Why so many factories?

[boater4life]

Why are there so many factories located in southern detroit area [[downriver)? You see them when you drive down I-75 and they are a complete eyesore. I don't even know what these factories are for but they look like they were built in the late 1800's. Why can't they get those out of town and develop the area for better use?

[Danny]

Detroit and the suburbs wouldn't grow in population if it wasn't for factories. The reason there were to many factories along the I-75 corridor is due to the Rouge River the Detroit River. In the mid 1800s The Rouge River was very large when it near the Detroit River. If you go further northwestward, the river shrinks when it passes Michigan Ave. When the area was part of Springwells, Dearborn and Ecorse Townships, it have pre-irrigration farming. Years later thanks to lumber and steel industries, many developers start to buy some of the land at the larger Rouge River area and built factories. By the early 1900s Thanks to Henry Ford, He built his own mega Rouge River complex. Other manufacturing companies followed including oil companies to Detroit's Waste Water Treatment Plant. Today thanks to Freeways and Highways and cheap land, more industrial plants were built producing neighborhood and retail sprawl. Industrial zones are in place to keep factory expansion from reaching residential and commercial areas. Environmental protection laws were amended to factories from polluting the Rouge and Detroit Detroit Rivers and poisoning the land.

[Dan Wesson]

Why are there so many factories located in southern detroit area [[downriver)? You see them when you drive down I-75 and they are a complete eyesore. I don't even know what these factories are for but they look like they were built in the late 1800's. Why can't they get those out of town and develop the area for better use?

That's Ford Country... them old eyesores are what put South East Michigan on the map. Put people to work and made a whole lot of millionaires all to feed the machine.

[Meddle]

Why can't they get those out of town and develop the area for better use?

Partially because of the way they were built and the tremendous costs involved in demolition. Then there's the likelyhood that most of the ground under them is contaminated from decades of industrial chemical use.

[Dan Wesson]

Should they be razed or re-raised. Wouldn't be nice if they were all being used by enterprising americans?

I mean really who or what would stand in the way of that?

[erikd]

Why are there so many factories located in southern detroit area [[downriver)? You see them when you drive down I-75 and they are a complete eyesore. I don't even know what these factories are for but they look like they were built in the late 1800's. Why can't they get those out of town and develop the area for better use?

Those "eyesore factories" are there to make possible the modern civilization that you take for granted.

Those "eyesores" include US Steel, on Zug Island, which makes steel for things like cars, buildings, and bridges. Along with the steel plant, there are a number of cement silos that supply the concrete that we use to construct our roads and buildings. A few blocks away from the steel and concrete facilities is the Marathon refinery, which is the only oil refinery in the state of Michigan. Right next door to the Marathon refinery is the Detroit Salt Company, which mines salt for mostly industrial and governmental uses. In the middle of all this heavy industry in SW Detroit is the Detroit Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is the largest wastewater treatment facility in America, and handles the waste of millions of people in metro Detroit.

The next time you drive past these "eyesores", take a moment to be thankful for all of the products, services, and benefits that these "eyesores" allow you to have.

The steel in the car you drive, the concrete highway that you drive on, the salt that thaws the ice in the winter, the gasoline that you use to run your car, and the ability to just flush your toilet and not have to deal with your own shit, are all provided by those "eyesores" that you seem to be so wont to wish away.

[DetroitPlanner]

You will find factories have traditionally located along areas with good access to transportation. The area of which you speak has great access to raw materials shipped by boat, rail, and freeways. If you notice where there are old railroads there are factories. As trucks took over, it became less important for many industries. Then locations near freeways became more important.

[sumas]

Just a small historical note: Wyandotte was once the ship building capital of the US. My paternal ancestors from Wales were skilled tins smiths and invited to come and work in that industry.

[ndavies]

The problem with the region is we don't have enough of those downriver plants. At one time they were some of the largest employers in the country. The American middle class was created in those downriver plants. At one time the Ford Rouge complex employed over 100,000 people. Many of the abandoned houses in the city are a direct result of a job being terminated at one of those Downriver plants. The outsourcing and automation that occurred downriver are one of the primary factors in the abandonment of Detroit neighborhoods.

[Wesley Mouch]

The problem with the region is we don't have enough of those downriver plants. At one time they were some of the largest employers in the country. The American middle class was created in those downriver plants. At one time the Ford Rouge complex employed over 100,000 people. Many of the abandoned houses in the city are a direct result of a job being terminated at one of those Downriver plants. The outsourcing and automation that occurred downriver are one of the primary factors in the abandonment of Detroit neighborhoods.

The celebration of clean 'knowledge' jobs over manufacturing was a mistake. Once, manufacturing was celebrated. Look at pictures of old Detroit -- and you'll seem smokestacks bellowing. They drew them because they were signs of wealth and progress.

