The Packard Plant is 3,500,000-square-foot, designed by Albert Kahn. It is located on 40 acres of land on East Grand Boulevard on the city’s east side. It included the first use of reinforced concrete in the United States for industrial construction in the automobile industry.
The Packard plant was opened in 1903 and at the time was considered the most modern automobile manufacturing facility in the world. At its peak the complex employed 40,000 people, including skilled craftsmen involved in over eighty trades. The plant turned out Packard automobiles from 1903 to 1956, except during World War II, when production was shifted to war material.
The factory complex closed in 1958, though other businesses operated on the premises or used it for storage until the late 1990s.
In the 1990s, the buildings were used to host infamous “underground” raves and techno parties, including the Spastik party hosted by Richie Hawtin.
Since its abandonment, the plant has been a haven for graffiti artists, urban explorers, paintballers and auto scrappers, and much of the wiring and other building materials have been scavenged. In one incident, vandals pushed a dump truck from the fourth floor.
Despite many years of neglect and abuse, the reinforced concrete structures remain mostly intact and structurally sound. Portions of the upper floors of several small sections in various buildings have collapsed or been partly demolished and lie in ruins in the wake of several aborted attempts at demolition over the years. The City of Detroit has pledged legal action to have the property demolished or secured. Dominic Cristini, whose claim of ownership is disputed, was said to be conducting construction surveys in advance of full-scale demolition as of early 2012.
On January 23, 2019, the bridge over Grand Boulevard collapsed. No injuries were reported. In February 2019 a section of the plant owned by the city of Detroit was demolished.
