Largest abandoned factory in the world

[Fritz The Cat]

Pictures tell the story of boom to bust of a once great American icon.

http://sometimes-interesting.com/2011/08/15/largest-abandoned-factory-in-the-world-the-packard-factory-detroit/

[Whooray]

Great read, I never knew that about Packard. Thanks

[Skinhead]

The animals of Detroit at their finest. 

I heard on the radio yesterday, that the City of Detroit, which will be bankrupt in April, wants to borrow over $100 million form the state of MI to pay it's bills until the new fiscal year starts in June.  They also said that the city counsel who say's they don't have the funds to demolish these dilapidated eyesores just lost over $20 million in federal grant money because they didn't spend it before the expiration date of the grant.  And federal authorities are investigating what happened to the $11 million from the stimulus package that was supposed to be spent for the attiring the unemployed in suitable business attire to help them apply and interview for jobs.  A grand total of 2 people took advantage of the program.  I moved to MI from Pittsburgh in 1983, the mayor was Coleman Young, I have never been exposed to a more racist regime in my life.  The democrats have been in control of the city of Detroit way before I moved here.  Corruption and thievery is their hallmark, that and blameing their problems on the white suburbs surrounding the city.

There are some good people living in Detroit, (not many left), but their misplaced faith in corrupt politicians, and refusal to face facts has doomed this once great city.

[The Anvil]

I know it's sad but dereliction and decay have always fascinated me (and many other as the popularity of "urban archaeology" websites will attest).

Check out the Bethlehem Steel Mill series here: http://www.opacity.us/site87_bethlehem_steel_mill.htm

There's also a ton of other Detroit locations on Opacity if you browse the locations.

[R J]

Packard was a good vehicle in it's day.

Grandma and grandpa bought a new 1937 Packard, and it got driven till in the late 60's.   It got to the point grandma's mechanic couldn't find parts for it, so it became a donor car also.

Remember several trips to Colorado to visit grandpa's sister in the summer.  My mom and her sister got to run the Hardware store while we went to Colorado.

I can remember grandma hollering at grandpa that he was driving too fast.   I'd look at the speedo from the back seat and it was registering a blistering 50 MPH.

Smooth riding damn car also.

Man I'd love to have that car now all fully restored, and ready to rumble with a 502 Chevrolet under the hood.   Now that would be a sleeper in disguise.

[czuch]

I'ver had three Packards. My absolutely favorite car of all time. I had a 52, 300, basically an entry level car. We went skiing in it and had plenty of room inside the car for everything.  The packard proving grounds were used till a few years ago.
BTW I really like the urban archology sites too.  Ruins, Ride to the ruins.

[Titan]

Fritz, thanks for posting this! Like Anvil, I'm fascinated by old, abandoned buildings and places. I've skimmed over this article and saved it to read later. I had no idea this place existed.

I recently ran across information about "Battleship Island" and really scoured the web for information about it. That's one place that I would really love to be able to visit and poke around in without guides and restrictions. The Packard plant is another.

A link if you're interested...

http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/battleship-island-japans-rotting-metropolis

[Skinhead]

Fritz, thanks for posting this! Like Anvil, I'm fascinated by old, abandoned buildings and places. I've skimmed over this article and saved it to read later. I had no idea this place existed.

I recently ran across information about "Battleship Island" and really scoured the web for information about it. That's one place that I would really love to be able to visit and poke around in without guides and restrictions. The Packard plant is another.

A link if you're interested...

http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/battleship-island-japans-rotting-metropolis

If you want to poke around the Packard plant, the current owner is planning to demolish it within six months or as soon as he can get all the permits lined up.  I'd be packing if you plan on going (take your luggage as well).

[BradValk48237]

Packard Plant is cool... have been there several times for "lookin'" and have done Photo shoots there..... Have also been inside several Detroit Landmarks, including the Michigan Central Depot that has been in several recent movies..... Heres a cool link .....
  
http://www.forgottendetroit.com/mcs/index.html

If you Do come down and want to see some of the beauties.... warning... dont go alone, make sure you have "protection" and dont go after dark....... Was with a photographer and 2 students at the Packard plant near dusk about 5 years ago...... $5000 of equipment bought us a "get out card"..... 6 guys with attitude and various weapons asked for us to "Loan" it to them....... which we did and got the hellout....

