Update: the buyer above, Bill Hults, successfully submitted his $100,000 non-refundable deposit Friday and now must have the rest of the $2 million in early this week.
Thanks for that, Bill; perhaps this will go somewhere after all! I suppose most developers would just bull-doze it all, but it would be neat if they could incorporate part of these original buildings like the proposal drawing.
I hope that someone can successfully develop the Parkard plant. As run down and neglected as it is, it would be cool if someone could preserve even a portion of it. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
I hate to be so skeptical, but I don't have much hope for this deal. The plans are way too ambitious and the guy has already missed a payment yesterday.
So, Hults missed yesterdays deadline too? Not surprising, wasn't he the guy who was supposedly going to buy it a couple months ago for taxes, for something like 1 million, and missed that payment too? Brian
I thought the plant was already torn down years ago. when they sold the front doors and surrounding brick and cement front. Worse buildings have been restored but it takes cubic dollars. It will cost a bunch just to tear it down and then clean up the site, wouldn't surprise me if its a Superfund site.
That's the guy. I'm no developer but his plans seem totally pie in the sky to me. And he doesn't seem to have any cash.
Most recent info on the plant purchase: http://www.crainsdetroit.com/articl...-but-county-gives-developer-another-extension
wish that that they would keep the existing building and just to a complete remodel ... revamping the site and also be functional at the same time =)
I'm not positive about this -- next time I am over that way I'll have to look -- but I think the old Packards were cleaned out of there. There wasn't much of any value, they were essentially dregs. I did have an experience with a feral dog pack up there a few years ago. That was fairly stimulating. .
If there are any remnants of old Packards or any loose metal around on the property I can assure you that it is long gone. Scrappers are cutting out structural beams to cash them in. Last year before Autorama Move in a photographer & I drove around downtown D'town for a suitable location to do a photo shoot. Reluctantly the Packard Plant was one of those locations. The only reason he shot there was there was a steel treatment biz unloading a semi within a Stone's throw from where we were at. If it wasn't for that I woulda kept on moving, the amount bums and I don't care to know what else started to surface the more pics that were shot.
The junk Packards people are referring to are around two miles away from the Packard plant, up on the old RR right-of-way at Piquette and Russell -- down the street from Ford Piquette and Fisher Body 21.
Detroit and the Packard plant were extensively covered on Anthony Bourdain's CNN program, Parts Unknown, last night. Excellent job, well worth watching if you get the chance.
Yes indeed, car and boat storage. One of the more successful uses, though some classic cars were stolen.
No surprise to anyone, the most recent purchaser has defaulted on his payment -- story here: http://motorcitymuckraker.com/2013/11/15/packard-plant-bid-canceled-chicago-area-investor-cant-pay/
Aaaand here's some background on the third bidder in line, who appears to have a real track record in developing old industrial properties. He promises to pay in full on Monday. http://www.freep.com/article/20131115/NEWS01/311150068/Detroit-Packard-Plant-deadline-Hults
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