The Metro: The ruin and rebirth of Detroit’s Packard Plant
Built in the early 1900s, the building was a major site of auto manufacturing in the city until the mid-1950s, when the plant closed.
FILE - Crews work on demolishing the former Packard Plant building in Detroit.
To some, the story of the Packard Plant mirrors that of Detroit. Built in the early 1900s, the building was a major site of auto manufacturing in the city until the mid-1950s, when the plant closed.
But that didn’t spell the end for the Packard Plant. The building continued to house industrial and commercial tenants into the 1990s, and was even home to some legendary Detroit raves.
After a 2022 court order, large parts of the Packard Plant were demolished. What’s left are massive concrete frames and outer shells. No windows. No interiors. No machinery. Just structure. The site isn’t really a factory anymore. It’s a ruin. And now, two developers say they want to give that ruin new life.
What are the plans for the redeveloped plant? And what will it take to make those changes happen?
Developers Mark Bennett and Oren Goldenberg spoke with The Metro‘s Robyn Vincent about that and more.
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