Packard Plant's $50 million restoration includes indoor skatepark, electronic music museum

Detroit unveils Packard Plant renovation plan

A portion of the site was demolished, and for decades, many have considered the site an eyesore. However, that could soon change.

(FOX 2) - No part of Detroit better showcases both the historic decline of Detroit — and its rebound — quite like the Motor City Industrial Park and former site of the Packard Plant.

The hollowed-out building has been an eyesore for decades and the subject of legal battles as the city has sought to hold its ex-owner responsible for cleaning up the area.

Not only have the court disputes been resolved, but a plan is now in motion to replace the blighted campus with something new.

Big picture view:

The site's revival will include new structures like class-A industrial buildings as well as restoration to a current structure that will include affordable housing, an indoor skate park, a museum celebrating electronic music, and two acres of public space and recreation.

Detroit's "reactivation" of the sprawling site will be led by a partnership of developers, foundations, and other economic growth groups.

Those behind Packard Development Partners, LLC have experience in other projects like the newly announced plan for the Packard Plant, including redeveloping the original Lincoln Motor factory into mixed-use space.

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The new structures going up include a 393,000-square-foot Class-A industrial building that will house 300 permanent manufacturing jobs.

Then, a 117,000-square-foot legacy building designed by Albert Kahn will be renovated as a celebration of the city's culture while housing residents and opening up space to recreate.

The housing will include 42 units. The indoor skate park and Museum of Detroit Electronic Music taps into the city's historic fabric, while a mixture of indoor and outdoor space will be utilized for recreation.

It's expected to cost $50 million and be completed by 2029.

"For more than 60 years this site sat idle. Today, we declare that those days are over. The Packard Park will be a symbol of what is possible when Detroiters, public partners, and committed developers work together with imagination and purpose," said Mayor-elect Mary Sheffield. "This is how we honor our past while building our future — by preserving history, creating jobs, expanding housing, and investing in culture and community all at once.