detroit three

these next three are from cass avenue, just south of the wayne state campus.

here are some photos of the abandoned massive packard plant on the east side of detroit. these buildings, which used to produce luxury cars and wwii fighter engines, were built between 1907 and 1909 and have been abandoned since 1956, when packard merged with studebaker. these were the first steel-reinforced concrete buildings in the world.

and finally, we have the granddaddy of detroit ruins, michigan central station. the station, and the office building that rises from it, were built in 1913 and within a decade fell into underuse. its designers had assumed a majority of travelers would arrive via streetcar, failing to recognize the increasing popularity of automobiles. amtrak took over the terminals in 1971 and provided a brief boost, but they pulled out of the station in 1988. since then its been the focus of several redevelopment schemes (casino, police headquarters, trade center) which have never materialized. in april the city council voted to demolish it but was sued by a preservationist. there is a 1987 video here with pictures of the building in its prime. this building is huge and scary and beautiful. it's the craziest thing i have ever stood in front of.