I can't remember if it was the Goodrich tire factory or not, but in the City of Commerce on the 5 Freeway, they did readapt the complex into a mall. I think its called the Citadel or something like that. It is huge. I don't care how big it is, it can be a mixed-use, residential/retail complex of some kind. Even a million sq.ft. can be turned into many different types of uses. After all, the only thing saved at that point is the exterior and any unique features on the interior that would be considered of historical signifigance. Big job, but it is being done. The old Pacific Electric building (our wonderful old 1200 mile trolley company) at 6th and Main in downtown L.A. is now lofts, condos and retail. There has to be insentives and cooperation and people who are motivated, but...
Well, you may be willing to live, work, or invest in a 3.5 million sq. foot building built in 1907, but not me. At this point, its a liability, not an asset....and it never will be.
You got it 4t64rd. I don't know what year it is but in that lot there's one of those Packards with the tall vertical grille guys sometimes use on 35-36 Ford customs. Plus there's a 55 or so Buick Century convert complete with wire wheels. There's probably fifteen cars in that lot. I'll take some pics in the fall when the foliage covering the fence is gone.
There are a few success stories. The aformentioned Russell Industrial Complex that used to stamp out bodies for deuce roadsters and 49 Mercs as well as wing fixtures for B-17's and B-24's now houses 125 tennants mostly artists, clothiers, and graphic designers. According to the website this old factory has become the Mecca for artists in the midwest. The picture is courtesy of Detroityes.com. I snapped the second pic two weeks ago walking up Griswold. The huge building looming in the background is the Westin Book-Cadillac Hotel. This was once the crown jewel of Detroit but sat empty and neglected for almost twenty five years. Work is nearing completion and its scheduled to reopen this fall. The famous Fort Shelby Hotel is also undergoing a complete restoration a few blocks away.
My hometown is Pittsburgh, and sadly, the story is familiar. All of the old Mills, Westinghouse Electric factories, etc, etc, are either in ruins, or have been demolished. When I get back to town to visit my parents / family, I often find myself driving though imagining how different the place must have looked in the earlier part of the 20th Century when Pittsburgh was the steel capital of the world, and Westinghouse was a leader of innovation in all things electric.
Ok, picture this...... Subdivide the guilding into (8) - 40,000 Sq. ft. garages 320,000 total ft. (100) - 4,000 Sq. Ft. Apts 400,000 total ft. (8) - 30,000 Sq. parking places 240,000 total ft. common areas 40,000 total ft. A HAMB community..... Ahhhh dreams.
Those are excellent examples of re-use Lucky, though I wouldn't call artists and graphic designers a particularly stable group of folks! ;-) This has occurred in Houston as well, but the lofts were near enough downtown that it was practical for both buyer and seller. This city hasn't been the same since pre-Katrina days. Old shopping malls just lay deserted, mostly because of the shift of the surrounding neighborhood economy. (The Astrodome is for sale to any of you entrepreneurs out there...would make a heck of a car museum...are you listening John O'Quinn?). I'd love to convert an old brick warehouse into a workshop / loft, but boy is THAT an expensive proposition! I'm done.
WOW!! I really have to agree. That building would be awesome place to convert into a massive housing and loft where you could have a live/work situation. If not that I would just like to have that entrance for the front of my house. I could make it fit.
Hers a couple of photos of the big tire plant just outside of L.A. that I was referring to earlier that was saved by adaptive re-use... http://www.learningsites.com/NWPalace/NWP_Assyromania.htm
http://www.packardmotorfdn.org/projects.htm There are some efforts to maintain some of Detroit's History. Since my uncle left the Chrysler corp. he has spent his time helping to restore what is left at the Packard Proving grounds. Although it's a fraction of the available history of Detroit (actually Shelby Township), at least there will be some left for the future generations. On a side note, I drive by the old AC Delco plant on Dort Highway here in Flint and they are in the process of tearing it down.....it was there for something like 100 years (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flint_East)... This community in Flint has really been devestated by the automakers withdrawal, Coldwater road plant, Buick City, Chevy in the hole, and now the AC Delco plant, all gone. I agree what others have said, this area of the United States CHANGED THE WORLD with autommobile manufacturing, and nobody cares....
