Question about Fisher Body Plant 21 in New Center

**night-timer** · June-13-21, 12:40 AM

Fisher Body Plant 21 is one of the more notable Detroit auto-plant ruins not too far from the central Downtown area.

I'm assuming it's still private property, but it has never seemed too boarded-up.

On my only visit to that site, there was no access to upper floors at all. I found no stairs or traffic-able road to the upper levels. Only street-level was accessible. Have any such paths/roads been removed?

The building was supposed to become a nightclub and artists' residence. but that was a number of years ago and the site still sits empty and abandoned.

**stasu1213** · June-13-21, 07:37 AM

That's is probably the latest racket in Detroit. Developers purchase these monstrosities with the promise of renovating them but just sit on them for years. Who own the former Cadillac plant on Connors near Harper?

**Richard** · June-13-21, 09:15 AM

Originally Posted by night-timer

Fisher Body Plant 21 is one of the more notable Detroit auto-plant ruins not too far from the central Downtown area.

I'm assuming it's still private property, but it has never seemed too boarded-up.

On my only visit to that site, there was no access to upper floors at all. I found no stairs or traffic-able road to the upper levels. Only street-level was accessible. Have any such paths/roads been removed?

The building was supposed to become a nightclub and artists' residence. but that was a number of years ago and the site still sits empty and abandoned.

It was never supposed to be a night club and artists residence,that’s kinda like me saying I want to start a rave at Gistoks house .

Years ago when the automakers went through their bankruptcy it was given/sold to the city,during the cities bankruptcy a lot of properties were transferred to untraceable offshore companies but I am not sure if this was one of them.

To me highest and best use would be textile related if the city wanted to create a garment district of sorts in the quest for diversity verses a night club.

**NSortzi** · June-13-21, 09:43 AM

Originally Posted by Richard

It was never supposed to be a night club and artists residence,that’s kinda like me saying I want to start a rave at Gistoks house .

Years ago when the automakers went through their bankruptcy it was given/sold to the city,during the cities bankruptcy a lot of properties were transferred to untraceable offshore companies but I am not sure if this was one of them.

To me highest and best use would be textile related if the city wanted to create a garment district of sorts in the quest for diversity verses a night club.

There was an article a few years ago where the owner was interviewed and he stated he wanted to turn the building into a nightclub, but it was never a serious plan.

The building is pretty much a tourist trap. There’s constantly people coming and going and there’s usually more than one group inside at once. The upper floors are accessible, you just need to figure out how to access them. It’s not too difficult once you figure it out.

**Satiricalivory** · June-13-21, 09:58 AM

That building is begging to be turned into lofts or office space. I wonder if it's big enough to get the state's transformative benefits?

**Gistok** · June-13-21, 02:07 PM

Originally Posted by Richard

It was never supposed to be a night club and artists residence,that’s kinda like me saying I want to start a rave at Gistoks house .

You'll have to give me at least a 2 year heads up to tidy up!

**JRiordan** · June-13-21, 06:22 PM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

That's is probably the latest racket in Detroit. Developers purchase these monstrosities with the promise of renovating them but just sit on them for years. Who own the former Cadillac plant on Connors near Harper?

It's being demolished and replaced.

https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/...tamping-plant/

**royce** · June-13-21, 07:28 PM

Fisher Body is in New Center and is not a part of the Packard Plant. The brewery was not and is still not a part of the Packard Plant. The building for the brewery is on the south side of Grand Boulevard, just west of the Packard Plant. It is my greatest development wish that the Packard Plant be demolished, period. It is in shambles and needs to be laid to rest. That goes for the southern part as well, which the city owns. Looks like at least that section is slowly being torn down. Fisher Body needs to be torn down as well. I have spoken.

**JRiordan** · June-13-21, 08:41 PM

My bad about the plant, I was thinking about a different one. While not physically part of the plant, located between the cemetery and Concord, that building is included with those buildings as part of the facility. I'll add this to my original comment.

**NSortzi** · June-13-21, 09:23 PM

Originally Posted by royce

Fisher Body is in New Center and is not a part of the Packard Plant. The brewery was not and is still not a part of the Packard Plant. The building for the brewery is on the south side of Grand Boulevard, just west of the Packard Plant. It is my greatest development wish that the Packard Plant be demolished, period. It is in shambles and needs to be laid to rest. That goes for the southern part as well, which the city owns. Looks like at least that section is slowly being torn down. Fisher Body needs to be torn down as well. I have spoken.

Fisher Body is in Milwaukee Junction not New Center

**Burnsie** · June-13-21, 09:33 PM

Originally Posted by Richard

...Years ago when the automakers went through their bankruptcy it was given/sold to the city,during the cities bankruptcy a lot of properties were transferred to untraceable offshore companies but I am not sure if this was one of them...

GM hasn't had anything to do with Fisher 21 since 1984, when it was sold to Cameo Color Coat, which operated there until declaring bankruptcy in 1992.

**NSortzi** · June-13-21, 10:58 PM

Originally Posted by Burnsie

GM hasn't had anything to do with Fisher 21 since 1984, when it was sold to Cameo Color Coat, which operated there until declaring bankruptcy in 1992.

I believe it was Carter Color, not Cameo?

**night-timer** · June-14-21, 05:10 AM

I'm the OP... I don't think the re-furb plans for the Fisher Body Plant in New Center were ever a joke - they just didn't come to fruition, like most of my own plans in life.

Dimitri Hegemann was the German entrepreneur and nightclub owner, in Berlin, who had his eyes on the Fisher Plant for a glitzy disco re-make.

**Burnsie** · June-14-21, 08:03 AM

Originally Posted by NSortzi

I believe it was Carter Color, not Cameo?

