Owner has neither the money nor the permits to demolish Detroit landmark.
The owner of the Packard Plant – an international symbol of urban decay – has no demolition permits, no state or city money and no publicly announced redevelopment plan.
And yet a family friend says Dominic Cristini is ready to tear down the 3.5-million-square-foot plant.
Antonio Carlomusto, owner of AVC Services in Harrison Township, said Cristini has hired him to oversee demolition of the historic plant on Detroit’s east side.
But Cristini hasn’t yet paid Carlomusto, and it’s not clear how he will finance a demolition and cleanup that by the city’s estimate could cost $20 million.
Finances appear to be an issue for Cristini, who did not return several calls from the Free Press on Friday. He told the Environmental Protection Agency last year that he didn’t have the resources to pay $35,000 for cleanup costs at the plant. His company, Bioresource, owes $760,000 in back city and county property taxes. The city has a separate lien against the owner for $400,000 in unpaid taxes, a spokeswoman said.
Read more here
