Packard plant up for auction
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Home away from home
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I came across this article on the auction of the Packard plant. Looks to have a starting bid of almost One Million Dollars.
http://www.leftlanenews.com/detroits-historic-packard-plant-headed-to-auction.html
Posted on: 2013/6/5 23:23
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Re: Packard plant up for auction
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Home away from home
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"When they built these, they built them like the pyramids, to last forever, not knowing how strong the material was" ...says a self-appointed expert about Albert Kahn, who is considered no less than
" ...the foremost American industrial architect of his day..." [wikipedia].
Posted on: 2013/6/6 2:24
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The story of ZIS-110, ZIS-115, ZIL-111 & Chaika GAZ-13 on www.guscha.de
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Re: Packard plant up for auction
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$24,000 per acre is pretty steep. If they want jobs they should reconsider their politics for the last 75 years.
Posted on: 2013/6/6 9:06
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Re: Packard plant up for auction
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Forum Ambassador
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Even if someone actually did have the money and the will to do something, what about the neighborhood or surrounding properties. If the area is so bad that it's recommended not to travel alone or even leave your car, what's the odds one cleaned up property will do much. I would hope Detroit has a plan two because I don't see that property turning around soon -- even if they gave it away for $1 and forgave all the taxes.
Posted on: 2013/6/6 14:32
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Howard
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Re: Packard plant up for auction
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Probably going to be environmental clean up required. God knows what probably got dumped or spilled around there over the years. Probably spend a couple million just hauling away the trash and debris. I think the scrappers have cut out so many of the structural supports that I am surprised it still standing. Isn't most of the property condemned?
Posted on: 2013/6/6 14:40
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-BigKev
1954 Packard Clipper Deluxe Touring Sedan -> Registry | Project Blog 1937 Packard 115-C Convertible Coupe -> Registry | Project Blog |
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Re: Packard plant up for auction
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The environmental concern is real but there are reasonable and established ways to handle a "brownfield" site. The structure has negative value, as pointed out. So it's worth the going rate for the acreage + scrap value of the buildings - cost to clear the site. And if that's less than the taxes owed, that's too bad for the city. I would think that anyone interested in the site would hit up the city for a sizeable tax concession, because many other possible locations would be willing to sweeten the deal.
Posted on: 2013/6/6 14:57
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Re: Packard plant up for auction
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BKAZMER:
What you have suggested is completely rational, astute, and in any other ciy with a comparable property for sale, this would likely be considered and probably accepted. But keep in mind that we're talking about Detroit, where common sense, business-friendly government has ceased to exist. Detroit is wavering on the edge of bankruptcy, but cannot do what it takes to save itself and is counting on Uncle Sam to ride in to the rescue. I wonder what J.W. Packard, Joy, Macauley, et al would think of the city that put Packard on top of American luxury car market and all of the other major manufacturers to the No. 1 car-making country in the world by the 1960s. It would likely break their hearts, but I suspect that they would be smart enough to leave the city and set up shop either in the South or in Mexico or Canada.
Posted on: 2013/6/6 16:17
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You can make a lot of really neat things from the parts left over after you rebuild your engine ...
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Re: Packard plant up for auction
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I was last there right before the "Packard Door" facade was auctioned off. (By the way, what ever happend to that???)
Posted on: 2013/6/6 16:24
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-BigKev
1954 Packard Clipper Deluxe Touring Sedan -> Registry | Project Blog 1937 Packard 115-C Convertible Coupe -> Registry | Project Blog |
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Re: Packard plant up for auction
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Home away from home
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The Packard Motor Car Foundation was able to acquire one set of doors from the the Boulevard Plant. Currently it is stored at the Packard Proving Grounds. There are future plans to re-install the doors at the PPG.
Cone to the 2013 PAC National Meet and see it for yourself. In the lower left hand corner you can barely make out the commode from the President's private bathroom. We have plans for that too. Unfortunately, many other artifacts got away from us at that auction.
Posted on: 2013/6/6 17:04
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