Used both names. Feb. 1987: Name: Screenshot_20210614-083353~2.jpg
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**K-slice** · June-14-21, 08:31 AM

Originally Posted by night-timer

I'm the OP... I don't think the re-furb plans for the Fisher Body Plant in New Center were ever a joke - they just didn't come to fruition, like most of my own plans in life.

Dimitri Hegemann was the German entrepreneur and nightclub owner, in Berlin, who had his eyes on the Fisher Plant for a glitzy disco re-make.

His plans are a "joke", whether he believes they are or not. There are articles going back to 2014 about his plans to renovate FB 21 into some kind of "art space" and nightclub, all these years late there has been no movement. He may have the means and know how to get something like this done judging by his resume, however he's obviously more interested in the press talking about hit then him actually doing anything.

Without heavy financial incentives from the state and city this place will continue to rot.

On the positive side though, this property is city owned, so there's no private entity like the Ilitches or Kefallinos actively preventing it from getting into the hands of someone who would restore it...

**Richard** · June-14-21, 08:34 AM

Originally Posted by night-timer

I'm the OP... I don't think the re-furb plans for the Fisher Body Plant in New Center were ever a joke - they just didn't come to fruition, like most of my own plans in life.

Dimitri Hegemann was the German entrepreneur and nightclub owner, in Berlin, who had his eyes on the Fisher Plant for a glitzy disco re-make.

The city owns it and for $300k it could be yours or anybody’s,but they are like the land bank,if you do not have a viable plan with funding in place,they will not sell it.

The building and a little due diligence shows is highly contaminated and would probably cost a few million just walking into the door,unlike Packard was,as it stands now it will never be allowed for public use,such as a club or residential apartments but industrial use would be okay.

Thats why I questioned the motives behind all of that publicity.

The state has a database online where you can check the status of pretty much any industrial property in the city,if the state DEP says no,there is nothing you can do outside of a full decontamination of not only the building but the entire property,depending on what was produced there during the years,chemicals seeping into the ground requires digging until you find no more,that is a lot of money before you can even start putting a coat of paint on the place.

**JonWylie** · June-14-21, 08:42 AM

I'm sure there are a million reasons why this club never came to fruition, but I know one is the 2 am last call. In Berlin clubs are usually open Friday to Monday, all day and night. Pretty huge sales cut if you have to close up every night at 2.

**Richard** · June-14-21, 08:52 AM

That and they are not exactly embraced by cities countrywide.

The assessment indicated an apparent correlation between rave activity and club drug overdoses resulting in emergency room visits. For example, in a 2-year period, 52 raves were held at the New Orleans State Palace Theater, during which time approximately 400 teenagers overdosed and were transported to local emergency rooms.

https://www.justice.gov/archive/ndic/pubs/656/index.htm

**royce** · June-14-21, 09:18 AM

Originally Posted by NSortzi

Fisher Body is in Milwaukee Junction not New Center

Ok, so that begs the question, "What are the boundaries of New Center?

**Burnsie** · June-14-21, 09:27 AM

Fisher 21 will keep rotting until a piece falls off and kills someone on the street. And even then, maybe the city would just try to put some netting around the worse parts, like the Statler had. I can see the sidewalks getting closed off eventually.

Most realistic chance of money is a demolition grant. Of course we all hope that something moves in there, but you'd probably have to have a bunch of small tenants and the usual smorgasbord of government subsidies. But anything outside downtown/midtown is just so hard to get going.

**Satiricalivory** · June-14-21, 11:00 AM

Originally Posted by Burnsie

Most realistic chance of money is a demolition grant. Of course we all hope that something moves in there, but you'd probably have to have a bunch of small tenants and the usual smorgasbord of government subsidies. But anything outside downtown/midtown is just so hard to get going.

Not really, plenty of stuff gets done outside downtown/midtown. This isn't 2011 anymore.

It's in a good location, I think it could get restored with state tax benefits, which is why I asked if it could qualify for the transformative brownfield.

**NSortzi** · June-14-21, 08:10 PM

Originally Posted by royce

Ok, so that begs the question, "What are the boundaries of New Center?

North of the railroad tracks, west of Woodward, south of Virginia Park, east of the Lodge, plus the Henry Ford Hospital campus.

**royce** · June-16-21, 02:38 AM

Originally Posted by NSortzi

North of the railroad tracks, west of Woodward, south of Virginia Park, east of the Lodge, plus the Henry Ford Hospital campus.

Thx, Nsortzi.

**stasu1213** · June-16-21, 05:00 PM

Originally Posted by K-slice

His plans are a "joke", whether he believes they are or not. There are articles going back to 2014 about his plans to renovate FB 21 into some kind of "art space" and nightclub, all these years late there has been no movement. He may have the means and know how to get something like this done judging by his resume, however he's obviously more interested in the press talking about hit then him actually doing anything.

Without heavy financial incentives from the state and city this place will continue to rot.

On the positive side though, this property is city owned, so there's no private entity like the Ilitches or Kefallinos actively preventing it from getting into the hands of someone who would restore it...

The troublesome thing about the city owning this property is that it could be easily flipped to someone like Kefallinos who had probably greased palms to be one of the first in line to purchased other properties that he sat and had done poor quality renovations using the most flimsiest materials. I am glad that he no longer own the building off the Dequindre Cut

**night-timer** · June-29-21, 06:10 PM

Fisher Body Plant 23 is over the road from FB21, at Picquette and Beaubien opposite the Ford 'Model T' museum.

It looks empty and boarded up, as well. Has anyone seen inside it? It looks impenetrable. No windows or access points.

The area has its own Wikipedia page:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piquette_Avenue_Industrial_Historic_District)

Fisher Body Plant 23 seems to be in much better shape structurally than '21 is.