Skate Park, Electronic Music Museum Planned for Packard Plant Redevelopment

December 2, 2025

Detroit developers Mark Bennett and Oren Goldenberg have announced plans to transform 28 acres of the abandoned Packard Plant into a mixed-use development called "Packard Park," honoring the site's history as an underground electronic music venue. The $50 million project will include affordable housing units, Detroit's first indoor skate park, a Museum of Detroit Electronic Music, and a new industrial building designed to create 300 permanent manufacturing jobs. The city has demolished much of the deteriorating complex since 2022, spending approximately $17 million on demolition after winning a court battle against the plant's previous owner.

Who is affected

Mark Bennett and Oren Goldenberg (developers)
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan
Mayor-elect Mary Sheffield
Residents of the surrounding east side neighborhood
Future tenants of 42 affordable housing units
Future workers in 300 manufacturing jobs
Packard Development Partners, LLC
City of Detroit, DEGC, Albert Kahn Legacy Foundation, and Detroit Regional Partnership
Fernando Palazuelo (previous owner from Peru)
Late businessman Dominic Cristini (former owner)

What action is being taken

The city has signed a letter of intent with developers Bennett and Goldenberg to reactivate 28 acres of the former Packard Plant
Demolition crews have been razing the site (the city has spent nearly $17 million on demolition since 2022)

Why it matters

The Packard Plant has stood as Detroit's most iconic ruin for over 60 years, dragging down the surrounding neighborhood and symbolizing the city's industrial decline. This redevelopment represents a significant opportunity to transform a long-blighted site into a community asset that preserves history while creating economic opportunities through jobs and housing. The project demonstrates what's possible through public-private partnerships and honors the underground electronic music culture that flourished at the site while simultaneously addressing Detroit's needs for affordable housing, employment, and cultural spaces.

What's next

Build 42 "make/live" affordable housing units
Create more than two acres of indoor/outdoor public space and recreation areas
Construct Detroit's first indoor skate park inside the renovated Albert Kahn Building
Establish the Museum of Detroit Electronic Music inside the Albert Kahn Building
Construct a new $50 million, 393,000 square foot industrial building designed to create 300 permanent manufacturing jobs plus construction jobs

Read full article from source: Michigan Chronicle