1903–1911, Albert Kahn and others. 1580 E. Grand Blvd., both sides of E. Grand Blvd.
The earlier nine buildings of this complex are of standard mill construction, but Albert Kahn and his brother Julius, an engineer, designed Building Number 10 (1905) using reinforced concrete. This was the first factory building in Detroit to utilize a reinforced-concrete frame and interior columns. Kahn's construction permitted larger floor space without the interruption of supporting members—a definite advantage in the automobile manufacturing process. The later Packard Forge Shop (1911) anticipated Kahn's later single-story manufacturing buildings of steel and glass. This complex was the major Packard manufacturing facility from 1903 until 1956, when Studebaker bought Packard and ultimately closed the plant.