What old factory is burning 2/11/14 at Farnsworth & Riopelle?

**Hamtragedy** · February-11-14, 08:16 PM

It's been burning for a day or two now. Now portions are collapsing. Is that an old, I mean OLD Cadillac factory?

**Detroit Stylin** · February-11-14, 10:35 PM

Originally Posted by Hamtragedy

It's been burning for a day or two now. Now portions are collapsing. Is that an old, I mean OLD Cadillac factory?

Name: _DSC0515.jpg
Views: 1612
Size: 52.1 KB

Yeah I saw this from my apartment today and was wondering what it was....

forgive the quality of the image I had to take it quick...

**subsidized** · February-11-14, 10:38 PM

http://motorcitymuckraker.com/2014/0...-photos-video/

**EastsideAl** · February-12-14, 01:59 AM

It's an old Fisher Body plant, which did produce bodies for Cadillac, among many many other auto companies.

**Honky Tonk** · February-12-14, 04:51 AM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

It's an old Fisher Body plant, which did produce bodies for Cadillac, among many many other auto companies.

Among many many other GM companies.......

**56packman** · February-12-14, 02:36 PM

It is celebrating the 55th anniversary of the big fire at the Packard Plant, Feb. 9-12 1959. The stuff legends are made of.

**EastsideAl** · February-12-14, 07:34 PM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

Among many many other GM companies.......

Actually, at the time this plant was built, before they were bought out by GM in 1919, Fisher built bodies for several different companies.

**downtownguy** · February-12-14, 09:40 PM

Kefallinos owned that for a time. Not sure if he still does.

**Django** · February-12-14, 10:29 PM

Drove by on Warren about an hour ago. Fire trucks still there but no smoke visible.

Hopefully Ill have some pics of whats left in the next couple of days.

**Hypestyles** · February-13-14, 11:36 AM

...why wasn't this dangerous abandoned facility demolished?

**Honky Tonk** · February-13-14, 11:41 AM

Originally Posted by Hypestyles

...why wasn't this dangerous abandoned facility demolished?

- $$$$$$$$$$

**Zacha341** · February-13-14, 11:45 AM

I thought I heard there was a sign company or something in there?

**Django** · February-14-14, 02:33 AM

I thought it was a viable building with businesses renting. Years ago a friend and I found hundreds of small light boxes made for advertising. We collected as many as we could and they were all pretty nice. One hangs in the Bronx with the word LIX in it which artist Chris Turner came up with. Looked like they had just gotten rid of some old inventory. The building seemed good to me then as it did a week ago.

**eastsidechris** · February-15-14, 11:32 PM

The building is NOT abandoned; it's actually owned by the Detroit Public Schools and houses food services things.

**Danny** · February-16-14, 08:10 AM

The fire at the old factory was caused by a arsonist. Send its calling card to keep corporations out from Detroit. That's not going to work!

**no1bnlfan** · February-20-14, 11:25 PM

Originally Posted by eastsidechris

The building is NOT abandoned; it's actually owned by the Detroit Public Schools and houses food services things.

This building is NOT part of the Detroit Public Schools, although it was sort of surrounded by buildings that are part of the DPS services division. This building was occupied at the time of the fire, by a manufacturing company called Palmer Promotional Products. This was their warehouse as well as a facility to assemble the store fixtures and cabinets they made as part of their varied product line. Django - I'm sure that was old inventory they were no longer needing, if you found it in the trash. Also, did you ever go back and get any pictures? I went down there yesterday and they are starting to demo the worst burned areas but I could not get close. Since the fire started up that second time a week later, they have guards down there at all times and they have the streets around it blocked off. [[Farnsworth, Riopelle, Theodore are all blocked off) I was able to get a few pics thru the fence on Frederick.

**no1bnlfan** · June-28-14, 08:47 AM

Originally Posted by Hamtragedy

It's been burning for a day or two now. Now portions are collapsing. Is that an old, I mean OLD Cadillac factory?

For any of you who might still be interested in this thread, nailhed.com did extensive research on this now demolished building's history - 5140 Riopelle in Detroit was originally Fisher Body #10 and Cadillac WAS in this building at one time. This article is loaded with lots of interesting history and lots of photos!.
Check it out -
http://www.nailhed.com/?m=1