Packard Plant Progress

**mikeg19** · January-13-16, 06:42 AM

I drive by on 94 everyday so I can't get a great look at anything happening. Anybody see any kind of progress or work going on there? I know they were talking about the administration building up first for rehab, but has that happened? Has anything else happened besides the cleanup of the site last year?

**JoeGeds** · January-13-16, 07:51 AM

There is asbestos abatement occurring right now in the Admin Bldg - the north side along E. Grand Blvd.

**dmike76** · January-13-16, 07:57 AM

The Packard Plant Project's facebook page has some pictures of the abatement.

**Lowell** · January-17-16, 10:45 AM

In December The Detroit Historical Society held its 2015 Society Ball in Building 22.
http://detroithistorical.org/things-...5-society-ball

Tix were 75-$750.

A little dated but ....

Tommy Hearns eyes Packard site for new gym

Also Display Group, a corporate events organizer, is renovated the north end. That section was built much later than the main plant. I believe it was used by Anaconda before going vacant and seems the least damaged.

Display Group renovating Packard building for new headquarters

"Display Group is spending $750,000 on renovating Building 22 on the 40-acre site.

The company has made the 255,000-square-foot warehouse its new headquarters."

**Lowell** · January-25-16, 12:27 PM

Some set back news here but Palazuelo is defiantly undeterred. Fears of global slowdown was behind the fund pull. Chinese?

Fernando Palazuelo has had to make a course correction on the financing of his Packard Plant redevelopment project after a collapse in a key financing agreement.

Palazuelo, who owns the sprawling plant at I-94 and East Grand Boulevard and plans a hodgepodge of uses there, says a large but undisclosed Peruvian private equity firm has backed out of an agreement to provide $80 million in financing for the Packard project.

But Palazuelo says he's still following his original business plan, with no need to scale back on the 3.5 million-square-foot Packard, the redevelopment of which is expected to take hundreds of millions of dollars over the next seven to 15 years.

Invariably, Palazuelo and his team are undeterred.

"It's not going to affect the Packard," Palazuelo said while waiting for a bowl of soup along with the project manager, Kari Smith, at the Seva vegetarian restaurant on Forest Avenue in Midtown. He even said another large Detroit industrial property project is in the works [[see related story).

"It's business as usual," Smith said in agreement, a salad on the way.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...ite-loss-of-80

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · August-08-16, 11:18 AM

Things still seem to be slowly moving along.

http://www.freep.com/story/money/bus...roit/87913012/

http://detroit.curbed.com/2016/8/8/1...t-construction

While I am generally not in favor of big tax breaks to developers, since the promised benefits are almost always grossly overstated, I see no problem with the proposed 12 year tax freeze.

**mikeg19** · August-09-16, 07:20 AM

Hell, at least this guy is paying the taxes. Give him the tax break and lets get this thing moving so we can see something tangible. It's a lofty plan, yes, but hopefully getting that administrative building redone will be the first domino to fall and the wave will follow after.

**Lowell** · August-10-16, 09:15 AM

A couple of things I found interesting in the Packard update article...

1-Dimitri Hegemann, biggest name in electronic music scene in Berlin and creator of the legendary Tresor club appears to have signed on with the project. You will remember that he was shopping Fisher 21 as event center / hostel. I see where he is angling for a state law variation to be able to sell alcohol after 2 AM.

While Hegemann previously expressed interest in Detroit’s empty Fisher Body Plant No. 21 at 6051 Hastings St., he has turned his attention to the Packard site. This phase would create a ground-floor music venue, another restaurant, a large hostel and, on the redeveloped building’s top floor, a European-style spa.

“According to Dimitri, he’s going to be bringing in a lot of young people from Berlin who are extremely interested in Detroit,” Smith said of the entertainment and hostel concept. “Berlin, of all the cities I’ve been in, loves Detroit more than any other city.”

