What you need to know

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If you only read one section, this is the place to start.
 

• Our lawsuit is still ongoing. The court’s June 30, 2026 ruling did not dismiss our case and did not decide the final merits of our claims.

• Thanks to our small staff and many dedicated volunteers, we are complying with the portion of the order that requires us to remove items from the freight room (also referred to as the "baggage room") in the museum.     ​​

• We are scheduled for court-ordered mediation in August 2026.

• This dispute is about long-term stability for our mission, not simply one room in the station.

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Lease Background

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To understand the current dispute, it helps to understand the lease history.

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Prior to 2016, DUSI had operated and restored the Depot on a handshake deal formed in 1979 when the building was purchased by the City of Durand from the Grand Trunk Western Railroad for $1.00. Under this agreement, the non-profit created to operate the Depot would also be responsible for funding its restoration, maintenance, and utility costs. The City, as owner, handled any insurance costs. In 2016, we entered into a written lease with the City of Durand at their behest for Durand Union Station and adjacent parking areas. Under that lease, we took on additional responsibilities for repairs, maintenance, utilities and insurance while continuing museum operations and related public programming. The 2016 lease also carved out a list of rooms that were subject to potential City control without DUSI's input. The Freight Room/Baggage Room was on this list.

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The lease included an initial three-year term with automatic renewal unless either party provided the required written notice. In 2018, DUSI and the City signed an addendum confirming recurring three-year renewal periods unless notice of termination was given and changing certain provisions related to parts of the building. Notably, the addendum removed the list of rooms mentioned above as subject to City control.

In exchange for this added freedom to use all the space inside the Depot, DUSI gifted the Gate Tower and Baggage Car (located near GTW Engine 5632) to the City. The Baggage Car was the original Durand Railroad Museum, purchased by Norma Ward when it was thought our group would be unable to save the Depot. When the Depot was indeed saved, the baggage car operated as "Durand Railroad Museum, Inc." until 1993 when the Depot was restored enough to host the museum collection itself. At that point, The "Baggage Car" Museum gifted its entire collection (and the car itself) to DUSI.

 

In summary, we traded an important piece of our shared past to secure our shared future, and we did this in good faith.

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How This Dispute Developed

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The City entered into a separate lease with the Durand Union Station Model Railroad Engineers (DUSMRE) for space within the Depot while we remained the primary tenant and museum operator. Upon request for more space from DUSMRE, the City issued a 60-day notice directing us to remove collections and equipment from the baggage and freight room so that space could be used by that group.

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​In response to what DUSI's board saw as a potential violation of the lease agreement amended in 2018, we filed a lawsuit to protect the lease as we understand it. The City responded to this by conducting "lease-compliance" inspections of the building and issued notices of alleged defaults. We have worked to address maintenance and inspection concerns while disputing actions we believe go beyond the City’s authority under the lease.

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Where Things Stand Now

 

Here is where the case stands today.

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We filed legal action to protect what we believe are our lease rights and to preserve the space we need to carry out our nonprofit mission. On June 30, 2026, a circuit court denied our request for a preliminary injunction, but that ruling did not dismiss the lawsuit and did not decide the ultimate merits of our claims.

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According to the court’s reasoning, preliminary injunctive relief was not granted at this stage because, if we ultimately prevail, the court believed available economic remedies could potentially address the harm. The ruling did not determine whether the City’s interpretation of the lease is correct or that we do not have rights under the lease. Our case remains pending, and we are scheduled for court-ordered mediation in August 2026. If mediation does not resolve the matter, the case is expected to continue through the court process.

 

Historical Items in the Freight Room

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In response to the court’s order, we have moved about 90 percent of the items from the freight room to another area within the building. The remaining items are especially large and heavy and we are working carefully to determine how they can be relocated safely.

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No artifacts have been removed from the premises. Protecting our collection while continuing our operations remains one of our highest priorities.

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Clarifying Recent Coverage

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We appreciate the public’s interest in this matter, and we believe accurate information is important.

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Therefore, we want to clarify several points made incorrectly in the July 7, 2026 WJRT TV-12 story, “Preliminary injunction denied in Durand Union Station lawsuit.” First, our lawsuit is not settled. As already stated, we are scheduled for court-ordered mediation in August.

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Second, DUSI are not preparing a new rail history exhibit for the fall. The exhibit mentioned in the story likely refers to the project that DUSMRE would like to build inside the Freight/Baggage Room.

 

Third, while we have moved most items from the freight room to another area within the building, no artifacts have been removed from the station. We also want you to know that we are not under a court order requiring everything to be moved by July 21, as stated in that report using information provided by the City of Durand.

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Why This Matters
 

"This depot is not mine; it is yours. I am here to keep it safe for you, so you can keep it safe for your children."

- Norma Ward, founding member of DUSI

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For the past fifty years, a group of citizens have preserved, maintained, and operated the historic Durand Union Station and the Michigan Railroad History Museum. Over that time, we have formed a non-profit (DUSI), rallied volunteers, and invested major time, care, and resources into restoring the station. We exist to preserve our shared railroading history through expertly curated collections, expanded educational programming and public service.

 

The "Depot Project" was born during the lead-up to the American Bicentennial in 1976 from ordinary citizens looking to preserve local history. This mission continues to this day as a grassroots, citizen-led project in conjunction with the City of Durand, who owns the building.

As the long-term and only custodians of Durand Union Station since 1979, we feel we deserve respect and good faith when questions about the Depot and its usage come up.

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From our perspective, this dispute affects whether we will have the long-term stability and peaceful use of the building we have always enjoyed and require to continue our mission.

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Stay Informed

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We will continue updating this page so you can follow the case as it develops. Our goal is to give you clear, factual information about what is happening and what it means for our mission and the future of Durand Union Station.

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If you have questions, we encourage you to contact us directly through our Contact page or call our office. We welcome respectful questions from supporters, community members and anyone who wants to better understand the facts and the status of the case.

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Useful Documents and Links

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We want you to be able to read the source materials for yourself.

• 2016 lease agreement with the City

• 2018 lease addendum

• Court filing 
   

You can also review recent media coverage related to this dispute:

• ABC12: Durand's Union Station sues city over lease

• Argus-Press: Museum operator sues Durand over Union Station space

• Durand Now: DUSI Files Suit Against City of Durand

• ABC12: Preliminary injunction denied in Durand Station Lawsuit

• Argus-Press: Lease dispute continues as Durand moves ahead with train exhibit
   

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