  Royce Member Username: Royce Post Number: 1829 Registered: 07-2004 |
The Parkard Building was abandoned by the Parkard Motor Company over 50 years ago. Since that time it has had other occupants but has been vacant for several years. Will the building or more specifically the buildings ever be torn down? Is there any pressure on the city to tear it down? Will it be torn down during your lifetime? Who will remain standing longer, the Packard Building or the Michigan Central Depot? I'm 43 and I think it will be another ten years before anybody simply talks about tearing it down and another ten years before there's a strong possibility that it might get torn down. What are your thoughts? | ||
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936 Post Number: 820 Registered: 01-2005 |
From the looks of it, I think it will crumble down of its own accord within ten years. That whole area kind of reminds me of Berlin in 1945. | ||
Burnsie Member Username: Burnsie Post Number: 635 Registered: 11-2003 |
That reinforced concrete ain't going anywhere by itself anytime soon. Not within ten years, anyway. | ||
Neilr Member Username: Neilr Post Number: 347 Registered: 06-2005 |
As an aside to this tread, there is a perfectly restored red and white Packard convertable currently on display in the lobby of the Compuware Building. It was assembled at the plant on East Grand Blvd. | ||
Bobj Member Username: Bobj Post Number: 1138 Registered: 11-2003 |
Interesting question, if the land ever became valuable enough for someone to spend the money, or if some governmental group spent the money to tear it down for development, or if someone found a use for the structure, maybe it would stay. I would say that nothing will happen for quite a while. | ||
Dodgemain Member Username: Dodgemain Post Number: 115 Registered: 04-2005 |
This may sound optimistic, but I'm hoping Packard makes a comeback and builds cars there. | ||
Burnsie Member Username: Burnsie Post Number: 636 Registered: 11-2003 |
Sorry Dodgemain-- that has about as much chance happening as GM employing 80,000 people in Flint again. | ||
Royce Member Username: Royce Post Number: 1830 Registered: 07-2004 |
Saw the Parkard car at Compurare today. It is a beautiful car. I'm glad someone took the care to restore it. Great job. | ||
Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk Post Number: 45 Registered: 11-2005 |
No. | ||
56packman Member Username: 56packman Post Number: 627 Registered: 12-2005 |
time will tell. The structure(s) could have gone on for a long time as they had been since '56 When Packard went under (they moved production out of the east grand blvd. plant at the end of the '54 model year to a Briggs plant they leased from Chrysler for the '55-'56 model years. They intended on building a modern, one story plant in Utica "when the money came in") The Packard plant functioned well as a business incubator/storage facility for as long as it was a plant for Packard. A very evil plan was tried and failed to grab that land from the owner. There was complicit help from the mayor's (Archer) office, and someone very high up in Lansing at the state capitol. All of the tenants were evicted, save for one, and the city has had $6.75/hr rent-a-cops on the property 24/7, basically to keep the owner from his rights. During the city's watch, more wanton vandalism has taken place. It's been the Lee Plaza gone industrial. At best, those of us who treasure the legacy of Packard would be pleased to see the EGB office building saved and renovated, and perhaps a modern plant built on the site of the old, which will come down one day. That will probably remain a dream, as manufacturing, especially large scale manufacturing is dead in Michigan, and going out of fashion in the US faster than you can say "made in China". At best now, I hope we can get the stone work above the doors and the radiator shell stone work on the bridge for the Utica proving grounds historical site when the steel ball finally rolls. Someone in Phoenix is trying to make a new Packard car--it is priced in the Rolls/Bentley bracket, and so far, sales are not such that any established ultra premium (= more money than brains) manufacturer need be worried. | ||
Thecarl Member Username: Thecarl Post Number: 969 Registered: 04-2005 |
will the studebaker building come down in your lifetime? | ||
56packman Member Username: 56packman Post Number: 629 Registered: 12-2005 |
which one? | ||
Detroitej72 Member Username: Detroitej72 Post Number: 277 Registered: 05-2006 |
A few years back, the city was trying to tear it down. The owner, I can't rember his name,(Dominic something) was holed up in it. He was trying to keep he city from tearing it down. He said he hoped to restore it to its former glory. Along the way, most of the business'es operating out of it closed. Let's all use our resources to keep this historic stucture intact, save Packard from 'the wreaking ball'... Detroitej72, trying to save the "D", one building at a time... | ||
56packman Member Username: 56packman Post Number: 630 Registered: 12-2005 |
Detroitej72--the demolition, and attempted total demolition is what I am refering to in my post. The city evicted all of Dominic Christini's tenants for him. Yes, they left one at a time, but not by their own choice. | ||
Ddaydave Member Username: Ddaydave Post Number: 431 Registered: 04-2005 |
The Packard Motor Car Foundation will have a open house at the historic Packard Proving Grounds on Van Dyke at 23 mile rd on oct 15 from 1 to 5. Free tours of the Gate Lodge and grounds. (Message edited by ddaydave on September 24, 2006) | ||
Jimaz Member Username: Jimaz Post Number: 675 Registered: 12-2005 |
Ddaydave, thanks. It's actually half a mile south of there. It's halfway between 22 and 23 Mile roads, just west of Van Dyke. Where did you hear of this event? (Message edited by Jimaz on September 24, 2006) | ||
Ordinary Member Username: Ordinary Post Number: 39 Registered: 06-2006 |
I doubt that building will come down for a long time because there's no real need for that property to become anything else and because it would be just too expensive to tear it down. | ||
Flybydon Member Username: Flybydon Post Number: 9 Registered: 01-2005 |
 | ||
Royce Member Username: Royce Post Number: 1835 Registered: 07-2004 |
Great pic, Flybydon. I would love to see the office building on the north side of Grand Boulevard renovated. The rest can come down. |
