  7milekid Member Username: 7milekid Post Number: 153 Registered: 01-2006 |
Who owns this building. I heard talk a few years ago about it becoming a data farm or something, what happened to that idea. It seems like with such a huge and solidly built structure that someone would want to do something with it. | ||
Dabirch Member Username: Dabirch Post Number: 2058 Registered: 06-2004 |
Haven't been inside lately, have you? | ||
Burnsie Member Username: Burnsie Post Number: 828 Registered: 11-2003 |
The actual skeleton of the building seems pretty solid, but there isn't the demand for all that space at the price it would take to gut and redo. | ||
7milekid Member Username: 7milekid Post Number: 154 Registered: 01-2006 |
I was in there about 5 months ago, but they recently sealed it up. Yea it obviosly needs work but im sure fixing it up a bit would be much cheaper than building a new building of its strengtth and size. | ||
Mikeg Member Username: Mikeg Post Number: 449 Registered: 12-2005 |
Any "solidly built structure" with multiple stories is an obsolete, white elephant for modern manufacturing purposes. In order to compete with the lowest-cost producers, a manufacturer must minimize their handling of delivered and in-process materials, which is impossible to do with a small-footprint, multi-story building like the former FB Plant #21. In 1979-80 I worked there as a mfg. engineer and its shortcomings were evident even way back then. | ||
Traxus Member Username: Traxus Post Number: 43 Registered: 02-2006 |
The floors are a wreck in there due to water damage, these are some photos from about a week ago:  (Message edited by Traxus on January 12, 2007) (Message edited by Traxus on January 12, 2007) | ||
Toybreaker Member Username: Toybreaker Post Number: 44 Registered: 01-2005 |
Photos of Fisher Body 21 from one year ago: http://www.flickr.com/photos/t oybreaker/sets/1524483/ | ||
Burnsie Member Username: Burnsie Post Number: 829 Registered: 11-2003 |
Mikeg-- I know that manufacturing use wouldn't happen. Any (obviously highly theoretical) use would likely be residential. | ||
Gravitymachine Member Username: Gravitymachine Post Number: 1454 Registered: 05-2005 |
when i win the lottery, that will be my residence  | ||
Mikeg Member Username: Mikeg Post Number: 451 Registered: 12-2005 |
This building was used to make finished limousine bodies and low-volume pilot production runs of new passenger car bodies. This was all back in the days when bodies were still mounted onto separate frames. The building's process layout became obsolete when all new passenger vehicle designs went to "body frame integral" in the early 1980's. The processes employed in this building for more than 50 years included resistance and mig welding, lead joint soldering/grinding as well as painting. Judging from the fact that many of the floor conveyors are still in place, it looks like there has not been been any professional or methodical salvaging/remediation work performed by the latest owner. I think the remediation costs for just getting the lead dust out would make a residential re-use very unlikely. I know I would never want to set foot in that building in its current condition, much less ever live there. It needs to be torn down and the sooner, the better. | ||
Cman710 Member Username: Cman710 Post Number: 213 Registered: 07-2006 |
Mikeg, it sounds like Fisher Body 21 probably has a lot of bad contamination in order for it to be used for any purpose. Would such a factory have had much asbestos inside? If so, that would be another environmental hazard. | ||
Mikeg Member Username: Mikeg Post Number: 452 Registered: 12-2005 |
No more asbestos than any other building built in the first half of the 20th century that utilized steam heating. Those steam pipes were insulated with asbestos, which poses no health hazard to inhabitants unless the insulation's outer covering is broken. The soldering and grinding operations were performed in specially-ventilated booths, so those contaminated areas would have been localized. However, since the building has been open to the elements and scrappers, I would consider the entire building to be environmentally unsafe unless it is proven otherwise. | ||
Wolverine Member Username: Wolverine Post Number: 258 Registered: 04-2004 |
I remember I got sick after exploring that building. Wonderful place. |
