Liz Colavita-week 6 entry

View from the roof of a building in Packard Plant. Foreground- other decaying buildings in the plant. Background- skyline of Downtown, symbol of growth and revitalization.

"Something always attracts us towards the ruins, because ruins remind us of our fundamental problem: the problem of impermanence. Amongst the ruins we see the very end of our road." - Mehmet Murat Ildan

On Sunday, I organized a group to go visit the Packard automotive plant. I should've done my reading up on the plant before going, but I didn't research the origins and story of the luxury car plant until returning home. The Packard plant was built in the early 20th century before becoming the Studebaker-Packard automotive plant and eventually closing its doors as an automotive plant in the 1950s. The buildings then housed other businesses until the 1990s and the plant was abandoned at the end of the 20th century. The last owners of the plant, before the building was foreclosed in the Wayne County property auctions, did not pay property taxes on the lot and let the plant slowly be stripped down, painted over, and lived in. 

Later that night, we talked about the controversy of Detroit's ruins. There is no doubt that ruins of every era captivate people and attract attention. Detroit's Michigan Central Station has been hailed the equivalent to Rome's Colosseum. But for a city that has fallen so quickly so recently, the 20th century urban ruins are also a reminder of Detroit's decay. The ruins are both a lens to a much greater time and should be treasured, but they are also a stark reminder of Detroit's problems and hindrance to revitalization. This has sparked debate about how to engage with people who come to Detroit to gawk at the ruins and what should be done with the urban decay.

I find this debate very interesting because no one is running around Rome calling for the demolition of the Colosseum or the Roman Forum. Does it take time to make Detroit's ruins great and worth saving? Or is it rather a story a of public relations gone wrong? At the DukeEngage academy, we were asked to think about how depict the communities we're serving in and how to do it in a truthful way without perpetuating stereotypes. As a DukeEngage Detroit group, we have seen firsthand how there is so much more to Detroit than vacant lots, abandoned buildings, and urban decay. But all stereotypes are seeded in a small amount of truth. The truth is that the recent ruins in Detroit are still very much a part of the city today. Current city policy still very much revolves around how to fight blight, when to demolish buildings, when to restore them, and how do we fund both of those initiatives.

{Full article about the Packard Plant and its undetermined fate}

"There is, I find, something very evocative about ruins-particularly recent ones"-Joel Knight. The 20th century ruins of Detroit are testaments to the great city it was once was, and the current revitalization a testament to the great city it still is.

The debate how to handle the ruins themselves goes much deeper than just wanting to demolish them or renovate them. Demolishing buildings is extremely costly and razing the Packard Plant is about as expensive as it gets. On the other hand, turning the Packard Plant into functional space- whether it be commercial, residential, or multi-use- is also expensive and many are skeptical that development of the Packard Plant site will spark economic revitalization in that area. The city has also had higher priorities. While the Packard Plant is the largest blighted area in Detroit, a bankrupt city can't fix all problems all at once. The plant was recently sold to a developer at a Wayne County property auction. The plant is currently owned by Spanish developer Fernando Palazuelo, who has plans to turn into a multi-purpose space, a mix of commercial and residential space. He claims the vision will come to life in the next 10-15 years and renovations will cost about $120 per sq ft. However, residents near the abandoned plant are disgusted with the city's inaction before the auction and would rather see the plant razed. This connects to the issue of democracy in Detroit's rebirth and discussion around private revitalization leaving key voices out of the conversation. 

Despite the debate on what should be done, a common belief is that something needs to be done. Detroit's ruins cannot be separated from its reputation of decline, no matter what revitalization occurs in Downtown, Midtown, and Corktown. The Packard Plant and other blighted areas are still the tired dominant story in Detroit's PR campaign and will continue to overshadow the already significant progress. If you notice the first picture in this post, you notice the decaying buildings of the Packard Plant are in the foreground, while the Downtown skyline is in the background. This is a symbolic representation of how people view Detroit. I, personally, would like to see the Packard Plant renovated into a new space with as much of the original kept as possible. This plant is a part of Detroit's history, and it's fall into ruin a small part of Detroit's truth that should not be lost. But this small truth should not overpower the many other wonderful things about Detroit and it's history.

Iconic Packard Plant bridge over Grand Blvd. What you see is actually a covered up decaying bridge, with the design of the bridge at it's height depicted on the covering. On the right is a large sign advertising the revitalization of the plant by Spanish developer Palazuelo.

Below are pictures of Detroit's larger truth. Pictured below are a variety of neighborhoods and Detroit experiences like the Slow Roll and the Motown Museum.