In 1979, a financially hurting Chrysler closed the now outdated factory and all but abandoned the site, which became derelict, overgrown, and a toxic brownfield.

The city of Detroit bought it in 1982 but was unable to find a purchaser or afford environmental remediation for the site and returned it to Chrysler.

In 1990 Chrysler began cleanup and demolition of the old plant and built a new factory on the site ("New Mack").

To switch to Pentastar production, 197 million dollars was invested in the Mack Engine I, and up to 250 jobs are to be added.

[4] In December 2018, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles announced that the Mack Avenue Engine Complex would be reopened and converted back into a vehicle assembly plant, to make the next generation Jeep Grand Cherokee starting in 2021.