-Ann Arbor could create an awesome educational and business travel network. And a renewed depot would add to Lansing's image and long-lost historical character.

And besides, it would be super awesome. I say we call it the "Granholm Express."



I'm such an engineer. ;)

Photoblogging Lansing Part 1: The Capitol

Now that I'm back in Lansing and armed with a trusty digital camera, it's time to embark on some photoblogging. Over the next week or so, I'll be posting images and discussing varied buildings within Lansing: schools, train stations, and more. Where to start?

The Michigan Capitol.


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Cliche? Possibly. But on the eve of the inauguration, it seemed like a grand place to start. Mom and I traipsed to downtown Lansing and wandered into this historic gem. Restored in 1992, the Capitol showcases beautiful neoclassical design, and inside is adorned with gorgeous woodwork, art, and painting. I'm sure most everyone in Michigan has visited the Capitol at some point in their lives, but its always wonderful to stop and view the intricate detail of every nook and cranny.

From the flooring to the doorknobs, everything within the building is gorgeously ornamented. The image on the left is from the ground-level doors: the bronze and copper alloy plating shows birds, leaves, and an ornamental "push" -- an art long lost with the more economic "stick it on the window" placards.

Even where there are no light fixtures or portraits, even the paint in places such as the stairwells forms an art all its own. This golden, broad-brushstroke pattern leads down into the 2nd floor of the Capitol. So cool. Ornamentation such as this is everywhere: greens, blues, golds, reds, yellows -- it makes the building feel less Lansing and more Romanov palace.

The dome, of course, speaks for itself. It rises well beyond the 4th floor public access, alit with dazzling blues and golds, until it reaches the stars at the very top. Chandeliers light the halls, featuring the elks and stags of the Michigan flag.




Outside of the Governor's office, a large portrait of the late President Gerald Ford hangs, draped in black fabric with a placard about his life.

Outside of the building, we took additional shots of the exterior detail, and of the temporary stage being constructed for the second inauguration of Gov. Granholm. There were plenty more photos, but this was more of a personal experience than one intended for blogging. I just wanted to share a few of our observations.








I'll go over some train stations in my next post; it'll involve more policy than just random photos. But get on down to the capitol and re-explore it if you haven't recently. There's always something new to see. It is truly an historic part of our city and state.

And who would I be if I didn't close with a bit of fun?