[Goose]

"they" need to tear down all those plants/factories and put in some nice mc-mansions and maybe some palm trees, the rouge river could be better utilitzed for people to park their yachts and sailboats...... those factories are never gonna attract new residents to the area......

[Hypestyles]

The city/region became overdependent on these factories, then the various economic/political trends started happening- enabling more tax loopholes for corporations/owners, subsidizing unending suburban sprawl, outsourcing manufacturing to foreign countries, state legislatures virtually condemning urban districts, etc.
Considering that "heavy" manufacturing isn't coming back, it would be great if these abandoned plants could be, at minimum, cleared out and perhaps reforested, turned into public parklands, etc. Of course, that would take X amount of money, and anti-tax ideologues have long ago successfully recast taxes as a theological evil, especially if directed at those who can most afford them, so...
decaying hulks they will stay..

[MikeM]

The density of rail service south of the city due to the obstruction of Lakes Erie and Michigan.

The discovery of brine and other mineral deposits underground, downriver.

The confluence of the Detroit and Rouge Rivers, and the dredging of the Rouge.

The building of the first large generating plant in Delray.

[unclefrank]

I guess the green job movement didn't work out so well.

[DetroitPlanner]

I guess the green job movement didn't work out so well.

On the plus side.... http://www.reliableplant.com/Read/12...rd-sustainable

[Mackinaw]

First, a lot of what you see heading out of town on 75 south is still active.

Second, not sure they should be removed and replaced. With what? Half the city is empty, so new residential and commercial can go to all those other places first, while this area gets repurposed for future industry. There are better priorities.

Third, and extending on my last point, they aren't exactly in the way, or holding us back. You will see that landscape, perhaps worse looking, in most thriving northeastern cities including NY and north Jersey. It is what it is, and it is not something that retards actual growth and vitality...especially in the city with so much room to [re]-grow. Quite possibly, industrial districts in/near the big city are important for economic growth. Look at the edges of Corktown and how their warehouse districts are coming back, i.e. with Quicken's new tech center and at least a couple of nearby large operations.

[EastsideAl]

So sorry to hear that some remaining parts of the economic engine that built this area and this country, attracted people to this area from all over the globe, fed, clothed, and housed millions of us, built the American middle class, and still employs thousands in jobs that pay a decent living wage marred the scenery of your boat ride.

[DetroitPlanner]

So sorry to hear that some remaining parts of the economic engine that built this area and this country, attracted people to this area from all over the globe, fed, clothed, and housed millions of us, built the American middle class, and still employs thousands in jobs that pay a decent living wage marred the scenery of your boat ride.

Can't we at least install animated children like on the "Its a small world after all" ride at Disneyland? We can simulate them toiling away in sweat shops while the leisure class rides by on boats! Have one fall into a blast furnace every once in a while, great jollies for the anti-Jacob Riis crowd.

[Detroitnerd]

I have this cool car, but there's this thing under the hood that's, like, a total eyesore. It's dirty and noisy and smoky and I want to get rid of it. Can we put something nice under there? Like rabbits and candy?

[Islandman]

Have you gotten beat enough by the the blue collar descendants boater? Yes, prime real estate anywhere else. This is Detroit, we need the reminders of a proud heritage. What else we got.

Look to BK, NY to what can happen to previously gritty waterfront, as an example. Obviously not as industrial, but shows what can be done.

But, hey, maybe someone will turn the boilers on 20 years from now.

[Hermod]

If you have something good to put there and it is worth the demolition and soil/subsoil remediation costs, by all means take down a non-operating factory. Otherwise, just leave it until that days comes or [[even better) someone re-purposes and reactivates the factory and provides manufacturing jobs.

[EastsideAl]

Have you gotten beat enough by the the blue collar descendants boater? Yes, prime real estate anywhere else. This is Detroit, we need the reminders of a proud heritage. What else we got.

Look to BK, NY to what can happen to previously gritty waterfront, as an example. Obviously not as industrial, but shows what can be done.

But, hey, maybe someone will turn the boilers on 20 years from now.

Sorry to offend your sensibilities too. But could there possibly be a dumber question on a board about Detroit than "Why so many factories?"

[DetroitPlanner]

Sorry to offend your sensibilities too. But could there possibly be a dumber question on a board about Detroit than "Why so many factories?"

Here are a few:
Why are there so many Mexicans in Mexicantown?
Why are there so many donuts in Hamtramck on Fat Tuesday?
Where is the Cheesecake Factory?

[ABetterDetroit]

I have this cool car, but there's this thing under the hood that's, like, a total eyesore. It's dirty and noisy and smoky and I want to get rid of it. Can we put something nice under there? Like rabbits and candy?

Mmm... Candy

[Honky Tonk]

I have this cool car, but there's this thing under the hood that's, like, a total eyesore. It's dirty and noisy and smoky and I want to get rid of it. Can we put something nice under there? Like rabbits and candy?

Tell me about the rabbits, Detroitnerd......