Packard Plant back on tax rolls.

[daddeeo]

Next time the circus comes to town they can start the clown recruitment down at city hall. It's unbelievable that a city so cash starved wouldn't tax this property.
The guys in charge of this fiasco should be sent packing.

[DetroitZack]

Here is the article from todays Detroit Free Press for those who missed it.

http://www.freep.com/article/2010111...tax-collection

[Dougla]

Unbelievable. As someone who works in the demolition trade that seems like a total mess. Fifteen years ago there might have been $75-100 million worth of salvage in the plant but today your lucky if there's $25m. Unless Biosources is a joint venture for Carlos Slim, Buffett and Gates the plant will be headed for City/State seizure with fat contracts from the Superfund for a few lucky contractors. Going by market rates the cost of abating the asbestos alone would cost the current owners $35-42 million.

[Hypestyles]

that entire derelict facility can't be knocked down soon enough for me.. raze it..

[Dan]

Its easy to hide illegal activity in the cloud of incompetence in city government.

This thing stinks...and its not because of incompetence, I would bet money there is something else here.

What other properties are incorrectly recorded as "city owned" vs "taxable"?

[56packman]

Unbelievable. As someone who works in the demolition trade that seems like a total mess. Fifteen years ago there might have been $75-100 million worth of salvage in the plant but today your lucky if there's $25m. Unless Biosources is a joint venture for Carlos Slim, Buffett and Gates the plant will be headed for City/State seizure with fat contracts from the Superfund for a few lucky contractors. Going by market rates the cost of abating the asbestos alone would cost the current owners $35-42 million.

Douglas--this is what was attempted in 1999 by some parties in bed with officials in the archer administration and the reason the plant is in the condition it is in today and not as it was before this attempt, another Ford Highland Park/Russell Industrial center former factory being sublet to small businesses. The Superfund $$$ was a big part of it, and the parties responsible for the rush-to-judgement suspension of landowner's rights to repay taxes that are in arrears happened with help from someone in Lansing and the Detroit mayor's office.
That speculator, and his demolition company-owning son are no where to be seen in this picture now.

[brandon48202]

Here's another one: The former police station at 4747 Woodward was purchased by an investor in June of 2007 for $1,000,000.

It's still tax exempt! A taxable value of $1,000,000 was supposed to generate $40,000 in property tax a year for the last 4 years. That's $160,000 in lost revenue!!!

[adamjab19]

The one thing Detroit hasn't found is it's own foot so it can shoot it! Jesus....

And while I am at it: keep your crime too! Your residents have been coming to the inner fringe suburbs, a place I chose to live in because it used to have less of you assholes up here, but now you ran out of places and people to rob and steal from in your own town so you come "up here" to do your shit ...thanks for nothing!

[1953]

That building takes up so much space, I kind of hope it remains standing, lest the eastside look as barren as it really is!