...and just when I thought the Packard saga couldn't get much more convoluted, here comes a character, fresh out of prison, who claims to be the only owner of the place. The Detroit News ran an article this weekend about this new development. This man of course blames the city for the current state of the building, for kicking out all his tenants, and letting it go while he was in prison. Yeah, he's a meth dealer. Um, retired. The city claims the company the plant is registered to, which he claims to own, has been bankrupt since 1997 and they were trying to get some large company interested in taking it over and rehabbing it.
Something tells me the real story is far more complicated that that. At one point the structure was $700k deep in tax debt to the city, and several powerful people helped to pay that bill. I'm sure they have some sort of stake. And there was apparently a big police raid and campout that may or may not have driven this drug-addled would-be owner from his office...when you read about all the possible owners and part owners, deeds, taxes, police raids...it boggles the mind. I'm not sure they'll ever figure out who really owns the plant.
For its part, Detroit has started demolition proceedings and wants the place torn down, and they want the owner(s) whoever they may be, to pay for it. And having personally seen the bowels of the place, I can tell you that the demo and cleanup costs involved will be staggering.
This new guy, he says he wanted it turned into a Packard museum, which is hilarious because it's way, way too big for that and no self-respecting building inspector would be caught dead walking around in Packard, let alone allowing the public in...as I've noted before, it's beyond "fixing up". Way beyond.
Screw filming movies here, they could make a movie ABOUT the place.
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