A set of elevated railroad tracks adjoining to the deserted Detroit practice station that Ford Motor Co. is bringing again to life will turn into a “first-of-its-kind mobility platform” for testing and showcasing rising applied sciences, the automaker stated.

Ford launched more details final week about its plans for Michigan Central Station, which is below renovation to turn into the center of a 30-acre campus devoted to autonomous and electrical automobiles. Work on the undertaking, which began about two years in the past after Ford purchased the dilapidated 13-story station for $90 million, stays on schedule regardless of the coronavirus pandemic, officers stated. The revived station is anticipated to be completed by the top of 2022.

The elevated tracks, which noticed their final passenger practice depart in 1988, will probably be become “an open, versatile panorama” for Ford and its companions to work on self-driving automobiles and micromobility initiatives reminiscent of e-bikes or e-scooters, the corporate stated.

Ford plans to show a long-vacant e-book depository throughout the road right into a mixed-use area with labs and studios. It additionally envisions a “vary of housing choices” within the surrounding blocks in addition to facilities reminiscent of a grocery retailer and day care.

The automaker says it spent 18 months researching and planning the revival undertaking, together with holding greater than 100 hours of discussions with key stakeholders from town and the neighborhoods across the station.