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Meet Allan Hill, the man who lives In DetroitÂ’s abandoned Packard Auto Plant
yahoo.com ^ | Apr 13, 2012 | Matt Hardigree

Posted on 04/14/2012 7:55:46 PM PDT by Rides_A_Red_Horse

Perhaps the biggest shortcoming of Detroit "ruin porn" is it inherently ignores the very real people who still live in the city. Now there's a convergence the amazing story of Allan Hill, the man who legally lives inside the city's abandoned Packard Auto Plant. What's most surprising about this moving mini-documentary is Hill's "quality of life" doesn't look as terrible as you'd imagine, nor does his reasoning for choosing to stay in the largest abandoned factory in the world seem so unsound. The whole creation is a huge gut-check to our biases. Yes, the Packard Plant is so giant and empty and strange they shoot Michael Bay movies there. And, occasionally, kids push a dump truck out a window. Yet, Hill has power, Internet access, a welding setup, and a small kitchen. He even maintains a webcam. The owner apparently gave him his blessing so long as Hill works as a custodian of the property.

(Excerpt) Read more at autos.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Local News; Miscellaneous; Society
KEYWORDS: detroit
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This is my first post. The lib writer tries to play off some "rich vs poor" garbage, but the real story seems to show how anyone who chooses to succeed can succeed in the most austere circumstances.
1 posted on 04/14/2012 7:55:54 PM PDT by Rides_A_Red_Horse
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To: Rides_A_Red_Horse
Link broken. Must have been a bad character in the URL.

Welcome to FR.

2 posted on 04/14/2012 8:05:32 PM PDT by backwoods-engineer (I will vote against ANY presidential candidate who had non-citizen parents.)
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To: Rides_A_Red_Horse

Great story, very amicable, humble man. Thanks for the post, link worked fine for me.


3 posted on 04/14/2012 8:13:27 PM PDT by randog (Tap into America!)
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To: Rides_A_Red_Horse
the bottom link works ok...
4 posted on 04/14/2012 8:16:04 PM PDT by Chode (American Hedonist - *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
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To: backwoods-engineer

Works for me. May have gotten fixed.


5 posted on 04/14/2012 8:16:19 PM PDT by upchuck (Need is not an acceptable lifestyle choice; dependent is not a career. ~ Dr. Tim Nerenz)
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To: backwoods-engineer

Thanks for the welcome. I wish I were more computer savy. Someone posted that the link works now. Maybe a website tech fixed it.


6 posted on 04/14/2012 8:19:57 PM PDT by Rides_A_Red_Horse
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To: Rides_A_Red_Horse

Why would a building for a company that’s been out of business for decades and still not occupied by another business still be standing? I would have thought if it couldn’t be converted to something else it would have eventually been demolished to save on property taxes.


7 posted on 04/14/2012 8:20:27 PM PDT by MachIV
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To: upchuck

Is there something you can do if your link doesn’t work or if you copied it wrong?


8 posted on 04/14/2012 8:21:05 PM PDT by Rides_A_Red_Horse
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To: MachIV
Why would a building for a company that’s been out of business for decades and still not occupied by another business still be standing? I would have thought if it couldn’t be converted to something else it would have eventually been demolished to save on property taxes.

You're assuming everyone pays all appropriate taxes.

I grew up near the area. There are a lot of abandoned buildings and warehouses in Detroit. I'm sure it's similar in other big cities.

The true owner must be doing “something” there. He seems to appreciate Mr Hill's presence.

9 posted on 04/14/2012 8:25:23 PM PDT by Rides_A_Red_Horse
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To: MachIV
There is no demand for abandoned factories in Detroit. Who knew?

The city is bankrupt and cannot afford to demolish the empty houses and buildings in its environs. So it sits.

Packard did build great cars, though.

10 posted on 04/14/2012 8:27:47 PM PDT by Former Proud Canadian (Obamanomics-We don't need your stinking tar sands oil, we'll just grow algae.)
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To: Former Proud Canadian

The parade of corrupt mayors and grifter CONgressmen had more important pursuits.


11 posted on 04/14/2012 8:34:51 PM PDT by Rides_A_Red_Horse
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To: Rides_A_Red_Horse

use the autos.yahoo.com link


12 posted on 04/14/2012 8:36:44 PM PDT by stickywillie (a corrupt parallel universe exists beside our wonderful Constitution)
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To: stickywillie

That’s what I thought I did! I’m learning as I go...


13 posted on 04/14/2012 8:40:48 PM PDT by Rides_A_Red_Horse
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To: Rides_A_Red_Horse

Yep. Report your post by clicking on “Report abuse.” Then tell the moderator about the change you need made. The mods are usually pretty good about this. They’ve corrected several silly errors I’ve made in the past.


14 posted on 04/14/2012 8:42:34 PM PDT by upchuck (Need is not an acceptable lifestyle choice; dependent is not a career. ~ Dr. Tim Nerenz)
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To: Former Proud Canadian
There is no demand for abandoned factories in Detroit. Who knew?

The city is bankrupt and cannot afford to demolish the empty houses and buildings in its environs. So it sits.

The old Packard auto showroom in Oakland, CA is now a live/work space:

http://packardloftsinoakland.com

Packard did build great cars, though.

Someday, God willing, I will own a Packard. :)

15 posted on 04/14/2012 8:44:23 PM PDT by thecodont
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To: Rides_A_Red_Horse

I live within 5 miles of downtown Detroit. In the 1950’s Detroit had 10 times the number of people that my city has. Now it has 3 times. My city has not grown that much, Detroit is shrinking.


16 posted on 04/14/2012 8:44:45 PM PDT by Former Proud Canadian (Obamanomics-We don't need your stinking tar sands oil, we'll just grow algae.)
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To: Rides_A_Red_Horse

Sounds like a writer pushing the benefits of poverty and third world living


17 posted on 04/14/2012 8:55:42 PM PDT by GeronL (The Right to Life came before the Right to Pursue Happiness)
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To: Rides_A_Red_Horse

Boy there’s a sobering thought.

Packard went out of business in the 50’s.

So in fifty some odd years there’s been no demand that would have caused the factory to be put to some other commercial or redevelopment use? Talk about zero growth.

Just think of the industrial powerhouse we were during World War II, and then look at us now. Yikes!


18 posted on 04/14/2012 9:10:11 PM PDT by I cannot think of a name (e)
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To: thecodont

Santa Monica CA had a lovely old building that was a Packard showroom. My grandparents drove Packards. What a gorgeous car.


19 posted on 04/14/2012 9:43:42 PM PDT by Conservative4Ever (Waiting for the new tagline to download)
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To: Conservative4Ever
When I was very young bare foooted kid around 10 or 11, was hitchhiking from town one hot summer day when an old man (who was also the richest in the county) in new Packard Picked me up.

I had never rode in a cold air conditioned car and one that ran so quite. Spooked me, it even crossed my mind he could be the devil. But he wasn't, just a nice guy who even drove me home couple miles down the gravel road where we lived.

20 posted on 04/14/2012 10:04:22 PM PDT by Sea Parrot (Nations are only truly great when it's people are struggling against all odds, growing and expanding)
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