Friends group plans improvements for Ypsilanti Freighthouse

Wednesday, September 10, 2008 | Source: Concentrate

Work on the Ypsilanti Freighthouse, both behind the scenes and in the ground, is moving forward in the city's Depot Town.

The Friends of the Ypsilanti Freighthouse just nailed down management duties with the city last week and is meeting with people today about doing some critical grounds work on the structure.

The group is in the process of securing a grant that will help pay for grading around the structure and the creation of a drainage system that will lead to a nearby rain garden. Both the grading and the drainage system are deemed as critical to salvaging the building.

"We hope to start the project in November," says Bonnie Penet, co-chair of the Friends of the Ypsilanti Freighthouse.

The group also raised $10,000 this summer to help restore the historic landmark from its current vacant and decaying state. The price tag for restoring the entire structure is estimated to be $400,000 plus help from a few grants.

The freighthouse served the adjacent railroad from 1878 to right after World War II. The 5,000-square-foot structure became a warehouse before the city bought it in 1979, turning it into a community center. It made the state Register of Historic Places in 1997. More recently, the Depot Town farmer's market set up shop on the surrounding parking lot.

The freighthouse closed in 2004 due to a couple of significant but not insurmountable structural issues. The building's attached deck needs to be rebuilt, its west-facing wall bows out, and the floor needs to be refurbished to eliminate trip hazards.

Source: Bonnie Penet, co-chair of the Friends of the Ypsilanti Freighthouse
Writer: Jon Zemke