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# PODCAST: Collapse Of The Packard Plant Bridge Spotlights The Plant's Colorful Past And Uncertain Future
- URL: https://www.dailydetroit.com/podcast-collapse-of-the-packard-plant-bridge-spotlights-the-plants-colorful-past-and-uncertain-future/
- Published: 2019-01-24T21:58:46.000Z
- Updated: 2019-01-24T22:12:47.000Z
- Author: Sven Gustafson
- Tags: #wordpress, #Import 2024-02-25 18:12

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On Wednesday, the Packard Plant’s bridge collapsed onto East Grand Boulevard. On today’s show, we talk about that and what we know about why it happened. And we use it as a jumping-off point to discuss the plant’s colorful past and ambitious — some might say quixotic — future plans.

In its heyday, the Packard Plant was the largest automotive factory in the world, built for an automobile company known for its engineering and innovations like the 12-cylinder engine and the modern steering wheel.

We also speak with John Lauter, a former tenant and current Packard historian, who fills us in on the plant’s post-Packard years starting in the late ’50s, including its use for film storage, then later on for illegal rave parties. Not to mention, there’s a dose of city hall intrigue at the turn of the millenium.

Below are some before-and-after shots of the pedestrian bridge. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/47/f5/47f528d4-7214-4519-b2b2-26249e48460d/content/images/wordpress/2019/01/6783850826_eca25e2950_z.jpg)

Photo via [Flickr Creative Commons](https://www.flickr.com/photos/shannxn/6783850826/in/photolist-bkt1vh-9L93Cz-9X81J8-dbpgkt-nTC8mq-ajaTFj-jLeQgZ-226k7Ud-a5KSeN-uEDyc4-kC2LSj-9Gxa7x-jKDe93-9vET16-aj85Y6-eaqzjH-iuo2vR-hG2kwi-8HPHeH-chTPKC-ouSPsb-9fns2f-93cHz5-9CgSDo-iduTMt-awTR3Z-8U9pMN-8BDzLr-edJWVU-chTQJf-awr71h-8QVse4-JkQgWb-dzgZyn-fBiinU-9N23Zh-9YefsF-bggb1i-cKzrqo-paCdL9-adJMR3-btcwEN-9fL1Wn-cDJY25-9apppd-axY5Na-8JWCre-mV2wrp-nbqDhC-9ePc82?ref=dailydetroit.com)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/47/f5/47f528d4-7214-4519-b2b2-26249e48460d/content/images/wordpress/2019/01/3849751343_7f40f837e6_z.jpg)

Photo [via Flickr](https://www.flickr.com/photos/salisasaki/3849751343/in/photolist-8nY6gH-8P6E1u-btziBp-8FdMbz-8g7jBt-8DtGEH-8LNE3K-djDbPz-aK6Cvz-8SN8T5-a2aA7G-djCZFP-9AX1to-djDJKg-91B9FE-e8P9YY-5h9ywH-dALLe4-djDKbx-8yQtSE-djDpuz-8fgGkm-5hdUv3-8ETUAn-jKvZ81-8Vjiq6-bu1tUG-8PdpU3-6SbYXa-djDHHP-dmwX3i-8NCj87-djD5sL-by3GbA-9TXmkc-9cyev8-azi29y-5h9yiB-9jBG3f-kyZv3B-bBLign-a4XVsF-9TQfL2-9J2rGd-8iJmDu-699fYi-ayDwWm-9fx8dM-8Fqtnb-966zjG?ref=dailydetroit.com) Creative Commons

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/47/f5/47f528d4-7214-4519-b2b2-26249e48460d/content/images/wordpress/2019/01/2694306535_fbda3186a5_z.jpg)

via [Douglas LeMoine](https://www.flickr.com/photos/kindee/2694306535/in/photolist-nTCfZm-ob3kym-8hjZBg-oaPheF-5hdUjE-9HiBzB-9rG2V7-djDrSj-eaqxqx-97QR3a-aifQZZ-9f3vmX-paxP23-99FhtJ-8fb8rL-5762sX-djD9Y3-aATjyZ-9soX2X-9iPfLs-btcucm-djCZj8-bjSy5H-9ffzpd-8NP9Ge-bG74SB-djD7Fb-8H7UDf-5hdVcw-699fTB-aFpdVP-djCRm3-8eRRae-8sWkEn-699gQT-cNMx7w-9XuYT8-djDwtY-ctRN2G-ajhj43-a6KfN1-9bg8ZA-9P8BEy-a7uCiD-9HuHvY-e5JdBt-aB6u9j-9yr9Aw-RY5riG-cjL6Go?ref=dailydetroit.com)

And now some pictures from the other day…

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/47/f5/47f528d4-7214-4519-b2b2-26249e48460d/content/images/wordpress/2019/01/50595938_1013978082119494_6341446954014212096_n.jpg)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/47/f5/47f528d4-7214-4519-b2b2-26249e48460d/content/images/wordpress/2019/01/50928382_1013978135452822_8275589689407176704_n.jpg)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/47/f5/47f528d4-7214-4519-b2b2-26249e48460d/content/images/wordpress/2019/01/50659852_1013978152119487_1836487728976363520_n.jpg)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/47/f5/47f528d4-7214-4519-b2b2-26249e48460d/content/images/wordpress/2019/01/50839877_1013978168786152_8208657318498271232_n.jpg)