So the Packard Plant has a resident, and no, he's not a squatter. Alan Hill, the sole resident and caretaker of the decaying industrial complex, says he's never really alone because he has dogs and cats, but admits his living space lacks some things that other people may miss. Which is not to say it is amenity-free. He touts a two-acre indoor "farm" for various projects (and let's not forget original art work by Scott Hocking and the Banksy mural that used to be there! And the views!) You might even say he has one of the more famous Detroit addresses; this building has fans including local celebrities such as Phil Cooley, who says it is his favorite local ruin porn monument (after the Train Station). Alan's been there for seven years as a custodian that the owner asked to watch out for the place in return for rent-free, mortgage-free semi-retired living. As it turns out, he's a delightfully un-insane Detroit booster with a real nostalgia for the place. He'd be super sad if twenty years from now, you did not know what the Packard Plant was.
HILL from thismustbetheplace on Vimeo.
· Allan Hill, Detroit, Michigan [Vimeo]
· Meet Allan Hill, The Man Who Lives In Detroit’s Abandoned Packard Auto Plant [Jalopnik]
· Packard Plant, An Icon, Doomed To Demolition By Owner [Curbed Detroit]
· The Banksy Mural Lifted From Detroit's Packard Plant Is Back! [Curbed Detroit]
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