Historic district, Shelby Township, since 1926
Packard Proving Grounds Gateway Complex
Still standing, photographed 2011
- Opened
- 1926
- Style
- Cotswold style
- Standing
- 100 years
Designed by Albert Kahn and William E. Kapp
Packard Proving Grounds Gateway Complex has stood on Van Dyke Avenue in Shelby Township since 1926, 100 years and counting. Who built it, what makes it special and how to see it for yourself.
More photos of Packard Proving Grounds Gateway Complex
What is there now
Standing
We checked building permits, sales, listings and the city's blight and demolition files on October 24, 2026. Nothing new at this address in the last two years.
The story
In 1926, as the auto boom spread out from Detroit and the suburbs began to fill in, Packard Proving Grounds Gateway Complex opened in Shelby Township.
Credit the design to Albert Kahn and William E. Kapp, in the Cotswold style style.
It joined the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.
Next time you are nearby, stop at 49965 Van Dyke Avenue and look up.
The Packard Proving Grounds (the remains of which are now called the Packard Proving Grounds Gateway Complex), was a proving ground established in Shelby Charter Township, Michigan in 1927 by the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Timeline
- 1926 Built Designed by Albert Kahn and William E. Kapp
- 2007 Listed on the National Register February 1, 2007
- 2026 Today 100 years and still standing
Where it is
49965 Van Dyke Avenue, Shelby Township
Google has no street picture right at this spot. The map still shows it.
On this map
Street map from OpenStreetMap contributors
Who made it
Architect
Albert KahnAmerican architect, 1869 to 1942. Designed the General Motors Building (1922) and 114 more in Metro Detroit
Also by Albert Kahn
The Players, by William E. Kapp. Photo: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Architect
William E. KappArchitect. Designed Meadow Brook Farms (1926) and 2 more in Metro Detroit
Also by William E. Kapp
- The Players 1925
- Meadow Brook Farms 1926
Photo credits
Every photo on this page is used under its license, named here with its author and a link to the original.
- Packard Proving Grounds Gateway Complex in Macomb County MI, 2011 Photo: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Packard Proving Grounds Gateway Complex in Macomb County MI, 2011 Photo: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Packard Proving Grounds Gateway Complex in Macomb County MI, 2011 Photo: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Packard automobile, 1958 Photo: public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sources
Facts only, gathered from these sources. The story above is written by Rebuild Detroit. Every photo names its author and license where it appears.