  Andylinn Member Username: Andylinn Post Number: 100 Registered: 04-2006 Posted From: 68.40.195.233 |
Ok, it is well known that there are a lot of illegal dumps in the city. It is also well known that there are a lot of illegal dumps in abandoned buildings. This can and does include vehicles... However, while strolling by/through the Packard plant the other day I saw the strangest thing... There were many boats on the first floor of the building, and even an RV... However, on the SECOND floor, at least 14 feet from ground level, there were TWO boats... on racks... At least semi neatly arranged... I figured they must have been placed there BEFORE the freight elevators were shut off (1950s? 1960s?) however... they had licenses from 1984. Does anyone know anything about this that I don't? How the hell did these boats get up there? I found these boats VERY curious and have been pondering this for a while now... .andy. | ||
Smogboy Member Username: Smogboy Post Number: 3246 Registered: 11-2004 Posted From: 69.47.100.44 |
Wasn't the second floor leased out to a paintball gamers group a few years back and some of those boats used as shields on the play arena?? | ||
Andylinn Member Username: Andylinn Post Number: 101 Registered: 04-2006 Posted From: 68.40.195.233 |
hey, i think you actually might be right... | ||
56packman Member Username: 56packman Post Number: 421 Registered: 12-2005 Posted From: 65.185.132.134 |
what area of the complx are you refering to? If you go through the iron gates (where the COD pays a "guard" to sit in a car 24/7)and proceed straight back from the gate there is a large door on your right. that door has a ramp that will take you up all five stories of that section of the plant. I have taken a big duallie pickup pulling a trailer (with a car inside) up that ramp, so a boat would be no big deal. The paintball geeks were on the fifth floor. | ||
Detroit313 Member Username: Detroit313 Post Number: 96 Registered: 02-2006 Posted From: 12.45.2.184 |
Who owns the Packard Plant. And wouldn't it seem like a cash-cow if they had a bunch of games going on in the place. i.e. paint ball games, movies for a dollar, archade, roller blades in the winter, ice hockey, tennis, basketball courts, golf, batting cages, go-carting. the possibilities are endless. Why is it not being used. Is the U.S. Government secretly forcing the city to keep it up because of a possible impending war with China and the N.Korean's and may need to reopen the plant to build anti-billistic missiles? 313 | ||
Dougw Member Username: Dougw Post Number: 1201 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 68.252.124.43 |
I've actually played paintball in the Packard Plant... this would have been around 1991. (before I lived in Detroit or even knew that it was originally the Packard Plant) | ||
Bussey Member Username: Bussey Post Number: 182 Registered: 12-2003 Posted From: 70.227.206.148 |
their is a vehicle ramp near the old paintball area. This is where you would park for paintball...on the roof. And thi sis how the boats got up to the second floor. You dont need freight elevators when you have a ramp. The Packard is wonderful | ||
Mauser765 Member Username: Mauser765 Post Number: 847 Registered: 01-2004 Posted From: 4.229.117.152 |
Splatball City was the name of the paintball course. It was in a section of the building that was attacked by wrecking crews in one of the Citys attempts to demolish parts of the structure. There are still a million unsplattered paintballs up there, and obstacle courses with hay bales and makeshift dwellings to hide in and around. | ||
Mauser765 Member Username: Mauser765 Post Number: 848 Registered: 01-2004 Posted From: 4.229.114.82 |
 Heres yer boats  Heres the car ramp on the northern end of the plant..  Heres one of the Splattball City signs -uh, added onto by Turtle..  Heres a couple shots of the courses..   an unexpended "round"  One of the section of Splattball City that was munched by the wrecking crew. [images total=89k] | ||
56packman Member Username: 56packman Post Number: 423 Registered: 12-2005 Posted From: 65.185.132.134 |
The plant is owned by the city of Detroit, who should not be allowed to own anything larger than a 1,000 sq. ft. house. The state of Michigan GAVE the title to the COD after receiving it in a property tax lein seizure. The owner paid the back taxes, and the state GAVE the title to the building to the city of Detroit, instead of back to the rightful, paid-up owner. The city now keeps someone "on watch" at the plant 24/7, during whose watch more wanton vandalisim has taken place that any other time in history. I would love to see an expose on this in the local papers. It's a very juicy story, whith implications that go up high, in many places. | ||
Andylinn Member Username: Andylinn Post Number: 103 Registered: 04-2006 Posted From: 68.40.195.233 |
packman, i agree with you 100%. the "security" there is a crock. as i was leaving, i saw a uniformed guard talking into his shirt (aka calling for cops) and pointing at me... but he didn't SAY anything... i simply drove off... I would NEVER dream of damaging a building, I simply love the beauty within, and love photography. the horrific damage within is sickening... the entire place is FILLED with broken glass... senseless desecration of beauty. .andy. | ||
Paulmcall Member Username: Paulmcall Post Number: 741 Registered: 05-2004 Posted From: 68.40.119.216 |
Unfortunately, more parts of the city are like this than not. | ||
Gravitymachine Member Username: Gravitymachine Post Number: 1137 Registered: 05-2005 Posted From: 198.208.159.18 |
sounds like the plant was used for boat/car storage at one time and some of the property was abandoned. I highly doubt illegal dumpers would take the time to organize their mess  | ||
Paulj Member Username: Paulj Post Number: 394 Registered: 12-2003 Posted From: 68.248.72.4 |
There was a syst3m party back in the ramp part of the plant, I still have a free t-shirt in a memory box somewheres... Most of the parties were held in a section of the building closer to Grand Blvd, but that syst3m party will always stick out in my mind due to the massive scale of the room it was in. a couple thousand folks and the place was less than 1/4th full. anyone have any pictures of the party venues in there?> A frind of mine went exploring & said theres still many artifacts from the late 90s in there... oh what i'd do for one more walk down memory lane..... | ||
Spacemonkey Member Username: Spacemonkey Post Number: 49 Registered: 03-2006 Posted From: 63.102.87.27 |
I played paintball there as well. I went to a few 'art crowd' parties at the plant in the past too, where some dudes rented art space. But I thought the Packard Plant was completely leveled by now. Wasn't that the plan? | ||
56packman Member Username: 56packman Post Number: 425 Registered: 12-2005 Posted From: 129.9.163.234 |
Spacemonkey--that was one man's evil plan, and due to several improper actions on his behalf, it has not taken place. | ||
Etxray Member Username: Etxray Post Number: 2 Registered: 01-2006 Posted From: 208.15.41.226 |
That porton of the plant was divided into seprate storage units. My father had the unit on the gound floor next to the ramp, then on the second floor directly above. Many people stored vintage autos and boats in that area. |
