“Could a new club from the Tresor cofounder help revitalize Detroit’s nightlife? Max Pearl heads there to find out.”
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Dimitri Hegemann dreams of Detroit
Inaugural Tour of Packard Plant Captivates Visitors
“The sprawling, ruinous Packard Plant in Detroit saw new life today as 40 people took part in the inaugural Pure Detroit tour on Saturday.”
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To sign up for a tour go to Pure Detroit
Detroit, America’s most ambitious renovation project
Loney Planet writer Trisha Ping wrote an article about Detroit and included the Packard Plant Project.
A piece of automotive history makes a comeback
If you’ve seen pictures of the ‘ruins’ of Detroit (or the movie Transformers), you’ve seen the Packard Plant. Read more
Packard Plant Tours
We are excited to announce, in partnership with Pure Detroit, tours of the Albert Kahn Associates designed Packard Automotive Plant! Tours will start Saturday, August 12, 2017. Please visit Pure Detroit Packard Plant Tours to sign up for tours.
Originally built as a 5 million sq. ft. manufacturing facility for Packard automobiles in 1903 and later reduced to 3.5 million sq. ft. across 40 acres after the development of Interstate 94, the Packard plant was at the heart of the Arsenal of Democracy in Detroit during World War II.
Learn about the past, explore the current facilities, and share in the vision of the future development and rehabilitation of this magnificent structure.
DETAILS:
- This guided tour will take approximately 90 minutes and you will be walking approximately 1 to 2 miles.
- Please arrive 10-15 minutes prior to your tour start time.
- The cost for the tour is $40 per person.
- The tour has a maximum capacity of 30 participants per tour.
- This tour is NOT wheelchair accessible nor comfortably suitable for individuals not able to easily maneuver around ground obstacles.
- Minimum age requirement is 18 years old. Nobody under the age of 18 may take this tour. ID will be checked and verified upon arrival. You MUST have photo ID with you on the tour.
- A waiver is required to be signed upon arrival. After purchasing your ticket a copy of the waiver will be emailed to you for you to print, review and sign. Otherwise, you can sign a copy when you arrive for the tour. A waiver must be signed by every participant. One person per waiver. If you are purchasing 4 tickets, you must have four completed waivers. Again, you can sign and print the waiver, or we will have available copies at the start of the tour.
WHAT TO WEAR / BRING:
- Required apparel includes closed-toe shoes. No sandals or high heels allowed. Please wear long pants such as denim jeans.
- Hard Hats are required to be worn throughout the tour and will be provided to you. Hard hats must be returned at the end of the tour.
- For protection from potential rain and sunlight, you are welcome to bring an umbrella. There is no shade in the waiting area before and after the tour and a large part of the tour is walking outside.
- There are dark areas where you may want to have a flashlight for better visibility.
- Cameras are welcome and encouraged. The artwork throughout the facility is amazing as are the views of downtown and beyond so you are welcome to take photos.
- Reusable Water bottles are okay. Disposable/returnable plastic or glass bottles and cans are not. No outside beverages other than reusable water bottles are allowed.
WHAT NOT TO BRING:
- Pets of any kind are NOT allowed on the tour.
- Children under the age of 18 are NOT allowed on the tour. There is nobody to watch your children or pets while you’re on the tour. Do not bring anyone with you that will not be joining you on the tour.
- Bicycles, skateboards, roller blades, scooters, wagons, and any other mode of transportation other than your feet are not allowed on the tour. We will be going up and down stairs, parking lot ramps and over obstacles. There are no elevators or ADA compliant ramps available.
In the event of a weather-related postponement of the tour, we will contact everyone via email to let you know and you will receive a voucher for a future tour. Rain will NOT stop the tour. Our biggest weather-related issue is wind.
All questions regarding the details of the tour must be directed to tours@puredetroit.com. Tickets are only available here at puredetroit.com and cannot be purchased in-store. Last minute ticket purchases are available on-site at the time of the tour only in the instance that there are no more than 30 participants already signed up for the tour.
WHERE TO MEET:
We gather at the Pure Detroit pop-up shop in the parking lot of the former grocery store across from the Packard Plant Administration Building. The address that will work for directions on your mobile device is:
1585 E Grand Blvd. Detroit, MI 48211 (click the address for a link to the map)
Parking is free and there is a security guard present.
Tickets available to tour Detroit’s Packard Plant for $40
“You can now take a tour of the historic Packard Plant in Detroit thanks to Pure Detroit.
The company is now offering tours of the ruins of the Packard Plant on Grand Blovd for $40 per person.
The ticket will get you a 90 minute tour that covers the 40 acres that the massive plant covers in Detroit. According to Pure Detroit, you must be 18 to take the tour and you have to sign a waiver.”
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Pure Detroit offers tours of the Packard Plant
“Starting next week, ticket holders can explore facilities of the Packard Plant on a tour about the past and learn about future developments.”
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Pure Detroit to Offer Tours of Packard Plant
“The sprawling 3.5 million-square-foot old Packard Plant has long been a clandestine playground for urban explorers enamored with the ruins and history inside the hollowed-out complex on Detroit’s near east side.”
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Conversations with the Councilwoman
Come out for Conversations with the Councilwoman, Packard Plant Edition. It will be held Thursday, August 3rd at 6:00 pm at The Holy Ghost Cathedral in Detroit. All are welcome.
How the 1967 riots reshaped Detroit, and the rebuilding that still needs to be done
“In the summer of 1967, the simmering unrest in cities across America exploded. In Detroit, tensions between the police and the African-American community reached their limit, unleashing five days of full-out violence — riots or a rebellion, depending on whom you ask. Fifty years later, special correspondent Soledad O’Brien reports on what sparked it all and the scars that remain today.”
Click image to watch the video, the Packard Plant is shown around the 5, 7, and 8-minute mark.
Redeveloping the Abandoned Packard Plant in Detroit
“No city in America was hit harder by the economic collapse of ’08 than Detroit, MI. In 2013, it became the largest municipality to ever file for bankruptcy. Waving such a large white flag captured the eye of investors at home and around the world. As local boy done good, Dan Gilbert, began snapping up buildings downtown with an interest in only corporate tenants another Michigander quietly began working with Arte Express.”
Read the rest of the article by Kelly Lett at
http://brokeassstuart.com/blog/2017/06/15/redeveloping-an-abandoned-auto-plant-in-detroit/