Detroit's Packard Plant enters next phase of revitalization
(CBS DETROIT) –The City of Detroit is chipping away at getting rid of a significant eyesore on the east side. On Monday afternoon, crews began knocking down another portion of the massive Packard Plant.
The progress officials made so far brings a lot of smiles to those who live in the seven different neighborhoods that surround the complex.
For more than 20 years, Valeria Berry has lived next to an international symbol of blight.
"When you open up your door, and we're looking at the cars go down the street, people are moving, it gives you life, it makes you want to keep living, it makes you want to get up and do something. But when you open your door, and this is what you're looking at, it takes the gumption away from you," Berry told CBS News Detroit.
Since the old Packard Plant went offline in 1956, it didn't take long for vandals to turn it into what it is today.
"For decades, this has been an ongoing problem. We hear from them all the time, you know, there's activity taking place inside that they can't control. They have to look at it. I mean, think about if this was directly across the street from your house and how you would feel about it," said Lajuan Counts, director of the Detroit Construction & Demolition Department.
Using $1.2 million from the American Rescue Plan, city officials began tearing down three parcels on the southern half of the abandoned complex
"For 68 years, the ruins of this building have been a weight around the neck of Detroit's recovery," Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said during a news conference Monday afternoon.
The city plans to save some of the buildings to preserve the plant's history and, over the next two months, will put out a call for ideas so perhaps another auto supplier or business can resurrect the iconic footprint.
"Nobody wanted to bid on this because they thought they would have to spend $15-$20 million on demolition. The numbers wouldn't have worked. Now that we have the demolition handled, our goal is to award this to someone to re-develop it as the last of the walls are coming down," Duggan said.
The intent is to have the bulk of the plant torn down between now and the beginning of next year.
