Packard Plant demolition begins Thursday
Owner of infamous eyesore Packard Plant racks up fines for inactivity by city of Detroit
A Wayne County Circuit Court judge is ordering Fernando Palazuelo to remove trash and debris - and work on demolishing the several parcels he owns, after declaring them a public nuisance and a threat to public health safety and welfare.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - Demolition on Detroit's decrepit Packard Plant will begin Thursday after the city gained permission to raze the blighted property earlier this year.
The City Council approved $1.68 million in funding over the summer to help finance the demolition of the 3.5 million square foot plant, after a judge ordered the property's developer to immediately tear down the building.
Fernando Palazuelo has owned the old Packard Plant for years and had previously released a $350 million plan to revitalize the structure for mixed-use development. But the plans never moved forward.
After Palazuelo failed to meet court deadlines over the property, a judge ordered the plant be demolished and for the Peruvian developer to pay for it. Detroit has been pushing to remove the property over concerns it presents an imminent danger to an adjacent business and its employees.
MORE: Detroit City Council approves $1.68M contract to demolish portion of Packard Plant
The city is expected to be at 6199 Concord Thursday to oversee the beginning of the demolition.