The famous German is also interested in the concept of gaining a special nightlife designation to allow a Packard Plant venue to serve alcohol past Michigan’s 2 a.m. last call.

2-The first to be be renovated would be the admin buildings on the north side of E. Grand Blvd. The article claims the money is there for that. W'ell see.

Restoration will cost $11 million to $12 million, Smith said, and could be mostly finished by late 2017 if work can start this September, when they anticipate City Council would take up the tax-freeze request.

The phase’s financing is already secure and largely comprises private equity from Arte Express Detroit’s parent company in Peru, she said.

Already there are tenants for about 70% of the administration building’s future office space, Smith said. Their names will be announced at the project’s ground-breaking ceremony — tentatively set for October — and include marketing, architectural and environmental firms, as well as a job training center and Arte Express Detroit’s own office.

All in all a grandiose and exciting plan. I really hope it happens but I'm not holding my breath.

**Lowell** · August-10-16, 09:28 AM

This was interesting to note as well...

"Just don’t try to book the Packard Plant for your destination wedding — at least not yet. Arte Express has received about 20 wedding location requests, but turned down all of them because of safety concerns."

And this from another article -- urbex is now another revenue stream.

An adventurous crew of 60 urban explorers spent Saturday afternoon wandering the wrecked corridors and dark tunnels of Detroit's old Packard Plant during a rare, authorized tour of the industrial landmark.

All 60 of the $41 tour tickets sold out within 12 hours of being offered online.

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · January-22-17, 04:20 PM

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...truction-start

Cautiously optimistic about the spring construction predicted in this Crain's article. But it does sound promising.

**night-timer** · January-23-17, 02:08 AM

Originally Posted by Lowell

This was interesting to note as well...

"Just don’t try to book the Packard Plant for your destination wedding — at least not yet. Arte Express has received about 20 wedding location requests, but turned down all of them because of safety concerns."

And this from another article -- urbex is now another revenue stream.

It seems to be the only way to venture into the Packard plant these days. I know the on-site security guard used to jump on Django and me whenever we were at or near the plant. We were pretty much limited to East Grand Blvd and Concord Street. Setting foot inside the plant was "a felony" according to the guard, who mostly sat parked in his honey-colored sedan.

Allan Hill [[who resides in his workshop at the Packard Plant) could be another good source of reliable and up-to-date info on the current state of play.

**hybridy** · January-24-17, 08:02 PM

i believe this is a study rather than a plan, but some imagery to ponder. [[h/t to 'testdrive' on skyscrapercity). iirc albert kahn assoc. was doing the rehab as they were the original designer.

http://aiachicago.org/spa_archive/20...daptive-re-use

http://www.independentarch.com/packard/citydiagram

**archfan** · January-25-17, 02:21 AM

Originally Posted by hybridy

i believe this is a study rather than a plan, but some imagery to ponder. [[h/t to 'testdrive' on skyscrapercity). iirc albert kahn assoc. was doing the rehab as they were the original designer.

http://aiachicago.org/spa_archive/20...daptive-re-use

http://www.independentarch.com/packard/citydiagram

This would be awesome to see realized. I also hope they're able to use the streetcar station on Grand Blvd.

**MSUguy** · January-25-17, 12:17 PM

This was posted on the DEGC's facebook.

City of Detroit Brownfield Redevelopment Authority
County of Wayne, Michigan
Notice of City Council Public Hearing on a Brownfield Plan
To All Interested Persons in the City of Detroit:
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the City of Detroit Brownfield Redevelopment Authority is considering the following proposed Brownfield Plan. A public hearing to receive comments on the proposed Brownfield Plan will be held on Thursday, January 26, 2017 in the Council Chambers, 13th Floor of the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center located at 2 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, Michigan to consider the adoption of a resolution approving the Brownfield Plan for the Detroit Brownfield Redevelopment Authority as follows:

10:05AM – Packard Administration Building Redevelopment

The property is located on the eastside of Detroit at the intersection of East Grand Boulevard and Concord Street on 5 parcels which consist of the historic Administration Building at 1580 East Grand Boulevard, two interior corridors at 5821 and 5847 Concord, and two vacant lots at 5580 and 5590 Concord.