lets not forget the http://www.waterwinterwonderland.com/ Pics on lots of automotive stuff, drive inns, race tracks, and more http://www.waterwinterwonderland.com/carsanddrivers.asp http://www.waterwinterwonderland.com/drags.asp?ID=1335&type=6&noinfo=true
Yes that is the politically correct history they teach you in college, but is it too simplistic and also False as the major casue of the Cities down fall. Many of us here lived in detroit until we forced out by CRIME and No police protection. The major cause for Detroits fall was, LBJ's "war on poverty" and a Corrupt Mayor and city council which raised taxes, was weak on combating crime, and did not provide city services, like police protection. I lived thru the riots, AA thugs threatened to burn down our house and rape my mom and sister just because we were not AA. After the riots, All the married YT men, moved their families to the burbs, where they would be safe from being raped, robbed, and mogged. Detroit went to hell because of Coleman Young and his ilk, not because of the YT's.
Trick, It was a broad overview, not a microcosm of the reasons the city started to decline. I wasn't there so I don't doubt any of the reasons you gave. I simply stated Detroit experienced white flight, I didn't say why because this isn't a political site. In 1950 there were 1.8 million people in Detroit with only 300,000 non-whites. By the early 70's there were less than a million people and only fifteen percent were white. I'd say that constitutes white flight. Detroit experienced riots from the Civil War era through WWII, but everyone seems to reference the big one in 1967 as the reason they left or would never go to Detroit again. I think that's a rather poor excuse to avoid such a historic city. Are there some scary parts? Oh Hell yeah, but there's also a lot of history and vibrance especially downtown. I just wanted to give a simple explaination for those outside of Michigan as to why things went the way they did.
White or not, isn't it only NATURAL for people to want to move from a congested city out to a neighborhood where they can actually have a front yard, a little peace and quiet, and a good school for the kids? Why is it always called "white flight"? How about "people flight"?
Watched it go thru the auction today and I believe the Packard Museum in Dayton ended up being the high bidder at $150,000. As I understand now they have to go remove it from the building. It does belong in one of the Packard museums and I hope I am right that they were the high bidder. Pretty neat to think of who walked thru the doors and when. I did a number of paint projects for GM during the mid-eighties in the old Gemmer gear plant, a stone's throw away and drove past the building almost every day over a three year period and it always made me look. I am a Packard nut but for some reason the building seemed to be magical to me. They used to store cars there and we stored a 23 Packard touring car thinking it was kind of cool to store it there but stupid in retrospect as it was stolen in the eighties (and now more than likely sits in someone's collection). Place had its ups and downs but a bunch of great cars were designed and built there. Sad what has happened to Detroit, it WAS a great city, with a great history. Sad is a common word when you talk about Detroit today.-Jim
Jim, you are correct. The owner of the Packard Museum in Dayton, OH purchased it. I believe it went for $155,000 which includes the buyers premium. It could not have gone to a better home. Here are a few photos I took last month as I left John Dixon's Porsche warehouse on my way to The Egypian's warehouse. TONS of car stuff in downtown Dayton.
~3.5 million square feet of early art deco for a hundred and fifty five grand???? Here $150k won't buy a 35 year old 1 bedroom unit. Detroit can't be as bad as people say, can it?
No, it is not. In fact me and a girlfriend just drove Big Olds downtown and parked and left the top down on Michigan Ave, a block down from the old Tiger stadium and went into a resturant for dinner. I was not worried, the car was fine.
Denise I believe you are correct on the price. Todd although you may have your tongue in cheek, the $155,000 was for the limestone (and marble?) entry. It may take a few more nickels and dimes to take the rest of the plant home with you.-Jim
There was also another doorway sold as well after the 1st offering and I believe it's going to the Warren Packard Museum.
Thanks for the links to those sites. I just spent a good amount of time in the past. My dad grew up in Detroit. I live in Pittsburgh. It's surprising how much better Pittsburgh survived the collapse of the steel industry, compared to how Detroit survived the collapse of the auto industry. There are many otehr differences, to be sure. Steel plants lined the rivers, which were then easy to level and "beautify". They didn't take up acre after acre of downtown. And there isn't the bitter irony: steel didn't make it easier for people to abandon the city for the subrubs.