Do you think this plan for the Packard Plant could happen?

[getmoore]

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...RO01/307170043
Wouldn't that be something!

[mwilbert]

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...RO01/307170043
Wouldn't that be something!

Yes it would. However, it strikes me as one of the least likely ideas for Detroit redevelopment that I have ever heard.

[ghettopalmetto]

The Quote of the Article:

"If Packard wasn’t there or was bulldozed, we wouldn’t be doing this.”


Of course, I'm sure the City of Detroit government will find a way to deem the project unfeasible, without a shred of quantifiable evidence, interfere and obstruct what should be a private transaction, and send Mr. Hults running back to Illinois. Maybe George Jackson and his crack team of "engineers" can send bulldozers in the middle of the night to help the process along.

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

Its interesting to see somebody even proposing this sort of development. The rendering is pretty nice. We can always hope, can't we? Imagine the shot in the arm that this would give the near east side.

[Honky Tonk]

The Quote of the Article:

"If Packard wasn’t there or was bulldozed, we wouldn’t be doing this.”


Of course, I'm sure the City of Detroit government will find a way to deem the project unfeasible, without a shred of quantifiable evidence, interfere and obstruct what should be a private transaction, and send Mr. Hults running back to Illinois. Maybe George Jackson and his crack team of "engineers" can send bulldozers in the middle of the night to help the process along.

You definitely have that part right.

[rb336]

Chicagoans have a knack for urban redevelopment. Too bad the last couple of companies proposing major Detroit projects went belly up

[stevenh]

Mother Nature is doing a fine job of redevelopment..

[gthomas]

Mother Nature is doing a fine job of redevelopment..

.........

[Django]

I cant imagine the structure is sound enough to be used again. Many spots are falling in on itself. As heavy duty as it was constructed its been no match for mother nature. I love it as is anyway.

[royce]

The question I have is, "Why bother?" The Packard plant is crumbling in on itself. Now, if the guy is interested in the land and wants to tear a portion or all of the plant down to build anew, then fine, be my guest. I can't believe the Wayne County rep is interested in giving this guy the land. He must firmly believe this guy is going to take the land and begin paying all the taxes on it so that it's off of Wayne County's hands. I can see the county having to sue the guy to get back back taxes and to get the land back because of foreclosure. No sane person would try to save the Packard Plant.

[Mark Smiles]

It will need a moat around it to protect it from the surrounding neighborhood. Cars parked there will be broken into, just as the cars of people taking pictures were. It really does not matter why the cars are there, to those breaking into the vehicles.

[Honky Tonk]

I cant imagine the structure is sound enough to be used again. Many spots are falling in on itself. As heavy duty as it was constructed its been no match for mother nature. I love it as is anyway.

That, and the actual land it's sitting on HAS to be contaminated beyond belief. Even if he succeeds in removing the Packard Plant as it stands, I see the same scenario as with the Uniroyal site. It might take a good long time for the land to become habitable. Mr. Smiles also has a point, there are residents in that surrounding neighborhood that are more interested in making a quick buck then area growth. Still, that kind of development might be what's needed to link the area between the Plant and Midtown and spawn growth, I hope it all pans out.

[poobert]

Producing architectural plans for insane schemes that have no basis in reality appears to be a huge, growing industry in this town.

Now that's good news!

Wayne County is working with a failed Chicago businessman on a deal for the Packard Plant? Can somebody here make sure they have non-toxic crayons and paste and safety scissors for their meetings so they don't accidentally kill themselves?

[stevenh]

Producing architectural plans for insane schemes that have no basis in reality appears to be a huge, growing industry in this town.

Now that's good news!

Wayne County is working with a failed Chicago businessman on a deal for the Packard Plant? Can somebody here make sure they have non-toxic crayons and paste and safety scissors for their meetings so they don't accidentally kill themselves?

Im sure public money will fund all needed supplies to the failed Chicago businessman on his folly here in Detroit...

[wolverine]

You could rebuild this thing from scratch so very cheaply and so very fast and still be just as good. I hope he's secured a good engineer because I can't imagine the concrete contamination and condition.

[Hamtragedy]

$350M? The Environmental Sight Assessment should pretty much take care of that. Next.

[Argonne18]

Has this developer been sampling the lead paint at the Packard Plant? There's nothing left to steal. The place looks like a T-bone that was thrown into a pool of starving​ Piranhas. This guy must have some kind of a crazy angle. No one is going to sink $Millions into a money pit so far from the city's core.

[stevenh]

Has this developer been sampling the lead paint at the Packard Plant? There's nothing left to steal. The place looks like a T-bone that was thrown into a pool of starving​ Piranhas. This guy must have some kind of a crazy angle. No one is going to sink $Millions into a money pit so far from the city's core.

Sure they will.... Millions $$$ of taxpayer money will be spent on this.

[canuck]

I dont know what your ballpark assessment for this project is wolverine, but it seems to me decontaminating a site of that magnitude barring the cost of demolition has to cost at least 50 million. If the cost of demo is 30 million conservatively, a minimum of 80 milllion would be needed and a year's worth of prepping the site for building IMO. That is a big wager for a private development in a city like Detroit. It will have to be done at one point though.

[Hamtragedy]

Dude must not have been there to catch the prevailing winds from the incinerator.

Speaking of our other favorite super-fund site, how's Jerome Bettis and his group of investors moving along on the Uniroyal? Anyone?

[KJ5]

No.
I do not.

[Honky Tonk]

[QUOTE=poobert;394068]Wayne County is working with a failed Chicago businessman on a deal for the Packard Plant?/QUOTE]

Everyone should sleep easy knowing "Honest Bob" Ficano is @ the helm.

[finster]

Wow - just wow.

[wolverine]

I dont know what your ballpark assessment for this project is wolverine, but it seems to me decontaminating a site of that magnitude barring the cost of demolition has to cost at least 50 million. If the cost of demo is 30 million conservatively, a minimum of 80 milllion would be needed and a year's worth of prepping the site for building IMO. That is a big wager for a private development in a city like Detroit. It will have to be done at one point though.

Like any development of this scale [[ones that stand a chance) the developer isn't going to pay the costs of environmental remediation, taxpayers foot that bill. Demolition would have to happen on parts of the complex regardless because there's visible displacement of columns and slabs.

[mwilbert]

It is not the case that taxpayers always foot the bill for remediation--the Packard plant is somewhat unusual in that there is no economically viable previous owner who can be forced to pay the costs. In all likelihood, this is just another reason the Packard site won't be redeveloped anytime soon.