**GMan** · January-25-17, 01:10 PM

Originally Posted by hybridy

i believe this is a study rather than a plan, but some imagery to ponder. [[h/t to 'testdrive' on skyscrapercity). iirc albert kahn assoc. was doing the rehab as they were the original designer.

http://aiachicago.org/spa_archive/20...daptive-re-use

http://www.independentarch.com/packard/citydiagram

The imagery is Awesome! Creative use of existing structure maintaining the history of the place.

**casscorridor** · January-25-17, 01:24 PM

Originally Posted by GMan

The imagery is Awesome! Creative use of existing structure maintaining the history of the place.

I think to be a success the Packard Plant redevelopment needs one or several major cultural anchors. Something along the lines of a second Detroit Institute of the Arts and a second College for Creative Studies. It's a long shot, but the cultural capital of the complex would increase by lightyears and help attract corporate leases and other commercial uses.

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · April-03-21, 10:54 AM

Very surprised to see that back taxes are being paid and that it’s once again avoiding foreclosure. I haven’t seen anyone other than Crains covering it, which is also odd.

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-e...losure-auction

And a payment plan for the remaining amounts. I sure hope Palazuelo isn’t just throwing good money after bad. Is it actually possible that the Packard is once again back from the dead?

**Satiricalivory** · April-03-21, 02:33 PM

Those renders do look great but you'd need a colossal company to move there and do something like that. Maybe Fiat Chrysler? Their Auburn Hills location is so awful, I can dream.

**Hypestyles** · April-03-21, 02:47 PM

Originally Posted by Satiricalivory

Those renders do look great but you'd need a colossal company to move there and do something like that. Maybe Fiat Chrysler? Their Auburn Hills location is so awful, I can dream.

hmm.. maybe have it for their self-driving car development/testing area.
something needs to change for the better there, sooner rather than later.

**renf** · April-04-21, 08:02 AM

A Crain's Detroit Business report from last October about the Packard plant

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-e...ng-demolitions

**Danny** · April-06-21, 06:36 AM

It's been 5 years and where is the progress of the Ole' Packard Plant? The bridge is gone, the abandon areas are boarded fenced in and security tight The lone homeless sculpture person is still living there to make ends meet.

The Old Packard still standing is 'ruins of the Parthenon' of Detroit. And it will stay that way rotting until results will come.

**bartocktoo** · April-06-21, 10:11 AM

Originally Posted by Satiricalivory

Those renders do look great but you'd need a colossal company to move there and do something like that. Maybe Fiat Chrysler? Their Auburn Hills location is so awful, I can dream.

The Auburn Hills Headquarters is actually a pretty amazing campus...and it is still Metro Detroit, you know, and beyond. So the entire metro area of about 4.3 million not including Windsor, Ann Arbor, and Toledo [[which would make it more like 6 million) benefits. Have you ever been there? Why is it awful?

**Hypestyles** · April-11-21, 05:21 PM

I don't suppose an eccentric like Elon Musk would be interested in any part of the property?

**KnnNike** · April-12-21, 02:36 PM

Originally Posted by Hypestyles

I don't suppose an eccentric like Elon Musk would be interested in any part of the property?

Why don't you tweet him and find out? :-)

**night-timer** · May-05-21, 07:34 PM

I like the Packard Plant, but I never much liked its location, which to me totally lacks convenience compared to Downtown, Greektown, Midtown, for the events/music/sports crowds who come into Detroit.

Isn't there a Ford Model T plant way up on Woodward in Highland Park that sits empty? I know it's there because I've been there, but I'm not sure if it was a Ford plant or a Model T plant.

If it's empty and up for sale, that might be a better option for a re-furb or re-purpose.