But it's a shame to see so much of this nation's auto history turn to rubble. I wish they could save the front building. https://www.thedrive.com/news/43674...a8sHWfLndwaXu_ca8lkP05Vo1tfCHbgbESlFpwUU2s9XU
I didn't know that existed. I really dislike how we always have to tear down buildings here in the US to build new. They talk about a few hundred jobs like that's a big deal, for a place that would have employed thousands at one time.
I can't imagine that industrial space in Detroit is scarce these days. I suppose it is inevitable that large factories that can't be repurposed will fall into ruin, since the basic maintenance of such a large building must be ruinous. But parts of those buildings I think are worth saving.
It always amazes me how we just tear down early architecture and just haul it to a dump. They do it in my area with houses, schools, old stores, etc. Just think, most of the flooring and trim work in these places are almost or over 100 years old and made from oak (in my area anyway). Plus they were manufactured from a tree that was nearly 100 years old. Just seems wasteful when these products could be saved and reused. Modern building technology can't hold a light to this earlier craftsmanship. It's not just with carpentry work, either. I've seen some extraordinary hand cut stone and masonry work meet the same fate.
I would agree that repurposing existing structures seems to make more sense that tearing them down. But the reality is that old buildings like this don't even come close to meeting new building codes, that are typically imposed on them during a complete gut restoration. So the cost is actually considerably higher to save and repurpose the structure, vs just tearing it down, and starting over. Also, a lot of the industrial plants have contaminated soil under or around them, that has to be removed. It's likely that even if the jobs had stayed here, the natural progression of business would have lead them to a more efficient facility, sooner or later. Chrysler engineering was using this facility up till 2009 I think the article said, but even they moved on. Removing old structures and building new ones does two things: Updates and revitalizes the area, allows for better efficiency, in both energy, and production, or it takes industrial land and turns it into housing.. It makes the surviving vintage buildings unique. As much as I would love the auto industry of 20th century to still be up and running here in America, it's, for the most part, gone. We outsourced it like everything else. JW
