Explore crumbling remains of newly bought Packard Plant

When the abandoned Packard Plant sold for more than $6 million on Friday, Detroiters were shocked.

Who would want to buy 3.5 million square feet of crumbling concrete, broken glass and twisted metal?

Today we’re expected to find out what the winning bidder, a Texas physician named Jill Van Horn, plans to do with the ruins at East Grand Boulevard and Concord.

Over the past two months, we’ve explored the Packard to chronicle what’s left of the plant – blocks of crumbling buildings, ravaged by scrappers, fire and extreme weather. The plant was designed by famed industrial architect Albert Kahn, whose reinforced concrete was considered virtually indestructible.

This water tower creaks and shifts in the wind.

This room is in better shape than most.

Reinforced concrete pillars have collapsed.

The Packard is a dumping ground for just about anything.

This entire block was flattened by scrappers.

Exposed reinforced concrete.

The buildings are crumbling.

Bottom floor at the Packard.

Concrete and bricks cover the ground.

This collapsed building offers a view of downtown.

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Steve Neavling

Steve Neavling lives and works in Detroit as an investigative journalist. His stories have uncovered corruption, led to arrests and reforms and prompted FBI investigations.

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