Mayor Duggan's State of the City Address-Packard Plant Plans

[56packman]

I'd like to remind Mayor Duggan that the Packard Plant has not "abandoned since 1958". Studebaker-Packard Corporation ceased car production there in September of 1954, but used portions of the building until the fall of 1956. The Utica-Bend Corporation operated the plant after that, selling the plant to private owners in 1957, when it became a storage facility and light manufacturing/distribution center with over 100 individual tenants. I might also remind Mayor Duggan that it remained that way until 1999, when his fellow mayor Archer's administration conspired with a crooked real estate speculator to seize the plant complex from its rightful owner for back taxes, to deny that owner his due process to make good on delinquent taxes, and posted officers from the Police Department's gang squad at the main entrance to the plant 24/7/365 for a year and a half solely to deny that owner re-entry should he dare to leave the premises. He didn't. The crooked real estate speculator intended on using the city's administration and paid-off individuals in the State Government to secure EPA superfund [[mega) dollars to pay his son's Demolition Company [[a gem of a company) to demolish the complex, giving said speculator 64 contiguous acres with rail and freeway access. His honor might remember that this demolition company started demolition on buildings in the complex without first securing permission from the true owner's lienholder. Mayor Duggan might also remember that rampant scrapping and vandalism was ignored by the Gang Squad policemen stationed there around the clock in hopes that it would make the demolition inevitable. That scrapping and vandalism continued with no effort to curtail it by the police department. Scrappers started fires to release more steel from the concrete-the fire department let it burn. Mayor Mike may also recall that the courts finally ruled that the city was wrong in their seizure of the complex and returned ownership of the now-ruined structure to its owners. Fernando Palazuelo talked a good ballgame about renovation, but couldn't convince enough other people to put their money in. He did clean up the massive amounts of debris left behind by the scrappers and vandals and secured the property, so maybe you shouldn't rag on him quite so much. It's your mess Mike. Your city government made it. Now clean it up.

[Lowell]

State of the City address. Mayor's address begins at minute 17:50

[Richard]

Even 7-8 years ago the city wanted anything but to see that place become a viable part of the community again,it’s like they have a vendetta against it.

Even at the last auction,because they did not include the parcels that they own,it’s like selling a crossword puzzle with pieces missing,lack of due diligence brings the current owner into the realization that,as it stands nobody is going through to invest in it piecemeal and it is a tough sell because of that if you need to dump it.

Its only going to work one of two ways

At taxpayer expense it becomes demolished and a part of history.

The city dissolves its interest in it completely by selling their owned lots,so it can be a continual parcel and then somebody can actually seriously do something with it.

Nothing has changed from the the timeline that was originally posted,the city still maintains a stranglehold on that property,it is now as it was back then,the city is the only reason that property remains as it is today.

Even today you can still put that property back into use as a commercial manufacturing facility,cheaper then it would take to demolish and build a new one.

Kudos to the mayor for wanting to incorporate parts of the facade in what ever plans,but it would be just as easy for a developer to say it is not economically feasible to do that.

Maybe it is time for the city to divest its interests in that place while stepping aside and letting capitalism do its job instead of the government making a mess of it.

What was supposed to happen at the last auction,nobody was supposed to bid on it,the auction passes,the city takes the complete parcel,adds their parcels to it ,then sells it as a complete parcel under one address.

But then you had a wako in Texas and some other guy that was supposed to be a experienced developer,that did zero due diligence with a cracked out idea of making it into apartments and whatever else somebody could come up with that would make it impossible to even attempt,screw it all up,and here we are today.

[Jimaz]

State of the City address. Mayor's address begins at minute 17:50

That says "Video unavailable. This video is private."

Is this the same video?:

2022 State of the City Address

This is the full broadcast/live stream of Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan's 9th State of the City Address, from March 9, 2022.

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

I always enjoy the Mayor’s State of the City address. His genuine enthusiasm for Detroit is so evident.

Of course he’s a cheerleader for his administration, but there’s a nice summation of the progress that’s being made. I am particularly impressed with the employment, training and educational initiatives that he mentions. Such efforts are key to ensuring that all Detroiters can move forward.

[ShadowSoarer]

Wanted to highlight all the upcoming development projects from the State of the City Address 2022:


Sugar Hill - Expected to open Spring 2022
12 New Townhomes on Marwood - Opens Spring 2022
Brewery on McNichols - Expected to open Summer 2022
Brush 8 Townhomes - Expected to open Spring 2022
Osi Art Apartments - Expected to open Summer 2023
Sawyer Art Apartments - Expected to open Fall 2023
West Willis - Expected to open May 2022
Woodward West - Expected to open 2022
60 unit Apartments on Woodward - Expected to open January 2023
7850 Jefferson - Expected to open 2024
Coe 2.0 - Expected to open 2024
Bagley & 16th - Expected to open February 2024
Mixed use on East Warren - Expected to open Fall 2023
Mosaic at Eastern Market - Construction to start Fall 2022
16 townhouses in Brush Park - Expected to open Summer 2023
Training Facility on Livernois - Expected to open 2023
18-unit on East Warren - Expected to open June 2024
Hastings Place - Construction to begin Fall 2023 [[Geez almost 7 years just to get shovels in the ground)
180 apartments and townhomes North End - Construction expected to begin Fall 2022
The Arthur Murray on East Warren - Construction begins Fall 2022