Packard Overpass Collapses onto E. Grand Blvd.

[DeLemur]

Yes, see now the city owns part of that bridge apparently.

[mikefmich]

All things aside I will miss this bridge having driven under countless times and walked through it a few times. It was an immense iconic Detroit presence. A picture from 2006.

I agree with that. My ma was born a block away on Medbury, grandparents lived there for nearly 50 yrs., grandfather worked there from day one, my folks were married at the little church still standing a couple blocks away. Going to visit on Medbury was a part of my life when very young. Love to see this get rebuilt, but I probably won't live that long. For that matter, none of us might.

[Lowell]

Looking west from 2008.

[Meddle]

With all the reams of information supposedly out there, I can't readily find the timeline of construction, from the initial shovel turn to occupancy. But somehow I think it was considerably less than the time spent debating demolition.

[hybridy]

Regarding Lowell’s picture:
I always envisioned owning an apartment in the top angled space. I’m not sure when that collapsed but it was after 2009

[Sandhouse]

I always wondered what the odd bay was at the corner with the glass roof. Styling studio? Does anyone know?

[canuck]

I always wondered what the odd bay was at the corner with the glass roof. Styling studio? Does anyone know?

I'm guessing it may have been a turlet. A toilet set in a turret, very popular in medieval architecture.

[abraham]

That damn thing was an eye sore in my opinion. Mother nature helping to tear down blight. Glad no adults were in there playing hide and seek with each other.

[abraham]

I agree with that. My ma was born a block away on Medbury, grandparents lived there for nearly 50 yrs., grandfather worked there from day one, my folks were married at the little church still standing a couple blocks away. Going to visit on Medbury was a part of my life when very young. Love to see this get rebuilt, but I probably won't live that long. For that matter, none of us might.

I would think it would be demolished and a new building built. That thing is to old to be rebuilt. I would think. Its toast.

[O3H]

20 samples of material from the bridge were tested for asbestos as mandated by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality; all showed negative results.

http://theneighborhoods.org/story/pa...vard-back-open

[Pat001]

What's historic about an abandoned factory in a town full of abandoned factories? Historic is a monument or a civil war battlefield.

[Ray1936]

What's historic about an abandoned factory in a town full of abandoned factories? Historic is a monument or a civil war battlefield.

Really need a "like" button on DYes as in Facebook! But "Like", Pat!

[313WX]

Damn, it's going to be hard to get into Arlan's now.

I'm guessing a trip to Kingsway is out of the question too...

[masterblaster]

What's historic about an abandoned factory in a town full of abandoned factories? Historic is a monument or a civil war battlefield.

-This complex of buildings is massive, something like 3.5 million square feet.

- An iconic luxury car brand was built there for 50 years

- It has been around for 115 years.

- The plant was used to build aircraft engines for both World War I and World War II

[stasu1213]

Many bicycle groups had taken photos clustered underneath that bridge. Thank God that the thing didnt collaspe on them while taking a photo and I am that the bridge didnt collasped on passing cars and pedestrians

[Meddle]

What's historic about an abandoned factory in a town full of abandoned factories?

"It included the first use of reinforced concrete in the United States for industrial construction in the automobile industry.

The Packard plant was opened in 1903 and at the time was considered the most modern automobile manufacturing facility in the world, "

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Packard_Automotive_Plant

There are a lot of historic places that don't involve mass death and destruction.

[Pat001]

Really need a "like" button on DYes as in Facebook! But "Like", Pat!

We still have other iconic landmarks [[eyesores) like the Uniroyal Tire billboard.

[Zacha341]

Hah. Wasn't there a Shoppers World there too at the very end?

I guess that layaway of mine is inaccessible now!

I'm guessing a trip to Kingsway is out of the question too...

[Cincinnati_Kid]

Damn, it's going to be hard to get into Arlan's now.

Arlans. That's a name from the past. I remember the one on 8 Mile and Telegraph, right where you take that turn to get on North Telegraph.

[Lowell]

Clean up was almost complete yesterday when I swung by for a look. I wasn't worth going further than to take this long shot.



Since I was there I visited the cemetery for most quintessential "money shot" of Packard.


Each time a new piece of it has collapsed since the previous visit. In this case it can be seen that the northeast corner [left end] has collapsed since this summer view.

[Ray1936]

That's Trinity Cemetery, also known as the German Lutheran Cemetery. Wife has ancestors buried there. Staff at the office is very arrogant and unhelpful. Just sayin'.

[ABetterDetroit]

Clean up was almost complete yesterday when I swung by for a look. I wasn't worth going further than to take this long shot.



Since I was there I visited the cemetery for most quintessential "money shot" of Packard.


Each time a new piece of it has collapsed since the previous visit. In this case it can be seen that the northeast corner [left end] has collapsed since this summer view.

Incredible shots of the continuing collapse from the cemetery Lowell. Walking down Mt. Elliott I always wondered how fast that particular building was caving in on itself. You have provided some photographic evidence to answer my question. Thanks for posting.

[mikefmich]

That's Trinity Cemetery, also known as the German Lutheran Cemetery. Wife has ancestors buried there. Staff at the office is very arrogant and unhelpful. Just sayin'.

Still?

I was thinking about stopping by the next time I get up there for a one last Hail Mary about my g-g-grandmother & two daughters. Prussian immigrants from 1854.

[jiminnm]

I just recently watched the first episode of this year's Amazon's Grand Tour, much of which was filmed in Detroit. There were some nice shots of the three hosts driving a Mustang RTR, Hennessy Camaro and Dodge Demon under that overpass.

[Packman41]

I always wondered what the odd bay was at the corner with the glass roof. Styling studio? Does anyone know?

Those upper floors were added during the start of WW I - 1916. At the time Packard was concerned about sabotage from German sympathizers
living in Detroit. At the time Packard was building Liberty aircraft engines for the war effort.

During construction is was decided that corner of the building would make and excellent observation spot to watch folks entering and leaving the building from the parking lot across the street. Documents show that PMCC called that area a "photographic studio." After the war was over they did, in fact, use it as a photographic studio.

Lowell, I would like to comment on your 2018 summer and 2019 winter photo comparison. Please see the google aerial image from this past summer. Rather than a [[weather related) collapse, it appears to be planned demolition. From the image you can see the missing area now contains [[somewhat) organized piles of rubble and some areas are scraped clean. This appears to be part of the cleanup.

Finally, there was an article in the Free Press yesterday that Palazuelo is delinquent in paying his Wayne County taxes. https://www.freep.com/story/news/loc...es/2686758002/

The article was not clear about City of Detroit taxes. It did say the taxes were frozen, but I don't know what that means. Were they frozen at 2013 levels? Or, does that mean no city taxes are payable?