City leaders now say they favor creating a regional justice facility elsewhere. They say such a facility would be led by Wayne County and would accommodate several police and related agencies from various Wayne County communities. Deputy Mayor Anthony Adams, who talked about the now-shelved depot plans with reporters, did not disclose possible locations for such a facility, or a likely timeline.

Rising cost projections for restoring the old Michigan Central Depot proved to be insurmountable, Adams said. The Depot was built in 1913 and has been vacant since1988. Parts of the building were unused for several years prior to that as well. The depot is within site of another city landmark that now stands vacant--Tiger Stadium.

The train depot has been reduced to ruin by age and vandalism. Virtually every window was broken and the depot and more than once the city considered razing the structure. Businessman Manuel Moroun's CenTra Inc., which also owns the Ambassador Bridge that links Detroit and Windsor to Ontario, owns the depot.