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...

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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.

**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.

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.

**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, 07:22 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.

**mauser** · April-30-10, 07:23 AM

**Lowell** · April-30-10, 08:44 AM

I take the above remarks about trespass at the Packard plant as sarcasm. The 'owners' of Packard have not posted a single 'no trespassing' sign, unlike MCD and others, let alone even attempting to secure the property. So pressing trespass charges would be very difficult argument. Police have better things to do with their time than chasing non-felons with cameras.

As for the 'nature vs. nurture' argument for this collapse, I believe it is the former. A large area of tile-roof sheds to the north of the plant shown have collapsed as a result of scrappers scavenging supporting i-beams, but the SW building is falling from ravages of nature. The support columns are concrete columns whose only possible scrap value could be hard-to-extract re-rod.

As noted above the roof had collapsed in two large and expanding areas. My guess is that when the current collapse occurred, the timing and weight was enough to falling-domino collapse the lower floors. Being on the unshielded west side it would have sustained more attack from wind and weather over 50 years of abandonment and neglect.

**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.

**punky1** · April-30-10, 08:51 AM

Fascinated by the two tombstones in the lower right of one of your photos. Can you zoom in for more detail on them. And be careful crawling around on those buildings. Hate to find you "under" one of those collapsed floors.

Toolbox · April-30-10, 10:43 AM

Originally Posted by punky1

Fascinated by the two tombstones in the lower right of one of your photos. Can you zoom in for more detail on them. And be careful crawling around on those buildings. Hate to find you "under" one of those collapsed floors.

Like this?

**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.