From: George Lord <LORD_G@crob.flint.umich.edu>
For those of you who are still fans of "Roger and Me" let me update
you on the fate of the AutoWorld fiasco which was part of the Flint
Recovery plans several years back. You may remember AutoWorld as the
theme park/museum built by the city as a tribute to the automobile at
a cost of $90 million largely from UDAG and HUD. There was also the
incorporation of the old IMA (Idustrial Mutural Association) building
into the park. (IMA was an attempt by GM to offset the union move by
providing basketball, softball, and assorted social programs for
employees in the twenties and thirties.) The IMA building was
designated a Historical Building and I believe is now on the National
registry. Well now a decade after the failure of AutoWorld and an
annual cost of maintaining the building of close to half a million
dollars, the DDA (owner of said property) and the Mott Foundation
(financier of the mess) have decided to give the property to the
University of Michigan - Flint. Of course the Uof M - Flint has made
it clear it wants the land only, which is adjacent to our campus.
The Mott Foundation gave the U $8 million last year to plan for and
remove the entire autoworld complex. For those of you who read the
article by Al Price and myself (Social Problems 39 (2) :1992) I
would remind you that the local growth elite regularly told us that
AutoWorld was not a failure becasue the bricks and mortar still
stood. Rather it was a major development "in search of a final
use." As the plan for the destruction goes forward ther is a
handful of local business men challenging the destruction and calling
for the required open hearings necessary to eliminate structures so
that the empty property might be deeded over to the U. If anyone is
interested I will be glad to update this sad saga when appropriate.