An ambitious plan for redeveloping the site of former Packard Plant in Detroit has hit a snag, only months after its unveiling.
A city spokesman said on Thursday, March 26, that a letter of intent with the site’s would-be developers that dates to the final weeks of former-Mayor Mike Duggan’s administration expired in February, and Mayor Mary Sheffield administration is reevaluating options for the site.
That multifaceted development plan, known as Packard Park and unveiled in December, called for a mix of new construction at the recently demolished factory site, including affordable housing, a manufacturing facility, an indoor skate park and a techno music museum.
“The Packard Plant site is one of the few available city-owned large contiguous sites in Detroit,” the city spokesman, John Roach, said. “Consequently, the Sheffield Administration wants to take this opportunity to explore a broader range of redevelopment options for the site before moving forward with the proposed plan.”
News of the change in plans was first reported by Crain’s Detroit.
The Packard Plant team is led by local developers Mark Bennett and Oren Goldenberg. The development was expected to cover 28 acres on the southern half of the 40-plus acre property, and potentially break ground in 2027.
The team issued a statement on Thursday.
“The project had been progressing just months after it was announced but we understand that a new administration can have new priorities,” the statement said. “It remains our vision, with our many partners, to preserve the legacy of the Packard site and bring jobs to the City of Detroit. We stand ready to help Detroit with this mission.”
The city went to court to obtain ownership of the Packard site from an earlier would-be developer, Fernando Palazuelo, and used federal pandemic-era stimulus funds to demolish most of the old factory buildings between 2022 and fall 2024.
Only two Packard Plant buildings still remain. The two buildings straddle East Grand Boulevard and were once connected by a pedestrian bridge.
Contact JC Reindl: 313-378-5460 or jcreindl@freepress.com. Follow him on X @jcreindl
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit pauses Packard Plant redevelopment months after unveiling plan
Reporting by JC Reindl, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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