Still go down there, but always in a group......

Brad

And BTW the owner is talking about leveling the while thing..... where he go the money nobody knows. but it supposed  

[ptgb]

While the government (both dems and repubs) in bed with corporations, throw the middle class in a race to the bottom, unfortunately, these manufacturing skeletons will become even more common place.

...yep I went political.

[art]

Oh well thats the way it goes.Lets send some more money overseas they need the foreign aid.I say screw them an fix up the USA

[da prez]

  CZUCH  that most have been one big a$$ Pacard to go skiing inside of it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                   da prez

[musclehead]

While the government (both dems and repubs) in bed with corporations, throw the middle class in a race to the bottom, unfortunately, these manufacturing skeletons will become even more common place.

...yep I went political.

if we're talking just Detroit, the last republican mayor took office in 1957 according to wiki.

2010 was the first time in 30 years republicans held the state congress

throw the repubs under the bus but how much have they actually had to do with the decline?

crony capitalism is on both sides but start talking about a city that has been under the thumb of one side, one ideology and not the other the blame game breaks down.

[ptgb]

if we're talking just Detroit, the last republican mayor took office in 1957 according to wiki.

2010 was the first time in 30 years republicans held the state congress

throw the repubs under the bus but how much have they actually had to do with the decline?

crony capitalism is on both sides but start talking about a city that has been under the thumb of one side, one ideology and not the other the blame game breaks down.

Nope, not talking either side.... they're ALL complicit in what's happening to this country... democrats, republicans... all of them.

The Democrats in Congress and in the White House (including all those attached to both places) are not the "gentlemen farmers" of yore, against the rich business interests of the industrialized northeast anymore.

The dems and repubs put on a show that they are against each other, but they are all feeding us the same turd sandwich... it just tastes a bit different depending on which side you take a bite from.

They're all rich and looking to keep them and their buddies that way. ALL OF THEM!

[Stars and Stripes]

I currently work in a 3.2 million square ft building all under one roof. It started as a Pratt whitney wasp engine plant in WW2.  Since 1949 a DOE weapons site. We will soon leave for a new smaller facility 1.5 million ft in 3 buildings. Currently it takes me 7 minutes to reach sunlight.

[musclehead]

if we're talking just Detroit, the last republican mayor took office in 1957 according to wiki.

2010 was the first time in 30 years republicans held the state congress

throw the repubs under the bus but how much have they actually had to do with the decline?

crony capitalism is on both sides but start talking about a city that has been under the thumb of one side, one ideology and not the other the blame game breaks down.

Nope, not talking either side.... they're ALL complicit in what's happening to this country... democrats, republicans... all of them.

The Democrats in Congress and in the White House (including all those attached to both places) are not the "gentlemen farmers" of yore, against the rich business interests of the industrialized northeast anymore.

The dems and repubs put on a show that they are against each other, but they are all feeding us the same turd sandwich... it just tastes a bit different depending on which side you take a bite from.

They're all rich and looking to keep them and their buddies that way. ALL OF THEM!

tis true they are a duplicitous bunch, the fact is they will both get you across the goal line one just gets there slower and appears to be a better choice (repubs) I won't carry water for the party unless the center of it gets conservative. I see decay in some of the strongest bastions of the democratic party and wonder how under one party rule is it possibly the other parties fault?

