Holly's 1886 Train Depot Rolled Toward Downtown. Finishing It Needs Up to $800,000 More.

By Carrie Thompson, Strategic Marketing Real Estate Agent, eXp Realty, Grand Blanc, MI

The Holly Union Depot, the brick train station built in 1886 at the village's rail junction, was moved off its spot between active tracks and toward downtown Holly on December 9, 2025 (Oakland County Times, December 16, 2025). WHMI reported the depot went from 223 South Broad Street to 307 South Broad Street (WHMI, December 11, 2025). About $900,000 had been raised by then, and project leaders said another $500,000 to $800,000 was needed to finish (Oakland County Times, December 16, 2025).

The depot could not be used where it stood

The depot replaced an 1865 station that burned in 1884. It had two waiting rooms, one of them solely for women, and a lunch counter. The name "Union" refers to the junction of two railroad lines (Oakland County Times, December 16, 2025). WHMI identified those lines as the Detroit, Grand Haven and Milwaukee and the Flint and Pere Marquette railroads, and noted the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (WHMI, December 11, 2025).

Sources differ on when passenger service ended. The Oakland County Times says the depot served passengers until around 1964 (Oakland County Times, December 16, 2025). WHMI and the Holly Downtown Development Authority say service ran until the 1970s (WHMI, December 11, 2025; Main Street Holly DDA).

The Village of Holly bought the building in 1999 for $1 (Oakland County Times, October 22, 2025). Project manager Peter Stouffer told Mid-Michigan NOW that as of 1999, "the railroad decided that it was too close to the tracks and we can't use it for public use anymore" (Mid-Michigan NOW, December 2, 2025). Around 2019, the village bought three lots from a railroad company near Broad Street for $35,000 to give the depot a new home (Oakland County Times, December 16, 2025).

Reports give three different distances for the move

The Holly DDA's project page and WHMI describe the move as 1,000 feet northwest (Main Street Holly DDA; WHMI, December 11, 2025). The Oakland County Times and Mid-Michigan NOW put it at about 800 feet (Oakland County Times, December 16, 2025; Mid-Michigan NOW, December 2, 2025). The moving company, Wolfe House and Building Movers, describes a 650-foot relocation of a 35-by-81-foot, single-story building, moved without its floor system, "within the constrained area between two railroad tracks" (Wolfe House and Building Movers).

The move started at about noon and finished at about 5 p.m. Allied Construction handled foundation work, and Bruce Lowe Excavating dug the foundation at no charge (Oakland County Times, December 16, 2025). The move had originally been scheduled for April 2025 and was pushed to late November because of structural preparation needs (Oakland County Times, October 22, 2025).

The full project is budgeted at about $1.8 million

The DDA's budget totals $1,821,900 across four phases: $60,500 for pre-move site work, $650,000 for moving the building, $505,000 for rehabilitation and restoration, and $440,400 for site development, plus a $166,000 contingency (Main Street Holly DDA).

The Oakland County Times listed the major funding: more than $400,000 from Main Street Oakland County's Public Spaces and Placemaking Grant Program, a $150,000 National Trust for Historic Preservation grant in partnership with American Express, and $25,000 from the estate of former Village President Tom McKenny (Oakland County Times, December 16, 2025). The DDA lists a $100,000 matched donation from the Downtown Development Authority (Main Street Holly DDA).

"I'm so proud we've been able to do this without using any tax money," Stouffer said (Oakland County Times, December 16, 2025).

It is meant to be a public stop for visitors

The Village Council issued a Proclamation of Intent that the building would be used by the village for the public and would not be used for offices or retail, or sold. Stouffer said it could be a visitor's center where people learn Holly and railroad history and pick up a map of the community, or a hub for visitors and volunteers during festivals and events (Oakland County Times, October 22, 2025). Stouffer said the depot is "going to be a place where people stop in" and "where they can learn about Holly and our railroad history" (Mid-Michigan NOW, December 2, 2025).

After the move, the next steps listed were block work and filling gaps under temperature-controlled conditions, removing the steel support beams, and outside work on landscaping, fencing, pathways, and lighting (Oakland County Times, December 16, 2025). In December 2025, Mid-Michigan NOW reported the depot was expected to open to the public in July 2026 (Mid-Michigan NOW, December 2, 2025). The reports cited here do not confirm whether that date was met.

What buyers and sellers near downtown Holly should check

If you are looking at a home or building near South Broad Street, walk the block and check how the rail lines, crossings, and the new depot site sit relative to the property. For older downtown buildings, ask the village whether any historic district rules apply before you plan exterior changes. Sellers nearby can point buyers to the DDA's depot plans page so they see what is planned for the site.

Every listing I take gets professional photos and video, room sizes, targeted digital ads, and targeted buyer avatars. Call or text Carrie Thompson at (810) 893-3269.

About Carrie Thompson

Carrie Thompson, "Your Favorite Property Girl," is a Strategic Marketing Real Estate Agent (REALTOR®) with eXp Realty serving Grand Blanc, Genesee County and nearby Michigan communities, including Holly, Fenton, Linden, Tyrone Township, and Hartland. Michigan license 6501338662. Call or text (810) 893-3269.