Multi-floor collapse at Packard Plant

**Lowell** · April-29-10, 04:27 PM

The SW building of the Packard Plant had already had two top floor collapses, sometimes referred to as the great abyss and the little abyss, the latter also called little Stonehenge for look its slabs gave it. But they are nothing compared to what happened about two weeks ago.

Where else to photograph this than from the ironically lovely foreground of Trinity Cemetery in full spring blossom.

**Traxus** · April-29-10, 04:39 PM

Now how on earth did you hear about that?

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Retroit · April-29-10, 04:39 PM

Too bad the whole thing didn't come down.

**Lowell** · April-29-10, 04:41 PM

"Now how on earth did you hear about that?"

A little birdie told me.

**Traxus** · April-29-10, 04:44 PM

If you'd like to start paying the scrappers higher prices for the metal, I'm sure they'd see to your requests... They've already done quite a job over the winter...

Before
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**Traxus** · April-29-10, 04:46 PM

Last one, I promise... here are the icicles that were forming under that puddle by the tower... Taken on 3-13 2009

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**Gsgeorge** · April-29-10, 06:41 PM

w o w. If there was ever a reason to demo the Packard plant....

**detroitsgwenivere** · April-29-10, 06:59 PM

Holy Kwap, dude. You are super brave.

Love the pics!!

**showstoppa** · April-29-10, 07:42 PM

goodness, I wish the city would tear this complex down before something extremely serious happen. I once read that the fire department has to fight several fires there a month. If this is true why keep putting the in danger ?

On a side note unrelated to the topic, I notice some real good photography in this forum, have any of you considered careers in photography ?

**REL** · April-29-10, 10:26 PM

Now how on Earth did you.... illegally trespass?

**Traxus** · April-29-10, 11:14 PM

Lets spare ourselves from dragging the urban exploration horse out of the morgue.

**Meddle** · April-30-10, 12:22 AM

Why are you tresspassing?

I move that these illegally taken pictures be removed from this site.

Chuck_MI · April-30-10, 02:47 AM

Originally Posted by Meddle

Why are you tresspassing?

I move that these illegally taken pictures be removed from this site.

The pictures may have been taken by the property owner. Your assumption of trespass doesn't hold water unless you can prove the photographer is not the owner.

But maybe you have some inside information as to the actual ownership of the defunct Packard plant. It's been more than ten years, and the city of Detroit still hasn't been able to figure out who owns it. Hmmm, I wonder if the property owner is paying taxes? NOT. Hmmm, I wonder if the property owner is paying water bills and liens assessed for fire abatement. NOT.

As far as I am concerned, this property is fair game for photogs, scrappers,--you name it. But who am I to say. Well, at least I'm not you.

**mauser** · April-30-10, 07:22 AM

Originally Posted by Meddle

Why are you tresspassing?

I move that these illegally taken pictures be removed from this site.

HAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHA !

I move that this site be taken off your computer. Hilar - if that was a joke. Even more hilarious if it was serious. lol

Are these actually collapses ? They had a demo team eating the lower building to the north there, are they nipping away at the big one too ? That looks like freaking Oklahoma City's Murrah Building - I find it hard to believe that it would naturally fall down like that.

LIFE AFTER PEOPLE.

**jcole** · April-30-10, 08:48 AM

Originally Posted by mauser

HAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHA !

I move that this site be taken off your computer. Hilar - if that was a joke. Even more hilarious if it was serious. lol

Are these actually collapses ? They had a demo team eating the lower building to the north there, are they nipping away at the big one too ? That looks like freaking Oklahoma City's Murrah Building - I find it hard to believe that it would naturally fall down like that.

LIFE AFTER PEOPLE.

If these were demos, wouldn't it stand to reason that you'd see some demolition equipment around the building like that in the picture of the Murrah Bldg? And maybe some caution tape or something?

Blarf · April-30-10, 08:49 AM

Originally Posted by Meddle

Why are you tresspassing?

I move that these illegally taken pictures be removed from this site.

Ohhhhhhh!

It's the fricken Packard Plant. It's wide open to walk in right off the street from about 300 different locations.

**LeannaM** · April-30-10, 11:05 AM

Originally Posted by Meddle

Why are you tresspassing?

I move that these illegally taken pictures be removed from this site.

I've seen worse trespassing. I've seen pictures on forums in which someone climbed a construction crane and took pictures from it.

I don't think trespassing at the Packard Plant is that big of a deal. The owners don't care. If this photographer wants to risk his life to take these pictures, he should be allowed to.

Michigan · April-30-10, 11:19 AM

Parts of that complex could still be saved. The people nee dto act now to save what remains.

**Danny** · December-03-11, 04:46 PM

Oh I see the American ruins. The lost city of Detroit. Like the ruins of Ancient Rome.

**DetroitZack** · April-30-10, 02:25 AM

Is it really that big of a deal? It's not like he is bragging about going in there or encouraging others to do so. He just posted some cool pictures for us to see.

**RaumVogel** · April-30-10, 06:00 AM

The pics were downloaded to a Hewlett-Packard,so he had permission.

**exmotowner** · April-30-10, 07:07 AM

It didnt look from the pictures that the photographer didnt even go in the building. I do think it needs to be demo'd. Its a huge danger even to urban explores.

**mauser** · April-30-10, 07:23 AM

**Whitehouse** · April-30-10, 12:05 PM

Originally Posted by mauser

Are these actually collapses ? They had a demo team eating the lower building to the north there, are they nipping away at the big one too ? That looks like freaking Oklahoma City's Murrah Building - I find it hard to believe that it would naturally fall down like that.

LIFE AFTER PEOPLE.

Originally Posted by mauser

Timothy McVeigh reincarnated as decay.

[[It rhyms!)

**Traxus** · April-30-10, 12:52 PM

I'd agree with the weather argument, although it's hard to know whether scrappers grabbed a beam or something out from the first floor that weakened the structure. [[although there aren't really any beams in this particular building, its mostly Kahn's concrete and rerod cube...)

My best guess is water and ice damage. The puddle forming up top was leaking quite a bit, evident by the massive icicles, this wasn't really happening anywhere else on that roof.

Add to the fact that the floor you see with the Graffiti on the wall, third from the top, became an absolute skating rink in the winter... Unfortunately I never grabbed a photo of it [[have some video somewhere), but the entire floor of that section would be covered with at least an inch of ice come feb/march. With the ice working the cracks three floors below the roof, a collapse on that level was probably be enough to trigger a domino effect that would also take out the floors below it...

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