[Skinhead]

I didn't mean to imply that the republicans are the answer to Detroit's problems and I'm only talking Detroit here.  Both parties have a few decent members, but the majority are more than willing to sell we the people down the river for their own self interests.  My point was, the citizens of Detroit are their own worst enemies, voting for what is good for me, not what is good fro the community.  They elected Quame Kilpatrick, "The Hip-Hop Mayor", who played himself off as a Gangsta, Quame and his buddy Bobby Fergusion shook down those who wished to do business with the city of Detroit, and thankfully are now both subjects of federal investigations.  Mayor Archer was one shining light and tried to make a difference, but was disgusted with the corruption he encountered during his term and didn't run for re-election.  When people can be scammed into voting for a candidate by believing their empty promises, and then re-electing them when their promises PROVE to be empty over the course of their term, the voters deserve what they get.  Quit voting for the party, vote for the person.  I wish we didn't have a  party system, just people running on their own strength of character, or lack there of.  Wishful thinking...

[musclehead]

well why don't we VOTE'M ALL OUT!!!!  that'll get their attention. reminds me I haven't looked at my representatives voting record, supposed to be a republican I'll just see if he is or a rino

[Skinhead]

well why don't we VOTE'M ALL OUT!!!!  that'll get their attention. reminds me I haven't looked at my representatives voting record, supposed to be a republican I'll just see if he is or a rino

+1

[texaninsouthfl]

The story and pictures of the Packard factory seems not unlike our country as a whole... once magnificent, vibrant and productive ... now fallen (or falling) into ruin.

[Valkahuna]

The story and pictures of the Packard factory seems not unlike our country as a whole... once magnificent, vibrant and productive ... now fallen (or falling) into ruin.

 

[rmrc51]

The story and pictures of the Packard factory seems not unlike our country as a whole... once magnificent, vibrant and productive ... now fallen (or falling) into ruin.

There's more truth to that statement then we all want to believe. 

[Cruzen]

I know it's sad but dereliction and decay have always fascinated me (and many other as the popularity of "urban archaeology" websites will attest).

Check out the Bethlehem Steel Mill series here: http://www.opacity.us/site87_bethlehem_steel_mill.htm

There's also a ton of other Detroit locations on Opacity if you browse the locations.

If you want to talk about decay and Urban archeology, you need to check out the You Tube video’s about Dixie Square shopping mall in my old home town of Harvey Illinois.  I had a personal interest in the mall because I worked there from 1966 to 1971. 
Harvey was ranked as the most corrupt town in the US for several years.  In the 1960’s -1970's we had our own race riots shootings and stabbings.  I personally got jumped and stabbed the night MLK got shot and that was just one of many times I was involved is such confrontations.  As an adult prior to leaving there, I slept with a gun under my pillow and in 1996 when we built my Mom and Dad a new garage I counted 8 bullet holes in the old garage before we knocked it down.  Thankfully I finally got them out of there 11 years ago.
Numerous times in the past 30 years the FBI have arrested Harvey cops and one fireman for reportedly selling drugs out of the police cars and recently the FBI raided the current Mayors home and took his stash of cocaine and the f….n idiot had the balls to complain about it in public.  They also arrested four or five of the cops for acting as muscle while on duty for the local drug dealers and for keeping legit cops away from the major drug dealing areas.  The Harvey cops also supposedly raided a drug dealer in a neighboring community of Phoenix without the approval of the Phoenix police department and then resold the drugs they confiscated.  Anyway the Dixie Square shopping center only operated from 1966 to 1978 and then in 1979 was used for the original Blues Brothers movie mall chase scene.  Since then, for over 30 years, it has sat slowly decaying.  Several people were killed there.  But I think that is a low number because many of the incidents never get reported.  The last was a girl who was raped then killed and left on the site.  The state coughed up 4 Million for the demolition of the mall.  Actual demolition is reportedly costing $350 -$550K so the question everyone is now asking is where did the rest of the 4 million go?? Now that is corruption!

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

As a kid I loved going in abandoned factories, and schoolhouses. There were many within walking distance of my house. One, a huge old brick building had housed chickens till it burned down and mostly collapsed. It still contained a long underground brick lined passage though which was cool.

The last was an abandoned plant my company owned in a local city. I had to go in weekly to try to keep people from breaking in and partying there. That was a little scary sometimes since all I could be armed with was a hammer or crowbar. I was glad to see it finally torn down. Was always afraid I'd find a body there.