Could it be that Fernando Palazuelo, the third-place bidder on the ruined Packard Plant who ended up winning after a series of grand-scale fuck-ups, has been secretly reading comments on Jalopnik for the site's future?
It sure seems like it. Palazuelo, a Peruvian developer who seems to be the most serious about redeveloping the 3.5-million square-foot site, has plans to attract auto suppliers, build residences and art space, a factory and — the thing you'll care most about — a competitive go-kart racing track, according to the Freep:
He is also considering the installation of a motor-racing track fit for competitions. A father of five, he said his two eldest sons, Fernando and James, were once high-ranked go-kart racers.
As exciting as this may sound, Palazuelo still hasn't paid a full deposit to obtain the Packard Plant. He says he needs more time to determine the cost of insuring the property from additional theft, but keep in mind that the last two bidders also failed to pay their deposits after making wide-ranging proposals.
Speaking of theft, you know that tall water tower (that Smorgasbord described as "like the water tower on the Warner Brothers lot, only instead of holding hyperactive animated characters it holds sadness and broken dreams") on the site? Steve Neavling over at Motor City Muckraker spotted some ambitious scrappers trying to take it down yesterday. It'll probably be gone by the end of this week.
The Packard Plant's Third New Owner Wants To Build A Go-Kart Track