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"For readers who haven&amp;#039;t been to the former Packard Automotive plant on Detroit&amp;#039;s East Grand Boulevard, no one blames you. The old factory isn&amp;#039;t even an automotive enthusiast&amp;#039;s destination anymore. It&amp;#039;s just another Detroit ruin, picked clean by the scrappers that robbed the long-vacant factory of any remaining soul.  As bad as it is, that doesn&amp;#039;t mean the city of Detroit, Wayne County, and the State of Michigan have forgotten about the dilapidated plant.  They are putting it up for auction.   Come September, if the city, county, and state refuse ownership (which, given Detroit&amp;#039;s calamitous financial situation, seems likely) the 40 acres and 3.5 million-square feet will cross the auction block. Initially offered at as little as $500 per parcel, the Packard plant and its grounds will only be offered as a single package in order to avoid squabbles between multiple potential buyers. The Office of the Treasurer doesn&amp;#039;t want Packard to live on as an eyesore, which means the auction comes with conditions, no matter the final hammer price: whoever wins the auction will be responsible for revitalizing, rebuilding or demolishing the existing grounds and structures within six months.   The last time the city of Detroit evaluated demolition, the cost rang in to the tune of $20 million. The reason for the lofty expense? When Packard was built, the Albert Kahn-designed facility was the first structure in Detroit to utilized reinforced concrete. It was built to withstand pretty much anything.   It&amp;#039;d be grand to see a company take over the space, revitalize it, and make things hum here once again (are you listening Elon?). Just look at the pictures from the factory&amp;#039;s heyday and imagine a modern example buzzing, popping, and glowing like a small city on the outskirts of Detroit.   In any case, the site&amp;#039;s future owners face a challenge. A chemical company was the last recorded tenant and vacated three years ago, which doesn&amp;#039;t bode well for ground contamination.   The hurdles may well be insurmountable, but the building&amp;#039;s glorious history means it deserves a thoughtful pause before it&amp;#039;s permanently erased from Detroit&amp;#039;s landscape. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/buying-maintenance/news/a4666/go-news-auctions-a-detroit-landmark-crosses-the-auction-block/>